Today, on the White House lawn, the USPS will release the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” stamp.  The stamp was designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona.  President Bush will join the Postmaster General at the first White House All-Star Tee Ball Game to introduce the stamp.

From the USPS:

This issuance commemorates the 100th anniversary of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” one of the most popular baseball songs of all time. For decades, the song’s catchy chorus has been part of the musical tradition at ballparks around the country, especially during the seventh–inning stretch.The song was born on a New York City train in the summer of 1908, when passenger Jack Norworth (1879–1959), an actor, singer, and songwriter who had never attended a major league ball game, saw a sign about an upcoming game at the Polo Grounds. Suddenly inspired, he took out a piece of paper and began dashing off lines about a fictional fan.

You can pick up the stamps at your local post office or order online here.  The postal service is also selling a commemorative postmark keepsake.  Additionally, there are player and team stamps available too.

The United States Postal Service has also teamed up with Little League Baseball and Pitch In For Baseball to collect used baseball equipment for underserved communities around the world.  From July 16-August 30th, post offices around the country will encourage customers to ship donated equipment using the Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box.

The Nationals are coming a long way with the Spanish broadcasts and the LosNacionales website.  On Saturday, they again reach out to the Latino community by honoring the ten hispanic players on the roster, as well as the coaching staff and Manny Acta.

From the Nationals:

WASHINGTON NATIONALS HOST HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT

The Washington Nationals will host Hispanic Heritage Night on Saturday, July 12 when they host the Houston Astros at 7:10pm. The organization will recognize Hispanic culture and honor Hispanic players’ contributions to the game of baseball. The Nationals have 10 Hispanic players on their Major League roster, as well as three coaches and the only Dominican manager in Major League Baseball in Manny Acta.

The Nationals will honor their Hispanic players and coaches in an on-field pre-game ceremony that will include a flag presentation. Flags from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles (Roger Bernadina); the Dominican Republic (Manny Acta, Ricardo Aponte, Jesus Colome, Cristian Guzman, Wily Mo Peña and Odalis Perez); Mexico (Luis Ayala); Puerto Rico (Felipe Lopez, Jerry Morales, Wil Nieves and Saul Rivera); and Venezuela (Jesus Flores) will be presented by the respective players.

Nationals fans may enjoy music by the Verny Verala Project; a Latin band led by Verny Verala, an arranger, composer, singer and flutist who teaches at Bell Multicultural High School; prior to the game in the Center Field Plaza from 4:30 pm until 6:50 pm. The band will be accompanied by Salsa and Cuban rueda dancers from Saoco, winner of the 2007 Salsa Dance Group of the Year in Washington, DC. The Saoco dancers will also perform on the dugouts during the middle of the third inning. El Zol radio personality Pedro Biaggi will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Nationals Spanish Béisbol Network broadcaster Luciano Rodriguez will provide PA announcements in Spanish and the team will show videos of Hispanic baseball greats, including Rod Carew and Juan Marichal.

ESPN Zone continues it’s series of Q&A’s with the Nationals.  The next one will be this Wednesday, July 9 at 12 p.m. (doors open at 11 a.m.)

Nats radio broadcaster Charlie Slowes will to host the special Q&A session with Nationals’ reliever Joel Hanrahan.  Ask him about his powerful fastball, the bullpen’s 2008 struggles, or his joint effort with the Red Cross to raise money for flood victims in Iowa.  It should be an entertaining session!

Thanks to Half Street Blues for the tip:

The Historical Society of Washington will be presenting a special discussion with Mamie “Peanut” Johnson this Wednesday at 1 pm.  Johnson spent three years with the Indianapolis Clowns in the Negro Leagues.  As a right handed pitcher, she went 33-8.  She was the Washington Nationals’ draft selection in this year’s special Negro Leagues Player Draft by MLB:

Nicknamed “Peanut” because of her size (5-foot-4, 120 lb.), the right-hander became the first woman to pitch and win a ballgame in a “men’s” professional baseball league.  “Peanut,” a former teammate of Henry “Hank” Aaron, also excelled at the plate, batting between .262 and .284 in each of her three seasons.  Johnson, who signed with the Clowns at age 22, was one of three women to play in the Negro Leagues.  She was included among the first group of eight players inducted into the Negro League Wall of Fame at County Stadium in 1997.

The event will take place at 801 K Street, NW at Mount Vernon Square in Washington DC.  (That’s right, another reason for me to be jealous of those of you who work in the district).

For more information, please visit historydc.org.

 The Nationals held the second annual Baseball 101 clinic on Saturday.  The event was open to just ladies and offered an inside instruction of the game.  About 50 women of all ages took the field and got some great tips from the Nationals coaching staff.  The coaches were divided into five stations, and the women were divided into groups of about 10.  The groups rotated from station to station throughout the two hour on field portion of the clinic. 

For our first station, bullpen coach Rich Aponte, and BP pitcher Pablo Reyes taught us a bit about the art  of pitching in the Nationals bullpen.  We learned how to grip a fast ball - a two seamer and four seamer - how to throw a curve ball, and how to grip a change up.  All of the ladies practiced throwing from the rubber with Aponte and Reyes catching.   Then we had some time for a question and answer session.  We found out that Odalis Perez had indeed been on a pitch count the other night because he was coming back from injury.  The coaches also told us a little about the pitchers daily routine.   Most of the guys get to the ballpark about 2pm and work out, watch tape, and get ready for the game.  Coach Aponte told us that when the pitchers get into the bullpen for the game, they are loose and ready to pitch if needed.

From the bullpen, our group headed to the dugout to spend some time with bench coach Pat Corrales.  Pat told us he is Manny’s right hand man, and keeps the manager informed about what game situations may arise. Pat then opened the floor up for a question and answer session.  Pat said he is more likely to get thrown out of a game than Manny is because he reacts to things in a more overt manner.  Corrales said Andruw Jones was his favorite player to work with.  Pat said that when Andruw was first starting out, he would smile or grin every time he struck out.  It drove Pat crazy, so he asked Andruw why he would smile all the time.  Andruw replied by asking what Corrales would prefer, him to smile or cry after striking out.  Corrales told us that Javy Lopez a catcher for the Braves was his most challenging player to work with.  Pat was candid and engaging with the ladies, he answered all of our hard hitting questions honestly.  Pat ended by saying that the Nationals have the best fans, and we agreed with him.

Our next station was base running with Tim Tolman and Julian Martinez.  Tim started with a discussion about signs.  We learned about the bunt, hit and run, and steal routine.  We learned that Lastings Milledge, Elijah Dukes, and Felipe Lopez have the green light on the bases this season.  Tim said that Lastings is the fastest player on the team. Milledge and Dukes apparently raced each other, and Lastings won, although Dukes claimed he wasn’t ready when the race started.  Tim also said that he hasn’t seen anyone as fast as Nook Logan.  The ladies then practiced running the bases, we worked on banana turns around first base, and reading the sign on the way from second to third.

Next, our group headed into the batting cages where Lenny Harris and Jose Martinez were waiting to explain to us the art of batting.  Lenny preached the importance of plate coverage and also explained why hitting off the tee was still useful even at the major league level.  The ladies asked Lenny what changed with Dukes to make him so successful at the plate in the past couple of weeks.  Lenny said that he and Elijah work on a special drill where Lenny throws him soft toss and Dukes hits the ball right back at Lenny.  Harris said the drill helps Elijah see the ball better.  Harris also said that he has been trying to drill into Dukes’ head that pulling the ball isn’t necessary because he as so much power, enough to drive the ball up the center.  Each of us took a turn in the cage perfecting our stance and hitting off the tee.  I have to say, Lenny was honest with us and I personally learned a lot from him.

Lastly, we went to the outfield to meet Jerry Morales and Nilson Robeldo.  Jerry began by telling the ladies about his journey to the big leagues from his native Puerto Rico.  Morales then explained to us the workings of the outfield, who had priority over who and how the outfield is set up against certain batters.  We have been getting a kick out of watching Morales direct Milledge from the dugout on nearly every play so far this season.  We asked Jerry what the deal was.  Morales said that Milledge is indeed still learning and sometimes needs some help remembering where to stand, so Jerry usually directs him from the dugout.  Early in the season, Morales admited to writing the positioning on Milledge’s arm so he could look down and figure out where to stand against opposing batters.  Jerry also noted that Milledge sometimes gets distracted in the outfield, and likes to watch the replays on the giant scoreboard.  (Guess Lastings can watch the replays from the dugout now.)

After our on-field exercises all of the ladies headed to the club level for lunch and a question and answer session with Felipe and Jennifer Lopez and team massage therapist Tatiana Tchamouroff.  Nats sideline reporter Debbi Taylor acted as MC and fielded questions for the guests.  Felipe and Jenn talked about the challenges of raising two young daughters in baseball.  Despite Felipe’s busy schedule, they try very hard to do the simple things and spend quality time together.  Jenn and the kids like to accompany Felipe on road-trips to the fun cities, and even during baseball season they all try to have breakfast together every morning.  Tatiana was just as engaging.  She spoke about the challenge of breaking into the sports industry, and the success she had working with Dmitri Young.  Listening to these three talk about their lives over lunch was a great way to end the clinic. 

Once again the Nationals did a great job with this event.  I think all of the women had a fantastic time.  The coaches were energetic and honest.  The ladies that participated knew their baseball and asked a lot of great questions.  I think this event will become even more popular in the seasons to come.  In addition to the clinic each of the ladies received two tickets to that evenings game.  The seats were in section 237 - right/center-field - and offered a great view of the game.  For those that paid and participated, the event was well worth it!

Austin Kearns will start his rehab assignment on Thursday night, joining the Hagerstown Suns for a 7:05 home game against Delmarva.  It marks the first time the Suns will host a major league rehab assignment since becoming part of the Nationals organization.

It’s Thirsty Thursday and Ladies Night as well as a Summer Beach Party Night for the Suns. In addition to deals on Corona, all domestic 12 oz drafts will cost just $1.25.  Also, all ladies in attendance will have the chance to win great prizes from local businesses.

For those of you that live or work in the district, join Nationals pitcher at ESPN Zone on Tuesday for a q&a session moderated by Charlie Slowes.  The event begins at 12 noon, but doors open at 11 am.  If you’re into the mascot-gimmick thing, head back to ESPN Zone on Friday, June 27 for the Battle of the Birds.  Screech will compete with the Oriole Bird in anticipate of the weekend series.  That event begins at 4 pm.

If you can’t make the Tim Redding event, don’t worry.  There’s something even better in store.   Nationals GM Jim Bowden is having an online chat with fans on Tuesday at 11 am.  Now’s your chance to tell him what you really think of this on-field disaster and find out what plans he has, if any, to fix his recent mistakes.  Oh, how we love accountability in Washington DC. 

And don’t forget Baseball 101 is coming up next Saturday.  You can still register for the event here.

After a very successful event last season, the Nationals are again offering women the opportunity to learn more about the game from players and coaches.  The 2nd Annual Baseball 101 for Women will take place Saturday, June 28th at Nationals Park!  This year’s fee is $85 which includes the following:
 
Clinic run by members of the Nationals Coaching staff
2 Mezzanine tickets for the June 28th game (Baltimore Orioles, value $35/each)
A Baseball 101 t-shirt
Lunch buffet
Q&A with a Nationals Player and his wife
And participation in prize giveaways!

Baseball 101 for Women offers an exclusive opportunity to learn hitting, fielding, and pitching from Washington Nationals players and coaches. Spend the morning taking swings in the same batting cage Dmitri Young stands in, learn pitching techniques from the Nationals coaches who work with the pitchers every day, and stand in the same dugout where Manny Acta manages every game. At Baseball 101 for Women, you, too, can have Major League experience! After fine tuning your baseball talents, enjoy a buffet lunch fit for the Nationals Clubhouse.  Also, enjoy a question and answer session with one of the Washington Nationals First Ladies and her husband to hear what life is like for them.  

Registration is open, so make sure you sign up soon.

This is a great event for women of all ages.  The Coaches took the women very seriously, answered all of our questions about the game and taught us baseball basics.   You’ll definately learn something and have a lot of fun.

Last night was the first Ladies Night of the 2008 season.  The very successful event was held in a tent outside the first base gate.  Female fans of all ages gathered before the game to sample wine and beer, get massages, win prizes and enjoy samples of food from Nationals Park.  It was well worth the $30, for those of us that paid to attend.  The ladies were also treated to appearances by Joel Hanrahan, John Lannan, Jesus Flores and Luis Ayala - as well as Desperate Housewives star Ricardo Chavira.  It was also a special treat to meet Deidre Silva and Jackie Koney, authors of It Takes More Than Balls.  Their book is a guide to understanding baseball, designed specifically for women and we’re looking forward to reading it.

Of course, it was Elijah Dukes that really gave the ladies something to celebrate.  There’s nothing better for getting new fans hooked than a walk off home run in extra innings. And it wasn’t just that home run that made Dukes the star last night.  Elijah went 4 for 6 with 4 RBI, 2 singles, a triple and a walk off home run in the 10th inning.  Were it not for the official scorer’s decision to score an error on Skip Schumaker in the second, Dukes would have hit for the cycle.  He also made a fantastic diving-somersault catch in the 8th inning to rob Ryan Ludwick of a hit.  It was a great performance by Dukes and a glimmer of what all that potential and power could become if he continues to work hard and stay out of trouble.  Congrats to Elijah on a fantastic night.  It was great to see a win - even if it came after blowing a 7-0 lead.

The Nats scored in each of the first 4 innings to accumulate 8 runs heading into the 5th inning.  Dukes’ RBI triple came in the first inning to score Guzman.  Boone and Casto got things going in the 2nd with 3 RBI between them.  In the third, Guzman and Dukes drove in 2 more runs.   Guzman will get overlooked by Dukes’ heroics, but the Short Stop also had a 4 for 6 night with 3 runs and an RBI.  He did bobble a ball that scored the tying run in the 9th - a mistake that his teammate Dukes would help erase.

Tim Redding cruised through the first three innings before things got bad.  He got out of an ugly 4th inning with a 7-3 lead.  Glaus’ home run was followed by a string of singles and a 2 RBI double to pitcher Mike Parisi.  In the 6th, Tim faced more problems.  A walk, a wild pitch and a single put 2 men on for Mark Worrell.  The rookie reliever hit his first home run to put 3 more runs on the board, closing the gap to an uncomfortable 8-6 lead.

Rivera finished the 6th and Manning and Ayala pitched the 7th and 8th with scoreless frames.  The save situation was set for closer Jon Rauch.  After getting La Rue to ground out, Rauch gave up a double to pinch hitter Brendan Ryan.  We were getting a little nervous.  Albert Pujols came out of the dugout to pinch hit and the Cardinals fans in attendance went wild.  But Rauch went after Pujols aggressively and got him on three called strikes to collect the second out.  Unfortunately, Skip Schumaker hit a ball hard to Lastings Milledge, who misplayed the ball off the wall and watched it bounce back into center field before he could retrieve it.  It was scored an RBI triple.  The Cardinals had come within 1 run, with the tying run on 3rd base.   Aaron Miles singled on a ball to Guzman to score Schumaker and the game went to extra innings.

Sanches pitched the 10th, but gave up a homer to Joe Mather, his first career home run.  The game was quickly slipping out of reach.  Sad fans left lamenting over how their team could blow a 7 run lead.   But Elijah Dukes, whose hard work in the cages is finally starting to pay off, would have none of it. 

With Cristian Guzman on first, Dukes faced pitcher Ryan Franklin. The new, more patient Dukes took 6 pitches and waited through 4 pick off attempts before driving a slider to straight-away center field for a walk off home run in extra innings.  His teammates celebrated the win, which went to Sanches.  A happy ending for a team that watched an impressive early lead slip away quickly.

Tonight, Jason Bergmann faces Lincecum (2.23, 7-1).  Willie Harris is the only guy that has seen Lincecum a few times with some success (Double, Triple in 6 at-bats).

We certainly thought it would have been a great idea for the Nats to show baseball movies on the huge HD screen throughout the summer when the team’s away.  Clint mentioned that something was in the works (back in April), but they haven’t announced anything yet.

However, you can catch baseball movies all summer long just outside of Nationals Park  on the Department of Transportation complex at New Jersey Ave SE and Tingey Street SE.  Every Wednesday, Capitol Riverfront will be presenting classic baseball movies on a 32′ screen at approximately 8:50pm.  Pre-movie festivities include interactive games, snacks, music and beverages.  At 7:30, fans can play Wii Baseball on the giant screen.  And, it’s all free.

You’ll notice they are doing the movies even when the team’s playing at home.  An organizer told us that the 8:50 start time is designed to catch people as they are leaving the game.  The movie schedule is as follows:

June 4th (Nats v.STL)–Field of Dreams, rescheduled for tonight, June 5th
June 11th–Bull Durham
June 18th–A League of their Own
June 25th (Nats v. LAA) –Angels in the Outfield
July 2nd– Bad News Bears
July 9th (Nats v. AZD)–Major League
July 16th– Eight Men Out
July 23th– The Pride of the Yankees
July 30th (Nats v. PHI)– Rookie of the Year
Aug 6th– The Sandlot
Aug 13th (Nats v. NYM)– The Natural

Riverfront Reel is sponsored by the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District and produced by ASG Sports.