Nationals Park
Washington D.C.
July 20, 2012
Atlanta Braves Vs Washington Nationals
"Washington, first in war, first in peace and last in the American League"
Washington newspaper columnist, Charlie Dryden
For the next two nights, Ryan poured over the Internet, went to the library and looked through the baseball history books I had in the house.
After an hour of surfing the Internet, he came back and informed me there were actually three teams named the Senators and today's Nationals.
After a one year hiatus, the Senators were "reborn" as one of the new American League's original franchises. In 1905 they changed the official name of the team to the Nationals, but were still referred to as the Senators by fans and journalists. Eventually, the team restored their name back to the Senators and that is how they are referred to in baseball history.
The Senators, from 1911-1933, were a fairly respectable franchise. Games were played at Boundary Field until the park burned down in 1911. In its place, owner Clark Griffith built Nationals Park, which was later renamed Griffith Stadium in his honor.
The new ballpark was constructed in the Shaw Neighborhood of Georgia Avenue and 5th Street and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW. Seating capacity varied from 27,000 (1911-1932), to 32,000 (1933-1947), to 28,085 (1948), to 29,731 (1949-1953), to 28,669 ( 1954-1960) and finished at 27,550 in it's last year of occupation, 1961. The dimensions stood at 388 to Left Field, 360 to Left-Center, 421 to Center, 373 to Right-Center and 320 to Right Field.
Famous players, such as; Goose Goselin, Joe Cronin, Bucky Harris, Heinie Manush and Walter "The Big Train" Johnson, all wore the big "W" and even won a World Championship in 1924, defeating the NY Giants 4-3. However, the franchise is remembered more for it's failures than anything else , which inspired newspaper columnist Charlie Dryden, to pen his famous quote.
Robert F. Kennedy Stadium was built at 2400 East Capitol Street SE, in Washington D.C. It was the first stadium specifically designed as a multi-sport stadium that housed both football and baseball and is known as the first "cookie cutter" stadium.
The second version of the Senators changed hands three times during its short existence and was constantly hindered by poor decision making. One of the only significant moves was made by the team's final owner, Bob Short, who hired Hall of Famer Ted Williams to manage the franchise. Even though Williams had never managed at any level, he guided the Senators to their only winning season in 1967, with a record of 86-76.
After the 1970 season, Short told M.L.B. officials that unless someone agreed to buy the team, he would play out his stadium lease and move them wherever he thought best. Over the course of the next year, Short determined that Arlington, Texas, was where he was going to relocate the Senators to and in September of 1971, the American League gave its approval for the move. Fans were livid and on the final home game of the 1971 season, with the Senators leading the NY Yankees 7-5 in the 9th inning, they stormed the field for souvenirs. After one man ran off with first base, the umpires declared the game over, with the Senators losing by forfeit. Baseball was over in Washington for 33 years.
In 2001, Major League Baseball voted 28-2 in favor of contracting two teams, which were thought, ironically, to be the Minnesota Twins and the Montreal Expos. However, Minnesota was able to win a court ordered injunction to play in 2002 and the collective bargaining agreement, signed in August 2002, prohibited contraction of any franchise before 2006, so M.L.B. had to keep both teams. Now, a new home had to be found for the Expos.
Locations, such as; Washington D.C., Oklahoma City, Monterrey (Mexico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), New Jersey, Northern Virgina (Arlington or Dulles) Charlotte (North Carolina) and Las Vegas, were all considered viable. In the end, the top two choices were Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. and in September of 2004, it was officially announced that starting in 2005, Washington D.C. would house a baseball team for the third time since 1901.
After much discussion, the team's new name was voted to be the Nationals. There was some talk of bringing back the name Senators, but an issue for some people was that Washington D.C. does not have a senator (the District does not have vote in Congress) and the fact that the Rangers still owned the name Senators, quickly ended those thoughts. The Rangers did, however, allow the new club to acquire the rights to use the curly "W" that the Senators wore before moving to Texas after the 1971 season.
The move was contingent on being able to finance a new stadium as well as the ability to find a new owner and after much back and forth, both were settled. Theodore Lerner became the new owner and the financing for the new stadium sealed the deal. In the meantime, the Nationals would call R.F.K. Stadium home.
On April 4, 2005, Brad Wilkerson became the first batter in Nationals' history, as the Nats won their first home game over the Arizona Diamondbacks, by a score of 5-3 and President Bush restarted the tradition of a current U.S. President throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day in Washington. The Nationals would struggle, both on and off the field, for quite a few years before March 30, 2008, when Nationals Park opened its doors to the public.
The park opened on March 30, 2008, with a single game homestand against the Atlanta Braves. President Bush threw out the first pitch and the Nationals won, 3-2, on a walk off home run from Ryan Zimmerman. That first season the Nationals finished with a league worst record of 59-102.
In its first few years there have been some memorable moments at the park, such as; Pope Benedict XVI visit in 2008, Randy Johnson's 300th win in 2009, the much anticipated debut of phenom pitcher Stephen Strasburg and Albert Pujols' 400th home run in 2010. This year, however, there has been a buzz around the team that had not been seen for many years in Washington. The fans' self proclaimed "Natitude" over being the best team in the National League is on display throughout the city as there are Nationals jersys, hats and t-shirts everywhere. You can practically feel it, then again a winning club usually does that to its fans.
For the first few years in their new home, the Nationals were still as inept as a team could possibly be. However, over the course of the last few years there has been a gradual change in the organization. Draft picks such as third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, pitchers Stephen Strasberg and outfielder Bryce Harper have helped turn things around and have the Nats in first place in the National League as of July 18, 2012, bringing an excitement to Nationals Park that had yet to be seen.
With the city bursting with, self proclaimed "Natitude", this seemed like the perfect time to visit.
"Washington, first in war, first in peace and last in the American League"
Washington newspaper columnist, Charlie Dryden
"Did Washington D.C. always have a baseball team?"
I looked up from the Yankees' game I was watching and saw Ryan playing on my computer.
"Yes and No", I answered.
"Hunh?", was the response I got.
"Well", I started, "they did, then they didn't, then they did, then they didn't and now they do. Does that make sense?"
"Only to you", Brendan, who had been listening in, while reading a book about elephants, chimed in.
"I think I need to research this. After all, we're going next week", Ryan said, seriously. "Can I use your computer?"
"Absolutely", I replied.
What better way to get him to do something school-like in the middle of the summer, I figured.
"Let me know what you find out, kiddo."
For the next two nights, Ryan poured over the Internet, went to the library and looked through the baseball history books I had in the house.
"Did you know Washington had three teams", he asked one night.
"Actually, it was four", I replied. "Who were/are they?"
"Well there were the Senators, who became the Twins. Then there was another Senators and they turned into the Rangers and now there's the Nationals."
"You missed one", I told him.
"I'll have to go back and look", he said, frustrated.
After an hour of surfing the Internet, he came back and informed me there were actually three teams named the Senators and today's Nationals.
"Very good. What does that tell you?", I asked.
"That baseball fans in Washington are as stupid as the politicians there", was his reply.
I laughed and told him that I would let him do the research on Washington baseball and we would put his findings in the blog, for this entry.
"Really, so I'll be a reporter?", he exclaimed.
"More like a historian", I told him. "Now, go get your notes and we'll type them out for the blog.
Washington Baseball at Boundary Field:
Washington D.C.'s little known first baseball team was the Senators, who played in the Capital from 1886 to 1889. Their home park was Boundary Field, which was located in the vicinity of Georgia Avenue, 5th Street, W Street and Florida Avenue NW. Unfortunately, the seating capacity as well as the field dimensions have been lost to time. The Senators, also called the Statesmen, played in the American Association for the 1891season. In 1892 they moved to the National League where they stayed, until being contracted after the 1899 season.
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| Boundary Field |
Griffith Stadium
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| Griffith Stadium |
The new ballpark was constructed in the Shaw Neighborhood of Georgia Avenue and 5th Street and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW. Seating capacity varied from 27,000 (1911-1932), to 32,000 (1933-1947), to 28,085 (1948), to 29,731 (1949-1953), to 28,669 ( 1954-1960) and finished at 27,550 in it's last year of occupation, 1961. The dimensions stood at 388 to Left Field, 360 to Left-Center, 421 to Center, 373 to Right-Center and 320 to Right Field.
Aside from the Senators, Griffith Stadium was the home to the Homestead Grays of the Negro Leagues and the Washington Redskins football team. The stadium also hosted the 1937 and 1956 Major League Baseball All Star Game. Other notable events at Griffith were The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, over 180 boxing matches World War II scrap metal rallies and a Billy Graham revival in 1960. Mickey Mantle is said to have hit the first "Tape Measure Home Run" there in 1953, where the ball was estimated to have traveled 565 feet.
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| Walter "Big Train" Johnson |
The Senators muddled along after 1933, fielding a team that continually found itself at the bottom of the American League standings. In 1955, Griffith passed away and was succeeded by his nephew, Calvin. One of his first deals was to sell the stadium to the city of Washington and lease it back for home games. This led to speculation that the team was looking to move as the A's, Braves and Browns had done in their respective cities. After briefly considering San Francisco, Griffith came to terms with the city of Minneapolis, in Minnesota. The American League at first opposed the deal, but in 1960 it was approved under the condition that the city of Washington would get an expansion franchise, named the Senators, while Minnesota would acquire the original Senators and all the players on the roster. In 1961, the new, expansion, Senators took the field at Griffith Stadium for one year, before moving to the new District of Columbia Stadium, which was later re-named Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 1969 after the late senator. Griffith Stadium closed its doors for good after the 1961 season. It then stood unoccupied until it was demolished in 1965 and today is the Howard University Hospital occupies the site of the former ballpark.
Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
The field dimensions at R.F.K. were 355 feet to Left Field, 380 to Left-Center, 410 to Center Feld, 380 to Right Center and 355 to Right. Its baseball seating capacity changed three times throughout its existance, from 43,500 when opened, to 45,016 in 1971 and finally 45,596 in 2005.
This "new" Senators team was not much better than the original and would average almost 90 losses a year during their existence. The team's horrendous record allowed for a twist to be put on Dryden's now famous quote, which now read; "Washington, first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League".
The second version of the Senators changed hands three times during its short existence and was constantly hindered by poor decision making. One of the only significant moves was made by the team's final owner, Bob Short, who hired Hall of Famer Ted Williams to manage the franchise. Even though Williams had never managed at any level, he guided the Senators to their only winning season in 1967, with a record of 86-76.
After the 1970 season, Short told M.L.B. officials that unless someone agreed to buy the team, he would play out his stadium lease and move them wherever he thought best. Over the course of the next year, Short determined that Arlington, Texas, was where he was going to relocate the Senators to and in September of 1971, the American League gave its approval for the move. Fans were livid and on the final home game of the 1971 season, with the Senators leading the NY Yankees 7-5 in the 9th inning, they stormed the field for souvenirs. After one man ran off with first base, the umpires declared the game over, with the Senators losing by forfeit. Baseball was over in Washington for 33 years.
In 2001, Major League Baseball voted 28-2 in favor of contracting two teams, which were thought, ironically, to be the Minnesota Twins and the Montreal Expos. However, Minnesota was able to win a court ordered injunction to play in 2002 and the collective bargaining agreement, signed in August 2002, prohibited contraction of any franchise before 2006, so M.L.B. had to keep both teams. Now, a new home had to be found for the Expos.
Locations, such as; Washington D.C., Oklahoma City, Monterrey (Mexico), San Juan (Puerto Rico), New Jersey, Northern Virgina (Arlington or Dulles) Charlotte (North Carolina) and Las Vegas, were all considered viable. In the end, the top two choices were Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. and in September of 2004, it was officially announced that starting in 2005, Washington D.C. would house a baseball team for the third time since 1901.
After much discussion, the team's new name was voted to be the Nationals. There was some talk of bringing back the name Senators, but an issue for some people was that Washington D.C. does not have a senator (the District does not have vote in Congress) and the fact that the Rangers still owned the name Senators, quickly ended those thoughts. The Rangers did, however, allow the new club to acquire the rights to use the curly "W" that the Senators wore before moving to Texas after the 1971 season.
The move was contingent on being able to finance a new stadium as well as the ability to find a new owner and after much back and forth, both were settled. Theodore Lerner became the new owner and the financing for the new stadium sealed the deal. In the meantime, the Nationals would call R.F.K. Stadium home.
On April 4, 2005, Brad Wilkerson became the first batter in Nationals' history, as the Nats won their first home game over the Arizona Diamondbacks, by a score of 5-3 and President Bush restarted the tradition of a current U.S. President throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day in Washington. The Nationals would struggle, both on and off the field, for quite a few years before March 30, 2008, when Nationals Park opened its doors to the public.
Nationals Park
Nationals Park was built in the southeast corner of the city, along the Anacostia riverfront. It can hold approximately 41,000 fans and has sight lines, on the left field side that allows fans to view the Capitol and the Washington Monument from certain seat locations. The name is reminiscent of the original Senators' home, until it was renamed Griffith Stadium, and was only supposed to be a temporary one. But, a strong bid for the naming rights never materialized, so the owners chose to stay with something that echoed Washington D.C. baseball history.
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| View of The Capitol From LF |
The park opened on March 30, 2008, with a single game homestand against the Atlanta Braves. President Bush threw out the first pitch and the Nationals won, 3-2, on a walk off home run from Ryan Zimmerman. That first season the Nationals finished with a league worst record of 59-102.
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| Washington Monument From The Park |
For the first few years in their new home, the Nationals were still as inept as a team could possibly be. However, over the course of the last few years there has been a gradual change in the organization. Draft picks such as third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, pitchers Stephen Strasberg and outfielder Bryce Harper have helped turn things around and have the Nats in first place in the National League as of July 18, 2012, bringing an excitement to Nationals Park that had yet to be seen.
With the city bursting with, self proclaimed "Natitude", this seemed like the perfect time to visit.
Thursday Night: The Drive Down
"Are we there yet", a small, tired, voice called from the back seat.
"No Brendan, we've got four hours to go", I told him.
"We've been driving for hours", he complained.
"It's been 30 minutes", Ryan said, exasperated.
This was going to be a loooong evening I thought, as I set the cruise control and read the entrance sign that said "New Jersey Turnpike".
We had just gotten on the Turnpike, at East Rutherford, and my little one was already antsy. This was not a good sign, being that our destination for the evening was Mechanicsville, Maryland, which is about 50 minutes southeast of Washington D.C. The next ballpark on our itinerary was going to be Nationals Park and the whole family would be going. We were going to make a weekend out of it, the ballgame, visiting some museums, the National Zoo, seeing my aunt, uncle, cousins, their families while staying with my cousin Christine and her husband, Jimmy.
"Are we out of New Jersey yet", Bren asked as we passed the next exit, two hours from the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
"Not yet, big boy", I told him.
Ryan asked for his head phones and Nicole picked up a book. Like I said, it was going to be a long night.
Four hours later, after driving through thunder, lightning, a torrential downpour in Maryland and Brendan asking "how much longer", every 15 minutes, we reached Christine and Jimmy's house.
"We're here?", Brendan asked.
"Yes, we are", Nicole told him.
"That wasn't so bad", he responded.
"Really? We're you even listening to yourself for the last four and a half hours", I asked him
"What's that supposed to mean?", he incredulously asked me.
"Let's just get in the house", Nicole said, while trying to keep me from maiming him.
After getting situated and having a beer, or three, while watching the end of a Yankees' loss to Oakland, it was time for bed. But, the boys wanted none of it.
"I want to sleep with Maggie", Brendan said, referring to one of the three dogs Chris and Jimmy have.
"No, I want to sleep with Tish", Ryan replied, trying to get another of the dogs to come over.
"Just go to bed", I told them. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
The plan for Friday was to take the family with Jimmy and Felicity (Jimmy and Christine's 2 year old daughter) to The National Zoo then meet up with my friend Chris, who graciously went and got us the baseball tickets, drop Felicity off with Jimmy's brother in law and then head to the ballpark to meet up with my cousin David, his wife Lisbeth, their daughter Sarah and our friend Rob. A busy day indeed.
"C'mon, it's time to go", he said as he started jumping up and down.
Christine and Jimmy were already up and moving, with their twenty-two month old daughter, Felicity. Jimmy was making the coffee, while poor Chris was surrounded by the three dogs, Felicity, Ryan and Brendan, all while trying to navigate around on crutches because of knee surgery, just a few days before.
We quickly got the kids fed and cleaned up, but decided, much to Brendan's unhappiness, that this was not a zoo day, as it was overcast and rainy.
After listing places in the city to visit on a rainy day, Nicole came up with the idea of going to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for a few hours. All of a sudden, trekking through a zoo and getting soaking wet didn't seem like such a bad idea, but the last time we were in D.C., we did what I wanted (Arlington National Cemetery, the monuments and all the other historical sights), so I kept my mouth shut. Christine, unfortunately, had to stay home. As I said, she had knee surgery and couldn't get around all day and night on the crutches. I was wishing for knee surgery as we drove into the city and took the Metro to the museum.
The next few hours were fun for everyone, myself included. The kids had a blast and I even enjoyed watching their wide eyed wonder at all the exhibits. We saw dinosaurs, mammoths, the solar system, rocks, minerals, precious stones, animals, sea creatures of all kinds (of course Brendan was beside himself) and the Titanoboa, which was my least favorite exhibit, because I hate snakes. I don't mean they bother me, or I don't like them, I mean I despise them. Which, of course, meant the kids and Nik and Jimmy had to make sure I saw the damn thing, tried to get me to take pictures with the exhibit and get me to watch the movie. Ugh, we couldn't get out soon enough. Thankfully, I was rescued when my friend Chris, who got us the baseball tickets, called and said he would meet us at the gift shop in fifteen minutes. We decided to head out, grab a quick bite at a local sports themed restaurant with Chris and then drop Felicity off with Jimmy's brother in law, before heading to Nationals Park.
Four hours later, after driving through thunder, lightning, a torrential downpour in Maryland and Brendan asking "how much longer", every 15 minutes, we reached Christine and Jimmy's house.
"We're here?", Brendan asked.
"Yes, we are", Nicole told him.
"That wasn't so bad", he responded.
"Really? We're you even listening to yourself for the last four and a half hours", I asked him
"What's that supposed to mean?", he incredulously asked me.
"Let's just get in the house", Nicole said, while trying to keep me from maiming him.
After getting situated and having a beer, or three, while watching the end of a Yankees' loss to Oakland, it was time for bed. But, the boys wanted none of it.
"I want to sleep with Maggie", Brendan said, referring to one of the three dogs Chris and Jimmy have.
"No, I want to sleep with Tish", Ryan replied, trying to get another of the dogs to come over.
"Just go to bed", I told them. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
The plan for Friday was to take the family with Jimmy and Felicity (Jimmy and Christine's 2 year old daughter) to The National Zoo then meet up with my friend Chris, who graciously went and got us the baseball tickets, drop Felicity off with Jimmy's brother in law and then head to the ballpark to meet up with my cousin David, his wife Lisbeth, their daughter Sarah and our friend Rob. A busy day indeed.
Friday: Rain, A Museum and Nationals Park:
Saturday morning arrived, overcast and wet. Brendan, of course, was bursting at the seams to get to the zoo. You see, Brendan thought the game was the second most important thing on the docket this weekend, as he is most interested in animals and anything that relates to them. He loves sports, don't get me wrong, but he'd pass up the chance to meet most any ball player if he could go to a zoo and see/ride the elephants and this morning was no exception.
"C'mon, it's time to go", he said as he started jumping up and down.
"Bren, we haven't had breakfast or gotten dressed yet", I said.
"Then get dressed and let's find a Dunkin Donuts", was his response.
"That's not happening", I said, hoping to God there was coffee in the kitchen.
Christine and Jimmy were already up and moving, with their twenty-two month old daughter, Felicity. Jimmy was making the coffee, while poor Chris was surrounded by the three dogs, Felicity, Ryan and Brendan, all while trying to navigate around on crutches because of knee surgery, just a few days before.
We quickly got the kids fed and cleaned up, but decided, much to Brendan's unhappiness, that this was not a zoo day, as it was overcast and rainy.
"Bren, we're not going to the zoo today", I told him and waited for the protests that I knew were coming."
"But, you said we would", he managed to get out before his waterworks started.
"I know, but it's not really a day to be walking around outside and then heading to the ballgame", I tried to reason with him.
"The we can skip the ballgame and just go to the zoo", he offered.
All of a sudden, I saw Ryan's head jerk up from his cereal.
"That's not happening", he said while looking right at me. "Is it?"
"No, we're here for the ballgame, that's why we came. But, I promise, we'll go to the zoo tomorrow, rain or shine. OK, little man?", I asked.
"Fine", was the only response I got as he stomped off.
After listing places in the city to visit on a rainy day, Nicole came up with the idea of going to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History for a few hours. All of a sudden, trekking through a zoo and getting soaking wet didn't seem like such a bad idea, but the last time we were in D.C., we did what I wanted (Arlington National Cemetery, the monuments and all the other historical sights), so I kept my mouth shut. Christine, unfortunately, had to stay home. As I said, she had knee surgery and couldn't get around all day and night on the crutches. I was wishing for knee surgery as we drove into the city and took the Metro to the museum.
The next few hours were fun for everyone, myself included. The kids had a blast and I even enjoyed watching their wide eyed wonder at all the exhibits. We saw dinosaurs, mammoths, the solar system, rocks, minerals, precious stones, animals, sea creatures of all kinds (of course Brendan was beside himself) and the Titanoboa, which was my least favorite exhibit, because I hate snakes. I don't mean they bother me, or I don't like them, I mean I despise them. Which, of course, meant the kids and Nik and Jimmy had to make sure I saw the damn thing, tried to get me to take pictures with the exhibit and get me to watch the movie. Ugh, we couldn't get out soon enough. Thankfully, I was rescued when my friend Chris, who got us the baseball tickets, called and said he would meet us at the gift shop in fifteen minutes. We decided to head out, grab a quick bite at a local sports themed restaurant with Chris and then drop Felicity off with Jimmy's brother in law, before heading to Nationals Park. |
| L-R: Jimmy, Me, Chris |
Starting Lineup:
Jim Kulhawy
Ryan Kulhawy
Nicole Kulhawy
Brendan Kulhawy
Jim DeYuulis
Robert Zoch
David Denner
Lisbeth Denner
Sarah Denner
When you walk up to the stadium's front gate, there are large years written on the cement walkway that immediately catch your attention. These signify the important dates in Washington baseball history and have corresponding plaques, along the right side of the walkway, which explain what they signify. I was told that not many people come through the Home Plate Gate, because Nationals Park was designed so that most fans will enter from the outfield gates. This was done for easy access to the D.C. Metro rail system, which is located about a block from those entrances.
From the front of the park, we walked up "M" Street, down the left field line, towards the center field gate. After all, if it was Beer Stein Night and I wasn't missing out on a free beer mug.
"Hey, look at the baseballs", Brendan called out from behind us.
Once inside the park's center field gate, we were greeted by three statues of famous players from Washington's baseball past. Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard. The interesting aspect of these statues are that they combine traditional sculpture with certain aspects of modern art. Johnson is featured with three arms, at different places in his pitching motion, to signify how fluid and fast he was. Gibson has five bats, in mid-swing, to show off his power and Howard's perfect throwing form is shown through five huge, outstretched arms.
"Those are cool", Ryan said at first look.
After getting our steins, we ended up with four, so Ryan did get one after all, we started to walk down the right field line towards home plate, when Jimmy called out;
"That was sooo cool" Ryan said as we headed towards the home plate area.
As we headed down the concourse we saw quite a few concession stands featuring traditional ball park foods as well as some specialty kiosks, but I wasn't in the mood to eat just yet. We had a ballpark to explore and we certainly were going to do it.
"Hey look", Brendan called excitedly. "It's a George Washington bobble head".
After taking the picture, we continued around past one of the many team stores and found ourselves directly behind home plate, looking out towards center field. As I walked down to the area directly behind the plate, I was stopped by security.
Back in the center field area, we found a building with an indoor virtual batting cage, a pitching cage and various places for the kids to show off their baseball skills. There is also another team store, a Build-A-Bear, where you can build "Screech", the Nationals' bald eagle mascot and a kids' food kiosk called "Rookies", where the portions and prices are made for younger fans.
As we meandered through the center field courtyard, we ran into the unofficial mascots of the Nationals... The Presidents. The Presidents are over-sized, cartoonish, versions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt who run the famous "President's Race", during every home game. The only president to never have won a race, is Teddy Roosevelt who continually finds new and creative ways to lose each night. Of course the kids and I had to have pictures with each. Nicole laughed at us, but took the pictures.
A few moments later my cousin David, his wife Lisbeth and their daughter, Sarah, joined us. After saying hello and talking for a few minutes, Brendan said what I was thinking.
Jim Kulhawy
Ryan Kulhawy
Nicole Kulhawy
Brendan Kulhawy
Jim DeYuulis
Robert Zoch
David Denner
Lisbeth Denner
Sarah Denner
We walked down "N" Street towards Nationals Park, behind the center field gate. Tonight was Nationals' Beer Stein Night, so there were a lot of fans already heading to the game, even though we were two hours early.
"Are we going in right now?", Brendan asked.
"No", Ryan told him, "we're going to walk around the park, take pictures and then go inside and get our beer steins".
"You're not getting one", I told him.
"Why not? Root beer is a kind of beer", was his reply
"Not exactly, but I like the way you think. It's an alcohol giveaway, so you have to be over twenty-one and be one of the first ten thousand people", I explained.
"So not cool", he complained, as he stalked off ahead of us towards the home plate entrance.
From the front of the park, we walked up "M" Street, down the left field line, towards the center field gate. After all, if it was Beer Stein Night and I wasn't missing out on a free beer mug.
"Hey, look at the baseballs", Brendan called out from behind us.
"What baseballs?", I asked.
"Look over your head", Nicole said,
Sure enough, overhead, along the side of the ballpark, was a string of giant, ornate, silver baseballs.
"Those are cool", Ryan said.
"I can't get the picture", I said, as I frustratingly tried to get the right shot.
"Give me the camera", Nik offered, "you know I like taking pictures of stuff like this anyway."
I gladly handed over the camera and continued towards the back gate.
Once inside the park's center field gate, we were greeted by three statues of famous players from Washington's baseball past. Walter Johnson, Josh Gibson and Frank Howard. The interesting aspect of these statues are that they combine traditional sculpture with certain aspects of modern art. Johnson is featured with three arms, at different places in his pitching motion, to signify how fluid and fast he was. Gibson has five bats, in mid-swing, to show off his power and Howard's perfect throwing form is shown through five huge, outstretched arms.
"I think they're creepy", Brendan replied
"Interesting", Nicole offered.
"I'm going with creepy", I said, agreeing with Brendan.
"Over here to get the beer mugs", called Jimmy, already in line.
After getting our steins, we ended up with four, so Ryan did get one after all, we started to walk down the right field line towards home plate, when Jimmy called out;
"Hey, you want to get an autograph?"
"From whom?", Ryan asked.
"Ray Knight, he's the Nat's announcer and he's over there", Jimmy announced.
Sure enough, I looked over and there was 1986 World Series M.V.P., Ray Knight, getting ready to do the M.A.S.N. pre-game show.
"Mr Knight", Ryan called out. "Thanks for helping beat the Red Sox in 86."
Ray night looked over, saw my Yankees' shirt and smiled.
"Glad it worked out for you", he laughed, showing us his World Series Championship ring.
"Wow", was all Ryan could say while staring at his hand.
"Glad it worked out for you", he laughed, showing us his World Series Championship ring.
"Wow", was all Ryan could say while staring at his hand.
We asked him to sign our ticket stubs and pose for a picture and he agreed.
After playfully teasing Brendan, who wouldn't get in the picture, he posed with us, asked us about our trip, told us to have fun and said he had to get back to work.
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| 1986 World Series M.V.P. Ray Knight |
"That was sooo cool" Ryan said as we headed towards the home plate area.
"He was big", Brendan replied. "Did he really play for the Mets?"
"Yup, in 1986, when they won the World Series", I told him.
"And you rooted for the Mets", he asked,surprised.
"They were playing the Red Sox, bubba", Nicole told him.
Oh, that's OK then", he said, as I laughed and rubbed his mop of blond hair.
As we headed down the concourse we saw quite a few concession stands featuring traditional ball park foods as well as some specialty kiosks, but I wasn't in the mood to eat just yet. We had a ballpark to explore and we certainly were going to do it.
"Hey look", Brendan called excitedly. "It's a George Washington bobble head".
Sure enough, it was a giant bobble head of our first president and Jimmy informed us that there were three others, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, situated around the ballpark as well.
"Let's get a picture", Ryan yelled and ran towards "The Father" of our country.
After taking the picture, we continued around past one of the many team stores and found ourselves directly behind home plate, looking out towards center field. As I walked down to the area directly behind the plate, I was stopped by security.
"You can't go down there without a ticket", I was told.
"I'm just looking to get a picture of the field, I'll be right out", I promised.
"No one gets down there without a ticket", she said again.
"Is there someone I could talk to", I asked nicely.
"You can try the supervisor, but you're not going to get down there", she said, pointing to a man halfway down the stairs.
I started to go down, but heard her say again: "you can't go down there without a ticket."
"How am I supposed to ask him, if I can't go down there", I said, getting annoyed at this point.
"I'll call him for you", I was told right before she screamed loud enough to burst my ear drum.
"Gee, why didn't I think of that", I said while giving her a nasty look.
Much to the cranky usher's surprise, the gentleman was very happy to let us down to take pictures, after hearing our story and telling us it was his dream to do the same thing.
"So, what made you decide to do this?", he asked.
"I didn't", I responded. "It was his idea", I said, pointing towards Ryan.
"Well, lets get him down here with us to see this place", he said, smiling.
The supervisor gave us a ten minute history of the park and with a visual tour as well.
" The dimensions of this place are 337 feet to left, 377 to left center, 402 to dead center, 370 to right center and 335 to the right field seats. That big building, beyond the center field fence, is the Red Porch restaurant and over in right we have the Scoreboard Pavilion, which has a few different restaurants by the scoreboard. There are over 41,000 seats at prices that range from $5 (upper left field deck), to $325 (the Presidential Seats behind home plate) and we have 79 luxury suites, on three different levels, all around the infield. Not a bad seat in the place."
"What do you think, Ry?", I asked.
"I like it, so far. When do we eat?", was his reply.
I took some final pictures, we thanked the gentleman for his time, made our way back up to the main concourse and walked up the left field line, towards the center field courtyard.
Back in the center field area, we found a building with an indoor virtual batting cage, a pitching cage and various places for the kids to show off their baseball skills. There is also another team store, a Build-A-Bear, where you can build "Screech", the Nationals' bald eagle mascot and a kids' food kiosk called "Rookies", where the portions and prices are made for younger fans.
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| "Tom and George Pose With Us |
As we meandered through the center field courtyard, we ran into the unofficial mascots of the Nationals... The Presidents. The Presidents are over-sized, cartoonish, versions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt who run the famous "President's Race", during every home game. The only president to never have won a race, is Teddy Roosevelt who continually finds new and creative ways to lose each night. Of course the kids and I had to have pictures with each. Nicole laughed at us, but took the pictures.
A few moments later my cousin David, his wife Lisbeth and their daughter, Sarah, joined us. After saying hello and talking for a few minutes, Brendan said what I was thinking.
"I'm starving"
"That's not who I expected to here it from first", Nicole said laughing.
"He probably didn't hear", I said, hoping.
"Oh, I heard and I'm ready to eat. I hope your wallet's ready. I want that Half Smoke, Rob told us about", Ryan informed everyone within earshot.
"How about I take Brendan and Sarah to the kids' kiosk and meet you upstairs?", Nicole asked.
"You want to go by yourself?", I wanted to know.
"Yup, we'll be fine. See you guys upstairs", she said walking away with the little ones.
So, upstairs we went, in search of the elusive Half Smoke.
Concessions:
There is no shortage of interesting food and drink choices at Nationals Park. There is the Hard Times Cafe, which serves traditional pub fare, Senators' Sausage, which has a variety of premium sausage, Teddy's Barbecue, where you can get BBQ with a Carolina flair (the Rough Rider is their specialty) and Steak of the Union, where you can get a cheese steak any way you'd like. For a cold beverage there is the Samuel Adams' Brew House, the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk and Baseline Brews. However, no matter how many people we asked, the one thing we were told we had to have was the "Ben's Chili Bowl All The Way Half Smoke" and Ryan was on a mission to find it.
Ben's Chili Bowl is one of Washington D.C.'s landmark eateries.It is located in the northwest, Shaw, section of the city, next to the Lincoln Theatre. Founded in 1958, by an immigrant from Trinidad, this restaurant is notable for its chili dogs, half smokes and milkshakes and is still run by the original family. People were thrilled when it was announced that Ben's would be given concession stands in Nationals park and for good reason, the food is tremendous.
"Oh my God", Ryan declared as he stood in front of the grill and took in the aromas that filled the air.
"I think we may have found Ballpark Food Heaven", he continued.
"Better than Yankee Stadium prime rib?", I asked.
"OK, the stop before Heaven", he decided. "Nothing's better than prime rib".
"The price is", I said under my breath.
"What?", he asked.
"Nothing, let's order", I told him.
There are many different items on the menu, but the signature food is the "Half Smoke All The way", which is a quarter pound, half-pork and half-beef smoked sausage, served on a warm steamed bun and covered with mustard, a layer of raw onions, a layer of homemade chili, topped with shredded cheese and covered in melted cheese. This sausage was so big and full that you need a spoon and fork to make sure you get everything that falls from the bun as you try and eat it. Ryan's eyes were so big, he looked like he could devour it in two bites.
After Jimmy and I grabbed the Half Smokes, two beers and a soda, we headed to our seats for dinner and the start of the game. Ryan was ready to tear into his before he even sat down and I wasn't far behind. The first bite of this delicacy was pure bliss. The bun was warm and soft, the sausage was the perfect blend of smokey, slightly charred and crispy flavors, the mustard and onions added just enough "bite" and the homemade chili and cheese topped off the sandwich in a gooey flavorful explosion. Ryan and Jimmy grabbed their seats and started to chow down, as I passed out the beers and soda.
"Mnkhkldhsuiag", Ryan said through a huge mouthful of food.
"Try again, this time with your mouth empty and in English", I laughed at him.
"I forgot napkins", he stated clearly this time, but through a mess of chili and cheese where his mouth should have been.
"You're eleven, I figured you weren't thinking about napkins", I told him, handing a half dozen over.
"Mhfhsafifquifr", said Jimmy.
"He's eleven, what's your excuse", I laughed.
He held up ten fingers and laughed as I passed him some napkins as well.
After the National Anthem, but before the first pitch, David and Lis joined us from their own adventures at the concession stand and right behind them, up the stairs, came my buddy Rob, who had joined us on our "Opening Day" at Yankee Stadium. Rob's a transplanted New Yorker, who lives in Virginia and catches as many nationals and Orioles games as possible. Nicole, Brendan and Sarah had not returned from the kids' food kiosk, but would be back shortly.
The top of the first was exciting for me, because I had never seen Strasburg pitch, or Harper play, before. They have possibly been the most discussed prospects of the last ten years and I was finally getting to see them live, in my first ever Nationals' game no less. Strasburg didn't let me down, mowing down the Braves in the top of the first.
The Nats gave the hometown crowd something to cheer about right away, in the bottom of the first. After two quick outs, a Lombardozzi strike out and a Harper fly out, the home team rallied. Zimmerman walked, LaRoche doubled, Morse hit a three run homer to left center and just like that the Nationals were up 3-0. There were hugs and high fives all over. After all, we were rooting for the home team. Nicole, Brendan and Sarah had arrived, with chicken fingers, fries and soda in tow, just in time for the fireworks and it was one happy group from the outset.
The next two and a half innings were unremarkable as the two teams combined for 2 hits and three walks between them. There was time to catch up with all the cousins, joke with the kids, eat whatever Brendan and Sarah didn't finish and have Rob entertain us with his latest exploits.
In the bottom of the fourth, still leading 3-0, the Nats again struck with two outs. Flores grounded out and Strasburg struck out swinging, before Lombardozzi reached first on an infield single and stole second. Then Harper walked and Zimmerman hit a three run homer to left field, giving the Nats a 6-0 cushion. There were more hugs, more high fives, more yelling, screaming, jumping kids and Ryan, Brendan and Sarah were pretty excited as well. The only people not feeling very good about themselves were the Braves fans a few rows over, but they took the good natured ribbing in the manner it was intended.
We didn't have to wait much longer for the Nats to once again pad their lead. After the Braves went down in the top of the fifth, the Nationals loaded the bases on two singles, a wild pitch and a walk. The Braves's pitcher then committed one of the cardinal sins of baseball...he walked the pitcher with the bases loaded to force in a run. Lombardozzi then singled home two more, before Harper ended the inning by grounding into a double play. 9-0 Nationals, after five innings and we were having a blast. That warm and fuzzy feeling wasn't going to last long.
In the top of the sixth, Braves catcher Brian McCann homered, after Freeman singled, to make it 9-2. We still felt good, even though the shutout was gone, though that feeling would change soon. After Uggla singled and Hinske doubled, Strasburg's night was through, but there was still only one out and two on. The new Nats' pitcher, Mike Gonzalez, got Bourne to wiff, for the second out, but then gave up a two run double, before getting out of the inning with a 9-4 lead.
For the next inning and half, Ryan looked prophetic. Neither team scored, though they did trade scoring opportunities and as it started to rain. Thankfully, we were under cover, but the wind was whipping around fiercely. Brendan decided he needed a Screech stuffed owl and Nicole gladly left the group for some quieter, warmer, time in the gift shop. They returned an inning later with no Screech, it seems the store was sold out and had been for a few months.
In the top of the eighth, the nonsense started again. Storen relieved Gonzalez and promptly gave up a single, a stolen base and a walk, before he was removed for Burnett, who restored order, by striking out Francisco and Bourne, but then he walked Prado to load the bases. That's when things got ugly. Hayward walked in a run to make it 9-5, Chipper Jones singled to bring in two more and Freeman singled to bring in another. By the time the dust had cleared, the Nats had given up four runs, all with two outs, and were clinging to a 9-8 lead.
After Washington went down in the bottom of the eighth, they brought Tyler Clippard out of the pen to close the game. Clippard was an All Star last year and is usually dependable That would not be the case tonight.
After walking Uggla, Clippard hit the next batter to put the tying run on second and the go ahead runner on first. He redeemed himself, and quieted the crowd when he struck out the next batter, but then he gave up a two run triple to Bourne. Just four batters into the ninth, the 9-0 lead was turned into a 10-9 deficit. Clippard struck out the next two, but the damage was done and the crowd let him know it on his walk back to the dugout.
"How do you blow a 9-0 lead, after the fifth inning?", Ryan asked incredulously.
"It's not easy, but you just saw a complete meltdown", I told him.
"Clippard was horrible", Rob said, stating the obvious.
"Now you know why the Yanks got rid of him. He couldn't be trusted", I reminded him.
"Rally time?", Ryan asked, putting his hat on backwards.
"Oh there'll be extra innings", I told him. "It always happens when it's a chilly, wet, day or night"
"Nicole gave me a look that could kill and walked down the stairs, out of the wind and into the concourse.
Of course I was correct. After Desmond struck out, Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrall blew the save by giving up a game tying home run to Espinosa. I was glad Nik had left to go downstairs, but I was sure she was cursing me, right about now.
Neither team scored in the tenth and as the game entered the top of the eleventh, Ryan uttered a prophetic statement.
"You know, an error is going to win this game for somebody"
Not a minute later, Braves second baseman, Dan Uggla, hit an infield single and went to second on a Ryan Zimmerman throwing error. Everyone looked at Ryan, who just smiled.
"It's my baseball smarts that made me think that", he laughed.
After a passed by, the Braves scored on a Janish single to center to take a 11-10 lead.
The Nationals went down quietly in the bottom of the eleventh and the Braves had an improbable come from behind win.
Final Score:
Braves 11, Nationals 10 (11 innings)
O'Flaherty (W) 2-0
Durbin (S) 1
Gorzelanny (L) 2-2
As we all walked down the stairs and out of the stadium, Ryan broke the silence.
"That game was a capital crime. How do you blow that lead, with four innings to go?"
"This is exactly why we're not seeing the Yankees much on our tour. Can you imagine if they blew this game and where did you hear that phrase?", I asked.
"From a Guns N' Roses song. I didn't know what it meant, so I looked it up", he told me.
Nicole, who had just re-joined the group, laughed and reminded me that's exactly why she doesn't go to Yankees' games with me anymore. This, however, was just fine. We were rooting for Washington, but it didn't matter if they won or lost, we were there for the atmosphere. We walked to the car in silence and before we were 15 minutes into the ride back to Jimmy's, the boys were sound asleep in the back. It was a long day, an interesting ballgame and a great time with family and friends. What could be better.
Saturday morning, we got up and made sure we got Brendan his trip to the National Zoo. It was still rainy, but we had promised and I was not going to disappoint the little guy. Jimmy and Felicity joined us, but poor Christine was left home again as the crutches were not exactly comfortable for what we were going to be doing. As I said earlier, Brendan is my animal kid and he was excited to see all of them, but he especially loves the elephants, so they were a must.
We had a blast at the zoo, but had get back home by late afternoon, because the rest of my family was gathering at Christine and Jimmy's to celebrate my cousin Tom's son's birthday with a giant cake and a minor league baseball game between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the Somerset Patriots.
Sunday morning came way too fast. We couldn't figure out where the whole weekend had gone, but agreed that we had fit a lot of things into just a few days. We are so thankful to Christine and Jimmy for opening their home to our madness and putting us up for three nights. I wish Chris wasn't on the crutches, but promised to make it up to her, with her own special weekend, as soon as she was better and we could schedule something. There were some tears from the boys when it was time to leave, but we reminded them that we would all planning to be together in September, when the Yankees take on the Orioles at Camden Yards.
About an hour into the drive, I was lost in thought when Brendan paused the movie he was watching, took the headphones off and asked:
Ben's Chili Bowl is one of Washington D.C.'s landmark eateries.It is located in the northwest, Shaw, section of the city, next to the Lincoln Theatre. Founded in 1958, by an immigrant from Trinidad, this restaurant is notable for its chili dogs, half smokes and milkshakes and is still run by the original family. People were thrilled when it was announced that Ben's would be given concession stands in Nationals park and for good reason, the food is tremendous.
"Oh my God", Ryan declared as he stood in front of the grill and took in the aromas that filled the air.
"I think we may have found Ballpark Food Heaven", he continued.
"Better than Yankee Stadium prime rib?", I asked.
"OK, the stop before Heaven", he decided. "Nothing's better than prime rib".
"The price is", I said under my breath.
"What?", he asked.
"Nothing, let's order", I told him.
 |
| The Famous Half Smoke All The Way |
After Jimmy and I grabbed the Half Smokes, two beers and a soda, we headed to our seats for dinner and the start of the game. Ryan was ready to tear into his before he even sat down and I wasn't far behind. The first bite of this delicacy was pure bliss. The bun was warm and soft, the sausage was the perfect blend of smokey, slightly charred and crispy flavors, the mustard and onions added just enough "bite" and the homemade chili and cheese topped off the sandwich in a gooey flavorful explosion. Ryan and Jimmy grabbed their seats and started to chow down, as I passed out the beers and soda.
"Mnkhkldhsuiag", Ryan said through a huge mouthful of food.
"Try again, this time with your mouth empty and in English", I laughed at him.
"I forgot napkins", he stated clearly this time, but through a mess of chili and cheese where his mouth should have been.
"You're eleven, I figured you weren't thinking about napkins", I told him, handing a half dozen over.
"Mhfhsafifquifr", said Jimmy.
"He's eleven, what's your excuse", I laughed.
He held up ten fingers and laughed as I passed him some napkins as well.
The Game:
After the National Anthem, but before the first pitch, David and Lis joined us from their own adventures at the concession stand and right behind them, up the stairs, came my buddy Rob, who had joined us on our "Opening Day" at Yankee Stadium. Rob's a transplanted New Yorker, who lives in Virginia and catches as many nationals and Orioles games as possible. Nicole, Brendan and Sarah had not returned from the kids' food kiosk, but would be back shortly.
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| Strasburg's First Pitch |
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| First Pitch |
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| Brendan and Sarah, Just As Morse Homers |
In the bottom of the fourth, still leading 3-0, the Nats again struck with two outs. Flores grounded out and Strasburg struck out swinging, before Lombardozzi reached first on an infield single and stole second. Then Harper walked and Zimmerman hit a three run homer to left field, giving the Nats a 6-0 cushion. There were more hugs, more high fives, more yelling, screaming, jumping kids and Ryan, Brendan and Sarah were pretty excited as well. The only people not feeling very good about themselves were the Braves fans a few rows over, but they took the good natured ribbing in the manner it was intended.
We didn't have to wait much longer for the Nats to once again pad their lead. After the Braves went down in the top of the fifth, the Nationals loaded the bases on two singles, a wild pitch and a walk. The Braves's pitcher then committed one of the cardinal sins of baseball...he walked the pitcher with the bases loaded to force in a run. Lombardozzi then singled home two more, before Harper ended the inning by grounding into a double play. 9-0 Nationals, after five innings and we were having a blast. That warm and fuzzy feeling wasn't going to last long.
In the top of the sixth, Braves catcher Brian McCann homered, after Freeman singled, to make it 9-2. We still felt good, even though the shutout was gone, though that feeling would change soon. After Uggla singled and Hinske doubled, Strasburg's night was through, but there was still only one out and two on. The new Nats' pitcher, Mike Gonzalez, got Bourne to wiff, for the second out, but then gave up a two run double, before getting out of the inning with a 9-4 lead.
"No worries", Ryan said, "It's the bottom of the sixth and we have a five run lead. This one's over."
I wasn't so sure.
For the next inning and half, Ryan looked prophetic. Neither team scored, though they did trade scoring opportunities and as it started to rain. Thankfully, we were under cover, but the wind was whipping around fiercely. Brendan decided he needed a Screech stuffed owl and Nicole gladly left the group for some quieter, warmer, time in the gift shop. They returned an inning later with no Screech, it seems the store was sold out and had been for a few months.
"How do you tell kids to come make a Screech and then have none", Brendan wanted to know.
"They just want you to buy something, so they get you into the store knowing most parents won't say no", Ryan said. "It's called switched bait."
"That's fishing", Brendan tried to correct him.
"It's bait and switch", I said. "It didn't work, he didn't get anything. Now watch the game."
"It worked, look", Brendan said, holding up a Nationals' stuffed bear that played the "Charge" song when you squeezed his paw.
I looked at Nicole, who just shrugged her shoulders and gave me a smile.
FACEPALM.....
In the top of the eighth, the nonsense started again. Storen relieved Gonzalez and promptly gave up a single, a stolen base and a walk, before he was removed for Burnett, who restored order, by striking out Francisco and Bourne, but then he walked Prado to load the bases. That's when things got ugly. Hayward walked in a run to make it 9-5, Chipper Jones singled to bring in two more and Freeman singled to bring in another. By the time the dust had cleared, the Nats had given up four runs, all with two outs, and were clinging to a 9-8 lead.
After Washington went down in the bottom of the eighth, they brought Tyler Clippard out of the pen to close the game. Clippard was an All Star last year and is usually dependable That would not be the case tonight.
After walking Uggla, Clippard hit the next batter to put the tying run on second and the go ahead runner on first. He redeemed himself, and quieted the crowd when he struck out the next batter, but then he gave up a two run triple to Bourne. Just four batters into the ninth, the 9-0 lead was turned into a 10-9 deficit. Clippard struck out the next two, but the damage was done and the crowd let him know it on his walk back to the dugout.
"How do you blow a 9-0 lead, after the fifth inning?", Ryan asked incredulously.
"It's not easy, but you just saw a complete meltdown", I told him.
"Clippard was horrible", Rob said, stating the obvious.
"Now you know why the Yanks got rid of him. He couldn't be trusted", I reminded him.
"Rally time?", Ryan asked, putting his hat on backwards.
"Oh there'll be extra innings", I told him. "It always happens when it's a chilly, wet, day or night"
"Nicole gave me a look that could kill and walked down the stairs, out of the wind and into the concourse.
Of course I was correct. After Desmond struck out, Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrall blew the save by giving up a game tying home run to Espinosa. I was glad Nik had left to go downstairs, but I was sure she was cursing me, right about now.
Neither team scored in the tenth and as the game entered the top of the eleventh, Ryan uttered a prophetic statement.
"You know, an error is going to win this game for somebody"
Not a minute later, Braves second baseman, Dan Uggla, hit an infield single and went to second on a Ryan Zimmerman throwing error. Everyone looked at Ryan, who just smiled.
"It's my baseball smarts that made me think that", he laughed.
After a passed by, the Braves scored on a Janish single to center to take a 11-10 lead.
The Nationals went down quietly in the bottom of the eleventh and the Braves had an improbable come from behind win.
Final Score:
Braves 11, Nationals 10 (11 innings)
O'Flaherty (W) 2-0
Durbin (S) 1
Gorzelanny (L) 2-2
Post Game Wrap Up
As we all walked down the stairs and out of the stadium, Ryan broke the silence.
"That game was a capital crime. How do you blow that lead, with four innings to go?"
"This is exactly why we're not seeing the Yankees much on our tour. Can you imagine if they blew this game and where did you hear that phrase?", I asked.
"From a Guns N' Roses song. I didn't know what it meant, so I looked it up", he told me.
Nicole, who had just re-joined the group, laughed and reminded me that's exactly why she doesn't go to Yankees' games with me anymore. This, however, was just fine. We were rooting for Washington, but it didn't matter if they won or lost, we were there for the atmosphere. We walked to the car in silence and before we were 15 minutes into the ride back to Jimmy's, the boys were sound asleep in the back. It was a long day, an interesting ballgame and a great time with family and friends. What could be better.
Saturday, Sunday and Heading Home:
We had a blast at the zoo, but had get back home by late afternoon, because the rest of my family was gathering at Christine and Jimmy's to celebrate my cousin Tom's son's birthday with a giant cake and a minor league baseball game between the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and the Somerset Patriots.
"Only we could drive four and a half hours from home and see a ballgame where one of the teams plays twenty minutes from our house", Nicole laughed.
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| Jeff Nettles Wears His Dad's # 9 |
It was fun to share a night out with my family doing something I love and we all had a blast. The seats were great and even though it rained, it couldn't spoil everyone's enjoyment. My Aunt Carole and Uncle Bud, my cousin Tom, his wife Jennifer and their sons, Andrew and Adam, Christine, Jimmy and Felicity and David, Lis and Sarah, gave us a night we'll always remember and were thrilled to be a part of. We laughed, joked, ate, drank and had a great time. I even got to see my baseball hero's (Graig Nettles) son Jeff, play third base, like his dad, for the Patriots and former Yankee Sparky Lyle was the manager. The evening went way to fast and before I knew it, the Blue Crabs had won and it was time to say goodbye and head back to Chris and Jimmy's, before leaving the next day.
Sunday morning came way too fast. We couldn't figure out where the whole weekend had gone, but agreed that we had fit a lot of things into just a few days. We are so thankful to Christine and Jimmy for opening their home to our madness and putting us up for three nights. I wish Chris wasn't on the crutches, but promised to make it up to her, with her own special weekend, as soon as she was better and we could schedule something. There were some tears from the boys when it was time to leave, but we reminded them that we would all planning to be together in September, when the Yankees take on the Orioles at Camden Yards.
About an hour into the drive, I was lost in thought when Brendan paused the movie he was watching, took the headphones off and asked:
"Daddy, are we almost home?"
I looked at Nicole, who just snickered and turned away, biting her lip. But, before I could turn around and say something, he restarted the movie, put his headphones back on and started laughing. I couldn't tell if it was at the movie, or at my reaction, but I was not about to press the issue. I just looked ahead, laughed and started thinking about our next game.
Next Stop
August 10, 2012
Citizen's Bank Park
Philadelphia, Pa
St. Louis Cardinals Vs Philadelphia Phillies
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