2008-06-30T16:17:59Z tag:blog.washingtonpost.com,2008:/grounds-crew/384 Copyright (c) 2008, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2008-06-30T16:17:59Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-30:/grounds-crew2008/06/the_flogging_will_continue_par.html

Wasn't it just spring? Didn't we just have a bright, new season ahead of us? Weren't the concessionaires nice? I try to be positive, despite the climbing temperatures, the growing belly and the team's win-loss record, but I can't help but wonder where our happy-to-serve-you concessionaires went. You know ... the ones who spent weeks learning how to love their job and believing the customer is always right? And while there is no one more...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-30T14:12:54Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-30:/grounds-crew2008/06/the_flogging_will_continue_unt.html

This weekend, I finally caught a game with my season ticket partners. Sharing a plan had the paradoxical effect of keeping us from seeing as many games together, and a lot of our experiences were shared by e-mail or phone rather than at the park. To my surprise, we all independently came to the same conclusion: "I wonder how much we'd love the stadium and the experience if the team didn't . . . stink."...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-27T15:27:45Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-27:/grounds-crew2008/06/beware_the_hot_seats.html

The heart of DC's summer is descending upon us and you might be tempted to wear shorts to the ballgame thinking you'll be more comfortable. A brief word of advice: don't. Don't even think about wearing shorts unless they reach near your knees. Let's just say 3 hours of bare skin on hot, sticky plastic can lead to discomfort. Here at Grounds Crew, we suffer so you don't have to. Consider yourself warned....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-26T22:56:38Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-26:/grounds-crew2008/06/a_view_from_section_128.html

So after a hiatus due to switching employers, I was unable to attend a Nationals game for a while. Okay, almost a full two months. Inexcusable, I know. Yet I remain unapologetic. I like being me. My first experience at Nationals Park was in the 400 section and the view was very good for the amount I paid, so being the natural vagabond that I am, I decided for the other extreme. On Monday, June...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Lindsay Applebaum 2008-06-24T22:30:05Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-24:/grounds-crew2008/06/difficulties_for_the_impaired.html

A few weeks ago, I watched as a hearing impaired family struggled to communicate their food order to a concessionaire not prepared to deal with the challenge of taking an order from a family that could not simply say what they wanted to eat. The couple and their two children were able to make a drink request when they could lift up the bottle of water sitting on the glass shelf. However, the family struggled...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-24T18:23:36Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-24:/grounds-crew2008/06/this_water_bottle_fascism_is.html

This water bottle fascism is getting ridiculous. My friend Amy was stopped at the gate by security on Saturday. Her crime: One or two "teeth" had come disengaged from the seal on her just-purchased water bottle and it was deemed "open." Nationals Park policy states, "Metal, plastic or glass containers of any kind (except factory-sealed, plastic water bottles, no larger than 1 liter and juice boxes) are prohibited at Nationals Park.Only one bottle of water...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-23T21:57:17Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-23:/grounds-crew2008/06/hello_traffic_guards.html

I was surprised to see that the city seems to have suspended the broad post-game police presence and traffic detail around Nats Park. Friday night saw beautiful weather and a respectable crowd over 30,000. At the end of the regulation nine innings, baseball fans strolling back to the Nats Express bus had to rely on the talking electronic crossing system ["wait . . . . wait . . . .wait]. The previously-overstaffed traffic control guards...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-23T15:47:37Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-23:/grounds-crew2008/06/a_sweet_day.html

It was lovely out at the park yesterday. Nice weather and crowd! If you haven't been out in a while, you will notice that the Povich Media Center (where Carpenter and Sutton call the games) now has the title on the outside. PMC was named, of course, for the legendary Shirley Povich. The announcer told us about an exhibit there. As it is not open to the public, some sepia colored pictures flashed across the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-22T22:45:16Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-22:/grounds-crew2008/06/phew_a_cheaper_5_guys.html

As many of you now know, there is a Five Guys at Nationals Park behind section 243 in the outfield. I must tell you that when I first heard that my favorite burger place would have a new location at the stadium I was simply ecstatic. Unfortunately my enthusiasm was curbed when I first went there to find nothing but incredibly long lines and insane prices, with the cost of my usual bacon cheeseburger, fries,...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-22T22:41:49Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-22:/grounds-crew2008/06/i_really_dont_get_this.html

I really don't get this crowd running the new stadium. Of course, I am the fat man who cried "wolf" -- I've enjoyed going over the top talking about the fascists running the place, and yakking about the ushers being a drag. But anyone reading can tell that I actually understand that there has to be discipline, and that it's not a simple thing to simultaneously be considerate, and to corral, contain, and control a...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-16T23:15:04Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-16:/grounds-crew2008/06/greetings_from_wonderfully_gra.html

(Photo By Ed Ramras) No worries about getting dehydrated while in Seattle, unlike the blazing heat of a D.C. summer. The only issue at Safeco Field was whether they would have to close the roof to keep in the body heat of the crowd gathered to pick up their Adrian Beltre bobblehead (note to Nats' front office: the Mariners have 25,000 statuettes to give away versus the 15,000 the Nationals ordered, even though Mariner's...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

washingtonpost.com editors 2008-06-30T18:10:51Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-14:/grounds-crew2008/06/russert_will_be_missed.html

The Grounds Crew and Washington Nationals fans everywhere would like to extend their deepest sympathies to Tim Russert's family in its time of grief. We lost one of our biggest cheerleaders yesterday. The memory of baseball's return to Washington is indelibly linked with that of Russert on Opening Day. While we were anxiously awaiting opening of Nationals Park, we were titillated with a video of Russert telling us just how impressed we would be. Russert,...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Lindsay Applebaum 2008-06-30T18:10:51Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-10:/grounds-crew2008/06/for_a_clearer_view_bring_some.html

From Tom: Our seats are seven rows back from the rail in the upper 300 section gallery level at Nats Park. To be clear, it's not really a "rail" at the front of the section, but a Plexiglas or tempered glass barrier that keeps fans from dropping drinks, food, souvenirs, trash or themselves down onto the lower deck. The Brookes' daughter Libby even helped clean the Plexiglas.(Photo by Tom Brooke) These transparent walls can be...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Amy L. Kovac 2008-06-24T19:22:36Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-09:/grounds-crew2008/06/testing_the_commitment_to_the.html

As much as I wanted to see the Nats extend their scoreless-innings streak -- when things get this bad, a dark part of my soul wants to see just how low it can go -- I thought that attending a ceremony at which my daughter received a scholarship was just a bit more important. Now that I missed the game, I'm kicking myself that I missed out on the first real test of the Nationals'...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Amy L. Kovac 2008-06-24T19:22:36Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2008-06-06:/grounds-crew2008/06/a_long_lunch_at_the_ballpark.html

From Tom: Yes, I am a creature of habit and a bit of a baseball purist. I like to stay in or near my seat the entire game and keep score. I really don't care about the in-game entertainment or other "cute" stuff, but I understand its value -- especially since it keeps my kid entertained. So the Red Loft bar was not high on my list of features to experience at the new Nats...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Amy L. Kovac