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File photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER The Nats open a four-game series with the Dodgers today at Nationals Park. |
First things first: John Lannan takes the mound this afternoon, looking to become the first nine-game winner on the Nationals' pitching staff this season (he, Jordan Zimmermann, Livan Hernandez and Jason Marquis all have eight wins at the moment).
Davey Johnson goes with what has become his standard lineup against Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, including Jayson Werth in center field and Rick Ankiel in right field.
Enjoy your Labor Day at the ballpark or with family and friends. I hope to be reporting to you live from Nationals Park tomorrow for Strasburg's return...
DODGERS at NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m.
TV: MASN2
Radio: WJFK (106.7 FM), WFED (1500 AM), XM 189
Weather: Chance of storms, 80 degrees, Wind 11 mph out to CF
STARTING LINEUPS
NATIONALS (64-74)
SS Ian Desmond
RF Rick Ankiel
3B Ryan Zimmerman
LF Michael Morse
CF Jayson Werth
2B Danny Espinosa
1B Chris Marrero
C Wilson Ramos
P John Lannan
DODGERS (68-71)
Lineup TBA
P Hiroki Kuroda
141 comments:
pray for rain. 70-92 here we come. Awful boring team lately.
C'mon you tired and listless Nats! Let's get a little energy and do some WINNING for a change!
Go LannEn! Get that ninth win!
I want to see some offense!
GYFNG!!!
......sssssssssssssss. Oh is there a game today? Who we playing?
This is a race to the bottom and I hope the Nats understand that losing 2 of 3 to the Mets at home is not awe inspiring for the fans. They have a steady diet of Mets, Fla, Philly and Atl this month. They need to step it up.
http://yfrog.com/kiqckqwj
I lifted that off of Gonats Twitter feed. Jayson Werth 2010 vs 2011
Okay, like swami keeps reminding us: soon we will have no Nats playing. And the idea these guys don't even want to win is just nutty.
MARK Z... If you check in...if the weather is bad tomorrow will they have Strasburg warm up? And will they only make up tne games if they are required to help someone else get to October?
GYFNG!
They've got to get ready for next year. This is where and how it starts. Get used to it. No more respecting the veterans, respecting the game Riggleman, instead RESPECTING the PAYING FAN by doing everything they CAN! To field a consistently competitive winning team hopefully by 2012.
They have to look at Strasburg, Milone and Peacock. Perhaps we'll see Bradley Meyers ... perhaps even Arneson and Stammen. You can't win when LIvan Hernandez is your ace #1 pitcher. Ivan Rodriguez your #1 catcher. Its a sure recipe for a last place finish and those times must now come hopefully to a graceful end.
And this September is exactly what that is all about.
And later in the Arizona Fall League. The Nats management gleefully rub their hands together thinking of Bryce Harper getting some real competition from within their organization. Bryce Harper meet Anthony Rendon professional hitter and gold glove potential fielder. This is exactly the kind if of competition the doctor ordered for 19 year old Bryce Harper.
Things ARE coming together. THERE is A REAL PLAN not just Stan waving his checkered flag as Phillie Phans.
Ummm.. for those of you that are complaining about this team.. I think the 3 Taters we just jacked should keep you up...
JaneB.. Agree with you.. A life without the team is going to be really BORING...
Went outside to do some yardwork - came in to ---what?---good thing I have a dvr and can go back! Offense in the first inning after LannEn gave up a quick one in the first. Our old friend Jamie Caroll struck again, along with mvp candidate Kemp.
I was there on Sunday for Livo's last start, and I'll be there tomorrow for Strasburg's first of '11 — and the first of the rest of his glorious career-to-be with the Nats. The Nats aren't so much listless as inconsistent, IMHO. It's a young team, and so that's not too surprising. 2012 looks pretty good already! We're going to have real competition for roster spots (Marrero, LaRoche, Morse at first; Morse, Berni, Nix, Werth, Ankiel, Gomes in the outfield; Lombardozzi, Desi, Espi in the middle infield). Real, mostly up-and-coming players really competing. And in '13, maybe put Rendon, Harper, and Komatsu in the OF mix. Excitement. And pitchers? We're growing them on trees now.
Hoping the weather holds out for tomorrow night!
GYFNG!!!
Move Morse back to 1B. Marrero isn't cutting it and he's not much of a hitter either. Bowden was dump for wasting a high first round pick on him.
Letting Jamie Carroll go five years ago was another dumb move by the dumbest GM in the history of baseball.
Actually, Bowden dumped Carroll to make salary space to sign washed up Sammy Sosa. That would have been another dumb move. Luckily, Sosa turned down Bowden's offer.
Why is Lannan out of the game? Looks fine to me and only gave up a single.
Puzzling hook. Did radio or TV guys speculate why?
Again with quick hook I hope Johnson is not back next year
The most boring comment in the world is an anon calling the great sport of baseball boring. I used to tell my teams that only boring people get bored.
Hate to respond to negativism but this team has gotten better each year for the last 3 and I expect the same thing for the next few years as well.
Agree with positive anon and Bill B that this team shows lots of promise and I will be proud to say I was a season ticket holder in 2005 when they make the playoffs in the next two years.
By the way, those who say Morse is upset about being moved to left, he sure didn't look upset after that homerun. I can honestly see, with a healthy LaRoche and Zimm having 5 guys with over 20 homeruns next year on the club and at least 3 others with 10 or more
Morse - 25+
Zimm - Werth - LaRoche - Espinosa 20+
Ramos Desmond - FA/CF 10+
One last point, man is Kemp good!
Go Nats!!
ok, this is my last point - can't believe Davey has made 3 pitching changes this inning. Can't remember him doing that since he has taken over.
If we get out of this inning have to think Clippard is next up.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Well, I realize baseball calls for great speculation and hindsight but lets see how many anons respond with praise for the manager in that inning. Again, easy for me to write in a positive way about something that worked but I just hate those that write something negative when it hasn't played out.
We can still lose (obviously) but I am loving this game so far.
I wonder if Gorzo will go back out for the 7th - I don't see why not. If he can make it through I expect Clipp and Store in the 8th and 9th and even if Gorzo only gets one or two outs I think we see Clippard sooner than later.
So - we push the surgically repaired JZ and Wang and we take out a healthy, experienced pitcher who is doing well.... hmmmmmmmmm
Marrero ... two hits today, 9 for 32 (.281) in his first trip to the big leagues. Yeah, Anon@2:20, I guess we better send him back. You probably wanted to send Morse down in April too.
RickH - anons want immediate negative action and they want it NOW -
Swami - I am with you on the pitching thing, I can understand wanting to see just what Wang can bring you in these last few weeks but his early use of relievers (especially Coffey) for more than an inning was puzzling. Can Davey actually be relearning on the job?
Davey has said many times how he wants two long guys for the bullpen. He has them now, Gorzelanny and Balester. So if you pull your starter with 4.2 left to play, and you have a decent lead, why not let one of them throw? What's the point of having long guys if you don't let them throw long?
Or 3.2, or whatever....
sjm308 I think it's time for me to quit trying to figure out why things are done and just go with the flow. I don't think that's going to happen, but I can try. Maybe some yoga or meditation to help ease my baseball angst.
I suspect, Sunderland, that it's because he just got or is about to get a few more pitchers. Just a guess. I think swami's got the right attitude: just relax and enjoy it. (Or relax and kvetch about it, either one. I'm easy.)
So the MASN broadcast says that the Nats are calling up Peacock and Lombardozzi.
FP and Bob sound excited, and sure, I'm excited too. But I didn't hear them say who gets cut from the 40 man roster to make room. Did I miss that, or did they not say?
Sunderland, bingo. 2 long men and uses them as specialists. It's a specialists game. Maybe long men as in Tall Men.
40 man roster is at 40 right now. Strasburg needs a spot, shift LaRoche to 60 day DL. Peacock needs a spot, shift Cole Kimball to 60 day DL. Lombardozzi needs a spot. Hmmm. Mattheus to the 60 day DL? Or release Adam Carr. A 27 year old relief pitcher, a 16th round pick in 2006, an ERA over 6.00 for 3 of the last 4 seasons, injured and has not pitched since May. I guess it depends on whether Mattheus is healthy or not, but I say Carr goes.
Ah, ignore me. LaRoche is already 60 day DL. So Carr goes, and something else needs to happen to.
Love all the pitching changes by Davey. Can't wait to have him back next year for a whole season.
And the brilliant double switch that put Cora at first so he could make tht great play in foul territory..... Brilliant move!!!
Lannan threw 94 pitches in 5.1 innings. WAY TOO MANY folks. WAY TOO MANY. Let's see how far Strasburg gets with 60 pitches tomorrow night? Further than LanNEN who I think might be trade bait in the offseason given the plethora of lefties the Nats now have in the wings. Sell high, while he's young and there's some value.
Johnson probably "hooked" Lannen at exactly the right point.
How much fun was that! I was hoarse from happy screaming by our fifth batter! And Ian is really doing great.
Waiting to see Strasburg strike again. And readybto welcome Mark's eye and writing back to the stadium.
GYFNG!
There's a very real possibility that Clayton Kershaw wins the Cy Young and Matt Kemp wins the MVP. Both of them while playing for a losing team. Weird....
Sunderland - lots more callups but most are already on the 40 man. We will see C.Brown and the lefty reliever (forgot his name but it starts with an S) as well as Stammen and I am guessing Mock but I did not see him mentioned. I am with you on being puzzled about who will be dropped from the 40 man. Could it be Cora? I mean Lombardozzi will certainly take all his innings and more. They need to drop at least two plus move Kimball to the 60 day dl. Agree with you about Carr and can't believe anyone will claim him. This is actually kind of exciting. They are now saying both SS and Peacock tomorrow. Sure hope the rain doesn't mess with this even though I have w/th/fr tickets. Would like to see at least ten more wins in these last 23 games.
Sparck said...
There's a very real possibility that Clayton Kershaw wins the Cy Young and Matt Kemp wins the MVP. Both of them while playing for a losing team. Weird....
September 5, 2011 4:42 PM
__________________________________
Just got back from the game. Nice win! Kershaw makes a great case on a lousy team for a Cy. I think Kemp will be Top 5 on the MVP. Braun/Fielder could split votes so you never know.
SJM, I remember when we were discussing callups a month ago and JD was on the side of no way to you bring all these guys up and I think he was talking about the extras like Corey Brown and Stammen and Severino.
I think Corey Brown had a very good August and it is how you finish sometimes.
Still think we could see some tandem starts. With 23 games left, it would be huge to go 12-11 or better. 15-8 is probably out of the question.
Yep, funny on the discussion above about Davey and his 2 long men. He used the relievers in the correct SITUATION today, and they weren't in their LONG. Still not sure sometimes what Davey says vs. what he does. Yesterday with Coffey against Willie Harris was a head scratcher with 3 lefties there in Gorzo, Slaten and Burnett all there.
Some troll-y type people commenting today. Must be bored on the holiday. Nice win today, not too stressful for a change. I am sooo glad we are missing Kershaw. I do think it's funny that all of the talking heads keep trying to get the guys to say they are excited about SS pitching tomorrow night. They are not biting -- " oh, is he?" , "well, he's worked hard" ok - so they just played a game, it's not ALLLL about Stephen Strasburg.
And the rains have started - glad we got the game in with a win - perfect on Labor Day, but Zim o-fer on a holiday. He just got his walk-off a couple of days early. Danny also missed it by a day and went 3for 3 yesterday instead of today. Tomorrow's weather report not so very good for baseball. Until tomorrow - I bid you adieu.
Thank You Gonat.... I got pissed when reading knowledgeable commenters talking about "long men" when the game is in the 6th inning. In the 6th inning, you're playing situational baseball. 5 outs to your set up man. Just get to 6 outs left.
Long men are 9 out guys...at least. 2nd, 3rd 4th inning entrance and get me as close to the 8th inning as possible.
NatsJack, biggest relief (pun intended) was Clippard being Clippard.
Davey loves a big bench and bullpen so expect him to be very situational and double switch. I sent a message to Kilgore on the radar gun thinking it was wrong. Lannan's velo was down. Kilgore agreed, down 2 MPH today..
A lot of pitches for 5 1/3 and glad he got off the schneid.
@ Sunderland
Surprised you picked Carr as the odd man out. Seems to me like the top 2 candidates would be Carr and Mock. Carr started to put things together last season and had a pretty good year. This season was derailed early on and we never really got to see him continue his progress.
Mock has never really put it together and seems to have, in fact, regressed substantially. I vote Mock off the island.
The TV gun had LannEn at 90 on acouple of pitches but for the most part he was 87 - 88. Definitely down....and he was constantly behind hitters. Davey was right in yanking him when he did.
And T-Clip was KILLER!
Yep, you nailed it. That's what I was seeing and thought the gun was off. Could have been as Clip's velo was lower also and Kilgore confirmed Lannan.
Perfect timing to see the Werth 2010 vs. 2011 power zone. One of the researchers form ESPN was kind enough to chart this.
Werth Power Chart
Got on the MLB Network, and Michael Morse was part of that 7 minute highlight segment they do. Nice to see some big screen coverage for the Beast. For anyone concerned about Morse's numbers the last 8 games playing LF, 5 HR and 10 RBIs looks darn good. Davey picked a good time to rest him and I think Zim may be due for another day off.
Grandstander, keep in mind that Mock is now a full time reliever. He had only given up 1 earnie all month until he blew up the other night.
Rizzo loves the guy and he could be in the mix for the 2012 bullpen. SteveM was saying he is a quick warmer meaning he can be ready in a matter of a few warmup pitches which is valuable.
Since relievers are more readily available, I could see a DFA and seeing if he clears waivers. I also heard they could DFA a guy like Cora for Lombardozzi since Lombo will be the go to guy in middle infield and maybe some 3B. Today may have been the last of playing time for Cora and he won't be back next year and not a Type A or B Free Agent.
A shout out to all you commenters - what an enjoyable read after a very enjoyable game! All of you, the regulars and the trolls, the teachers and the students, the hopeful and the hopeless, the sad and the glad - feels like home. NatsJack- I envy how you have insulated yourself from the departure of summer. Michael Morse's interview with Debbi showed him back to his old self - the old smile, the easy manner, and when asked what Strasburg's pitching meant to him, said, "Is he pitching tomorrow? I didn't know. Really, I didn't! "
Gonat said...
Grandstander, keep in mind that Mock is now a full time reliever. He had only given up 1 earnie all month until he blew up the other night.
Rizzo loves the guy and he could be in the mix for the 2012 bullpen.
No, No, No, a thousand times no. I would rather go to war with Matt Chico than have Garret Mock even suit up for KP duty. We've been around the block, several times, with Mr. Mock. Each time he shows less and less. Mediocre stuff topped only by a two-bit Texan's mind. I'd call him AAAA, but that's overrating him. Please, friends do not let friends call on Garret Mock.
Great win today. Sat in 116 with a bunch of laid-back California Dodger types. They hardly seemed upset, rather resigned. This last hot streak notwithstanding, they are as pathetic as we are. Plus, the one ownership group that is more f'd up than ours.
Gonat - Werth's shrunken power zone is probably a result of his not swinging. Davey said he puts the hit and run on for Werth to make him swing. Seems to have worked. And thank you for the LF hitting stats on Morse - much appreciated and reassuring.
flynnie, come on, I know the Beast is in the Beast Zone except everyone in America knows Stras is scheduled for tomorrow, except Michael Morse. LOL Morse is definitely the DC Zen Master. Did you see his new .38 Special shirt the Beast Mode guy made for him?
Sunshine, I hear ya. Maybe Rizzo will have a JMax moment and have one of his henchman do it.
flynnie said...
Gonat - Werth's shrunken power zone is probably a result of his not swinging. Davey said he puts the hit and run on for Werth to make him swing. Seems to have worked. And thank you for the LF hitting stats on Morse - much appreciated and reassuring.
September 5, 2011 5:58 PM
____________________________
Werth is definitely looking better lately, nice blast today. Maybe they will have to do something similar with Derek Norris. I asked Jim Callis of Baseball America what he thought of Norris. I will let you know what he says.
A .353OBP is great when you have a .250 to .280 BA. NatsJack, what do you think of Norris these days?
Hey.... anybody notice that Anonymous at 11:02 AM has bumped us up from 69 wins to 70? Even he sees the team as improving.
After today, maybe he'll go to 71, you think?
Gonat... I think Norris is young. This season has been a serious regression but he's young and his defense has improved.
Speaking of JMax, the Yankees activated him the other day and immediately put him on the 60 day DL for a torn labrum. This after TJ surgery last October. Maxwell has always been fragile, going all the way back to AAU, Univ. of MD, the Cape Cod League,etc. Too bad. Gotta assume that he's toast this time.
It was fun to have an "easy" game, cheer for the bombs, and watch Clip being Clip again. Was afraid it was going to rain before he finished the 8th inning, he made a lot of pitches. Apparently the day off worked wonders for Morse.
Good crowd--Dodger fans are, indeed, laid back. Guy wanted to have a picture with me, Dodger fan and Nats fan.
Couldn't tweet because I was watching Manny's game on my phone. It was "over" early. Ubaldo Jimenez gave up two hits in 7 innings, but one of them was a three-run homer. Talk about lack of run support. Detroit's closer is 40 for 40 (now 41 for 41), so things not looking good for the Tribe.
Davey said on the pre-game that Bernadina is hurt and out for maybe 5 days.
Werth looking quite comfortable in CF. Good range, seems to get to everything. Not sure I understand Davey's plan for the outfield. Anyone?
Wooohooo!! That was fun. I totally called Morse's first dinger. Actually, maybe the second, too. During the AB for the first one, I confided in my hubby that I felt Morse would have a good day. I then opined that I didn't know whether it would be during that at-bat or later, but he'd also be hitting it out. The rest, as they say, is history. Although if you're going to predict that someone will be going deep, I suppose he's a great choice. :-)
Would have been great to have the triple play, the first in Nats history. Also, Nats are 6-0 on Labor Day.
Wait--the Giants have 7 runs? Will have to check into this.
What is the strategy or logic behind keeping Kimball and Matheus on the 15-day DL, instead of the 60 day? There's no way either would come back before next spring. This isn't a rhetorical question. It just seems like the easy call is to put them on the 60-day DL and put in Lombardozi and Peacock. Of course, I thought the EASIEST call was to release Mock. But apparently I am wrong about that. Thanks for any insights you have.
And that capcha for that last post?
unmocked.
hmmmmmm......
They shoulda saved about 4 of those runs for another game the way Bumgartner pitching.
9+7+3 = 19. Look, it took us three games but we just beat Detroit! And I have two tickets for wings, will have to look for a place to cash them in.
none of this matters anymore.
the only important thing is that it doesn't rain on section 132 tomorrow between around 5 and 10, while the fam and I watch the SECOND COMING!
gyfng!
Going to Nats stadium tomorrow with my sister. Never been before. What should I know?
I know. I was saying that to my hubby on the way home. The triple play would have been awesome!
NatsLady said...
Would have been great to have the triple play, the first in Nats history. Also, Nats are 6-0 on Labor Day.
Wait--the Giants have 7 runs? Will have to check into this.
September 5, 2011 6:32 PM
someguy said...
Going to Nats stadium tomorrow with my sister. Never been before. What should I know?
The main thing to know is that: Food/drink/etc is allowed, but with retrictions, and know what they are before you get to the park (they are somewhere on their website).
Another good tip: if you are driving, there is a cheap $5 lot, Lot HH, if you don't mind walking a few (and it's just a few) blocks. (It's a little bit hard to find, but it's right where S Cap St goes under the SE-SW freeway.
Enjoy!
(I'm also going -- Sec 416 -- pray for no rain!!)
WADDU EYE NO said...
none of this matters anymore.
the only important thing is that it doesn't rain on section 132 tomorrow between around 5 and 10, while the fam and I watch the SECOND COMING!
Well, it's more important that it doesn't rain on the field, right? ;-)
GoNat - I did notice Morse's new T-shirt. Did you here Johnny Holliday and FP gettin' into it over Md v. The U tonight? Lotsa fun on a fun day.
1a - You and your man just need to attend every night. You rain and snow luck. The Lerners, who rain and snow money, should give you season tickets.
Sunshine - you made me laugh hard with "Sat in 116 with a bunch of laid-back California Dodger types. They hardly seemed upset, rather resigned. This last hot streak notwithstanding, they are as pathetic as we are. Plus, the one ownership group that is more f'd up than ours."
someguy: bring umbrellas. Get the $1 water from the vendors before you go in. If you need hats, they sell them for $5 outside the stadium, also cheap peanuts which you are allowed to bring in if you don't open them. DON'T DON'T DON'T throw back a home run from the outfield, they will escort you right out of the game.
There are greeters, so if you have a question or need directions, they are very helpful. You will get a free program to keep score, if you have to buy a pencil it costs $1 and sometimes they run out.
The ushers are friendly and helpful but they don't always know everything and it will be very crowded. Go in the centerfield gate and look up near the statues with lots of arms, the signs for where your section is are pretty clear. The vendors are friendly but sometimes SLOW.
Get there plenty early so you can get some of the good food because the lines will be long and the vendors cannot handle crowds larger than 30K.
If you are taking the Metro, they run lots of trains so you don't have to pack yourself into the first train, there will be another right after practically empty. If you are driving, there will be a traffic jam on the way out, so listen to the postgame with Phil Wood and have patience.
Maybe I can claim a scorecard assist, too, because I wrote in "LannEn" on that puppy. :-)
The stadium is a circle, so you can walk all the way around on the concourse and check out the variety of food. If it rains, and it probably will, they will show other games on the big scoreboard, so wait it out (unless you are there just to see Stras, he won't come back if there is a delay during his set). You can see the Capitol from one corner of the stadium and the river view is great.
Best advice-- have a good time.
There are a couple of $10 lots on 1/2 street and around the corner, they don't have letters. They are on gravel lots. It's 2-3 block walk. You can get a bicycle guy (pedicab) if you need one, I believe they work for tips.
someguy - go to Subway, get a couple of footlongs, and bring them in with you. Plus nuts, candy, chips, whatever else you like. And bottled water, 1 each, unopened. It's all legit.
Metro to the game is great, from the game it can be really crowded so be patient.
Stay to the end.
Don't cheer for Teddy.
Under no circumstances can you do the wave.
Don't boo when the opposing pitcher fakes a pick off throw to second or third.
No crying.
Don't play pepper in the Red Loft.
Flynnie, you could be right. Hubby's 3 games over .500 and I'm 4 games over this year with the Nats (he missed one that I attended with a baseball buddy). Not as good with the P-Nats as we're at .500. Show me the money, Lerners. ;-)
An alternative to an umbrella would be a poncho, which I always pack when the forecast is iffy.
Oh, and forgot to say that I gave Jamey a polite golf clap. After that he was the enemy for the next 2 hours and 59 minutes. I'm learning. When the Rockies came to RFK after we'd sold him to them, my Chicago baseball buddy had to school me on how to react. Okay, you can clap for Jamey when he's first announced. After that, nothing. No, you cannot bring a poster saying "hi" to him. (Slaps herself in the forehead.) Let's go over this again...
Oh, geez, the wave. That reminds me. I totally saw one of the Nats Park guys leading it when LannEn was on the mound today. What the???
From the LATimes...
Kuroda then settled down until Morse, who has one of the ugliest batting stances in baseball, led off the bottom of the sixth another home run.
Actually, they don't encourage signs at all, not even the K's. Not sure if the confiscate them, but it's not our custom. They make an exception for Stras and you will see his K's hung over the outfield wall. (This was a controversy when he first came up.)
Oh, today the scoreboard had the backward K for a strikeout looking. Guess someone told them to fix the graphic.
Yesterday there was a counterclockwise wave, today it was clockwise. Who does this?
You can boo if they intentionally walk a guy in front of Mr. Walkoff (R Zimm) even if it's a stupid move on their part and you probably should be encouraging them to do it. We do NOT boo our players even if they strike out 9 times in a row and that includes Jayson Werth (not so much of a problem as it use to be).
Were you nervous that Burnett could blow a 6 run lead in the 9th? If anyone could, he could--but he didn't.
I noticed that on the backwards K, too (about time).
I believe that they have allowed signs in the past, but there were some restrictions on size, content, and when they were displayed. I think it's covered in the Fan A-Z guide on the team site. I've taken signs to games. One time I was going in the gate (at RFK) and the guy said, eh, go ahead. I don't need to look at it because I know you wouldn't put anything bad on there. (hehe.)
I wasn't nervous but did have to talk my husband down. When he needed just the one more out, I tried to start a "let's go, Burnie" chant, but my section consisted of people who weren't inclined to cheer all that much or all that loud. I was complaining to my husband when Clint gave the prize to the loudest, "best fan" section. Geez. I cheer the best I can, but it's not like I can put the whole section on my back and carry them. :-)
I was telling my husband. Look at the scoreboard. It's 7-2. He just needs the one out. He'll be fine. (Let's go, Burnie!)
I love the art in the stadium. The paintings of the greats, the marvelous sculptures which capture the action that made those depicted famous (even though Walter Johnson's son won't come back because "it makes him look like an octopus!"). Give yourself time to stroll the first level and marvel.
what a great win! The day would have been perfect if Zim had gotten his home run too. My tickets to tomorrow's game are not looking too promising. Please have a break from the rain for the game because I won't have another chance to see Stras this year. If the game's on and you're there, look for me. I'll be wearing a god awful Hawaiian Nats shirt. Or maybe not, as hubby refuses to be seen with me in it.
Oh, yes, the art is good and interesting. And you can read some of the history on the pillars and posts and walls...
Banners and signs are covered in the guest conduct policy.
Other ballpark info is in the Fan A-Z Guide, also on the team site. (Seems to me that it used to be all covered in the A-Z Guide, but I may be misremembering.)
hmmm, that didn't work, maybe because it's a pdf file.
Okay, try going here, then scrolling down for links to the guest conduct policy and A-Z guides.
If you don't bring food in, and you want something a little different than a hot dog, there is a kosher food stand that sells a wonderful pita called a "Schwarma." If you are into more traditional ballpark food, go for the "half-smoke" at Ben's Chili, and tell them you want everything on it. The Box Frites are great, you really only need the small size ($7.50). The Boardwalk Fries are good too. So is the Shake Burger, it has a good sauce.
You can get a tall red drink (assuming you are over 21). If you aren't, look in the trash on your way out, you can grab the red thingie and wash it out at home... If you get hoarse from cheering there are several different kinds of ice cream stands, including one where they put the ice cream in a plastic baseball helmet.
You might also find discarded souvenir cups around the seating area after games.
Speaking of getting hoarse, I sure wish I'd remembered to take some hard candies with me today. I was afraid I'd lose my voice after the first inning. :-) Ooh, and the gelato is very good, too.
Now I gotta go have some ice cream. Later.
Thanks, 1a!
All of you have really nailed it for the inside information at Nats Park. I would like to add this -- the higher up you go in the stadium, the shorter the lines. If you want Ben's Chili Bowl - don't stand in the line down on the main level - go up a few levels to the smaller one - never any lines. Also -- give yourself time to walk around up top to see all of the monuments and other dc sights. My niece came in from out of town for a game and could not stop staring at the Capitol.
Ha. Speaking of ugly stances, Hunter Pence has skinny legs and shouldn't wear stirrups, On the other hand, Mr. Walk-off looks great in them, and when the guys wear the patriotic uni's he's the best.
Anonymous said...
From the LATimes...
Kuroda then settled down until Morse, who has one of the ugliest batting stances in baseball, led off the bottom of the sixth another home run.
swami-- I sit up there often and I wouldn't say there are NEVER lines but lesser lines. And I can't recommend the Jamaica barbecue, it doesn't live up to its wonderful smell. (Maybe it's improved, I tried it when it first opened.)
Your sister should go to the ladies room in the 8th inning, and not wait until the game is over. If you do wait until the game is over, there will be long lines EXCEPT at the ladies room on the ground level next to the PNC ATM. Never fails.
When leaving if you are on the side where the ramp is, walk down it rather than using the escalator. You see some cool shirts and hear some funny remarks.
My advice - if you find yourself sitting in front of ANY group wearing matching shirts ( and I don't mean nats shirts) find yourself a new place to sit!! Organized ( oxymoron) groups are a pain in the behind to sit in front of. Or anywhere near for that matter.
Do the ushers let you change seats?
We have found that as long as you are in the same general area as the seats you paid for nobody gives a crap. If you try for expensive seats they will kick you out. Exception -- after a rain delay you can pretty much sit anywhere. We have ended up right down at field level after some rain delays. It's kind of a reward for staying, I think!
gonatsgo-- true on all counts. I stayed for a rain delay of like 3 hours on a warm Saturday night. They closed up the upper levels and told everyone to go down so I ended up in the box seats because there were only a couple hundred people who waited it out. It was great, the players saluted us, and the Nats won.
Sniff-- The Phillies are clobbering the Braves, so even though we won, I think we are getting our "E" today. Oh, well, we weren't the first ones.
We saw Terrance trying to lead the wave today. But the people around us wouldn't play. It didn't last long, thank goodness.
You are getting great advice about what you should know, someguy. I think spork was especially comprehensive. If you bring outside drinks, make sure they are in plastic, not cans. We cheer for our guys, and we only boo the blues or when they intentionally walk one of our own.
And expect to win. Seriously. Fan intention has been PROVEN to have an impact on the game.
We will bring a towel to mop up the seats after the rain delay, and before they put Brad out there. The paper towels don't do so well, and they will run out, especially with a huge crowd. The stadium people definitely need to bone up on how to handle large crowds, but that will come in time. Like, next year.
Have fun!
I am excited like I would be before going on vacation, thinking about tomorrow. My family thinks I am nuts. Thank goodness I have such imaginary friends as you all, who share the bug.
NatsJack, you coming up for this?
Anonymous said...
Do the ushers let you change seats?
September 5, 2011 8:11 PM
This totally depends on:
1. How discreet you are about it.
2. Whether you tip the usher a five-spot.
3 Where you are trying to move to. In the corners, for instance, if you're in the back,, you can probably move up a few rows.
4. But considering tomorrow's a Strasmas game, and I would imagine 30-35,000, I don't imagine it's going to be prime pickin' for movin' up.
5. Come back Wednesday when the usual 16,000 are there. No problem-oh.
6. I've always found if you're decently dressed, carry a scorecard, are sober, not swearing and look presentable, moving up a few rows has never been a problem. Of cousrse, try it with you and your sister, not with a pack of 15 fraternity buddies.
I totally hear you, JaneB. I'm excited too...and I'm not even going. I have to be at work at 6:30 for the night job. But I'll have the telly on. I hope you're under cover tomorrow. There's like a 100 percent chance of rain. Do you think they'll take a chance under such conditions?
I think they'll wait a long time because it's predicted to rain all week, no off-days, and we won't see the Dodgers again; it's a four-game series, and if they try to schedule a doubleheader it will rain for that, too.
The Nationals are not mathematically eliminated from the wildcard and the Dodgers are not mathematically eliminated at all, so they can't just say it's a "meaningless" game and chuck it.
NatsLady - Not only is Philly clobbering the Braves, The Fish are clobbering the Mets. One thing about this time of year-- We all play each other a lot so you usually know that 2 teams in your division will lose on those days. I hope you guys that are going to the game don't get rained out. Maybe that 100% chance will happen early in the day and they will be able to get it cleaned up. No way they take a chance that Strassie slips on the mound or basepath( can he hit, I don't remember?)
Thanks guys.
I had assumed that outside food was banned and too difficult to smuggle in. Great to know that we can bring it in.
We're taking the metro; don't want to deal with DC traffic.
Wasn't going to do the wave or throw back balls, since I'm not a jackass. But what's wrong with cheering for Teddy?
I don't think we'll need to change seats... she got some pretty good tickets, way back before anyone knew when Strasburg would be pitching.
He had one hit and one RBI last year. In batting practice last week he hit a long home run.
I didn't know there was a rule about Teddy. I guess you could cheer for him as long as you don't expect him to win. Since that applied to the Nats for a long time, can't see the harm in it.
Sunshine - I realize its not all sunshine and roses with you but if you have looked at our attendance the last week or so you will not see a crowd under 25,000. I realize the Mets draw pretty well and that today was a holiday but slowly but surely we are getting more people into the stadium. I think Red Carpet Rewards is a great idea. We will probably not draw 2 million but I think we will be well over 160,000 and closer to 180,000. We still have several SS games as well. Now saying all that, looking at the 3 series left after the Dodgers leave, Houston and Florida will not draw well but I am betting we will have great crowds for those last 3 games with Atlanta.
Flynnie, I don't agree with you about the stadium art - the Vishnu baseball statues are annoying - and that mobile of baseball players is all wrong, colors that teams have never worn, and only in the 1970s did any team have pants in a color other than white or gray. It used to continuously play Take Me Out to the Ballgame, which was okay, except that it played through the entire game. We had seats near there and I finally wrote an e-mail to Stan Kasten complaining that it was competing with the national anthem and otherwise was like a dripping faucet - anyway, take at least some credit for the sound going away. Overall, though, both that mobile and the statues seem to have been created by artists who really don't know anything about baseball and were really not interested in it. (I do like the pictures of the greats.)
As long as I am in a curmudgeonly mood, the national anthem and God Bless America today were appallingly bad. I can't believe the singer won some sort of competition, thinking about the losers is too much to contemplate. I wish the Nats would come up with some guidelines for singing the national anthem - like 1) this is not country music, 2) this is not gospel, 3)this is not lounge music, and 4) you have to have completed it within a set time, so stop draggggging it out.
1A/NatLady/JaneB... Love the knowledge.. Wish I were going tomorrow night! But hopefully will see Stras on 11th and 16th (and possibly the 24th for pups in the park!)
Agree, the singer was VERY bad today. The first "Oh" in the National Anthem was slurped, gosh, yuck. And it didn't get better. He completely changed the melody of God Bless America, which MIGHT have been acceptable if he hadn't started having intercourse with the mike. (Sorry if that offends, but I was offended).
The kid who sang yesterday was bad also, whiny and out of tune, and the girl who sang "God Bless America" had some good notes and then started shouting.
We have had some good ones--I liked the guitar player from the Lifehouse group (rock is not my thing and I didn't stay for the concert)-- even though he didn't do it "standard" he was a really good player and it was creative without destroying the IDEA of the song.
CLiff Lee just pitched a complete game shutout.
And finally for the night... I really miss Mark Z and can't wait for him to be back tomorrow night.. Just make sure Mrs Z and Brian are comfortable...I am sure you will have pillows propped up around both of them before your leave for the game!
Right on about the anthem. Complain to tom davis. Head of entertaient. He chooses this dreck and he is awful
There was a sax player who really dragged out the anthem, but I didn't mind because he was terrific.
The anthem was so bad today that the O's fans didn't even do their O. Or maybe they went to NY. Or maybe they were glued to their TV sets in some kind of vain hope the O's could beat the Yanks.
I promised my students I would audition for the anthem so I guess I will have to do it. I did it for the P-Nats and I would have done it for the softball game if I had known they needed someone (they used a standard instrumental recording).
@NatsLady: You are totally right about today's singer. Just awful. I can't believe the guy is a U.S. Marine. Have you ever heard the U.S. Marine Corps band, the "President's Own?" They would have bounced this guy by the second verse today. It was embarrassing. And then to bring the guy back for "God Bless America." God bless us for not booing the guy.
Thanks, MicheleS. I won't be there tomorrow night, either. Will watch on tv.
Re. the singer, my issue was with the pitch (or lack thereof) during GBA. Da-ang.
Lee, Schmee. Give Livo the ball again and he just might do the same. I know. I know. Let the kids play. btw, had my binos on the dugout at one point today and saw McCatty, Pudge, Corrales, and Livo in a huddle. Oh, to be a fly on the wall. Livo looked to be in great spirits. (Wait. Did McCatty just goose him?)
Yes, I've heard all the military bands. A couple of my fellow teachers are in the military bands, and I hope they didn't hear that.
The Marine Corps band is great.
If you do the anthem, NL, be sure to give us a heads up. (And I also noticed re. the O, but didn't miss it. Funny you should mention the O's/Yanks game. We noticed that the organist was watching it on tv. hmmm...)
Will be nice to have Mark back on the beat, and also trust that both Mrs Z. and Brian will be squared away before.
He wasn't off pitch in God Bless America (he was off-pitch several times in the Anthem). He was just singing different pitches, as jazz singers do in their improvisations.
I don't think most people would find that sort of improvisation acceptable, especially since the purpose of GBA is to honor the military and the nation and 9/11 and NOT to show how creative you are. Also, he didn't just add a few extra notes, he completely altered the melody. I'm a little more open about styles than I used to be, but it was dreadfully executed.
The organist is excellent, except he interrupted himself mid-tune today, not sure why. If they can't find a decent singer, they should just let him play it, they do that in some stadiums. At least they don't have "celebrity" yo-yo's leading Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
I couldn't see the dugout or the organist. And here I thought I had good seats...How long is Mark's paternity leave?
I'm opposed to cheering for Teddy, but I am actually opposed to cheering for any of the presidents. It's a fixed race. How does cheering for any of them make any sense?
But you go ahead, it won't bother me one bit.
In our section a number of us finished off the clapping for that "when you're happy and you know it" song after he stopped playing (silently singing the rest in our heads until it was time to clap). We're usually in 409. Good views of both 'pens, the home dugout, the press box, the scoreboard, the organist, oh, and the field. Can't see anything in the visiting dugout unless somebody's on the steps.
A number of the cadences/tunes are canned, but on others you can see the organist playing live.
Today I yawned ostentatiously during the race. Didn't seem to affect the outcome, though.
To Someguy:
Take time to study and enjoy the marvelous paintings of all-time greats painted on poles along the concourse. The likenesses are splendid.
In other news:
Derek Norris' ears are burning. He went 3 for 4 today with his 20th homer and raised his average 10 points past Mendoza.
Here's how he's faring against his Eastern League brethren.
77 walks -- 3rd in the league
75 runs -- tied for 7th
20 homers -- 7th in the league
.813 OPS -- 13th in the league
.367 on base percentage -- tied for 14th
.446 slugging percentage -- 16th in the league
So, he's among the league's top tier despite his .210 average, which ranks 65th in the league.
As for Ian Desmond:
I'm pleased -- truly -- that he's hit .319 in his last 10 games, with two homers and 7 runs scored in that span.
He seems like a good guy and he clearly works hard.
I just wish he had more than two walks in those 10 games. Ian has 64 walks in his entire career -- in 1,200 plate appearances! Even with the hot streak, his OBP is still .290.
This year Anthony Rendon became the first NCAA Division 1 player since 1998 to draw 80 walks in a season.
Can't wait until Rendon's getting on base for Harper, Zimm, Morse, Werth, Espinosa and Ramos.
Doesn't something about a .210 AVG being 65th best in the league seem kinda fishy?
Those rankings require 2.7 PA's per league game.
Here's another way of looking at it. The only guys who are listed are those with 2.7 PA's per league game. In other words, you basically need to have been in the Eastern League all year (so no stats for Bryce Harper, no guys promoted to the Eastern League, or promoted up to AAA from Eastern League) and have played quite regularly with no extended injury.
And so there are only 65 guys who have done that. And of those 65 guys, Derek Norris hase the lowest batting average.
Of all the qualifying players Derek Norris has the worst ratio of strikeouts per AB. He whiffs once every 2.85 AB's.
Yes, he has some pop. And he takes walks.
But MLB pitchers will not walk him. Not a guy that hits .210 and strikes out with that kind of frequency.
He's 22, maybe he can improve. But his OPS is .110 points lower than his super 2009 season at Hagerstown, and he's already struck out the same number of times this year as he did at Hagerstown but in 100 fewer AB's.
I guess we'll all know better next season what we have with DNorris, but I have no expectations of an MLB catcher.
For truth in reporting in light of my called shot story, I offer the following. During Desi's first AB, I'm ragging on him for falling behind the pitcher. I'm all, yeah, he's not your prototypical leadoff guy. Then the count went to 1-2. Me: Yeah, take a few pitches. Blah blah blah. Then he hit one out. Me: woooooo!!! So, okay, maybe chicks do dig the long ball sometimes. Heh.
Props for fessin' up, "1a".
Sunderland,
Harrisburg is 2 levels up from Hagerstown and the quality of pitching is much better. I still think that people focus too much on BA which is really a pretty useless stat.
I strongly disagree that MLB pitchers won't walk Norris; they will if he doesn't swing at garbage which is exactly what players like Desmond and Espinosa have been doing all year.
I still predict that Norris will be ahead of Ramos by 2013 and if the Nats organization doesn't get it then someone else will.
jd, like I mentioned, we'll all know better next season. But if Harrisburg being two steps up from Hagerstown is part of the reason for the regression in offensive production, how in the world do you predict he'll be successful two more levels up? The jump from Hagerstown to Harrisburg is small compared with the jump from Harrisburg to NatsTown.
Thanks, NatsJack. :-)
Okay, on the first Beast dinger call, it actually went something like this:
Me: I think Morse is gonna have a good day. In fact, he's gonna hit one out.
(He takes a big cut and misses.)
Me: Okay, it might not be during this at-bat but it's gonna happen today.
(He hits dinger number one.)
Me: Wooooo! (High fives husband.) See, I told you!
Good to see Desi getting it going a little. The kid just has too much athletic ability to give up on.
Davey's quotes on his hitting indicate that Des was trying to slap everything to right when he first got here. Now he is getting the barrel out and turning on it. If I was a betting man, I would bet that is Eck's philosophy...slap to right, let the ball travel etc. Thats fine and dandy, but if the ball is middle/in and you got some pop, let it go baby. As old Marshall Jacobs aka "Jake the Snake" used to say "Don't get cheated up there young man. Your thinkin too much and when you think you stink!"
Was watching the reply and noticed that Desi was wearing one black and one white batting glove yesterday. Guess that he'll have to keep doing that now so as not to mess with a streak...
Er, the replAy, rather. And I'll take my reply off the air, thanks.
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