Nats win

Great game. O's fans are a pleasant lot, especially compared to the knuckle draggers from Philly and NY. STBNGNP still can't run a concession stand with any efficiency if there's more than 30K. I was waiting for a hot dog vendor to come to our section, but the only food guy was hawking a $5.25 pretzel...which seems criminal. A pretzel for more than a hot dog? I mean a turkey, cow, pig and raccoon all died to make that dog. The line at Ben's behind 108 wasn't moving.

An experiment in positive thought

Or positive blogging at least. Yesterday, we posted a piece on Joe Torre's rocky start as a manager. It took him six seasons to reach .500. This is Manny's third. Will Manny be as successful as Torre? Stupid question. Will the Nats be as successful tonight as they were last night if I resist the urge to write a snarky post about them and instead say something positive (or at least constructive?) Let's give it a try.

I know a little about marketing. At least I pretend to in my day job. I think the Nats marketing campaign is an awful failure. I don't think anyone there knows much about this market. The DC area is the most hyper-educated in the country. There are more advanced degree holders here than anywhere else - by a wide margin.

"Washington, D.C., has the highest percentage of adults on the top rung, with 22.2 percent holding advanced degrees"

So why they think something as pedestrian as "NatsTown" would work is proof positive they don't get the market. Also Clint. And shooting sausages at the crowd. And, and, and.

DC is the smartest city in the room. I used to joke to a good friend in NY that while women there were more attractive than women in DC, the women in DC could probably tell you how to restructure debt in the developing world. And that beauty always fades.

This presents both challenges and opportunities from a marketing point of view. Think of the little things other trams do...specifically the Wizards line at the beginning of a game about being the most powerful city on the planet. That drives people from other cities bonkers. So at the start of the game, why not say, "All rise for the National(s) anthem"? The stupid Phillies couldn't say that.

The Nats need to elevate their game on and off the field. There are glimmers of a decent on the field product. Now Stan needs to get cracking on the other side. And why they didn't get NutraSystem to sponsor the Screech rebrand is beyond me.

Manny and some historical perspective

Thanks to a commenter over at NJ, here's a look at how Joe Torre began his career as a manager.

Fire Stan

All weekend long I was reading anecdotes of just how poorly represented the Nats fans were through the four game sweep by the effing Phillies. By some accounts, Sunday was 80/20. Could you imagine RFK before the 'Skins left seeing a game where the Beagles fans outnumbered us good guys by that margin? No? Right. Because it would have never freaking happened. Can you hear Jack Kent Cooke on a Philly radio saying anything other than outright ridicule for that wretched city and the despicable denizens therein? No, because he had class.

Stan, this isn't like inviting the nice folks from Chattanooga or Charlotte to come to Atlanta. It's Philly you schmuck. If you had any pride, you'd rather see an empty stadium that what went on here this weekend. Call Ted Leonsis and ask him. Or Dan Snyder after the Steelers game this year. They get it. They were pissed and in Ted's case worked to have it fixed.

How can Ted Lerner, a man who once ran the scoreboard at Griffith abide this? Would Bill Collins or Fred Maleck be letting this happen?

Fire Stan. Fire Manny.

If you aren't going to represent DC then get the hell out of DC.

Fire Manny

I hate feeling this way. I really like the guy. But something needs to change. Bring in Willie Randolph or Davey Johnson for the remainder if either would take it...they may not.

Montreal, please claim your belongings in the lost and found

I read through the post-mortem comments on the NJ blog this morning and a number of the late ones struck me. They seem to be folks who attended the game and went out of their way to comment on the bad service. The worst team in baseball's horrible bullpen just blew another game in monumental fashion and they felt compelled to point out that the fan experience still stinks.

This ownership makes me like Snyder more and more. At least he understands that the fan experience is an important component of his team...maybe too much sometimes. As much as I hate Giants Stadium South, I tend to enjoy myself once there and never have a problem getting a beer or food.

The Lerner/Kastens have no sense of this. Running Presidents, video games and batting cages are great but if a season ticket holder can't get a hot dog, who cares? The marketing department - the one who gave us Nats Town - seems utterly oblivious to this PR disaster.

Once, I was all messed up on losing

You ever have a friend that's messed up on drugs, liquor, Jesus or all three? For a while they handle it, but you start to see the beginnings of the death spiral. Maybe you ignore them or deny they are happening. But when your friend ends up in rehab or a Promise Keeper or both, you look back and finally see the warning signs in the harsh light of day.

I think that's where this franchise is headed. They seem so focused on the plan so damn everything else. Kasten must think that since he did it in Atlanta, it's going to work here. Sorry - Atlanta is a different market entirely and what worked there may not work in DC. It's also a very different time. As I've said previously, he's losing a generation of fans by not spending money on players they need now to be a .500 team. We don't want a contender - we just don't want the worst team in baseball. Until they crawl out of the cellar, I've got no interest in going (now that the streak is over). And according to this morning's Post, I'm not alone.

Train wreck + 30

Even the guy who is supposed to be "the guy" in the 'pen. The guy who knows the NL West hitters. He fails. I mean, WTF? Ugh. Why do I stay up for this abuse?


That thing Zimm's doing's now at 30.

Go get Pedro

Are you telling me that he'd be worse than 0 - 7 Daniel freakin' Cabrera? Who by the way might be an effective closer. He could be waiting for you in DC. Can you imagine the gate with him as a starter and that thing Zimm's doing is still on?

Go. Get. Pedro.

4 and 0, 17, 26, .392

Man the Caps were dead last night. So, the good news.

Martis is 4 - 0. You know who else has 4 wins? Johan Santana. Granted his ERA is 0.91 but still. No pitcher on the Phillies has 4 wins.

Strasburg throws a no-hitter with 17 K's. Merry Strasmas. Think Rizzo follows Boras on Twitter yet?

That thing Zimm's doing continueth.

And finally, the Goooz. Remember back to beloved RFK when we'd joke about the Mendoza Line being renamed for Guzman? He's batting a NL best .392.

Let's go Caps!

Dear Stan

I'd like to talk revenue. My 10 year old daughter - who has been to over 30 Nats games, many at beloved RFK but lots at Nats Park - now wants to know why she's never been to a Caps game because, and I quote, "they win their games." I explained economics and that I prefer baseball to hockey. But I lost. And you are losing a generation of fans. Just an FYI.

Another bullpen implosion

This time it wasn't ours! How refreshing to see another team struggle and have the Nats capitalize with timely hitting for the win. Weather permitting, and with the 'Stros depleted pen on no rest, let's hope they can get to Oswalt and carry a three win streak to LA and the return of the Beimel.

Belly itchers

Fire Jim Bowden has a good rundown on unemployed arms. I concur I'd rather see Odalis Perez than Cabrera.

We Want Pedro! We Want Pedro!

At this point, what's 5 million bucks? Especially for a team who according to Forbes turned the second highest profit in baseball last year? And go get Freddy Garcia while you're at it. For the love of God Rizzo, do something or else Nats Park will begin to look even more like a ghost town than it did last night.

Ready for the paper bag on the head if I ever decide to go out to a game again. One upside is that even when the recession ends, no corporation is going to want to associate their name with this abomination of an organization by purchasing the naming rights to the stadium.

Kasten needs to read up on his DC history. I look forward to Saturday night.