Nats Win, Stands Empty, Blogger Remains
I still regret not heading for RFK last fall to watch that bizarre midnight game with the Phillies. Once the newspaper presses have shut down for the night, the reign of the bloggers begins. Or the rain of bloggers. Or something.
The sun always shines in Kastenville.
Anyhow, we had "RFK at 2 a.m.: The Sequel" on Saturday night, and yet again, I didn't go down to the park. Luckily, the professionals, like Fredberg's Todd Jacobson, were there, blogging away. And other professionals, like Soccer Insider and Baseball Fringesider Steven Goff, published online only reports, with killer quotes:
Kearns raced around the bases and scored easily for an inside-the-park homer -- his first and the team's first since moving from Montreal in 2005.
"I'd much rather jog around the bases," Kearns joked. "Speed kills."
But what really thrilled me was that Screech's Best Friend, the most deranged blogger currently operating in the D.C. sportsoblogoblogsphere, lasted the duration, before giving us 1,900 words on the game, at 5 a.m. As he noted, with typical restraint:
If you were anywhere else but RFK Stadium in Washington, DC--you missed one of The Greatest Finishes in Washington Nationals History.
Anyhow, while MSM journalists speculated on the number of fans left at the end, Screech's Best Friend actually counted 'em. Seventy-six, he says. He also reports that the tunnel leading to the Nats dugout flooded, and so the team had to walk from the clubhouse under the stands past the umpires dressing room to the visiting dugout and then across the field to reach their home dugout. Plus, he talked to Ryan Church's parents. Plus, he spotted Stan Kasten during the first rain delay.
When the game was first called for rain in the top of 5th inning--IT WAS POURING, as fans scrambled for shelter. Team President Stan Kasten was standing in the walkway getting soaked wearing a short sleeved Curly W Polo shirt--stating: "Where are all you going! Its only a little rain!!"
Honestly, I'd buy that poster: the torrential rain, the flooded tunnels in RFK, the fans streaming for cover, various sea creatures cavorting in right field, and Stan Kasten standing resolute, unwavering, a statue among the weak-kneed wet-browed masses, pointing out that no one ever died from a little rain.
Don't Ever Leave Early (Nats 320 Blog)
Nationals Outlast Marlins in the Rain (WaPo)
Marlins Lose All-Nighter to Nationals (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
By Dan Steinberg |
May 14, 2007; 9:46 AM ET
| Category:
Nats
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Posted by: Screech'sBestFriend | May 14, 2007 10:59 AM
Haha, sea cratures in right field. So Nessie was spotted in right field?
Posted by: Blackaces | May 14, 2007 11:33 AM
I was fortunate enough to be with Screech's Best Friend and his lovely wife and some other friends, and we were having a complete ball, as you can see from the photos he posted on his blog.
As I posted on my own Nats blog, if you didn't have over-tired kids who had to be put to bed, there was NO REASON to leave, especially with the Nats only down by 1 run. It was SATURDAY NIGHT, fer cripes sake. You've paid your money, why not stay? You never know when you might miss history.
Posted by: Joe Riley | May 14, 2007 1:17 PM
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It WAS AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE, just like the Midnight start Phillies Game last September. These two games have provided more enjoyable memories than most every other game combined. They are special, because odd things happen late into a rainy, rainy night. Thanks for mentioning me. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. I got a good laugh out of reading yours.