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Baseball is Better than Men Because…

This one’s a little tough for me, given my childhood fascination with the Pirate Parrot. Nonetheless, Vote for Screech!

Last night Nats fans were not only treated to another spectacular come from behind victory, but those of us in 301 and 201 also enjoyed the company of Washington Nationals President, Stan Kasten. He was incredibly kind and even allowed us to hold his World Series Championship ring from the 1995 Atlanta Braves team!! It was amazing to see the ring, but to hold it was something I can’t describe. I know that one day, the Nationals are going to have rings of their own and I can’t wait to be at the ballpark to see it! Stan seems to enjoy his time with the people and making his way through the ballpark.
The Nationals seem to be playing with a little extra spark lately. Whatever the reason, the Nats have been fighting like mad to stay in the game and have really looked a lot looser and like they are having more fun than they have had all season. Like Monday, the game got off to a rocky start. Joel Hanrahan had some trouble commanding his pitches and attributed some of the hits to the absence of his slider.

With the Nats down 4-0 heading into the bottom of the second, there was a familiar feeling from the night before. However, we were able to bounce back last night and we had confidence we could do it again. Austin Kearns got the Nats on the board with his solo home run to deep left. The Nats then scored in each of the next 4 innings to win the game 9-8! Ronnie Belliard hit a 3 run shot to deep left and D’Angelo Jimenez, who has been outstanding lately, came in for a pinch hit home run. It was the second pinch hit homer in 2 days for the Nats!Perhaps the highlight of the game for us was not as notable as all of the home runs, but just as important. Felipe Lopez drove in his first RBI in 5 weeks. We are certainly glad to see that frustration hasn’t gotten the best of him and his confidence seems to be building after two productive nights!

We had a great time at the ballpark last night. The Mets fans we sat with were really good sports. We were treated to an exciting win and we were able to not only meet Stan Kasten but hold his ring!

Nats News:
Guzman may play again in 2007. He will likely play in a simulated game this week and depending on progress we will see him in action before the season ends.

Last night’s game was one of the most exciting of the season, and we spent the whole game in the press box with headsets on listening to Bob, Don, Debbie, Charlie, and Dave. Spending time in the booth was unbelievable, and we will have a whole post about our experience there soon. However, it was incredibly difficult to keep quiet and stay calm as our boys took full advantage of the Mets sloppy play.

When the Mets opened strong in the first scoring 3 runs on 3 hits off of Tim Redding, we thought we were in for a long game. The Mets have dominated the Nats in RFK and its no secret that the NYC boys play better on the road. Thankfully that wasn’t the case last night. Redding struggled a bit with his location and was pulled after four innings — he threw 67 pitches 45 of them for strikes. It was a bit disappointing, but we were definitely happy to see him back in a starters role after his recent injury.

The Nats faced Brian Lawrence - he wore a Nats uniform last year, but never pitched for us. He held the Nats scoreless until the bottom of the 4th when the boys came back to score 4 runs and tie the game. Ronnie Belliard - who has hit safely in his last 11 starts - started the rally in the 4th with a single. Fick followed with another single, but it was SchniederMan’s two run double that really brought the boys back into the game. We love how these guys never give up, I guess they took Manny’s advice again when he told them to, “just give it a fight, don’t roll over for anybody. Let’s play the game the right way.” Wily Mo Pena’s single gave the Nats the go ahead run in the 5th.

Then came a 6th inning to remember. The Mets defense seemed to fall apart right before our eyes. Third baseman David Wright committed his 19th error of the season when Felipe Lopez’s grounder slipped beneath his glove. Then with runners on the corners, Nook Logan laid down what was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt. However, the ball was bobbled, Nook beat out the tag, and advanced to third when Schoeneweis had a horrible throw. A few batters later with the bases loaded, Mets reliever Sosa fielded a ball hit by Pena. He looked to second in hopes of catching Zimmerman, but his catcher DiFelice called for the ball to stop the run at home. Logan was on third and had already started to rocket to the plate, he slide safely between DiFelice’s legs to score the run. In the 7th Ryan Church added to the craziness with his second pinch hit home run - a 3 run shot no less. The Nats lead the Mets 12-4 - after that first inning who would have thought? That’s baseball for you, anything can happen, and that’s why we love this game.

How about our bullpen? These guys are solid! They shut down the Mets for five innings. We saw a great performance from Jonathan Albaladejo, a rising star and a new favorite to watch. He got the win tonight. Ayala, Rivera, Munoz, and Colome each pitched a shut out inning.

The Nats have now won 7 of their last 9 home games. Last night was the second time in franchise history they have scored 12 runs, the first came on August 4th during that memorable game against the Cardinals. The Nationals are now in perfect position to play spoiler. Lets go boys!!

Hey Ladies (and Gents)! In case you haven’t heard, this Thursday the Washington Nationals are sponsering an amazing event…Ladies Night! We attended the event in July and were impressed with how much we got for our $35. In addition to a ticket in the 300 level of the stadium (valued at $34), we also recieved complimentary food and beverages and were treated to player appearances! We are certainly looking forward to Thursday night and hope to see you there. Just because it’s called Ladies Night doesn’t mean men can’t come.

What a great weekend it was to spend at the ballpark! We attended all three games this weekend and even stayed through the extra innings in the rain on Friday night. We know the clock is ticking on the time we have left at RFK and we want to enjoy every minute of it.

Friday: 8-5 loss in 13 innings

As soon as we arrived at the ballpark and steady rain began and continued throughout the entire evening. The game was delayed for about 15 minutes, but when the game finally started the Braves wasted no time getting runs on the board. They scored 3 runs on 4 hits, but Belliard also put the Nats on the board in the 1st inning with a solo shot to center field. Matt Chico was able to hold the Braves to only 2 hits in the next 5 innings while the Nats were able to rack up some runs. Ryan Zimmerman hit a double and a home run, scoring Belliard two more time and Matt Chico even drove in a run. Unfortunately, Rauch and Chief each had problems and gave up one run each sending the game into extra innings. Although the bullpen kept the Braves quiet for 3 more innings, the Nats couldn’t score and Colome was unable to shut down the Braves in the top of the 13th for the loss.

Saturday: 7-4 win!

As Steph posted, we spent the morning at Baseball 101 and had only a few hours to get changed for a special Season Ticket holder Appreciation night. The Nats opened the gates at 4:30 and allowed fans to watch batting practice. Clint and the Nat Pack ran the raffle, while Stan Kasten informed us that fans will be able to watch BP everyday next year! We were able to watch the Nationals warm up with the same Strength and Conditioning coach that we warmed up with earlier in the day. I must admit though, I did feel bad for him at times because some players followed their own plan, which consisted of sitting on the ground.

Finally it was game time and we were certainly treated to a night of long ball! Jimenez, who had an outstanding series, got things started right away with a 2 run homer to deep right that also scored Nook Logan. In the top of the third, Chipper Jones also hit a home run that put the Braves up by one. Then things got scary. Dmitri Young reached down to get a hard grounder to first and the ball took a bad bounce and hit him hard in the head. He immediately fell to the ground, where he stayed for several minutes. He amazingly got up and finished the inning demonstrating how much heart he really has for this team. We are so proud of him.

Robert Fick came in the game to hit for D, and with a little extra motivation hit a 3 run shot. I never thought I’d see a Fick home run in person! It was great! The Nats went on to score 2 more runs and this time they were able to hold off the Braves and win the game!

Saturday night was also Hispanic Heritage Night and the Nats honored each of their Hispanic players before the game. Manager Manny Acta said, “You can’t lose on Hispanic Night when your manager is Hispanic. It’s the rule.”

Hit of the game: Oddly enough, this didn’t come from the end of a bat. Austin Kearns ran full force into Braves catcher, Corky Miller on his way to scoring another run for the Nats. Miller is notorious for blocking the plate and Austin was clearly determined to score!

Sunday: 3-0 loss

Unfortunately, the Nats just couldn’t get people home yesterday afternoon. Tim Hudson pitched a complete game shutout while Shawn Hill couldn’t get into a groove and gave up 3 runs. The Nats were able to get 7 hits off of Hudson, but just couldn’t find a way to get the guys home. Despite the tough loss, the girls and I enjoyed amazing seats right behind the Nats dugout. After learning about the signs on Saturday morning, we paid attention to Tolman has he gave various signs to his batters.

Earlier in the day, the Nationals dedicated their new press box to sportswriter Shirley Povich. He was a dedicated sports columnist for the Washington Post. His son, Maury Povich even sat in the seats next to us for an inning!

Weekend points of interest:

The September call-up rookies are still suffering through their initiations. We saw Ross Detwiler sporting his pink Strawberry Shortcake backpack on his way out to the bullpen all weekend. If you think these boys are able to hide their pink packs when the game starts, you are wrong. The bullpen vets seem to do a good job of ensuring their My Little Pony lunch boxes and book bags are in full view of the fans!

Felipe Lopez had a closed door meeting with Manny Acta and Jerry Morales to discuss his season. Lopez then broke his silence with the media and stated that he is frustrated with his season. We commend Lopez on not making excuses for his season and continuing to work hard. We’re behind you Felipe.

The girls and I had the pleasure of participating in the Nationals inaugural Ladies Baseball 101 on Saturday afternoon. We arrived early at RFK, about 9:15 am (keep in mind we had stayed until the end of the game the night before and left about 1 am). We were a little nervous and not sure what to expect. If the clinic had a really serious vibe we might have looked a little silly. Turns out we didn’t have much to worry about, the vibe was really relaxed, and all of the ladies were very friendly.

We registered and received a nice t-shirt, two tickets to that night’s game, and a Bob Carpenter scorebook! The group of about 40 women took the field. It was amazing to stand on the grass in RFK, something we have wanted to do all summer. Better yet, we all got to store our stuff in the Nats dugout. The girls and I went a little nuts with the camera at this point. We sat on the bench and stood on the stop step pretending to watch a game just like the guys, it was pretty cool! The ladies were divided into five groups. By happy coincidence the girls and I were placed together in group 4. Due to the extra inning game the night before, the players scheduled to appear were given the morning off to rest up for that night’s game. We weren’t too disappointed as we were coached by Tim Tolman, Pat Corrales, Jerry Morales, Julian Martinez, and Rick Aponte. The coaches did an excellent job giving the ladies inside information and answering all of our questions.

We started the clinic off by all warming up together. We participated in the same pre-game routine that the Nats do. We ran a few sprints, did some stretching, and jumping jacks. Group 4 headed to work with Tim Tolman first on base running skills. Tolman was excellent in teaching us the 3 ways to run to first base. We liked the “banana turn” were you run the base a bit wide and look to your right watching the play in hopes of stretching a single into a double. Lindsey wanted to hit a grand slam so Tolman set the bases up for her and she rounded them like a pro. Tim also showed us the mystery behind those crazy signs, turns out its not that complicated at all. We asked a question about stealing bases and were informed that players like Lopez and Logan have a green light to steal bases, other players like Dmitri not so much.

Next we headed through the dugout to the indoor batting cages to learn how to hit with Pat Corrales. Corrales told us the mechanics of the batters stance. He also told us to notice how each player has a routine while at bat. We learned that it’s important to have a little movement before swinging because it is really difficult to hit a ball from a statue like position. We each took 3 swings behind the tee. Turns out K was quite the slugger! Corrales told us a little about whom to watch during the game. He said that the Braves player Diaz has a great swing. He also praised his protégé Jesus Flores for his hard work this season.

Learning how to field a grounder was next. We were coached by Julian Martinez and Nilson Robledo. Robledo hit us grounders, we scoped them up and threw them back. Our skills were tested here and we had a blast.

We headed over to the visitors bullpen to learn about pitching with Rick Aponte. Aponte gave us an in depth description of each type of pitch. He told us the three most important pieces of making a good pitch. First is the location, second the movement, and third is the speed. He was an excellent teacher and graciously posed for a photo with us.

The last station was learning the outfield with Morales and Reyes. We were taught that commutation is the most important thing for outfielders. We also learned that the center fielder is in charge of the outfield, while the shortstop has priority in the infield. We learned how to catch a fly ball on a sunny day by blocking the sun with our gloves. We also learned that the outfielder with the strongest arm usually plays right field, as they can make the long throw to home look so easy.After our stations, we all posed for a group photo and headed up to the Miller Lite room to have lunch with Bob, Don, and Debbie. During our lunch Bob Carpenter gave us a brief demonstration about keeping score. He even showed us his personal scorebook filled with some memorable games. We have used the scorebook he designed all summer, so it was nice to hear right from him if we were doing it correctly. Debbie Taylor spoke to us about her job and what its like to be a woman in a male dominated industry. Turns out she has the same access as all of the guys do, which is awesome! Don Sutton spoke to us for a while about his childhood, how he started playing baseball, why he loves the game, and his broadcasting career. He also gave us some pretty funny jokes and stories. The lunch lasted about an hour, and both Bob and Don stuck around for a bit after to sign and take photos.

We’d like to thank the Nationals for another great event. We are very pleased the Nats have taken the time to recognize the female fan this summer. The event on Saturday was fantastic, we had a great time, and more importantly learned a lot.

What a season. As we head into the final stretch, everyone’s offering lots of thoughts on the season, the NL East, Manny, post-season awards, RFK and the new park.

The GM has some thoughts about what to look forward to in this final homestand in his weekly Examiner column.

“For our club, it will be important in a different way. We get to see how far we really are from contending while facing the division’s best trio. Also, individual players need to solidify their position with the Nationals next year. We have played with a lot of heart and character since May 11, accomplishing a winning record with the third lowest payroll in baseball and a starting rotation filled with rookies. Now let’s see how we do against the competition that matters most.

Who will be the last Washington player to ever homer at RFK? Will Zim or Wily Mo change a yellow seat to white one more time? Will (Justin Maxwell) “JMax” hit another slam? Will Shawn Hill continue to establish himself as team ace? Will Chad Cordero continue his scoreless streak? Come to RFK one more time and find out.”

How about 10 more times? And I think my money’s on a pinch hit homerun from Robert Fick a la his closing homerun in Tiger Stadium.

Ryan Zimmerman also shared his thoughts about ending the season, saying goodbye to RFK and looking ahead to the new ballpark in his column.

“I’d be lying if I said I’d rather spend another year in RFK. But at the same time I’ve had a lot of great moments here during my short career. Those are the things I’ll remember most…It’s been fun playing here for the last three years. But next April we’re going to be like spoiled little kids.”

Remember to vote for Zimmerman for Man of the Year Roberto Clemente Award. Don’t forget to vote for Dmitri for Hank Aaron award.

Also, Sports Illustrated’s John Donovan has a great article on Manny’s performance this year in his column.

“Consider this year’s success stories in the dugout. Bobby Cox with the Braves. Mike Scioscia with the Angels. Joe Torre with the Yankees. Tony La Russa with the Cardinals. None can top the Nationals, rock bottom after years of neglect as baseball’s unwanted stepchild of a franchise, with their personable, perpetually positive new manager. Acta has taken this team, which tumbled after that 1-8 start to 9-25 on May 9, and cajoled the group of largely unrecognizable names into playing .500 ball since then, a remarkable turnaround by any standard. The Nationals are 56-56 since May 9, better in that time than more than half the teams in the game.”

And if all of that wasn’t exciting enough….The Post reports that the Nats are trying to get next year’s Opening Day in the new ballpark featured on ESPN in a special Sunday night opener against an NL East team - like the Mets.

Still plenty left to experience — Ladies Night, Baseball 101, Batting Practice and our night with Bob and Don. This last week will be full of baseball memories to cherish for a lifetime.