Exactly one month before the Washington Nationals swept the St. Louis Cardinals, securing a spot in the World Series, manager Davey Martinez was rushed out of Nationals Park in the back of an ambulance with heart trouble. A few months before that, during a shaky start to the season in the spring, some fans took to social media to call for the second-year manager’s ouster with the “FireDavey” hashtag. My, how times have changed. “I can’t put this moment in words,” Martinez said, speaking from a stage set up on the ball field after the Nats beat the Cardinals 7-4. Then, he offered this adage: “I can say this: Often bumpy roads lead to beautiful places. And this is a beautiful place.” Martinez’s remarks were met with cheers of jubilation from more than 44,000 fans who had packed Nats Park for what turned out to be the final game of the National League Championship Series. Later in the night, WTOP Sports Director George Wallace caught up with Martinez, who said, “Right now, I feel like I’m on cloud 47. I’m past cloud 9.”
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Martinez, 55, experienced chest pains during a home game against Atlanta on Sept. 15 and was taken to the hospital, eventually missing a three-game series in St. Louis to undergo a cardiac catheterization. He was briefly asked about his health. “These guys back here cured my heart,” Martinez said to more cheering. “My heart feels great right now, and I can’t wait to do this next week.” The Nats play the first game in the 2019 World Series — against a still unannounced opponent — Oct. 22.
