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The last time Washington was this good . . .

The Nationals have the best record in baseball in early September, starting to erase memories hardened by decades of mediocrity. Here are clues to the last year Washington ruled the base paths.

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1. ...Gas was 10 cents a gallon 

A loaf of bread cost 7 cents, and a can of Campbell's soup cost a dime. The average home rented for $18 a month, and the average wage was $20 a week.

Dorothea Lange / National Archives

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