Thu, 05/17/2007 - 12:45pm

Like some other nightly endeavors, pandering to a crowd of almost 19,000 under stadium lights ‘ain’t easy.’ With this small army of die-hards echoing in a cavernous bowl designed to seat over 50,000 strong, fans in RFK’s upper deck can shout down to the field with the stunning clarity once only available through BOSE Audio’s infomercials. There is a personal aspect to this sort of pressure this is arguably more rattling than the indistinguishable roar of a packed house. The pressure of a no-hitter in progress, however, remains undisputable. Whether pitching in front of 2 or 20,000 people- even in a video game in your empty living room- the mind must mitigate mounting internal pressure, to combat the constant over-thinking and self-jinxing that accompany the empty frame in the opposition’s boxscore.


Somehow, despite taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the division rival Atlanta Braves last night, Jason Bergmann remained as cool as the other side of the pillow. “It wasn’t like it was a big deal,” Bergmann said of his brush with team history. Come again?? Since when is it ‘not a big deal’ to post a franchise’s first no-hitter, especially considering the need for personality and intrigue to spice up a season with tempered expectations? It could be that Bergmann is a bit jaded by the concept, having just watched rotation mate Shawn Hill leave a no-hitter on the table after five innings on Friday. The more optimistic answer for Nat’s fans is that Bergmann is a gamer, sporting the qualities of a starter that doesn’t get rattled. He suffered an embarrassment of focus in the home half of the seventh inning last night, as rookie manager Manny Acta needed to remind the right-hander of his turn in the on-deck circle. “He was spectacular.” Acta said of Bergmann’s no-hit approach, “I really thought he was going to do it.”

When building a twenty-seven story house of cards one out at a time, human nature recognizes the unique situation, exponentially multiplying the pressure. So how does a pitcher maintain composure while being quarantined by teammates, and with everyone in the building wondering if they’re about to witness history? “I don’t think you ever think about a no-hitter,” Bergmann explained to reporters, illustrating the otherworldly focus he brings to the Nationals all the way from Neptune… New Jersey. Selected in the 11th round of the 2002 draft by a franchise still seeking any way out of Montreal, Bergmann made an equally inconspicuous debut with the team near the end of their first season in the D of C.

One of 25 pitchers invited to camp this spring, Bergmann locked up one of the four spots in the starting rotation, but even then in the background behind Matt Chico’s impressive March campaign. It will be interesting to see how Bergmann handles some of the spotlight, as he’s thrust from the relative safety of a third starter’s role, into being relied on heavily to lead the rotation into June, and possibly beyond. Number two starter Shawn Hill had to abandon his no-hit bid nursing a partial tear in his non-pitching shoulder, relegating him to join staff ace John Patterson on the DL. Ironically, the first of many early injured exits by Patterson opened the door for Bergmann’s first big league win, also against the Braves back in 2005. Bergmann’s continued success against the NL East’s perennial powerhouse is very encouraging, as Monday’s win was the second time this season that Bergmann out-dueled future Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz; Smoltz’s only losses on the year came in his two starts against Bergmann and the Nationals. The Braves aren’t benefiting from extra at-bats against Bergmann, according to slugger Andruw Jones: “We know his pitches. We know what he throws. We just can't hit it.” The win extends the Nationals’ season-high wins streak to four games and more importantly, provides a bright spot to help light the way for the organization’s future.

About the author
Paul Olsen is a freelance writer and an avid sports fan, with a wide range of interests. He can be reached at olsen.paul.j@gmail.com

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