Out to the Ballgame — Installment IV
Monday, August 23, 2010, Midnight
The Washington Nationals sport the worst record in the National League East, but they’ve built a nice stadium and have a group of fans who still seem happy to have a major league baseball team. They use their beautiful super high def video board to bring a lot of attention to their fans—you do that when there isn’t much of a reason to focus attention on your team. One of the things they do really well (as does Baltimore) and something I think the Phillies should consider is present a “loving kisses” scan of the stands. When the camera spies a couple and they see themselves on the big screen, they kiss. This is sweet and reinforces something very special about baseball’s family ties. It can also be hilarious, particularly when the woman isn’t interested in having the guy plant a smacker on her lips. The crowds love the voyeurism and get really pumped when the kiss seems to go to the next level which unbelievably happened both in Oriole Park and Nationals Park. There seemed to be a lot of tongue in a couple of these episodes.
Being in the Nation’s Capital can also cause things to get a bit carried away. In the 7th inning, they hold a race on the field between the great American presidents. It’s a scintillating affair and a real crowd pleaser. And it’s totally ridiculous. During our visit, President Lincoln was the winner.
Hanging at the Park also gave us the chance to see lots of familiar faces. George Will sat a few rows in front of us but hightailed it out after the 5th inning when the Cubs were up 7-zip. Does this guy do anything aside from attending baseball games? Karl Rove was there too and spent an inning or two hob-knobbing with George before he headed out. Ben Katz, a very liberal Democrat, made sure he positioned himself on the aisle and got a nice handshake from the former WH Chief of Staff. 
Today was laundry and not a moment too soon. To call us raggedy would be paying our foursome a real compliment. Plus no one has shaved in four days. We’re an attractive group to say the least.
It was also a day off from driving the mobile home. So we took a bus and a Metro into town (from College Park). For a couple of hours before the game we wondered around the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, always a thrill.
Tomorrow is a driving day, our longest yet. We’re off to Pittsburgh with its PNC Park, a stadium that, like ours, considers tailgating part of the baseball tradition. We’re excited to get back to our newly discovered roots. The guys are getting along well but starting to needle each other a lot. I suspect some ruffled feathers could be coming.
