No Divine Intervention at Nationals Park

Posted on April 23, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Nationals fans had high hopes that the Pope Benedict XVI might leave behind some holy mojo for the home team after presiding over mass at Nationals Park just a few days ago.

Unfortunately, Mets pitcher Johan Santana had other ideas, scattering 7 hits and ruining another good outing by Nationals pitcher Tim Redding to kick off the Nationals’ longest homestand of the season.

Sadly, Teddy Roosevelt wasn’t feeling it either, as Abraham Lincoln kicked off the homestand by moving into a tie with Thomas Jefferson for the season lead in the presidents race.

Worst of all was the presence of a vocal minority of Mets fans at Nationals Park — the first time we’ve heard such a heavy rooting contingent for the visiting team since our new stadium opened.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain too loudly since I’ll be at Verizon Center for the Wizards playoff game on Thursday night, but it sure would be nice if tomorrow’s crowd at Nationals Park was a little more vocal in support of Shawn Hill. Cheer for Teddy(!), and I’ll see you in section 128 for Friday night’s game against the Cubs.

Photo by Flickr user cyurasko

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The Nationals’ Big Marketing Mistake

Posted on April 16, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

After their first complete homestand at the new Nationals Park, the Washington Nationals are ranked 20th among Major League Baseball teams in home attendance, and averaging fewer paid spectators than the team did at this point in their first season at RFK stadium.

Perhaps most striking is the lack of bodies in the new stadium’s most visible seats — the “Presidential Seats” which sit directly behind home plate and serve as a backdrop for televised shots of the batter’s box.

Possible reasons for the lackluster attendance have been much debated. Team president Stan Kasten says he’s “very pleased” with attendance given the cold weather and the hot playoff pursuits of other DC sports teams. Others have cited the high cost of Nationals Park tickets and concessions, or the team’s losing record.

I blame it on The Myth.

The Myth was born from a well-intentioned effort to promote the use of Metro to get to Nationals home games. Team, city, and Metro officials worked their tails off to get the word out. They talked about it non-stop, held press events, and devoted significant advertising and PR dollars to the cause.

The problem? They put the creative message in the hands of marketing amateurs, and the campaign went negative.

Why not? Negative works, right? Fear, uncertainty, and doubt are some of the greatest tools in the marketing arsenal. Attacking the competition (in this case, trying to park at the Park) is a time-tested and reliable method of getting people’s attention. Positive is boring.

So the message got delivered, and it wasn’t “Take Metro!” or “Try our free parking shuttle!” The message was clear. Parking is a nightmare. Take Metro or your life will be miserable.

Local news producers love fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It helps them invent drama where none exists. So they jumped on the bandwagon quickly with “public interest” feature stories about how terrible the parking situation is going to be.

A radio ad running non-stop for the last 6 weeks profiles a man who drives around Nationals Park for inning after inning looking for a parking spot. The man is desperate. He is miserable. He misses the entire game. The voiceover intones “Don’t drive and try to park at Nationals Park!”

It worked too well.

I know dozens of people who have shared or partial-season ticket plans. In March, as they picked their games, everybody told me that they were trying to avoid the first few homestands, “to let them get this parking and traffic mess figured out.”

The Myth is that transportation to Nationals Park is a nightmare, and this myth was created by the team itself. I haven’t seen any meaningful traffic, parking, or crowd issues. It’s time for the powers that be to pull this campaign and go positive instead.

What about you? Has perception matched transportation reality? Do you know people who have avoided Nationals Park because of traffic/parking fears? Have you done so yourself?

Nationals Park from photo by Flickr user Ouij.
Navy Yard Metro from photo by Flickr user MissChatter.

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Losing Streaks Continue at Nationals Park

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

With George, Tom, and Abe having each won one of the first three presidents races at Nationals Park, and the snakebitten Washington Nationals coming into the evening on a 6-game skid, the question on the mind of Nats fans was whether they would see the end of somebody’s losing streak tonight against the Florida Marlins.

Unfortunately, the luck of neither Teddy nor the team changed tonight, as Thomas Jefferson took the 4th inning contest to take the season lead, and our Nats suffered their fourth heartbreaking one-run loss just ten games into the season. After consecutive sweeps by the Cardinals and Marlins, the Nationals 3-game winning streak to start the season is a distance memory.

Friday night the Atlanta Braves come to Nationals Park for the final series of this homestand. Let’s hope for a big turnout and an end to some losing streaks this weekend!

Photo by flickr user afagen.

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Five Things That Need Work at Nationals Park

Posted on April 7, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Last week I wrote about 5 things I love about the new Nationals Park. Truth be told, I could have gone on to list dozens more items, from food to views to little design details, but most of these things have been well documented by the press.

Perhaps the best compliment I could give to Nationals Park is that my list of points for improvement is so short, especially when I confine the list to things that the Lerners have control over changing.

#5: Game info on the scoreboard.We know the scoreboard operators will do a better job at keeping up now that they are used to their new toy. That’s not my complaint. The problem is that despite the vastly increased scoreboard real estate, in some cases we don’t seem to have as much info as we had at RFK. Specifically, information about a batter’s previous at bats doesn’t have a permanent spot on the scoreboard and doesn’t stay on the screen long enough. In addition, the pitcher’s pitch count shown does not distinguish balls from strikes — a great bit of info we had on 2 screens at RFK Stadium. If this info appears anywhere, I missed it.

#4: A Sign to Ease the Congestion, Please. The great new food options along the 3rd base line have created a terrible traffic jam in the first couple of games at Nationals Park. The lines have been so bad for Ben’s Chili Bowl that the entire concourse
is reduced to gridlock. Savvy fans have already figured out that this isn’t necessary, so how about educating the rest of the crowd? Put up a big sign with arrows above Ben’s that says “Ben’s Chili Bowl Half Smokes are available at all hot dog stands.”

Nationals Park Fan Photos#3: Update the “Fan Photo” options. The new “Fan Photo” photographers roaming the park are a fun addition that I hope generates some big revenue for the team (look for the photographers in the green shirts). Unfortunately, if they take a photo you like, there is a surprising paucity of nice framing options commemorating the inaugural game or inaugural season. Instead, the outdated offerings include a $150 option framed with dirt from RFK stadium, and a $34 acrylic-enclosed Nationals History that starts “The Washington Nationals have played only two full seasons through 2006…” C’mon Stan. I’d love to throw you more of my fan money, but…

#2: 41,888 Cupholders please. Much was made in the press about how Nationals Park would have 41,888 seats and 41,888 cupholders. Unfortunately, Nationals Park does not deliver on the latter. There were reports of many seats without cupholders. The main culprits are the angled rows where the number of seats is reduced as you get closer to the field, such as in section 110 along the 3rd base line. It seems to me that the team could come up with a solution, such as installing two cupholders on the back of a single seat.

#1: Explain the rules to Teddy! If Teddy is every going to have a chance to win the presidents race at Nationals Park, he can’t be kept in the dark. Last week’s opening night debacle, in which Teddy ran straight into center field rather than around the warning track with the other presidents, suggests to me that somebody on the inside is trying to mislead our 26th president. This is unfair! Teddy Roosevelt is among the smartest and most physically fit presidents in U.S. history. Give him a level playing field and Teddy will win!

Photos from flickr users randomduck, tbridge, Scott Ableman, and afagen

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Nationals Park Tour Tickets Go On Sale This Morning

Posted on April 7, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Nationals Park BullpenThe Washington Nationals have announced that they will offer behind-the-scenes tours of Nationals Park on non-game days beginning Saturday, April 19. Adult tickets cost $15.00 and go on sale this morning, April 7 at 10:00am.

The 75-minute guided tour of Nationals Park promises an “up close and personal” view of the the Washington Nationals’ home dugout and state-of-the-art clubhouse, plus the Nationals bullpen, batting cages, press box, a luxury suite, the PNC Diamond Club, the Lexus Presidents Club and the Stars & Stripes Club.

Participants in Nationals Park tours will have opportunities to throw a pitch in the Nationals Bullpen, among other interactive activities.

A reduced rate of $12.00 will be available to groups of 15 or more, seniors 55 or older, military personnel, and children age 12 and under. Children under the age of 2 will be admitted free. Groups of 25 or more may request a private tour.

Tickets will go on sale at Nationals.com, at the stadium Kiosks near the team store at Nationals Park, and at the Box Office during normal business hours.

Nationals Park bullpen photo by Scott Ableman.

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Nationals Park Open House This Friday & Saturday

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

If you didn’t score tickets to opening day and can’t wait to see Nationals Park, here’s your chance. Today the Washington Nationals announced an open house at Nationals Park with email invitations sent to subscribers of the “Nationals Insider” email list.

Though the team is playing on the road this week, Nationals Park will be opened the the Welcome Home Nats Open House on Friday, April 4th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, and on Saturday, April 5th from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. An online RSVP and ticket printout are required for entry, however there does not appear to be any limit to the number of tickets which may be requested.

Concessions will be open, as will the Build-a-Bear Workshop and the Strike Zone interactive games. The racing presidents will also be there for fun and photo opportunities.

If you aren’t a high roller, this may be your only chance to check out the the Presidents Club, The Diamond Club and Stars & Stripes Club. All will be open for everybody in attendance.

During Saturday’s open house, the Nationals game vs. the St. Louis Cardinals will be broadcast live on the new 101-foot wide high-definition video screen. Unfortunately, parking will NOT be available, so take Metro!

More information is available from the Nationals at 202-675-NATS. If you aren’t a subscriber, you can sign up for the Nationals Insider newsletter here.

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Five Things I Loved About Nationals Park

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Cup holders in every seat at Nationals ParkI know it’s just one game, but a few things about the opening day experience at Nationals Park left me quite hopeful about the notion that this is where I’ll be watching baseball games for the rest of my life.

Here are five of the reasons:

#5: Big Cup Holders. The team’s food policy states that you can bring 1-liter bottles of water into Nationals Park. Not being a soda guy, I picked up a case of 1-liter water bottles last week in preparation for the season. As you can see, that big 1 liter kahuna fits perfectly in the new cupholders.

Thankfully, my seat actually has a cupholder. Some seats did not, but that’s another story for another day.


#4: Four-Way Chili. Savvy Nationals fans back in the 2006 season at RFK Stadium knew how to find their way to the 300-level terrace food court, where Hard Times Cafe Hard Times Cafe at Nationals Parkhad a brief run as the food vendor of choice for the discerning palate. Now Hard Times Cafe is back at the new Nationals Park, serving fine Chili Nachos and “Chili Mac,” known to true devotees of Cincinnati chili as a “4 way” (chili, spaghetti, cheese, and onions). You’ll find Hard Times Cafe at Nationals Park next to Red, Hot & Blue in the left field food court.

Helmut Sundae
#3: Helmut Sundaes. One of the great injustices of the past 3 years is that I’ve been taking my kids to major league baseball games without buying them helmut sundaes. Maybe it’s me, but for a kid, helmut sundaes are as much as part of the sport as the 7th inning stretch. Now at Nationals Park, we finally have the real deal.


Washington Nationals 10th Man#2: Home Town Fans. OK call me crazy for dreaming, but opening day gave me hope that Nationals Park will deliver the best home field advantage in DC sports. Home colors, home traditions, home angles, and most importantly, home town fans. Sunday was the first Braves game I’ve been to when I didn’t hear the tomohawk chop, and when Chipper hit that homer, the place went dead silent. That’s the way it should be. Here’s to cheering only for the home team at Nationals Park.


Let Teddy Win!
#1: Racing Presidents (What Else?). I started this site because the racing presidents are the first truly unique hometown tradition that we can call our own. They are great fun, and give kids of all ages another reason to become Nationals fans.

I was incredibly pleased to find that the team has made them a huge part of the fan experience at Nationals Park. The presidents race itself has been expanded, plus Teddy, George, Tom, and Abe greeted us at the centerfield gates and reappeared near the kids zone after the 4th inning. The Nationals had no idea how big the racing presidents could be when they were first created, but it’s equally clear that they are astute enough to build on this great fan tradition.

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What’s the Strangest Thing You Saw on Opening Day at Nationals Park?

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Nationals Park Opening Day photo by Scott AblemanMy son and I had a lot of fun meeting people on opening day at Nationals Park. Even without Ryan Zimmerman’s fairytale-like heroics, it would have been a remarkable night to remember.

It was also a night for spotting local celebrities and a variety of oddities you don’t usually find at a ball game.

For example, it’s not every day you head to the concession stands at a major league ball park and pass by a man with a high-definition broadcast digital camera on a heavy-duty tripod taking photographs of a chili dog. Yet there he was. Obviously one of the big stories for locals was the presence of Ben’s Chili Bowl on the concourse behind the 3rd base line.

On Tony Kornheiser’s local radio show
this morning, Mr. Tony fixated for some time
Don Sutton in a Tuxedo?on the site of Don Sutton wearing a tuxedo. Sutton came down from the broadcast booth to act as “master of ceremonies” for the player introductions. I have nothing but respect for Sutton, the hall-of-fame Dodger pitcher and current Nationals broadcaster; but I have to agree with Mr. Tony. Sutton looked like a waiter from Morton’s in that getup.

What’s the strangest thing you saw on opening day at Nationals Park?

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The Season Begins with a Bang at Nationals Park

Posted on March 31, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Nationals Park Grand OpeningI will post more later today, but suffice to say the grand opening of our new Nationals Park was nothing short of a smashing success for every Washington Nationals fan in attendence.

Every Washington Nationals fan, that is, except Teddy.

Though Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off home run thrilled and delighted the crowd, our great and much misunderstood 26th president disappointed his loyal fans once again. Whether he was trying to cheat or was just confused about the rules is uncertain; but while George, Abe, and Tom began their sprint along the warning track, Teddy simply shot across center field.

Had he not stopped to chat with a couple of members of the Atlanta Braves outfield, Teddy might have beaten George across the finish line, though whether he would have been disqualified remains an open question.

George’s achievement as the first racing president to win the presidents race at Nationals Park has been reflected in the newest section of letteddywin.com — the Presidents Race Standings page, which will continue to be updated throughout the season.

Video by YouTube user jrgwx

Flickr photo of opening day at Nationals Park by Scott Ableman

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Changes to the Presidents Race at Nationals Park

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Tonight is the big opener at our new Nationals Park, and presidents race fans are eager to see what Teddy Roosevelt has in store for the 2008 debut. Reports are that he’s been working out for the 2008 campaign, and that his last-place finish in last night’s preseason warm-up was just designed to lull the other presidents into complacency. In addition to being in great shape, we hear he may have a few new tricks up his sleeve.

Among the changes we’ll see this year is that the presidents race has been moved from the path that was traditionally used at RFK Stadium. As fans at the Nationals only preseason game at Nationals Park saw, the racing presidents no longer enter from the right field and run along the foul line towards home plate.

In Nationals Park, the racing presidents are being introduced one at a time from the center field fence, and then race around the warning track toward first base.

Those of us seated in the sections along the first base line should have nothing to complain about. Our shouts of “Let Teddy Win!” should be just the thing Teddy needs to help motivate him to his first victory.

See you all at the park tonight!

Flickr photo by excellent Nats fan MissChatter

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Music at Nationals Park – Song Results Are In!

Posted on March 28, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Chuck Brown will be played after any Nationals player hits a home runThe Nationals asked and you voted. Here are the songs that will be played at Nationals Park home games starting with tomorrow’s exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles.

At the 7th Inning Stretch
(after Take Me Out to the Ball Game)
Shout by Otis Day and the Knights

After a Nationals Home Run
Bustin’ Loose by DC native Chuck Brown (pictured)

After a Nationals Win
Beautiful Day by U2



As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’m particularly disappointed by the first choice, but not surprised. If you put this to an internet vote, the winner is going to be a song that everybody knows, not a song that’s more appropriate. Let’s hope the team finds a role for You Gotta Have Heart elsewhere in the new stadium traditions.

Photo of Chuck Brown by flickr user svetlana80

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Outside food policies at Nationals Park

Posted on March 27, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Food Policies - Can you bring outside food to Nationals Park?Many of us have had questions this spring about whether there will be new policies at Nationals Park regarding outside food, cameras, or other restrictions. To date, nothing has appeared on the team’s web site.

Miss Chatter to the rescue! Today at her excellent blog Just a Nats Fan, Cathy has dug up the Nationals policies and summarized them very nicely here.

Among the highlights:

  • Juice boxes and plastic water bottles up to 1 liter are permitted.
  • Outside food is permitted, provided that it is contained in a single serving bag within a soft sided container that does not exceed 16″x16″x8″

Regarding food, “single serving bag” sounds quite broad and lenient. You think this mean I can bring in a wrapped hoagie as long as it’s not 16″ long?

Even for those of us eager to sample the new food vendors this year, it’s awfully nice to know that you can bring in a big bottle of water.

Flickr photo of Attman’s brisket by Scott Ableman

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Leading Votes for Nationals Park Music – Last Chance!

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

As reported 2 weeks ago, the Nationals are giving fans a chance to choose the songs that will be played in Nationals Park in certain game situations.

I have to say after seeing the current leader board that I’m a little concerned. Remember, we may be living with these traditions for the rest of your life, so if you haven’t voted, now is the time to act!

Song to be played at the 7th inning stretch

The current leaders are a close race between “Shout” by Otis Day and the Knights and “Twist and Shout” by the Beatles.

The Nat Pack during the 7th Inning Stretch People, what are you thinking? These are fine dance songs, but they are tired and already over-used at every other stadium venue in the country. This song will be the focal point of the whole stadium during a break in action. Dancing is not required during the 7th inning stretch. Singing is. More importantly, this is a chance to create a unique Washington tradition. “You Gotta Have Heart” is uniquely Washington. Like “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (which turns 100 this year, by the way), it’s sappy and old-fashioned, but it’s about baseball and it’s ours alone. It would become a unique fixture of Washington baseball that could never be co-opted by another team in another city. If you don’t know the song, you will learn it quickly enough, and before long, everybody will be singing along (no, they won’t play the verse about how we ain’t got hitters and pitchers). It’s not too late! Place your votes here. Vote now and vote often!

Song to be played after a home run

Current leaders are “Bustin Loose” by Chuck Brown, “Song 2 (Woo Hoo)” by Blur, and “”Off We Go” (the Air Force theme). Here again, my choice, “Because We Can” by Fatboy Slim is way behind in the voting, but the 2 leaders aren’t awful. Just please don’t pick the Air Force theme. Again, it’s not about which is the best song. It’s about which is most appropriate for the situation. Home runs don’t call for a sing-a-long. They call for a fast-paced, momentum-building rhythm that can whip the crowd into a frenzy. (Off We Go? Puh-lease!)

Song to be played after a victory
Current leaders are “Beautiful Day” by U2 and “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang. I’m not surprised at all. The choices in this category were all bad, and people are stuck between choosing a good song that’s inappropriate and an appropriate song that’s hackneyed and over-used. I can’t help you here.

You can listen to samples here, and then Place your votes at Nationals.com

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Join the Nationals Ceremonial Ball Walk and Get Tickets to the First Game at Nationals Park

Posted on March 21, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Washington Nationals flagship radio station WWWT (Washington Post Radio 1500 AM / 107.7 FM) is hosting a promotional event next Friday morning March 28 in which WWWT personality Nigel will be joined by a group of Nationals fans to walk the ceremonial first game baseball three miles from RFK Stadium to the new Nationals Park.

The station has announced that the first 100 people to register and complete the walk will get two tickets to the next day’s exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles. Saturday’s game will be the first ever played by the team at Nationals Park, but tickets are not open to the general public.

This has made these somewhat of a hot commodity, though not impossible to get, having been selling on ebay in the range of $50 to $125 each.

The game against the Orioles was planned as both a “dry run” for the stadium crew and vendors, as well as a reward for the thousands of people who had a hand in building the new Nationals Park. Tickets were distributed to a limited number of guests, with the intention of only partially filling the stands.

The walk is scheduled to begin at (gulp) 7:00am on Friday. Tickets will be awarded to “the first 100 people to show up and register,” though completing the walk is a prerequisite for getting the tickets. It’s hard to say whether you’ll have to show up extra early to qualify. A lot depends on how much they plan to promote this on the radio in the next week (my guess is a lot). Details at 3WTRadio.com.

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Nationals Park Music – Place Your Votes Now!

Posted on March 13, 2008 by Presidents Race Fan

Fans of letteddywin.com know that I promote Teddy’s quest to win the presidents race because it is inarguably the first fan tradition that Washington Nationals fans can truly call their own.

With the opening of our new Nationals Park this month, many of us have been screaming that the team needs to create more DC traditions, and stop borrowing from other clubs as the team so brazenly did at RFK stadium with chants of Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose and singing of Sweet Caroline.

Well, the Nationals have been listening! Today you can visit the Washington Nationals web site and vote for new songs to be played at Nationals Park.

The choices are varied, which is good. The problem is that the team doesn’t provide music samples for people who aren’t familiar with the choices. So without further adieu, I present your choices for songs, complete with links to sample audio. Sample below, then vote here.

When a Nationals Player Hits a Home Run
Because We Can by Fatboy Slim
Bustin’ Loose by Chuck Brown (go 30 seconds in)
Kernkraft 400 by Zombie Nation (not the best sample)
Off We Go (the Air Force Theme)
Song 2 by Blur (go 15 seconds in)
My vote goes to Because We Can, because I’m a firm believer in the capacity of stadium music to help energize a crowd and swing the momentum in a game. The home run song should be high-energy stuff.

During the 7th Inning Stretch
Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Rock Me Gently by Andy Kim
September by Earth, Wind & Fire
Shout by Otis Day and the Knights
Twist and Shout by The Beatles
YMCA by The Village People
You Gotta Have Heart Damn Yankees, The Musical
This one is a no-brainer. It has to be You Gotta Have Heart. The song is sappy and sentimental, but it is about baseball and more importantly it uniquely belongs to Washington, DC. In time, when the fans have learned all the lyrics and are selling the place out for a winning team, this song will shake Nationals Park to its core at every 7th inning stretch.

When the Nationals Win The Game
Beautiful Day by U2
Celebration by Kool And The Gang
Dancing in the Streets by Martha Reeves and the Vandelas
How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith
Rock and Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter
I don’t really like any of these choices. Three of them are too slow, and the other two (Celebration and Rock and Roll Part 2) are huge sports cliches at this point. Unfortunately I have to say I think I’d take a cliche over a bad song. Happy voting!

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