First off we apologize for being a little tardy with this post. We were cut off from the internet this weekend, a scary feeling for us bloggers! We had a jammed packed weekend in Atlanta. We managed to see all three games of the series, tour CNN, the Coke Factory, and see MLK Jr.’s grave site. The purpose of the trip was baseball though, and after Friday’s mess we were worried our trip might be a waste. Thankfully, the Nationals proved us wrong and managed to put on quite a show for Saturday and Sunday’s games.

John Lannan took the mound on Saturday. Lannan, who has the lowest amount of run support in the majors, was actually given a cushion early in the game. It’s a good thing John had some help from the offense because it wasn’t one of his best outings. We headed to the visitors bullpen about 6:45 to watch Lannan and Estrada warm up. We were surprised to not see Lannan on the field yet, as he is usually out there pretty early. John came out about 15 minutes before the game and immediately started throwing. He looked a little flustered and rushed. Turns out he has a ruben instead of his usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich before the game. Maybe that had something to do with him seeming rushed. Regardless, Lannan pitched effectively working out of bases loaded situations twice.

We complained about the triple A lineup on Friday night and were admittedly surprised by the offense generated on Saturday. The former Braves tore up their old team this weekend. Willie Harris, and Ryan Langerhans had great series. Langerhans hit a double and Willie Harris went 3-5 with two RBI. Big hits also came from Guzman, Lo Duca and Kearns.

After working with Randy St. Claire on Friday and with a four run lead, Manny allowed Ayala to pitch the 8th. He escaped the inning without many problems, giving up only one base hit. Rauch was back with the team and pitched the 9th. He gave up a solo shot to Norton, but the Nationals won the game 8-2.

We are still annoyed with the four catcher roster situation and a little unsure of seeing Lo Duca at first base everyday. Estrada didn’t prove his worth this series, he went 1-4 on Saturday. We were thinking, that with four catchers on the roster, maybe the Nationals can get rid of one of the bullpen catchers and put Estrada out there for a while. It might cut back on some expenses which would please the ownership and really how important are the bullpen catchers anyway? The seem to just take up space to me.

Sunday’s game was a regular hit parade. The Nationals run count reached a season high, hitting really was contagious. In fact, the only National that didn’t have a hit ironically was Cristian Guzman. Odalis Perez wasn’t lights out at all, but he had enough run support to last five innings. Perez gave up five runs off of nine hits. Austin Kearns, who is looking great after coming off his rehab stint, hit his 100th career home run. Jesus Flores is steadily climbing out of his “slump” too. He went 5-6 with all singles. The Nationals loaded the bases a couple of times thanks to walks and infield hits.

Willie Harris had a heck of a series. He closed out the series against the Braves going 2-3 with three walks, a home run and five RBI. Willie also looked like a natural in center field. His performance this weekend lead the MLB to name him NL Player of the Week.

It was pretty cool to see Bobby Cox get ejected in the 3rd inning. With the bases loaded, Carlyle threw a border line pitch to Harris, the umpire called it a ball, forcing Carlyle to walk in a run. Buddy turned his back on the umpire but didn’t show any emotion. Cox came out to argue and was actually thrown out of the game even before he made it all the way out of the dugout. We thought his ejection was a little uncalled for, but it really did wake up the mellow Braves fans.

The Nationals belted out an incredible 15 runs on 17 hits and won the game 15-6. We chose seats by the visitors bullpen on Sunday to try to catch the shade. Let me just say, it’s a good thing the offense gave the team such a big lead because the bullpen was pretty distracted during the game. I bet only a couple of relievers could have told you the actual score before they read the report after the game.

It was great to see some big wins at Turner Field, it made our trip worth it. Hopefully the Nats can build on their last two performances, or at least keep up the momentum. Good news is that Zimmerman should be back. We can’t wait to see the third baseman back on the field. We took a bunch of pictures this weekend, check them out here!

So, we’re here in Atlanta.  Listen, it was planned along time ago, before the lineup looked this terrible.  Noone in their right mind would travel to Atlanta in July to watch a AAA beaten down and broken team on a whim.  But it was planned and so - we’re here.  We’re also having some wireless problems, so posts will be short until we can get a connection.  Pictures will have to follow later too.

So, Turner Stadium is really nice.  It’s a lot like Nationals Park.  We arrived only to get yelled at by three different ushers for various innocent things.  Eventually, we were able to watch batting practice.  Despite a few days off, everyone looks cranky and lethargic.  Guess that’s how this season will continue in the second half.

Though the stadium is much like ours, it also has some great unique components.  We’re planning to take a tour tomorrow, so we’ll have more thoughts on the stadium and pictures soon.

Eventually, we met a few nice ushers and have to acknowledge that, despite very poor customer service all around.

Upon entering the stadium, we were dishearted (I can think of a stronger word) to see that both Estrada and Lo Duca were in the lineup.  Four catchers.  Well done Jim.  This team is truly pushing me to my fandom limits.  If we spent all this money to come to Atlanta for the weekend and have to watch these two old overpaid barely capable catchers play, just as trade bait or to soothe Jim’s ego, we’re coming home to DC disgruntled.  Release them, trade them (ha! right..to who), just get them off my roster.

Speaking of moves, anyone know where Jon Rauch was tonight?  Not in the bullpen.  Not at BP.  The game was close, could have been tied if Austin hadn’t swung at a first pitch after Atlanta’s closer Gonzalez issued a walk and a hit by pitch. Rauch’s services may have been needed.  But, our closer was nowhere in sight.  You can’t miss a 6′11” closer.   So where is he?  Sick, visa problems (ha)?  Hopefully in route to his new team… A girl can dream.

The Columbus AAA roster was in good form tonight - with Casto and Langerhans hitting for extra bases.

We sat near the bullpen and left field.  The price structure is a little more reasonable here (even though they win lots of division titles, and last I checked, we don’t.)  It was strange seeing Bergy work out of the bullpen, but he did alright.  Manning also did well.  Colome, Hanrahan and Rivera all looked good warming up, but their services weren’t needed.  Speaking of, during BP, Randy St. Claire spent a lot of time working with and yelling at Luis Ayala.  Back to basics for the struggling set up man.  He threw maybe 30-40 pitches to St. Claire in the outfield (one soared way over Randy’s head) while Flores watched on.

Tough times for this team.  Tough times for its fans.  Sure would be nice to see a win…or some effort…or some happy faces once in awhile.  It’s getting unbearable.  More tomorrow. 

Immediately after Sunday’s defeat, we hopped on a bus and headed for New York.  We knew it would be rainy and cold, but we hoped it would pass before Monday night’s game.  We spent Monday morning attempting to take in some tourist activites but the weather really prevented this from being enjoyable.  Thankfully, the rain seemed to die off mid-day. 

Though we knew batting practice would be unlikely, we still headed to the park early.   The Mets pitching staff was busy with conditioning.  Loyalty aside, I was a little defeated after almost securing a Santana autograph before he had to head back inside.  On our side, it was good to see Schroder back with the bullpen crew and the Mets fans were just as pleased to collect an autograph from Jesus Colome.

Directly in the outfield, you can see the Mets new home, Citi Field, rising up literally on top of Shea Stadium.  It looks like it will be pretty unbelievable.  The Ebbets Field inspired brick arches around the Jackie Robinson Rotunda really give the stadium a unique, classic look.  I can’t wait to see the finished product. 

The game was cold, but the rain held off.  It was a great game through the first few innings as the lead bounced back and forth.  In the 5th inning, the Nats came alive and produced 3 runs.  Johnson’s single was followed by 2 quick outs by Milledge and Kearns.  Mackowiak drew a walk before Jesus Flores came through with a huge 2-out 2-RBI double.  Odalis Perez had his second hit of the night, an RBI line drive to Ryan Church. 

The Nats came back again to do damage in the 6th inning, this time off of Jorge Sosa.  Zimmerman doubled and Johnson walked.  Milledge’s double scored them both.  Sosa intentionally walked Flores to pitch to Perez, who collected his third hit of the night and another RBI.  In total, Perez went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run.  He did so while pitching a decent game - 4 runs in 6.1 innings.  He did allow 11 hits and 2 home runs, but he made up for them with clutch hitting.  Yes, I love the National League.

Early in the game, Flores actually caught Jose Reyes stealing second.  It was a great ‘welcome back to the big leagues’ moment for Flores given Reyes lightening fast speed.  Also, the bullpen got a bit of a rest last night.  Schroder finished the 7th and started the 8th.  He was pulled after giving up a hit to Brian Schneider and a walk to Jose Reyes.  Rivera entered and prompty walked Ryan Church.  But with the bases loaded and Mets fans on their feet, Rivera got Wright to ground out ending the inning and any threat of a comeback.  Saul pitched a nice 1-2-3 9th inning to end the game and deliver a first win to Odalis Perez.

It was fun to watch Ryan Church and Brian Schneider, of course.  We really do wish them both the best.  Lastings - on the other hand - came to the plate each time with a loud chorus of boos.  We’ve obviously heard reports of the chanting and taunting by our team and we’re not sure what to think, given competing characterizations by the media.  Brian Schneider said, “it sounded like the College World Series…I guess they’re trying anything now.”  We really needed a win, so happiness is fine.  If it was as immature as it’s being portrayed, we’re surprised Manny would have let it slide. 

Here’s some photos.  More to come later.

Impressive young John Lannan (3-3) takes on John Maine (4-2) tonight at 7:10.

We woke up bright and early this morning for day two of our spring training trip. It was pretty cloudy and a little chilly for practice today, but we arrived at the stadium to see the players take the field for the morning drills. Everyone seemed wide-awake and ready to train upon arrival. We were greeted with several good mornings and smiles. The biggest news of the day was the arrival of catcher Jesus Flores. He got in last night after dealing with a week of Visa issues. Turns out he didn’t get the correct form he needed for the Embassy in enough time to process the information before spring training started. Regardless, he is here and already working hard. Better yet, the Nats finally have a catcher on the roster who can catch full bullpen sessions.

Elijah Dukes arrived shortly before a majority of the team. He again continued to surpass off field expectations and was gracious with fans, taking pictures and signing autographs. Despite the initial concerns we’ve had about Dukes, we have been impressed with what we’ve seen thus far. We asked for a photo with him, and he willingly obliged.

We watched the group warm ups again and really felt the positive energy. After the full squad warm-up we separated again to watch the different fields. I watched the catchers throw long balls. Lo Duca and Flores played catch for quite a while. Estrada was throwing some simple tosses also.

Yesterday we realized that the fun group to watch were the guys working with Coach Aponte. Kristen and I headed over to check out their drills. The pitchers were working on fielding plays again this morning, focusing on covering first base, and receiving the throw from second. Again Ray King and Ryan Wagner were comical with their joking around. At one point Ryan Wagner was supposed to throw the ball to second, instead it landed in the outfield. His response, “Can I get some effort here, at least it had good movement.” During the drills if a guy messed up, they stayed put and did it again until they correctly executed the play. This proved a bit difficult for Chad Cordero this morning. The group was practicing a situational drill where the bases are loaded and the play is at home. The batter hits a short hop, which the pitcher is supposed to recover and make the play. Chad bobbled the first ball, so he had to remain on the mound and do it again. However, when he missed the second ball, Ryan Wagner, kidding and giving Chad some friendly grief exclaimed, “You’re a closer. This is a save situation; the bases are loaded. You just blew the game.” After Wagner was kidded for not making another play, he stated, “Hey we’re not first basemen.”

While Kristen and Stephanie were watching the bullpen crew, Lindsey went over to watch the infielders get some practice in. Manny and several other coaches were hitting grounders to the position players. After the initial warm up, they ran double play drills and a drill to practice the throw from short and third to first. Overall Zimmerman looked very aggressive, but when a ball got past him early on during the drill one coach yelled “base hit!” Zimmerman teased “That one was Felipe’s!” Later in the session the group worked on fly balls. I have to admit that I was a little nervous for Nick and Austin, but both looked great and very comfortable being back out on the field together. One of the first balls Manny hit went into shallow left with Pena, Zimmerman and Lopez all going for the ball. Manny joked around yelling, “It’s a triangle! It’s the Bermuda Triangle!” Manny was encouraging the guys to really call their ball, and no one was more excited about this drill than Ronnie Belliard and Dmiriti Young. They both dramatically waved off their teammates and screamed, “I got it!” loud enough for central Florida to hear them.

I was able to watch Chief, Patterson and King’s bullpen sessions. All three looked good, I noticed that Chad’s fastball looks very nice. Kristen watched both Bergmann and Rivera’s sessions. Bergmann was noticeably ready to get his session started, and Saul looked great.

Batting practice today was good also. We watched Josh Smoker, Tyler Clippard, and Jon Rauch throw today. Clippard and Rauch both looked like they had good stuff. We watch the catchers hit today also. Flores seemed like he was trying to make up for lost time and hit for a while. He hit a couple would be home runs and looked pretty solid. Estrada hit also and looked seasoned.

After two days of watching practices one thing has really stuck out, and that is Felipe Lopez’s work ethic. He is always hustling and looks very focused during drills. He is in the group with Ryan Zimmerman, Dmitri Young, Ronnie Belliard and Aaron Boone. While Lopez is involved in the conversations, he never stops swinging a bat and working on the little things that will improve his hitting. It’s clear that he is energized, focused and ready for the 2008 season.

Check out our photo album from today.

I said goodbye to RFK with a bit of a heavy heart. Granted my story is a bit different from those who grew up loving the Senators and had to say goodbye to RFK twice, but that last game was still a monumental moment for me. I fell in love with baseball under the lights of RFK. I learned the game, made great friends, and finally have a team to call my own. My transition to becoming a Nats fan did not happen over night. I attended only a handful of games in 2005. My 25 games in 2006 seemed excessive at the time. I had no idea what the summer of 2007 would bring, but 82 games later, it’s still hard to believe the summer I had was real.

This summer RFK became my home away from home, and strangely most of the time I felt more comfortable there. I know the stadium is old, and not suited for baseball, but you have to admit it has a charm that you can’t deny. For me its like that old pair of ragged weekend jeans that you just can’t seem to throw away. They, like the stadium are comfortable, probably not that flattering, but serve their purpose well. I think it’s always hard to say goodbye to a place where you have made so many great memories. When we left the stadium on Sunday it was like we were graduating from high school, saying goodbye to something that in the blink of an eye becomes your past is difficult. It’s not just the old stadium I will miss, but mostly the friends I have made. After spending so much time at RFK this summer, I now have a summer family and I am really going to miss them all during the off season.

Sunday’s game was just about perfect. Could we have hoped for a more beautiful day? The ladies and I splurged for the last game and sat in the first row of 225, all game in the sun, and we had a great view. I think it was during the top of the 7th inning that I took a moment to look around. The stadium was packed and I really noticed a sea of red. I got goose bumps, its something I won’t forget. My emotions ran high from then on. While, standing with the ladies and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” one last time at RFK, I shed my first tear. When the Chief came in for the 9th to close the game and the stadium, my heart lept, I don’t think I will ever forget that final out. The Nats closed RFK the same way they opened it in 2005, a win with a score of 5-3. Manny’s words during the post game ceremony were heartfelt and made me proud to be a Nats fan. The video of 2007 moments flashed my summer before my eyes. I was there for most of them. From opening day, to that horribly cold April, to our first win, to that memorable Mother’s Day, the 4th of July, our winning month of August, and countless games in between. For the past two summers RFK has been like my vacation home. I am truly sad to see it go. When home plate was removed I had a bittersweet feeling, sad to say goodbye to something that had been such a big part of my life, but excited for something new.
The next weekend, K and I traveled to Philly for the last series. For the first time this season, we attended three sold out games. I felt like an outsider for much of the weekend, but I couldn’t escape the feelings of excitement and anticipation in the hearts of the Phillies fans. Their energy was electric. With Hamels stellar performance on Friday night – 13 strike outs – thousands of white towels waved in the air, and every time a Nat struck out, the stadium erupted. When the Nationals won on Saturday, thanks to Chico, the atmosphere was just as exciting. The Phillies were on the verge of October baseball, and everyone in Philly loved them that weekend. Sunday’s game was a blur of white and red. K and I had really great seats behind the Nats dugout, and were happy to see a solid number of Nats fans made the trip. As the game wore on, the excitement for the Phillies grew. When the scoreboard in the outfield flashed the final score of the Mets vs. Marlins game, the whole place went nuts. I have never heard anything like it in my life. I had such goose bumps, the emotion these fans felt for their team was overwhelming. The place got even louder when Wily Mo struck out to end the game. Fans were standing, crying, cheering; the players mobbed each other on the field. This was it, October baseball, playoffs, what they had worked so hard all season for. In that moment K and I felt a bit out of place, so we quickly and quietly left the stadium and let Philadelphia celebrate their successes.
Despite loosing the game we walked to the taxi with smiles on our faces. To be a part of that, to taste the excitement, gave us a glimpse of what we will have in Washington soon. Although saying goodbye to RFK was difficult, traveling to Philly and seeing the magic we will have someday, only made me excited for the future. If the new stadium brings me half as many wonderful memories as RFK, then it will be well worth the move. Thanks to everyone who made my time at RFK so special!

We spent our last baseball weekend in Philly. Pretty amazing trip, filled with some great baseball. We promise we will have more later. Thanks Nats fans for a great summer!

While the Nats are on the road, the girls and I decided to head south a little bit and check out the single A Potomac Nationals. If you’ve been there, you know that single A ball seems like a different world. We experienced, perhaps the craziest night in baseball we have seen in a long time.The P-Nats were able to come up with a 5-1 win, but not before some very exciting/interesting baseball. The first 3 innings were like clockwork for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Three Nats up, three Nats down. These boys were swinging at everything that came their way. A little tutorial from Lenny about patience would have done them some good. However, in the 5th inning, things got going. The Nats’ bats came alive and they scored 5 runs, which was all they would need for the night.

Some interesting notes on our Single A experience:

1. There are only two umpires! While one is charged with overseeing home plate and calling balls and strikes, the other is left with the entire field. The helped explain some of the questionable calls we saw throughout the game.

2. It’s a ‘wild’ game. We saw more wild pitches last night that we have all season with the Wash. Nationals.

3. Speaking of wild pitches, #43 Thissen, the 3rd baseman who looks eerily like Austin Kearns, saw a wild pitch that he felt was aimed at his head. So he promptly headed towards the mound and the benches cleared. I have never seen the benches clear so fast in my life…and the bullpen even got in on the action! Luckily, no punches were thrown. However there were several questionable pitches following the incident.

4. Apparently it doesn’t matter where you stand as long as one foot is in the batter’s box. The P-Nats’ second baseman, Rogelstad, was consistently standing with his back foot out of the box.

5. Pop fly’s drop! We probably saw around 5 or 6 very catchable pop flys drop to the ground. Some were even in a guys glove before they found the grass! I was amazed to see these players unable to get such easy outs.

6. Where is Ross Detwiler? We didn’t see him anywhere during the game.

Like the Potomac Nationals, our Washington Nationals had a 5-1 lead heading into the 9th inning. The girls and I comfortably walked into IHOP confident Chief would get the job done. Four runs is a good cushion right? WRONG! Chad gave up a single and home run in his first two pitches, yet Manny kept him in. Chief had some problems the night before, and it seemed that with a 4 run lead, Manny could have given him the night off. Chief would finally be sent to the bench, but not before the bases were loaded with no outs. Rauch was brought in and put in a difficult situation. With the bases loaded, we expect that a run is going to come in, but we also expect him to at least get an out or two. Unfortunately, the Nats watched their 5-1 lead evaporate into a 5-6 loss. Also, Hill was given a no decision despite another spectacular performance.

In an attempt to escape the heat in DC and to visit the parentals, I headed to Seattle for a week. I was anxious about missing the Nationals take on the Giants. Fortunately for me, but unfortunately for the Nats I made it to my parent’s house just in time to see Barry hit his #756. I was happy I got to witness such a historic baseball moment!

I was hoping to take in a Mariners game during my visit, but we seemed to have crossed paths in the air as they were in Baltimore taking on the Orioles earlier this week. I did make the trek into the city to check out Safeco Field. At least I can say I have been there! It’s a beautiful park and seeing it only added to my excitement for our new park.

In 1997 Ken Griffey Jr. officially helped break ground for the new stadium, it was completed in July 1999. The stadium holds 47,116 and has a one of a kind retractable roof designed to cover but not enclose the stadium, helpful with the rainy weather in Seattle. Safeco also features one of the most comprehensive scoreboards in the MLB. The Mariners team store was also huge, two stories and filled with everything you can possibly imagine. I bet our new stadium will be just as great. I took a few pictures and wanted to share them. Can’t wait to see you all back at RFK on Tuesday!

Midnight Tuesday/Wednesday after Barry Bonds’ record-setting HR …

We witnessed history in SF tonight, but the night became perfect for me when the Nats came back and won the game, so everyone went home happy. The team bus was pretty full from the ballpark back to the hotel and the mood was lively. Tim Tolman asked me what my HR call was, and he was concerned I would give an opposing player a “See … you .. later!” call. I told him no way would I give Bonds, or any opponent, my signature call.

As Nook Logan caught the last out, I said on MASN, “The Giants got their home run, but the Nats got their win.” As an announcer, I always hope for the right words to say at the right time, and I hope tonight was OK. The atmosphere at AT&T Park was electric, and it reminded me of the night in ‘98 when Mark McGwire hit record-setting #62 against Steve Trachsel and the Cubs. I wasn’t working that night, having called numbers 60 and 61 the day before. But Busch Stadium exploded when Mark hit #62 and it was the same as Bonds launched #756 off Mike Bacsik.

I saw Mike in the clubhouse after the game and he was all smiles, pleased to be part of history. He was actually being interviewed live by Debbie Taylor when Felipe Lopez hit the double that got him off the hook and put the Nats ahead in the 8th. I told Mike that I didn’t want him to give up the big HR, but once he did, the Nats couldn’t have picked a better spokesman to represent the club. I told Mike that America would be in love with him by this time tomorrow; he smiled that smile of his. He’s a great guy and it’s been a pleasure to get to know him this season.

As far as the game and the home run, here was my call: “Three-two pitch to Bonds … there it goes! This ball is history!” and then I shut up and let our pictures tell the story. It’s the beauty of TV; you can make a quick call and then let the pictures take over. Don Sutton and I sat quietly as we watched the stadium erupt in noise, fireworks and streamers, quite a sight. The video on the scoreboard from Hank Aaron was powerful, and I followed up with the comment that, for many baseball fans, Aaron would always be the home run king.

I got to see Aaron play when I was a kid, and I thought along with Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, they were the 3 most exciting players I ever saw. Stan Musial was great in my native St. Louis, but those 3 were electrifying.

I hope Nats fans enjoyed my home run call, but I hope they enjoyed us winning the game more. That made the night perfect for me; we got to see history but we won the game, my Oklahoma buddy Chris Schroder got his first major league win, and we tied the Marlins for 4th place. I wish all of you Nats fans could have been there with us!

Bob Carpenter
Nationals TV Announcer
August 8, 2007

That brilliant quote belongs to our MIA-Ace John Patterson.

Sunday was just that - a rainy day. A long subway ride out to Shea.

Five innings of watching Billy Traber get beaten down in the rain.

No offense.

A rain delay we wisely chose not to wait through.

At least the best host in the world got to watch her man David Wright do some damage.