I Miss RFK

Had it

2009-07-16T15:44:00.003-04:00

The team stinks. The stadium is years away from being a destination. And trying to come up with posts on this increasingly depressing subject is, well, depressing. So we're going Twitter only until further notice.

twitter.com/imissrfk

Thanks for the conversations. Peace.

WaPo discovers teh twitta!

2009-07-02T19:02:00.002-04:00

Bloggers! Twitterers! Rich CEO's who can't go to a party at Katherine Weymouth's house anymore! Use the hash tag #natswp to let them know how awesome/suckalicious the experience at STBNGNP is and they'll stream a live twitter feed somewhere with an ad for MASN wrapped around it and it will be awesome.

"You're from Fair-Fax"

2009-06-26T15:12:00.001-04:00

I hope this is true, from the DC Sports Bog -

Boston fans chant: "Let's go Red Sox"
Nats fans response: "You're from Fair-Fax"

And a great collection of fan attire also from the Bog.

USA!

2009-06-24T22:13:00.002-04:00

OK, that's the good, no great sports news today. After a decent game where I got a half smoke and a beer in decent time, I gotta say Sox fans are a lot like Cubs fans.

The Nation

2009-06-23T16:11:00.002-04:00

No, not the old DC nightclub replaced by STBNGNP. No, the Red Sox Nation. The legions of green and pink baseball hat clad douche nozzles from Bethesda/McLean/Glover Park/etc. who jumped on the Sox bandwagon back in '04. They will be out in full disinterested force for three straight nights of drinking and obnoxious behavior. Sure they're Sox fans even though they went to Langley High School. Their cousin went to UMass and they spent a week in Wellfleet when they were nine so that qualifies them. Ugh. The Soon To Be Closed By The New York Times Boston Globe (STBCBTNYTBG) ran an article on just how destitute NatsTown is. Hat tip to Chico at NJ.

Nats win. Mets lose. STBNGNP works.

2009-06-06T21:46:00.002-04:00

Lannan pitches complete game. Three hr's. Five DP's. Sad Mets fans. Easy lines for dogs and beers. For one night, a grand baseball experience.

Deadspin jumps on the bandwagon

2009-06-06T06:38:00.001-04:00

Why Your Stadium Sucks: Nationals Park

Tunes

2009-06-03T08:21:00.002-04:00

Part of the increasingly lousy experience is that the music is lame at STBNGNP. Although I do like the addition of the organist.

But aside from one appearance by Chuck Brown at RFK in '05, has there been any acknowledgment of DC music? I can't remember any.

So without further ado, here's what I'd like to hear:

Following TMOTTBG in the 7th inning stretch - Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches n Herb.
When the opposing team sends in relief - Da Butt - E.U.
Between the 6th and 7th - Afternoon Delight, Will Ferrell version
Opposing coaching visit to the mound - Waiting Room - Fugazi

Throw in some more Chuck Brown, some Bad Brains and Chocolate City by Parliament and that's a good rotation.

Thoughts?

Baby, it's a lost cause

2009-06-02T11:38:00.002-04:00

Read WaTimes' Zuckerman. This could be the worst team in the modern era.

Just like Beck says.

Nats win

2009-05-24T21:31:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-22T10:02:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-21T13:08:00.003-04:00

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

Fire Stan

2009-05-18T11:06:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-17T18:10:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-16T08:12:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-15T09:43:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-13T01:09:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-12T06:53:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-09T10:19:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-06T21:44:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-05T05:50:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-01T07:16:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-05-01T06:55:00.002-04:00

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.

Arms trade

2009-04-29T18:46:00.002-04:00

I crap you negative. The newest Nat is named Logan French Kensing. Furrealz. French Kensing. How awesome is that? So what if he has a 9.82 ERA so far this year. His name is French Kensing. And he threw in 40+ games last year with a 4.23 ERA. So I'll take it. Now go give Pedro 5 million bucks to be a closer, trade an outfielder for another live arm and we'll go from there.

This signing in no way stopped the bleeding (losing, fan abandonment, etc.) but it may have slowed it. Luckily everyone's going to be distracted by the Caps for the next 10 days or so and they can attribute the poor gate numbers and viewers to that.

I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer...

2009-04-28T09:45:00.002-04:00

Hanrahan? Mock? Rivera?

After reading Zimm's quote at the end of Harlan's WaPo story, I think the team needs to have a blanket party on the bullpen.

There's a level of professionalism one comes to expect from an organization. The Nats show flashes but there's no constancy. I don't buy the fire Manny stuff...these are Trader Jim's players. But Rizzo needs to pull the trigger on a trade today. Willingham for two live arms. Anything to show they're mad as hell and they're not going to take it any more. If not, it's over in April for lots and lots of fans - both at the park and on the teevee.

A little F(i)lip

2009-04-26T22:30:00.003-04:00

I've had an epiphany. The endless snark of idiot bloggers is nothing new...it's been alive and well on the pages of New York's crappy non-NYT newspapers for years. Epitomized perfectly by the Daily News' Filip Bondy yesterday:

"But the Nats are the Nats. They may be Bud Selig's greatest enduring embarrassment, not involving steroids, uniquely incompetent and unsympathetic. They have a new stadium in the nation's capital, the result of long-term blackmailing. They're owned by a billionaire, Ted Lerner. Their ex-GM, Jim Bowden, has been investigated for skimming bonus money."

And the Mets are the Mets and if they can get back to .500 and sniff the division lead, we all know what will happen come September. Oh, and the Caps crushed the Rangers. So for a day at least, DC embarrassed NY.

Brutal loss

2009-04-22T21:35:00.002-04:00

Walked in the winning run. Lannan was sharp though so that's good. Off day tomorrow then hello Chez Deux! Oh, and the Caps look done for and the 'Skins are destroying their QB so the slowly improving Nats may be the best story in town for a while.

Bad news

2009-04-21T17:35:00.001-04:00

Ugh. Beimel to DL. Saaaahuuuuhl back up.

Good news

2009-04-21T07:40:00.000-04:00

A win. Inked Zim. JZ beats D Lowe. Baby steps.

Natinals

2009-04-20T13:30:00.002-04:00

Are. You. Effing. Kidding. Me? Thankfully they're so bad that either no one cares or they took pity on them and didn't start a twitter frenzy like #amazonfail.

How can a team in a major market function like this? The team flags buried around the park so low no one can see them? The failure of the cracker jack marketing department for not getting NutraSystem as a partner on the slim Screech?

I want to move to KC where they know how to run an organization.

Chez Deux

2009-04-14T14:36:00.000-04:00

Anyone go to the Mets' opener last night?

The morning after pill

2009-04-14T14:14:00.002-04:00

Boswell seems sorta kinda optimistic...but he's a pro, not a snarky basement-dwelling blogger. I like the idea of Lastings "Ocho Cinco, Jr." Milledge being sent down (or traded). There's something to be said about the offensive output. Heck, if you'd told me last October we'd be hanging 9 runs on the Phils in April I'd have been happy. But WTF with the pitching?

Back to the park. It didn't smell; the Phillies fans were tolerable. As for food and beer, I gave up after grabbing a beer from the Miller bar under the scoreboard right at the start of the game. Gwitch Rules headed up for a soda in the 4th and gave up after 20 minutes. Understanding that this is a new vendor, you knew it was going to be awful again and that it will take them until June to work out the kinks. The team will be so lousy by then that the average 15K crowd will make the vending experience a breeze.

I have no plans to go to a game until next week so feel free to send along your experiences.

Ugh.

Same as the old boss

2009-04-13T21:11:00.002-04:00

OK so opening day has come and gone and guess what? The team stinks, the wait for food is a joke and a starting player got hurt (Guzman.) This team could lose more than 102. Manny won't last the spring and we may lose them to Charlotte by August.

Three days away

2009-04-10T14:08:00.001-04:00

What's in store for us? Stay tuned.

The new Screech

2009-03-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. That NatsTown was the bottom and like the economy, once it's hit bottom it starts moving upwards again. Well, also like the economy, NatsTown's not the bottom. They go lower still.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu we give you the crappiest franchise in the Majors.

Oh to be a Royals fan.

Bowden. Is. Gone.

2009-03-01T09:21:00.000-05:00

Boz

2009-02-27T11:17:00.001-05:00

Today's column is good, stabilizing and sobering. I particularly like the point he raises about the '09 team being what they should have been last year.

Mike Rizzo!

Barry's back on the beat

2009-02-25T21:32:00.002-05:00

He really is a good writer, our Mr. Svrluga. Here's his story on the Dominican kid who will take down Trader Jim. BTW, looks like Rijo is a goner. One of the commenters over at Nats Journal referred to it as "Blame it on Rjo." If only Jimbo were as charming as Michael Caine.

It has begun...

2009-02-25T14:08:00.002-05:00

'Nats v 'Stros. Spring training. And it's warm in DC. Looks like AK is volunteering to be the outfielder to be traded later by going 0 - 2 and stranding 5.

Fire him

2009-02-23T16:09:00.002-05:00

Sports Illustrated story on the bonus skimming scandal.

He's got to go. I don't care if he's 100% innocent. This is too much of a distraction. It's bad for the team, the city and the fans. We need a(nother) CHANGE.

the natosphere

2009-02-19T21:30:00.002-05:00

So we didn't make the cut for the WaPo's Nats Journal blog roll. The ink-stained wretches found us unworthy - I reckon because the sole reason for this blog is to bellyache. Anyway, here's the A-list of Nationals blogs according to one Chico Harlan. Funny, my porn first name is Chico. I wonder what the DC Sports Bog is? Redskins Park?

Official Site

Washington Nationals Fan Forum

Nationals Farm Authority

Federal Baseball

Nationals Enquirer

Ballparkguys.com Board

Nats320

Nationals Inquisition

Nats Triple Play

Oleanders and Morning Glories

We've Got Heart

Planetary Nats Blog

Nationals Pride

NationalsFanboyLooser

Fire Jim Bowden

D.C. Sports Bog

Smile

2009-02-18T22:44:00.000-05:00

Oh, lordy. Please tell me this is it for Trader Jim.

I Miss Aramark

2009-02-17T16:42:00.002-05:00

Remember that final year at RFK? When you could get a hot dog and a beer with no waiting? OK, maybe a short wait if it was a 30K+ night, but it was negligible. And even then, there were always some go-to stands who had it down. Remember the lovely women who staffed the Guinness stand behind home plate? Ah, good times.

From WaPo's Nats Journal: New Vendor for Nats Park

So just when - we hope - last year's vendor had ironed out their kinks and were going to launch the new season running as a well oiled machine, they pull the plug. Ugh. Maybe they just don't want this blog to go away.

The company is Levy Restaurants. They do the food at Wrigley, Dodger, PNC and a few more. It's been ages since I was at Wrigley and was too engrossed in the "game" to pay attention to the food & beverage service so I open it up to the peanut gallery. Is this a good thing? Is it a sign to go with the Dunn signing that the Lerner's are starting to get it? Or is it as I fear, another service disaster to suffer through for an entire season?

Why we want Nick to stay if he's healthy

2009-02-15T09:58:00.002-05:00

WaPo's Chico Harlan has a great bit on Johnson's work on his swing. If the baseball gods are willing to give him a year off the DL and he stays on the team, good things could happen. A healthy NJ and his usually superb OBP batting in front of Dunn, Dukes and Zimm? 70 wins here we come!

Coming soon: marketing suggestions in response to bellyaching commenters.

Chico's Top Ten

2009-02-14T11:28:00.004-05:00

Is this the second year for Barry Svrluga's replacement? Anyway, he's got a pretty good top ten list of questions we hope are answered before that first trip to Miami in April.

In other news, Omar adds another Nats cast-off to the squad by signing Livan. Now, I was always a big fan of Livo when he donned the curly W and hope he does well at Shea v2. Is it not the perfect sign that they named their stadium after a corrupt and now semi-disgraced financial institution? If congress had a sense of humor, they would have written a provision in the stimulus plan mandating Citi to change the name to TARP Field. Just think of the endless jokes during rain delays!

This has got to mean Pedro's done in NY. Trader Jim? Don't even think about it.

Over at "Fire Jim Bowden", they've got a good list of the other Nats/Expos Omar has added.

No Hudson-on-Anacostia

2009-02-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

Bill Ladson writes Trader Jim says no O Dog for us this year. The injury issue added to the fact he probably won't sign more than a one year deal makes this a good move. So let's play lineup, shall we? But first, can we have Dunn take BP in RFK to see if he can hit one of Hondo's chairs?

Hernandez - 2B
Guzman - SS
Johnson - 1B
Dunn - LF
Zimmernam - 3B
Kearns/Dukes - RF
Milledge - CF
The Jesus - C

If Hernandez replicates the way he ended the year and God willing Nick stays healthy (and stays on the team), this looks better than

Guzman - SS
Vidro - 2B
Wilkerson - CF
Guillen - RF
Castilla - 3B
Johnson - 1B
Church - LF
Schneider - C

and those guys won 81 games.

Holy Cr@p!

2009-02-12T12:55:00.002-05:00

They signed Dunn. The Nats have a clean up hitter. They're going to rename the Red Porch/Loft/Whatever after him.

This is great. They may win 70 games this year.

Nats Town

2009-02-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

By now I imagine many out there have seen this...the new marketing pitch from our friends on Half St. It fails on a couple levels. First, it's indicative of both Red Sox Nation and Wrigleyville which shows an utter lack of creativity. I guess they're trying to grow their marketing department internally instead of going out and hiring free agents. Secondly, it rips off the Caps, currently the only successful sports team in town. And I mean that, Hoyas. And finally, what $40 hr. designer did they find on craigslist to do this? It breaks so many fundamental design and typography rules, it hurts my eyes.

I think the last time DC had something this sad was when the Bonus Army set up Hooverville.

Upside to the recession

2009-02-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

Given the current economic climate, I think we can safely assume that Nats Park will remain unblemished by a crummy corporate name for at least one more year so I'll stop referring to is as "Soon to be Named Gaylord Nationals Park," or STBNGNP. It may actually be longer. After the economy recovers, A, B and C-list corporate sponsors may be as wary of signing deals with the Nats as A, B and C-list free agents have been. But such an average park for such a horrible team needs a moniker befitting their circumstances. So I open it up to those of you who may be trickling back after a long off-season.

Suggestions?

PS - Pitchers and Catchers in 7 days.

Two weeks

2009-02-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

Now that football's Yankees have won their six Super Bowl, it's almost time to get down to business and welcome Adam Dunn and Orlando Hudson to STBNGNP. Oh wait, never mind.

'Till next season.

2008-09-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

Nats on WGN

2008-08-22T15:29:00.001-04:00

Soriano leading off. Should be fun.

They won a freakin' game!

2008-08-22T00:28:00.000-04:00

Now it's off to Wrigley to get swept.

Why Crow didn't sign

2008-08-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

The Nats could not promise that he would be able to get popcorn without waiting in line for 30 minutes. :)

Seriously though, good riddance. The last thing this team needs is every draft pick bending us over a barrel. We went above slot for many players in order to restock the farm system last year, but you don't let some unproven guy make crazy demands and get away with them. Maybe they should not have drafted Crow at all, but I am glad they didn't sign him at his price. Sure he might be a nice pitcher someday, but it's not like the Nats are one player away from respectability.

The dual nature of this blog didn't dawn on me until recently, but man I miss the excitement of Redskins games at RFK. Sort of like the Phone Booth was at the end of last year, as the best run franchise(scary isn't it) in DC made their run to a South East Division Championship.

Ugh

2008-08-14T23:35:00.000-04:00

Well, hats of to the gwitch-ster for resurrecting this nightmare. I thought it could die a slow, painless death much like the gNats. I'm with El Rey...34 years for this? No baseball is better than this. The freaking Royals are better than the ex-Expos. I just want it all to end and for the Danny to rip down RFK and replace it with a 125,000 retractable dome stadium visible from space.

Jason Taylor anyone?

What's made me most bitter is that the baseball team was going to be my salvation and allow me to forever walk away from the NFL franchise I grew up loving. That is before the Danny and his minion The vinny came in and destroyed it. But now, I have no choice. I have to fight against the dying of the light because my 9 year old daughter thinks Tom Brady's great and has announced the Patriots to be her favorite team. At least it's not Eli and the Giants...yet. Who am I kidding? Given the choice between her room and a cardboard box on Constitution Ave, I'm sure she'd take her room.

Worst Game Ever

2008-08-14T09:06:00.000-04:00

I have never left a game so quickly. It was embarrassing. I didn't even get a chance to see how long the food lines were. Beer lines were short prior to the game though. :)

Oh, and the fireworks during the National Anthem have to stop. They scared my date so much that she jumped. Funny? Yes. But seriously, stop the explosions during the Anthem.

A note to the fans in DC's northern most suburb, NYC

2008-07-14T22:27:00.001-04:00

In the NY Post today, Phil Mushnick expanded on his column last Friday about Shea/Yankee Stadium(s) v2.0 ticket hikes by mentioning the utter lack of coverage by non-team owned media of the impending hikes:

"The fellow written about here Friday, the gent who was a Mets season ticket-holder since Shea opened in 1964, made up his mind Saturday he's not renewing. His four box seats cost him $5,837 in 1993, $11,836 in 1998, $23,702 last year and $33,300 this season. Last week, the Mets informed him that comparable seats next year will cost him roughly $60,000. That's it; he's done. "

My advice: buy average seats at Shea v2.0 and pick up good seats via StubHub at STBNGNP. Because as bad as as it is, STBNGNP ain't going to be nearly the corporate glory hole that Citi (assuming they're still solvent) Park is sure to be.

Evict the bums

2008-07-11T12:13:00.000-04:00

The Lerners are withholding rent. The city should evict them and send them back to RFK.

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat

2008-07-10T10:23:00.001-04:00

First, the defeat. All year long I've been drowning my belly-aching, whiny-ass sorrows with a 16oz souvenir cup filled with Home Run Ale from the Baseline Brews behind section 137 for the low, low price of $7.50. Not really a "deal" but not exorbitant either. Well last night, right as the game was starting, I went for the usual and lo and behold, the Nats' MBA's got to 'em and made them put the "premium" beer in the smaller, clear plastic cups and reserved the red white and blue souvenir cups for the mass-produced swill.

I'm sure the $.09 per beer savings will add up to C.C. Sabathia.

Now the victory. As I've been saying all season: Nobody better mess with the Jesus. Lannan looked good, Micha (not Bowie) Owings did not. Hence the 5 - 0 shutout of a first place, albeit sub-.500, team.

As for the injuries. Someone with more time than me needs to start looking at strength and conditioning coaches that we can grab. Wonder if the guy at the Caps could make the jump over to baseball. I'd like to see a few baseball players as tough as hockey players...just not as dumb.

On this day in '05

2008-07-08T23:01:00.000-04:00

It's all Carpenter's fault

2008-07-08T08:11:00.000-04:00

Wow. The suckiest team in baseball has the suckiest teevee ratings.

This is a surprise?

The worst team in baseball

2008-07-07T13:33:00.000-04:00

A blissful day off before this train wreck limps home.

Over at Nationals Journal they've got a poll going about the first half of the season. Is it just me or isn't there a more technically advanced option to tabulate the data they're getting in the comments section and make an easier user experience? Harlan did mention in one post that his intern went to Mizzou so perhaps that explains it. One - he has an intern to do this grunt work; and Two, the kid went to Mizzou and isn't capable of much else.

Is there something going on with this team and imjuries besides bad luck? Are the players being properly prepared for games? The curse of fragile Nick Johnson? I just don't get it.

Probably going to jinx it

2008-07-02T12:54:00.000-04:00

The last 21 innings are kind of the way I envisioned this year going so it's pretty amazing given the injury catastrophe the denizens of STBNGNP are currently in. They're up 2 - 0 on the Fish, who as we all know have owned them the past couple of years. Belliard's GS last night secured the win and the night before was a win minus a bad pitch from Rauch.

How about how well Belliard is seeing the ball, huh? Get Zimm and AK back, Ballister and Bergmann keep pitching well, who knows...maybe the second half of this year will be as enjoyable as last year's part two.

Ronnie!

2008-06-29T17:09:00.001-04:00

Even with the Charm City Crew this year.

O's fans agree

2008-06-28T17:40:00.000-04:00

Sitting next to a couple of O's fans last night, and one of them went to get a beer in about the 3rd inning. He was gone for more than an inning, before returning with his beer. He then remarked how they had at least figured out how to serve customers at RFK. Another visiting fan joins the I miss RFK bandwagon.

Coming clean

2008-06-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

So as I've mentioned before, I've got two kids, both girls. 9 & 6. I loved taking them to RFK and I like bringing them to STBNGNP. After five or six games, I'd successfully avoided all the kids crap. Arcade, batting cages, playground, and most importantly, Build-A-Bear. The last one was easy. I simply said that it had no place in a ballpark and that I was morally opposed and there was no way they would get one from me and if they didn't pipe down about it, no Dippin' Dots.

Well, the wife joined us for the first time tonight, hence the picture.

Ugh.

Nice win

2008-06-25T22:07:00.000-04:00

The Jesus comes through in the clutch and the gNats get a win. What I really liked was Lo Duca coming out and hugging the Jesus and giving what looked like words of encouragement. Could have been otherwise, so who knows.

Stop the fireworks during the Anthem

2008-06-25T12:05:00.000-04:00

So I strolled in just before game time last night, and was walking behind the center field wall to my seats out in left field. While we were behind the wall, outside of the seating bowl, the fireworks went off in the middle of the National Anthem. My friend, who was walking alongside me, jumped out of her skin. Funny, but annoying. Those explosions are way too loud, and completely unnecessary.

More errors than runs

2008-06-24T21:33:00.000-04:00

And the gNats have three runs. I've always appreciated the civility of fans here in Our Nation's Capital toward the home team - no matter which one. When Lez Bullets were winning 20 games per year. When the Caps were at the bottom of the Patrick (except '89.) When the 'Skins had Jack Pardee, the hometown fans took the losses with class. But none of those teams threw a $611 million toilet seat around the necks of said fans. Which is why I think it's time we got our Philly on. Boo the bums. Boo all of them. From "Fragile" Nick Johnson to HR Puff-in-chief Cordero, to Face of the Franchise David Wright v 0.5 Ryan "0-2" Zimmerman. Oh wait...they're all on the DL. Well...I can't get that worked up over Pete Orr and Wee Willie Harris so I guess I'll just stay home. Say hi to the Birds this weekend. I'm sure we'll get swept and give them the continued ability to keep screwing DC. Just like the gNats did to both ex-Senator franchises.

So this is what it's like to be a Royals fan. But without the '85 series.

New fave blog

2008-06-24T15:38:00.001-04:00

firejimbowden.blogspot.com

"I'm not allowed"

2008-06-24T14:42:00.000-04:00

Well blimey, just when I was getting all warm and fuzzy about SOON TO BE NAMED GAYLORD NATIONALS PARK, Scott Watson over at WaPo's "Gounds Crew" blog posts a story about a manager at the Red Porch refusing to turn half the Teevees to the Belmont Stakes thus depriving the crowd of the idiotic in-stadium pregame show starring "Clint."

Hat tip to Big Train for alerting this blog to the story and one of the comments which pretty well sums up what life in DC has become.

"there's a 'totalitarian undercurrent' to the ballpark, and the organization."

Again, we waited 36 years for this?

Yes, the anti-bellyachers will come out in force against us but ask them...how many other parks have they been to? It doesn't have to suck.

Free Willie

2008-06-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

Wee Willie Harris is on fire. Lopez, not so much. Easy call, no? It was heartening that the gNats took a potential WS team to the wire in a game they should have won (thanks fLop, Orr, the Jesus, etc.) Bergmann looked like good Bergmann for a change. I was not at the game but did go on Sunday with my kids. Drove for the first time and because it was getting late, I decided I would pay for parking before hand online as I've been hearing never ending ads for that on the radio...untill I saw the total service charges were in excess of $7. So, taking my chances against what ended up being a decent-sized crowd, I drove to the "T" lot at 3rd & M and payed the $20 flat rate. Excessive yes, and I probably won't do it again but with two kids under 10, it was a luxury that was worth it at the time.

SI piles on

2008-06-19T15:46:00.000-04:00

In the current issue of SI, Josh Levin has an article about new corporate parks (STBNGNP specifically) and their inherent lameness. It's called Shake Me Down at the Ball Game and is right up our alley:

Yes, the freshly poured Nationals Park has wider concourses, better food, fancier souvenir shops and, for the corporate-lawyer types, opulent club sections with leather chairs. But the 21st-century ballpark peddles a different brand of friendliness. If RFK Stadium was an old acquaintance who'd seen better days, then Nationals Park is the pal who's always asking you for money.

Well done Mr. Levin.

Farmer's tan

2008-06-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

According to Dan Steinberg over at WaPo's DC Sports Blog, a group of immodest baseball fans at STBNGNP were told to cover themselves by an usher.

This is a good thing. I don't want to see sweaty dudes with their shirts off. Someone commented that it's perfectly acceptable in places like Chicago, NY and Boston. Precisely the reason I don't live in any of those cities.

Thoughts?

Calling The Jestaplero

2008-06-18T10:05:00.001-04:00

As our only known visiting Mets fan, what's your take on the way they handled "Free Willie?"

Ex-Senators vs. Ex-Expos

2008-06-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

Last night, the gNats anemic offense was on display in a park which looks far, far worse (at least on TV) that STBNGNP. Livo didn't top 80 in either mph or pitch count and the game lasted a whopping 1hr59. Do you think they walked off after the top of the ninth and asked for their paychecks?

Has anyone seen been to a game at the Metro-Humphrey-Dome?

We're not the worst!

2008-06-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

A sweep of the lowly Mariners in the "pesto of cities" grants the gNats some separation from the AL bottom dwellers. More later as I am of to enjoy the waning hours of Father's Day by watching some golf.

Battle of the bads

2008-06-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

Nats up 1 nothing after one.

This sucks.

2008-06-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

Tim Russert, a fine Nats fan and journalist is dead at 58.

Poland 1 - nil over Austria in the second half

2008-06-12T16:08:00.000-04:00

Why am I blogging about a Euro 2008 match on a day when the gNats played? Because they are an awful, awful baseball team undergoing a horrendous run of bad luck. Anyone know if they have half-smokes where the Potomac Nats play?

So the Dukes vs. Manny dust up has gotten some good coverage over on the WaPo blog. Anyone have any thoughts on whether they think Dukes will make it to September? Once AK-47 comes back and hits a rollicking .249 sending Dukes to the bench, does ED accept the diminished role?

"D.C. shelled out $611 million for this?" -Boz

2008-06-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

Boz gets on board...almost. But I do like the Senators III line.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002747.html

44 Mill does it again(sort of)

2008-06-11T10:35:00.000-04:00

44 Mill won it with a HR last night, making that 2 in 2 games. Well, sort of, since his home run Monday night was ruled a double. I have yet to see a replay, and Milledge ended up scoring so it must not have been that controversial. From my seats in section 142, you could clearly see the dent that Milledge's blast left on the metal on top of the wall. Did it hit the plexiglass and bounce back in? Either way, its good to see 44 Mill driving the ball. Dukes is showing flashes as well. It may be a long season in the standings, but it is exciting to watch young players mature into quality major leaguers. Hopefully I won't miss their growth, because I am standing in line for a hot dog.

Only 46 more chances for overpriced misery

2008-06-10T10:25:00.001-04:00

Last night was an awful culmination to an awful 1 - 6 homestand. The gNats showed that even among the crappiest teams in the league, they still suck by letting the Giants beat the snot out of them. Mike Rowe should to an episode of Dirty Jobs on being a gNats fan. Luckily, this weekend we get to play the Mariners and find out exactly who is the worst team in baseball.

It was 20 (minus 17) years ago today

2008-06-07T07:05:00.000-04:00

The Nats were in first place and in the middle of that awesome third base line seat bouncing 10 game winning streak. The had a home (RFK) record of 19-9.

Bergmann tanks. Nats exhume Walter Johnson for Sunday start

2008-06-07T06:52:00.000-04:00

That. Was. Pitiful.

Over/Under on food lines

2008-06-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

We were discussing what the magic number is which throws food service at S-T-B-N-GNP into utter chaos. 30K? 28K? 25K?

The gate last night was about 32K and it was business as usual, e.g., 20 minutes at a Nats Dogs for our favorite tepid treats.

Anyone have anecdotal evidence to share?

Solution to the problem

2008-06-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

Have every game be a day game after a rain out. With no one in line at Red, Hot, & Blue 10 minutes before the first pitch, I was able to get my lunch, add BBQ sauce, and still get to my seat in the top of the first.
Of course, game 2 was an entirely different story. Lines were absurd enough for Cardinals fans to ask me if they are always like that. This was before the game got started. I had to reply, yes, of course. I thought about getting a drink after the first inning, but the shortest line would have cost me an inning worth of viewing.
Here's to a series of rain outs, followed by day/night double-headers.

Nats suckage prompts DC to ask for refund

2008-06-04T18:21:00.000-04:00

DC Council member and notorious baseball hater David Catania wants some money back. Apparently the District hired one of those smoke and mirrors consultants to stare into their crystal ball and project how many tickets to S-T-B-N-GNP would be sold over the first five years. Their projections were for 39,130 for this year. At a 41,000 seat park. Now I'm just some idiot blogger, but I could have told you there was no effing way the Nats were going to pull that as an average. So Catania wants a refund, which is stupid because he and other people should have called bs on this when they got it in the first place.

The Examiner wrote it up.

The St. Louis Baseball Cardinals and the curse of the bobblehead

2008-06-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

So Zim's on the DL the week of his bobblehead night. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Da Meat was on the DL when his Chinese made wobbly miniaturized likeness was given away. A coincidence? Kearns' must be next.

The big O Perez throws against Phillies cast-off Kyle Loshe tonight. Wonder if Pujols can hit the Red Loft?

At the urging of a commenter, I spent some time reading the Post's S-T-B-N-GNP (soon-to-be-named-Gaylord-Nationals-Park, hat-tip to Scoreboard Scotty) blog and came across this entry on ushers. Of all the lousy STBNGNP experiences I've had, this isn't one of them. The ushers - a few I ever remember from our beloved RFK - have always been professional.

I Miss Barry

2008-05-30T13:44:00.000-04:00

The Nats beat writer, not the mayor.

Mail Bag

2008-05-30T13:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry it's been awhile, we've been busy with our day jobs of maintaining the unofficial Joan Jett online fanzine. And no, it's not another blog. IT'S A FANZINE.

Well, our fanbase continues to expand as fast as Meat Hook's waist. Just today we received this pleasant note:

Wah, I want my nachos said...

I love the editorial "we"; don't lose it.

I, too, miss RFK. But I miss "anonymous" more. . .

We couldn't agree more. Anonymous...come back.

Now on to business. Went to the Sunday game last weekend against the Brewers. 33K+ in soon to be named Gaylord Nationals Park. Given the time of the game, I had already eaten so I can't bellyache about the food lines, which according to a friend sitting in 405 we as abysmal as usual. But those tepid hot dogs are so damned tasty after a 25 minute wait.

I CAN however bitch about the lines and service at the Base Line Brews behind 139. Partial to the oddly served (Leinenkugel? Really? You can't just re-brand Dominion like everyone else?) but nonetheless tasty Home Run Ale, I endured a 15 minute wait. Granted, it was my choice...I could have stayed in my seats and downed a Miller Lite like a normal person, but then I couldn't regale my audience with stories of inconvenience AND I would eventually have to vomit my soul for putting that crap in my system. Now, if they would only serve High Life dammit.

The next game on the plan is a weekday against the Cards so I doubt we'll have too many gripes. Weeknight games against teams from small markets aren't usually big draws, but who knows? It is intern season.

Worst. Blog. Ever.

2008-05-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

Anonymous said...
Worst. Blog. Ever.

Thanks. What an achievement! Worse than Michelle Malkin even?

Anonymous, your courage inspires us! We were going to give up on this as the dwindling fan base has made getting the chili nachos from Hard Times a breeze lately...but your astute comments encourage us to trudge on!

Thank you, thank you. A million times...THANK YOU!!!!

No more fireworks during the Anthem

2008-05-12T17:11:00.000-04:00

OK, so this was problem at RFK too, but it has gotten worse. From my section out in 142, it feels like I have been hit with a concussion grenade. The explosions during the National Anthem resonate, and destroy any fine performances I might otherwise enjoy.
I can live with the rockets red glare, but give me a break on the bombs bursting. It takes what is sometimes a nice rendition, and ruins it. I get especially annoyed when this happens on special days, where the Anthem is meant to honor those that lost their lives. The explosions damage the experience, as the Nats take a moment of honor and try to spice it up.
Even Orioles fans had the good sense not to yell "O" during a few special moments.(Post 9/11 or the All-Star game)
So stop the explosions during the Anthem. This is a change that needs to happen everywhere, but let's stop it in DC first. Let's not cheapen the National Anthem with explosions.

The Great Blackout of Aught Eight

2008-05-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

So I was ready to shut this down by the third inning. After reading Boswell this morning and seeing that there was at least some public recognition of the things that have been bothering those of us less enamored with soon to be Gaylord Nationals Park. After finally being able to walk up to a Nats Dogs and get a half smoke without waiting for twenty minutes. After finding a Home Run Ale somewhere other than the Red Porch, I was feeling it. My two kids were having fun. Lannan had yet to implode. The blog was going to be deleted when I got home.

And then...

...half the lights go out. It's too dark to play. I'm hanging out near the back of 104 and one of the ushers I remember from Section 209 at RFK comes over and says hi during the over 30 minute "intermission" which was a BLAST for my daughters of six and nine.

"Remember this ever happening at RFK?" I ask. "Nope," he says grinning. "We uh, got a few more things to iron out over here."

I'll say.

Anonymous said...

2008-05-01T10:38:00.000-04:00

"Hey, sneak back into RFK and wallow amongst the rats and the standing water. Or just move back to wherever you're from. RFK sucked even during the last days of the Redskins."

I admit that RFK was lacking in cleanliness but I think that was due to management not really giving a crap about the place because they knew they were short timers there. And I disagree about the 'Skins and RFK. In my close to 40 years in DC, seeing a quality 'Skins game at RFK was and probably will always be the best DC sports experience. Fed Ex (or Giants Stadium South) is a lousy, corporate stadium.

Listen, I want the new Park to succeed. I don't want to go back to RFK. But with the time and the amount of money put in to the Park by the city, the Lerners and the fans who pay more for everything, not being able to get a freaking hot dog (some people like to eat at games) is a joke.

The new food vendors are making the same mistakes Aramark made at RFK three years ago and that is unacceptable.

Calling all math geeks

2008-04-30T21:41:00.000-04:00

There must be a formula we can come up with which factors the attendance at soon to be Gaylord Nationals Park with the wait time at the Nats Dogs behind section 143. Obviously we have to allot for which inning or pre-game timing etc. Being a math-o-phobe, I'm just not the right person to do it.

Welcome

2008-04-30T07:02:00.000-04:00

This is a blog for people to vent their frustrations about all aspects of Nationals Park. Got a beef? Can't get a hot dog? Think the concourses are actually narrower when the lines at Nats Dogs are 40 people deep? Then this is your place to air those grievances.