How often do the express buses run coming back to RFK from Nationals Park? What if you want to leave early? How late after the game can you catch a bus back?

oh great. we non=metroers are being held hostage by soccernistas.

The efficiency of the Nats Express may be the single greatest accomplishment of the Lerner group since taking ownership of the Nats. I parked at RFK for both games so far and the speed and ease of getting to the ballpark has vastly exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations.

"we non=metroers are being held hostage by soccernistas"

Last time I checked, RFK was the home of the United and not the Nationals.

"How often do the express buses run coming back to RFK from Nationals Park? What if you want to leave early? How late after the game can you catch a bus back?"

The buses are constantly running back and forth, so you can leave as early as you want, and they run for an hour after the game. They were running buses less than half full last night, so the wait was only a couple minutes in both directions.

You could park at Camden, I hear the lots are pretty much empty.

Delicious Crabcakes too!

Here's a hypothetical question for everyone:

Instead of MLB giving the Nats the Sunday night opener, what if last night was the actual Opening Night at Nats Park? Do you think attendance for the 2nd home game (which would have been tomorrow night's game) been more than last night's 20K? Is it possible that having over a week away from playing home games limited the number of people that would have attended a normal 3-game opening series?

e, I think that is entirely possible. All the good feelings from the opener have been forgotten and the people that watched the news the next day about the great finish did not get the chance to check out the park, and have probably since forgotten.

attendance: unlike football, baseball is weather-dependent. so it's gonna be a while, folks. meantime, presented in case of future necessity is the following:

flashfried tr0ll recipe

take your captured tr0ll (it's hard to avoid 'em, they're so dumb) and render life extinct by the method of your choice. remove the decorative orange and black plumage with the head and discard. gut the beast and discard the liver, lights, humbles, intestines and other chitterlings. there is very little meat on a tr0ll but what there is is cherce. carefully remove the *very tiny* backbone, leaving the well developed shoulder muscles from swinging heavy clubs at immoveable objects that have been mistaken for enemies. skewer the meat. dip in boiling oil for 90 seconds. (the thorazine in domesticated trolls contaminates the oil after about 20 trolls, so do not reuse it.) 20 tr0lls will serve four comfortably. present on a bed of roast rutabaga and boiled buttered parsnips with sides of boiled kale and fried okra. treacle pie for desert. y'all have fun, now, y'hear, hon?

that's only 8 days the two teams are playing on the same day. That's not so bad.

e, I think that's a good point about the long gap between games. There would have been more momentum if the games were back to back. I bet if our 2nd day was last Monday, even the weather being like yesterday's, it might have been a bigger crowd.

What $5 Million for Meat, $5 Million for Lopez, $5 Million for Do Duca, $5 Million, $5 Million for Kearns, $5 Million for Chad $5 Million for Guzman $3 Million for Boone, Estrata and the guy with no hits is smart?

It is not so much that the Lerners are cheap, but rather they are stupid..... penny wise and pound foolish.....every player on this team is someone nobody wants.

Take that $30 Million a year and get somebody who is proven and is not a gamble. Get a pitcher and or a complete outfielder who can really hit (not one with huge wholes in his swing like Kearns). CF is a joke....yes Millidge is young but he shows No Potential to be a even an average CFer. We will be looking for a replacement for this Jimbo special for the next 10 years just like SS and Guzman

@Brian,

sorry, futbol boy. when is dcu moving to pg?

Add May 10 to the list, according to Goff's blog there will be a US Women's game at RFK.

@JayB,

If anyone is to blame, it's not the Lerners. They are spending money on the advice of their so-called baseball expert, JimBow.

The efficiency of the Nats Express may be the single greatest accomplishment of the Lerner group since taking ownership of the Nats. I parked at RFK for both games so far and the speed and ease of getting to the ballpark has vastly exceeded my (admittedly low) expectations.

Posted by: PowerBoater | April 8, 2008 3:23 PM

--------------

Oh yeah, and I love the CO and/or CO2 generated by the plentitude of idling buses awaiting the masses for hours. I swear they must put out as much pollution as some small countries...

Can't wait until the lovely code orange/red days of summer.

That'd be the Kearns with the team lead in walks and on-base percentage? He's the one who's the problem?

JayB,

Who? Who should we have gotten for 30 million that would make such a difference?

I'm in the tank with Stan The Plan Man in the way he wants to build the team. Would some fans be happier, for example, if we had asituation like the Dodgers where they're paying Juan Pierre $11 million to sit the bench because they gave him an outrageous contract a few years back. They can't trade him without eating a substantial amount of money. The double-edged sword of signing free agents is that it doesn't take into account how ateam's situation may change during the life of the contract. The Dodgers have younger (and better) players in Andre Either and Matt Kemp, yet are stuck with Pierre. It's bad enough that we have DMH and FLop, but neither's contract is particulalrly heinous. I would have given DMH a one-year deal, even if there was no indication that Nick would be back from injury. That would have made DMH a more attractive trade candidate because his deal expires at the end of the season.

"I swear they [Nats Express buses] must put out as much pollution as some small countries..."

Or Al Gore's private jet.

Oh yeah, and I love the CO and/or CO2 generated by the plentitude of idling buses awaiting the masses for hours. I swear they must put out as much pollution as some small countries...Can't wait until the lovely code orange/red days of summer.

Posted by: DE
-------------------------
It gets even better! Because parking at RFK is free, I've been meeting my friends there rather than picking each other up, resulting in more cars on the road.

This is a big reason why my net time traveling to and from the ballpark has barely increased.

@DE,

I don't think you mean that buses emit carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is very beneficial as explained by Wikipedia....

Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas because it transmits visible light but absorbs strongly in the infrared.

Carbon dioxide is produced by all animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms during respiration and is used by plants during photosynthesis.

You can always make the argument that a $10mm player isn't necessarily going to outplay a $850K player -- and that the team might end up "wasting" $9.15MM. But that only matters if there is a salary cap, which there is not, or if you are the Oakland A's, which the Nats are not. Bowden and Acta have a better chance of winning with a $100MM lineup than with a $50MM lineup. That is undeniable. In this market, Lerner should be fielding a $100MM team. He used the lack of a stadium as an excuse initially. He cannot do that anymore. There is no justification for the Nats having the 5th lowest payroll in baseball.

I hate when I have the last comment on a post. Here's what I just said:

FWIW: Here are my first impressions of the stadium and transportation to and from it. I bought my tickets for last night the day I was shut out of opening day tickets, thinking that if I couldn't make the first game I'd make the second one. I took my 10 year old son.

We stayed until the last out, last night. Okay, we did head towards the exit after the top of the 9th, but we didn't leave the park until it was over. I thought it was a little disconcerting walking to the Nats Express buses. Most people had probably either left the park already, or waited until the last out to leave their seats. So there was really no mass exodus making their way towards the buses. I had to keep asking police officers if I was headed the right direction. I could just see getting lost in SE with a ten year old at 11:00 looking for the bus. One officer told me the wrong side of the street for the bus pickup, but as soon as we got close enough it was clear where to go. All in all it was a very pleasant experience and I'm sure we'll do it again. We saved enough money taking the RFK bus to actually eat at the Red Porch before the game, where the service was friendly, the food mediocre and the all prices above average.

I guess I'm showing my age, but what is a Build-A-Bear doing at a ball park? We fans with kids are already shelling out a ton of money for tickets, food and drink. Do we really need to have more ways to spend money? Likewise, it seems like the Playstation arcade is just a place for kids to drag their parents and make them miss half the game they just paid a fortune to attend? Anyone else feel this way? Or should I start practicing saying "Hey you kids! Get off of my lawn!"?

I thin I read that we don't have any players under contract past 2010. That give JimBow and SK amazing flexibility in shaping this club to be a contender.

Lerners kept Jimbo even when Stan said no and most all of baseball laughed and Jimbo built this sorry 72 win team...yet again...sooooooooo it is the Lerners to blame.

Jimbo just loves the underdog and I for one am tired of watching them play bad baseball.....All Jimbo's projects are much the same.....not a good fit for anyone and no outstanding traits in the field or at the plate. This translates into Guzman, Lopez, Young, Lo Duca, Millidge, types....see the trend...not good enough at anything to win.

Acta has also been a big disappointment to me. He was supposed to expect the game to be played the right way....going on 16 months now....anyone impressed with the fundamentals yet?

If the Nats' payroll was twice as high and the team had the same record, then the Lerners would be pilloried for having a bunch of overpaid underachievers. You just can't please some people.

Take that $30 Million a year and get somebody who is proven and is not a gamble."

The Tigers paid a lot more than that, and their prospects beat us last night. Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett looks pretty good, too. How about $90 million for Kevin Brown, and how much did King George pay for the portly Japanese sinkerballer who didn't last a season?

I think JimBow has had to rely too much on players he already knew because of the sad state of the nats farm and scouting system. What we jokingly (maybe not jokingly) call his "man-crushes" are him going with the only reliable scouting asset he had, his own experience.

JayB, you made the most succinct attack on The Plan that I have ever seen in the last thread. Tom Boswell did a whole column last summer saying the same thing. And, from the last thread, the wisdom and out-and-out great writing of JayB and others:

Thanks for the beautiful writing and the keen baseball insights! This is why I keep coming back to the Nats Journal. And Swanni, thanks for caring about our safety in parking. I've been a victim of crime in D.C. and don't want to repeat the experience, especially now that I have my 19 month old grandson at the games with me, which is why I drive. The following really made today's visit to NJ worthwhile, and I'd love an answer to Juan-John's and NatsNut's questions!

"the teams I mentioned are century-old threads of fabrics that weave into the tapestry of those cities." leetee1955

"To ask attendance without also asking budget is like asking how many runs the team had last night without asking if they won. "Eight!" I say, "Much better than the other night in Philly when they only had one!" Section 506(before moving)

"Anybody done the math and figured out what the Nats' runs per game have been so far, and whether they're comparable to pre-WMP or post-WMP? Or is the sample size too small?" Juan-John

"And I don't understand why a passed ball means Flores needs to go back down for some more time. Hello? Did LoDuca not have a critical passed ball? And Flores HITS"

"The PLAN is flawed because they refuse to face that hard fact that they need to spend now to put a winning team on the field NOW. Not a 72 win team but a 88 win team NOW. Stan is full of S^#% saying that spending now hurts the development of the team. It does not and if they were 5-2 with Livo, Lohse and Gil Meilch pitching and Alfonso in LF (not Lopez) and A. Rowland in CF they would be drawing fans."
JayB

"The failure to retire the #8 hitter, or to WALK HIM with 2 outs and a base open to get to the pitcher led directly to FIVE runs (the double then the Ramirez 3-run HR)." Sec.131

The efficiency of Nats buses from RFK are due to the miniscule number of people utilizing it dufus. This team should have been given to Vegas or Charlotte what a screaming embarassment for MLB having a less than half full brand spanking new stadium. The United have a much bigger fan base than the loser Nats. Soon they won't let you park at RFK because they will need the spaces. What a joke.

Man, you guys are killing milledge. I know he had a bad mental error last night, and has had a couple bad breaks on balls, call me crazy, but I definitely see a potentially very dangerous hitter and at least pretty decent outfielder. Doesn't anyone else think it's a little premature to be lumping him in with Lo Duca, Young, and Lopez? I mean sheesh, the kid just turned 23 over the weekend...

Viva la Revolucion! I mean, United!

-- sorry, couldn't resist... :-)

-----------------------------

"we non=metroers are being held hostage by soccernistas"

Here's a question I haven't seen an answer to yet:

We are told the Nats Express buses start running 90 minutes before the game. Great.

But when do the parking lots open? Two hours ahead? Two and a half? (Is there enough time for a proper tailgate?)

DCU's been around for more than a decade. Nats just got here. At least have the guts to say who you are (O's Exec?).

---
"The United have a much bigger fan base than the loser Nats. Soon they won't let you park at RFK because they will need the spaces. What a joke."

Does it really matter who the Lerners could have signed for $30 mil? Would any of the available players have made more than a marginal difference?

Does throwing a 5 year deal at a player thats 32 yrs old make any sense to a team that wont contend until the end of that contract (and to a player more likely on the downslope of his contract)?

Recently successful teams have validated a build from within program of development. Develop players then either sign them long term or trade them for proven regulars....ARI, COL, CLE, LAA, MIL. Buyout the arbitration years and establish a payroll structure. Then supplement a mostly home grown team with free agents.

Outside of being a team with a top 5 payroll, which other teams have proven free agent spending to be the better alternative to build a successful, long term team?

Most teams had the luxury of 3-4 years before moving into their new parks. Plenty of time to develop/promote their own prospects, sign some long term, trade some for more established players and also supplement the roster with a couple free agents prior to the new park opening.

The Lerners have not had the luxury, but appear to be off to a decent start as the lower minor league levels are full of prospects while several 22-24 year old guys develop in the majors.

Would consistent winning now bring in more fans and more revenue? Obviously.

Prove to me, though, where turning the Nats $55 mil payroll into $80 mil would have turned 73 wins into 88 wins?

Now prove to me that in doing so, the team would be able to sustain consistent long term success.

Show me where a roster filled with several long term contracts isnt burdened by injuries or poor performance to those long term players.

I'm not a fan of the team's 40 man roster management. I don't like to see waiving guys and receiving zilch in return. I don't like to see the Nats play 23 vs. 25 guys.

But I really like how the roster was filled and how the continued development of players throughout the organization will establish the Nats as a consistent winner.

A consistent winner that will create a fanbase.

A fanbase that will show up vs. the Marlins on a rainy Monday in the future when the NCAA championship game is on.

Sorry Juan-John forgot the name. Sorry of hearing excuses for the sorry attendance. Especially in light of the beautiful new parking garages ... er stadium.

Man....at least the passion is here at NJ. It is definitely sad to see a new stadium so empty like last night -- regardless of reason. I just hope that when it does have more people that they are 'good crowds'.

As for the 3-5 Nats....sure beats 1-7.

Anyone have anyway to show the relationship between teams with 5 game losing streaks and likelihood of making the playoffs? Or at least reaching .500?

Must be a way to figure that out.

A few wins will either soothe the naysayers, or drive some of the non-fans away.

Look at Boston and Detroit right now - they're both at the bottom of their respective divisions. (Red Sox Nation must be hysterical.) It's only, what, 7-9 games into the season.

I'll admit, I've been groaning at some of the Nats' fielding errors, the letdown in our bats, and the patchy pitching. But, I look at the likes of the aforementioned Sox and Tigers, and it's very early in the season. And it's still chilly in many ballparks. (But I would've thought our fundamentals would be sounder than they've been. The sloppiness is distressing.)

O's Win! O's Win! Go to war, Miss Agnes! Ain't the beer cold! O's 6-1!!! Nats 3-6.

O's game over. Unleash the Trolls.

@Brooksy,

Nats are 3-5.

Wait till tonight

@Brooksy,

nats aren't playing tonight, you doofus.

I can wait

Nats are 3-5, not 3-6. Let's not get ahead of ourselves...

I say WTG Orioles. I don't like Angelos, I think he's a bad owner. Firing Davey Johnson after making the playoffs for the first time in god knows how long and then suffering 10 losing seasons seems like just desert to me and his forcing a BS deal with MASN on the Nats was not so nice. I don't blame him for flighting to keep baseball out of DC, what business owner would encourage that kind of competition, even if alot of his concerns are probably baseless.

Good for the O's I hope they can keep up this level of play and maybe mix up the NY-BOS fight at the top of the AL-East, that hate-fest is getting a little old...

@GoNats
The Yankees tanked more than 5 in a row before going on their end of the year tear and making the playoffs. Now, starting 0-6 spells playoff doom, except for the 72 Mets and Mr. Bowden's '95 Reds.

6 straight wins - best record in baseball!

"Orioles magic...feel it happen....Orioles magic...

O...R....I...O...L....E....S...

MAGIC

MAGIC

MAAAAAAGIC!!!!!!!!"

I am going to be one of the lonely voices rooting for Guzman. Since his surgeries in the 06-07 off-season, he has been tremendous (admitedly in a relatively small sample size), and I do think he'll keep it up over the course of the season, provided he doesn't get injured.

Also, I think that Milledge has way more potential than a lot of people are giving him credit for at the moment. Offensively, he could be a beast. Defensively, he could be average - the combination of which is STILL better than anything the Nationals have ever had at the position (I'm deliberatly excluding the Expos...damn you Minaya).

As for Lopez...I feel bad for him, to be honest. For some reason he just hasn't been the same player since 2006, but I still think he has the ability. That being said, I think he'll be traded before the July deadline. More than likely, JimBo is playing Lopez wherever he can in order to increase Felipe's trade potential.

Overall for the team and its prospects in DC: Looking OK. Not great, but definitely NOT a disaster. Would it be nice to have a winning team this year? Heck, yes. Will we lose the baseball franchise if we don't? Of course not...baseball is here to stay ladies and gentlemen, and keep in mind that when the Nats DO start to win, THAT is when the butts will fill the seats, and remain there - much as they do with the Redskins.

Anyways, that's my two cents...

Wow, build a huge stadium and conveniently forget to provide parking. First we had to share RFK with you and now you want to use our lots?

Bah.

VAMOS UNITED

Gotta say I love the enthusiasm that Brooksy brings to this blog. Kudos to you good sir.

O's record 6 - 1
Nats record 3 - 5

Gotta add too, VAMOS UNITED!!!! That's a franchise that has more championships and awards than the Caps, Wiz, Expos I mean Nats, and Redskins combined.

Nats fans only wish the Lerners would run their team the same way Payne and Co. run DCU.

Hate to say it, but I'm pretty impressed with the O's good start this season. I'm actually kind of glad to see that they've finally decided to dump most of the useless veterans and go with a more youthful approach. Let's hope that the Nats and O's have a long-lasting, successful rivalry.

And I got to hand it to the O's bullpen. They have been fantastic (who'd a thunk it?!). Before today's game, the O's ranked #2 in MLB in bullpen ERA (4-0, 4 SV, 0.84 in 21.1 IP with a .132 BAA). Nats are #9 (2-1, 1 SV, 3.46 in 26 IP, .198 BAA).

The O's starters, on the other hand, yeesh! #29 out of 30 (1-1, 6.34, 32.2 IP). Nats aren't much better coming in at #23 (1-4, 4.36, 43.1 IP).

"Look at Boston and Detroit right now - they're both at the bottom of their respective divisions. (Red Sox Nation must be hysterical.) "

====
very true. I am quite upset. On the other hand, I can bounce from the AL standings page to the NL standings page and take hope in the fact that my Nats have a record (and a position in their Division) that is as good as my Sawx !

Now THERE's a half-full (Nats) versus half-empty (Sawx) take on the same numbers !

Dodger Dogs are way better than smelly old crabcakes.

Good perspective, Sawx (and Nats). I hope both teams start to improve soon. I expect more out of the Sox with their history, pedigree and payroll. Love their bullpen's percussion! I hope our (Nats) bullpen starts to regain its form.

Let's look on the bright side -- after today's Phils/Mets game, we're out of the cellar.

I too am unworried by the attendance figures -- I wish they were better, but as other have posted before me, there is really no comparison with attendance at other new parks, because they had established baseball franchises with decades of history already. D.C. doesn't have that yet, and it's not something that coalesces out of whole cloth.

That said, as I mentioned on an earlier thread, they've got to come up with an idea to fill all those seats up front behind the plate, no matter what kind of bath they take.

Dodger Dogs are way better than smelly old crabcakes.

Posted by: Alyssa Milano | April 8, 2008 5:38 PM

*******************************************

But Alyssa, the type of wieners you're referring to aren't sold at the Dodger Stadium concession stands.

How many Dodgers have you dated anyway?

Off days suck, particularly when you're in the middle of a losing streak.

But you can get the P-Nats feed here and pull for Shawn Hill:

http://potomac.nationals.milb.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?cid=436&sid=t436

I seem to recall that crabcakes also are sold at Nationals Park, no?

That Nationals press release needs to add July 12, as DC United is home that day, too.

By the way, what's the plan for when DC United needs Lot 7 in addition to Lot 8 (such as the game on June 29 against the Galaxy and July 12 against Chivas)?

Natty bumppo-

I love the troll recipe.

JayB- Wow, friend. This is as virulent as you have ever been in your criticism.

I have no need to make excuses about the attendance. It was what it was, and CP gave it the proper skewering.

Milledge is doing well. He had an error, and needs to learn better defense. Please do not become NY fans about a kid who is hitting .294.

Christian Guzman leads all major league Shortstops with 21 TB. Among SSs with more than 20 AB he is 5th in slg% (.553) and he is one of only 4 players with 2 triples so far.

If he keeps up this kind of hitting where do you put him in the line-up, and with this being his contract year what would you expect his trade value?

"I seem to recall that crabcakes also are sold at Nationals Park, no?

Are they? Personally, I'm looking forward to trying Gifford's Ice Cream, and Ben's Chili Bowl's offerings, and I think there's a Greek salad on offer somewhere in Nats Park. (Shame they'll have to rename the place after a big corporation when they sell the naming rights. There's a certain magic to non-corporate names: Yankees Stadium, Fenway Park, even - cough, cough, one of the few things Angelos has done right in his tenure - Orioles Park)

Yanno, I'm starting to find Ooze Exec preferable to the "This Team Sucks" "Lerners Are Cheap" trolls. At least there's only one, and maybe a hanging Poop, of him.
But the "what there is, is cherce" Pat & Mike reference redeems all.

If someone had asked in March whether after the first week of the season would you take the Nationals record or the Tigers record, which one would you have chosen. If you took Detroit and one win, you lose.

"Losing every day by one run is not a good sign," Acta said. "It's a sign, sometimes, of bad clubs, because it means that you made an error -- whether it's a physical or mental error -- during the ballgame that helps you lose by one." The "Pythagorean Theorem of Baseball" is that 1 run games even out to 50-50. But no less a statistician than Bill James says, "It's not all luck."

Washington 1 run games

2007 51 27-24 .529
2006 43 23-20 .535
2005 61 30-31 .492

Boston
2007 50 22-28 .440

Arizona, where manager Bob Melvin gets credit for this(see Boz):
2007 52 32-20 .615
2005 46 28-18 .609

I would much rather watch the 2005 Nats - until July, when they collapsed, but they were still in it in September and that was fun. But the fact is, if one run games aren't 50-50, they are damn close, and only sparkly pitching like Bob Melvin has in Arizona with well-rested relievers can change that. One run games amplify errors, but if Aaron Boone hits that ball with the bases loaded last night just a microsecond sooner or later, Nats win. And he will in another one run game. This streak will even out. And many thanks to baseballreference.com, that lets you break out team records in situations.

Nice breakdown, Flynnie.

@Flynnie,

There are two types of one-run losses. The one where you actually get nipped by a run at the end of the game. Then there's when you have to score runs just to come up one run short. The latter is the Nats speciality so far - the futile rally.

Who sells crabcakes at Nationals Park? If they're from Oceanaire I might go to every home game...

I like the idea of keeping the stadium as Nationals Park. With a team trying to expand it's visibility in the community how much are the naming rights worth to them vs what someone else would pay for them? Think about this when THE FREAKIN POPE gives mass at NATIONALS PARK next Wednesday...

The Greek salads are at Dupont Deli

and, as per NBC4.com:

The following specialty items also will be available:

Vegetarian options, including burgers, hot dogs and chili
Caesar salads
Crab cake sandwiches
Crab pretzels
Buffalo chicken sandwiches
Burritos and tacos
Sliced corn beef, pastrami, turkey and roast beef sandwiches
Fish and chips
Old Bay fries
Soft-serve helmet sundaes with toppings
The following National League favorites will be available at every game:

Philly cheese steaks (Philadelphia Phillies)
Sheboygan brats (Milwaukee Brewers)
BBQ pulled pork sandwiches (Atlanta Braves)
Garlic fries (San Francisco Giants)

The selections for visiting teams are:

SW loaded nachos (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Chicago-style dog (Chicago Cubs)
Chili cheese dogs (Cincinnati Reds)
Buffalo burgers (Colorado Rockies)
Cuban sandwiches (Florida Marlins)
Texas brisket (Houston Astros)
California sushi roll (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Knishes (New York Mets)
Pierogies (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Fried ravioli (St. Louis Cardinals)
Fish tacos (San Diego Padres)

I, too, like the idea of keeping the stadium as it's presently named. (Wishful thinking, huh? Like most team owners, I bet the Lerners will go for the big money. Heck, even Dan Snyder sold out for FedEx Field. Blech. That should've stayed Redskins Stadium or The Big Jack, after Jack Kent Cooke.) It would be far better from a fan base development/community visibility point if it stayed Nationals Park.

flynnie,
Thanks for the mention on the parking safety issue -- I'll update here if I hear back from S. Kasten.

Hopefully, they will provide security for each of the Nats' sponsored parking lots. Makes sense to me; hate to think of the alternative -- muggings, etc. leading to more stories about Washington being crime-ridden. That would not be good for business.

I also enjoyed the Pat and Mike reference, and I'm hungry after reading that list of goodies. Speaking of which, I found a map the stadium showing specific concession locations in the team area of the Post site. Any chance of a printable PDF being posted (the last I checked there wasn't one and I'd like to print that one out)?

You really expect the Nats to put out a crabcake dish comparable to the one offered up in B'more? If you think so, than send me whatever drugs your on, please, send them to me.

Dupont Deli - very cool. Thanks, why go North. Very nice array of foods. Fish and chips sounds good, too (but, honestly, nothing can beat chips fried on their home turf in the UK and wrapped in paper, salt and vinegar). I like the guest foods - a Cuban sandwich when the Fish visit, and pierogies with the Pirates.

O's Exec,

the drugs you're currently taking to cure your delusions clearly aren't working?

Maybe it will be 6 Flags Park, and, insted of the Huge Baseball we can have an Enormous Gleeful Head (remember the insanely happy grinning face flanking home plate in St. Louis?)

"The efficiency of Nats buses from RFK are due to the miniscule number of people utilizing it dufus."

I've been to a number of cold weather games when the United had much smaller crowds than the Nats last night. Go ahead and keep taking shots at the Nats, but at least try to be correct, lot 8 was about 2/3s to 3/4s full last night, pretty good for a satellite parking lot. Not to bash the United because I enjoy going to their games, but a few members of their fan base make them all look bad by posting us against the world crp on all the other blogs.

Doesn't anyone else think it's a little premature to be lumping [Milledge] in with Lo Duca, Young, and Lopez? I mean sheesh, the kid just turned 23 over the weekend...

Posted by: Mark
----------------------------------
Count me in as a Milledge fan. I was in the standing room area behind center field when he dropped that ball last night and called out that he would make up for the error at the plate. His defense will improve, he's already one of the best hitters we've got.

I think they should name it Enron Park so they can use the same bankruptcy papers.

With the way team owners feel they have to provide entertainment in addition to (in lieu of??) a viable team, it's going to feel like a 6 Flags Park. Although, I do like the idea of an Enormous Gleeful Head.

As for the debate of the day:

It's too early to write off the team. As you all know, I am in the "Lerners are too cheap" camp. But this team is talented, albeit raw, which means it will probably get better as the season progresses. Not playoff-better, of course, but having a shot at .500.

Guys like Milledge, Lannan and Pena will become more polished and productive in the coming weeks; Nick Johnson will shake some of that rust (he looks a little lost against lefties) Zim is ready for a breakout year; and LoDuca will produce eventually. (Trust me, I watched the guy for four years in LA; he won't accept failure.)

Of course, if the Lerners had spent some money on a few free agents (Tori Hunter, Livo, let's say), the team would have fewer growing pains and would be more competitive from the start.

But they are cheap -- and everyone knows it.

The 6:21 Milledge fan is me.

The reason that OP@CY is still OP@CY is that the Maryland Stadium Authority owns it and they have chosen not to sell the naming rights. Do any of us really think that PA wouldn't have sold those if he even had half a chance?

Here's a question for you all. The Mets are supposed to be World Series contenders this year, correct?

So what does it say about the fact that World Series contenders were willing to give up both Lastings Milledge and Paul Lo Duca?

Obviously they feel they have a BETTER chace of winning the World Series without these guys.

So what does that say about the Nats picking them up?

The reason that OP@CY is still OP@CY is that the Maryland Stadium Authority owns it and they have chosen not to sell the naming rights. Do any of us really think that PA wouldn't have sold those if he even had half a chance?

Posted by: OldGuy | April 8, 2008 6:23 PM

___________________________________________

REGARDLESS, the fact remains that the stadium naming rights HAVE NOT been sold.

hahahahahahahaha, facts are facts pal. Try putting down the haterade once and a while and try sipping on some delicious ORANGE drink.

So that's why Orioles Park still retains its name. Okay. I thought it was Angelos' generosity and community spirit. Well, good for the Maryland Stadium Authority!

Wrong old guy Ravens stadium(M&T bank stadium) is also owned by the stadium authority and there is an equal tenet agreement with both the O's and Ravens that gives both teams equal rights. So PA did decide not to sell the naming rights. But he also decided not to put Baltimore on the road Uni's.

Sip the kool-aid, not the haterade? That's a first.

Thanks, CE! And thanks again, Swanni - there's just no excuse for a fan on game 2 having to go to a team-sponsored dark, empty parking lot. It will be interesting to see if the one run wins pile up, and I'm also hoping that the Post does an all-star break breakdown of hitters at NatsPark v. RFK, a la the brilliant home and away stats in the baseball opening day edition.

Wrong old guy Ravens stadium(M&T bank stadium) is also owned by the stadium authority and there is an equal tenet agreement with both the O's and Ravens that gives both teams equal rights. So PA did decide not to sell the naming rights. But he also decided not to put Baltimore on the road Uni's.

Posted by: Brooksy | April 8, 2008 6:30 PM

*******************************************

Wow, Brooksy brining the truth, laying the smack down.

Oh yeah, boo-yah!!!!!!!

Wrong old guy Ravens stadium(M&T bank stadium) is also owned by the stadium authority and there is an equal tenet agreement with both the O's and Ravens that gives both teams equal rights.
---------------
Whoops, my bad. I had forgotten (and if I'd done a 3 second search I wouldn't have, but there you go) that the team sued for the rights after the Ravens were cut the deal on their stadium. But it is to his credit (regardless of any other failings that he may have as an owner) that he has decided as of now to keep the park named as it is.

estuartj, you keep posting stats from 7 games (well, twice today, i'm just now catching up). does it really matter where guz ranks right now among SSs? it's such a small sample that it's almost irrelevant. unless you think luke scott (hitting 500!) and aj pierzinski (slugging 875!) will continue to lead the league in OPS or pat burrell will slug 880 for the year. or maybe mark reynolds will lead the league in homers? will adam dunn slug 143 for the season? will polanco hit 115 this season after hitting 341 last year?

it's a game of streaks. we need to see how they even out. even a month of the season isn't really enough to project.

i went a little overboard above, but we go through this every year in baseball. people get overly caught up in heavily skewed stats the first few weeks of the season. same with W/L records, to an extent. remember, the Os lead the AL east for a couple of months--into june, if i remember correctly--a couple of years ago, but still finished 4th and way back, as usual. (as did the nationals in 2005, as well.)

This is from Steven Goff's Soccer Insider Blog.......

In the second game in their sparkling-new, publicly financed ballpark, the Nationals drew 20,000 spectators, which is less than half of capacity. Really? Remember when Camden Yards opened in Baltimore and it was almost impossible to get a ticket? Just a thought.....

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Even the Goffer is laying the smack down on the Nats. Gotta love it.

Off the subject has anyone seen the Seattle Mariners "Fungo Bat" commercial on Mlb.com. Effin' hilarious!

I'm a big fan of Guzman too. Have been since he came back last year. I just trust the guy.

It's funny how you can have two guys with the exact same batting averages and maybe even the exact same at-bats in a given game, but you still just trust one more than the other.

At the plate, I trust Guzman, Johnson, Zim, Belliard and Kearns. I feel bad for Felipe but I don't trust him yet. And I trust Flores over LoDuca for sure.

Milledge is still a little raw. He's young and excitable and I can see him pressing too much. He could learn from Zim's cool head.

Grouchy as I am about our last 5 games, I do still recognize it's a pretty darn good lineup. If one or two are the only ones I have doubts on, it's an improvement.

You GHF folks are right. The losing won't last. It CAN'T last.

I'm a little lost here. How possibly could Milledge, at this stage, be so critisized by some? This kid is a potential star, has already been the most consistent offensive player on the team and that includes Johnson. Granted he doesn't walk enough but he gets the hits. Defensively, he's had problems but he's a superb athlete who can't help but improve in this area big time.

O's Exec: In your 6:13 comment, it should be ". . . THEN send me whatever drugs YOU'RE on . . . ."

If you're going to continue to be an annoying troll, at least double-check your grammar and/or spelling.

Oh, and the crabcakes at Nationals Park were just as good as any I've had up at OP/CY (mediocre at best), but at least I felt good about the fact that my hard-earned concession money wasn't going to Peter Angelos.

J-Max.

'Nuff said.

Soccer fans who want United to get any love in this area were threatened by the arrival of the Nats. It is a silly concern-I really don't think many Nats fans were terribly worried about soccer. I can see them worried about the level of coverage the team receives now that baseball is in DC. It has undeniably reduced the prominence of soccer articles.

I had to revise the above paragraph, I admit, to keep from being a troll against United. I have a serious question, also not with troll intentions. It seems that the immigrant population has been under heavy scrutiny in this area, and that businesses that immigrants frequent have suffered.

I have a sense that United is mostly popular with the Spanish-speaking population of the area. I wonder if this will have an effect on their attendance this year.

If Milledge by age 23 does not have any defensive instincts he is not going to "develop them" as you call it. He is much like all the Jimbo man crushes, cast offs who have one half of what it takes to win. He has not position on a winning team. He is clearly not a CFer and that has nothing to do with the drop. He has poor movement to the ball and bad breaks off the bat every time. Not a strong enough arm for RF and not enough bat for LF on a winning team. That is why the Mets traded him. When are we going to learn....Lopez types come with cost that they have big holes in their game. It is very unlikely that just coming to the Nats is going to allow them to gain a skill they never developed in over 10 years of organized baseball everyday.

I have a sense that United is mostly popular with the Spanish-speaking population of the area. I wonder if this will have an effect on their attendance this year.

Posted by: Positively Half St. | April 8, 2008 7:20 PM

*****************************************

You ever actually been to a game or 2 to see what percentages of nationalities go to DCU games?

Shawn Hill's perfect through two.

I'm in the Milledge camp. all the way. Keep up the hitting, Lastings, and talk to Austin to get tips on fielding. You will be great.

No hablo espanol.

Futbol es aburrido, tambien.

Pajaros naranjados no continuaran ganar.

stats through 7-8 games aren't all that usefull I admit, but I am at least comparing apples to apples, ie everyone through the first week. To compare Guzman's hot first week to someone elses stats for a whole year would be stupid.

I only picked out Guzman and Kearns stats to respond to an earlier post and my point with Guz is that IF he continues to slug, but not walk they might EVENTUALLY move him down in the order.

Bynum homers to give the P-Nats a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

And my point about Kearns was that although he isn't hitting well yet, his obp is top on the team so maybe some of his struggles this week were because of a lack of production from the 6-8 hitter was forcing him to face a lot of junk pitches, but he was getting on so at least he's making the best of his at-bats.

Hill is perfect through three.

Go United! Not hate coming from the Nats to United, just a bit of a sibling rivalry that should be cured now that we both have our own rooms. The RFK lot will be plenty big enough for both sets of fans for the few days it needs to be shared. I'm 100% behind all DC teams.

May I add, flynnie, that you're a peach. Your nice compliments were sunshine in an otherwise mostly cloudy day of posting. You know, one of the things Hendo always did great was compliment everyone on the things they said. I know a few folks around here still do it, but I've definitely let my manners slip. I'll resolve to start complimenting folks out there and return some of the friendliness to Nats Journal that made it so great.

So, in that spirit, swanni, I thought your comment and e-mail about the parking safety was one of the most valuable bits of feedback dished out yet. Thanks for keeping your eye out for all of us, your hard work will - I hope - prevent an avoidable crime.

Wow some of you need to back off on Milledge. You are no better than Mets fans.

The kid drops a fly ball and you are going to reem him over and over again? He made a mistake, but he made up for it.

He's made most of the plays that go in his direction and he has been very good at the dish.

He just turned 23 on Saturday, so he's still learning. Some of you don't know baseball.

@Positively Half Street
My daughters learned to cuss in Spanish at the D.C. United Games. I remember Charlie and Dave commenting when they were returning from a road trip that they got to RFK during a game and the fans were waiting to boo -"their own team! That's a rough crowd!" Those games, and the crowds are a lot of fun. But in this country, everybody loves Jesus, but not Heysoos. It's a shame.

I bet the games are actually a lot of fun, flynnie- it seems like a game that would be most fun to see live. The fans are definitely vocal, as I understand.

I am very unlikely to go to United games, though, since soccer is not my thing. I don't even get to as many Nats or P-Nats games as I would like.

Here's to a successful year for United, and no harassment for their fans.

Thank you, 506, for one of the best and funniest posts ever. Keep the knowledge coming!
_____
And here it is, worth repeating: "To ask attendance without also asking budget is like asking how many runs the team had last night without asking if they won. "Eight!" I say, "Much better than the other night in Philly when they only had one!" Section 506(before moving)

Hendo, NatFan1A said that a tailgate at RFK was not feasible because the lots don't open early enough, but that an NJ meeting inside NatsPark was being contemplated for April 27 or 28, and another date I can't remember. I don't know if the trolls have made her change her mind, but thanks for asking!

SHill was cruising for 3.3 - one BB, 2 infield singles has the bases loaded with 2 outs in top of the 4th.

SHill's 4th K (swinging) leaves them loaded. Still 2-0 PNats going to the bottom of the 4th.

We're still looking at April 27 for a Planet NJ gathering, flynnie. I believe that Hendo asked about the RFK lot opening times in re. that event (if the lots still open as early as they did when baseball was played at RFK, it would be ideal for tailgating, but we haven't been able to verify that. Otherwise, we'd plan to convene inside Nats Park on that date). Hope to see you there! (and Sect. 506 is right, you are a peach!)

---

Hendo, NatFan1A said that a tailgate at RFK was not feasible because the lots don't open early enough, but that an NJ meeting inside NatsPark was being contemplated for April 27 or 28, and another date I can't remember. I don't know if the trolls have made her change her mind, but thanks for asking!

Manny's at the Pfitz watching Hill tonight.

Shawn loaded the bases in the fourth on two singles and a walk but got out of it with two strikeouts (four Ks on the night so far).

Also, thanks to Bob L. and MKevin for the Hill updates.

Top of the 5th and this will evidently be SHill's last inning. Single up the middle to lead off is the only ball out of the INF so far.

Evidently the two singles in the fourth were of the infield variety. Hill gave up a single to start the fifth, but then erased the baserunner with a DP. So far, so good.

... and the final SHill update of the night brought to you by Bob L.... :-)

Hill with five shutout innings, 4 hits, one BB, four Ks.

Nice, MKevin ... pleasure sharing the update duties with you. Maybe next time I'll do the odd innings and you can do the evens!

Sounds like a plan. Although I'd hope we'd have a very limited number of rehab starts to cover.

First post of the new season, since I've been away since Opening Night. Went to the last exhibition game vs. the Os to see my first game at Nats Park. Gorgeous!

Sounds like a couple fun-loving guys in JayB and O's Exec. Makes me want to keep coming back over and over again.

I'm more curious than excited about this team. Sadly bummed about Da Meat's health right now as already a few prime PH opps have missed his presence. I'm agreeing that FLop has to play to drum up some (any?) interest in him.

Would love to see the gang at the new Nats Park!

The Hill updates are great but they're cracking me up. Reminds me of the Seinfeld where Kramer dominates his karate class.

MKevin, we gotta do the Chad appearance tomorrow night though! We can trade pitches.

NatsNut, yeah, but it's an off night in the middle of a five game losing streak. If Hill had pitched three innings and given up five runs I'd be lauding the fact that his arm was still attached to his shoulder.

NatsNut,

The reason some of us are giddy over Hill's start is because if he shows he can throw w/ or w/out pain and more importantly reports he is fine after the start, then he can return to the big gleague club.

But I do like the Seinfeld/Kramer reference. Gold Jerry, Gold.

MKevin, we gotta do the Chad appearance tomorrow night though! We can trade pitches.

NatsNut, yeah, but it's an off night in the middle of a five game losing streak. If Hill had pitched three innings and given up five runs I'd be lauding the fact that his arm was still attached to his shoulder.

SHill had his Katra working tonight!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lk1GZhI_B4A

Jerry: You're fighting children!?!
Kramer: We're all at the same skill level Jerry.
Jerry: He's 9 years old! You don't need karate you can just wring his neck!

Oops, sorry about the double post. My computer locked up. I got an error message. The blog ate my Hillwork.

Also, what is the "big gleague club"? Is that where we all get together to sing after drinking copious amounts of Swedish mulled wine? Count me in.

Oh yeah... I'm most definately in for Cordero's outing tomorrow!

first question and answer from espn's buster olney's weekly chat....

Killian (Homer, CA): How much longer can the O's keep this up? Were you covering the team in 1989? Any similarities between those squads?

Buster Olney: Killian: No, i covered the O's in 1995 and 1996... I don't think they can keep it up; the division is just too tough, and they don't have enough pitching. I still think they are in for a very rough year. Makes me a little sad every time I see the empty seats at Camden Yards, because the area is loaded with great baseball fans just waiting to be inspired. Plus, I can't stand the fact that they've built those hotels behind the left field stands.

Well, if Buster Olney says it, it must be true. Why should the O's even continue playing the season out of Buster thinks they're done?

Lol, is that the best you can do 'scribe?

All: Let's get our arms around two things. We are not competing with Baltimore, and we are certainly not competing with DC United. I have no beef with fans of either team. But I also have no interest in debating those issues ad nauseum on this site. Cripes.

JayB, if teams could only field players who are fully formed by the age of 23 and not able to learn anything new or improve at all beyond that age, then MLB would have to limit itself to 16 teams. Guess what? It ain't 1965 any more. Welcome to Major League Baseball 21st-century style. Juice, anyone?

Nice game for the P-Nats, here is the pitching line;

Potomac
Hill (W, 1-0) 5.0IP 0ER 4H 1BB 4SO 0.00ERA
Zimmermann (S, 1) 4.0IP 0ER 2H 3BB 6SO 0.00ERA

How about 6ks in 4IP for The ZimReaper! I really want to get down there for some games this year, watching Zimmermann, Detwiler and Marrero develop will be great(especially at $4 a game).

to estuartj: I read the line on Hill. Didn't expect much less than that against A league competition. The big question is: How does his arm feel? He has the ability, but does he have an arm that can last in the bigs?

Nice story on Billy Buck here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3335928

Glad to see that, quality guy, a bad bounce shouldn't ruin a career, much less a life.

@Bob L.

Totally agree with you. The Nationals can't win the AL East and the Orioles can't win the NL East. We are blessed to have both leagues within easy driving distance of both cities. It shoud be exciting for fans to see how players like Lastings Milledge and Adam Jones develop and Ryan Zimmerman and Nick Markakis take the mantles of being the faces of their franchises. Interleague play allows fans to see the teams go head-to-head six times a year and when we're not playing each other both teams games are televised in both markets. Can't we all just get along?

Isn't this a hoot with fans of two poor teams - St. Louis Browns and Montreal Expos - arguing over who is better. Want to see real baseball with real history and real tradition go to Yankee Stadium. The Browns' fans do have a point about attendance on the 2nd game in a new stadium. On the other hand it is nice to have Yankee Park South at Camden Yards so close after moving from NYC.

@Yankees #1

Your team originally came from Baltimore.

TimD, NFA (http://www.farmauthority.dcsportsnet.com/) posted direct from the P-Nats game tonight. Here are the quotes from Manny;

"Shawn threw the ball well, kept his stamina up"
"The first three innings were good but he wasn't as good the last two innings"
When asked about Hill pitching out of the stretch, "It was good to see him in a real game situation"
"No decision has been made about activating Hill for Sunday's start against Atlanta. We'll sit down as anorganization tomorrow to mtalk about it"

And from Shawn;

"Overall I think it went pretty good"
on whether he feels he's earned the start on Sunday, "I don't know about earning anything. It's entirely their decision. This wasn't the Braves I was facing or anything. It's a totally different ballgame. I can't throw as many fastballs against the Braves. You need to mix it up more"
"I feel like I'm ready to go"
Threw primarily fastballs
"Didn't throw any changeups"
"Curveball was OK"
"Fastball was where I needed it to be."
"No pain in the arm this evening"
"It was nice to pitch in a real game with an umpire behind the plate"
Disappointed that all I faced were righthanded hitters
"Need to make sure I get loose to throw, not throw to get loose"
"Only time I feel the arm is warming up to start the game"
Pleased with fastball velocity; command was good the first few innings
Finished up in the bullpen to reach his pitch count
"As long as it's not the excruciating stabbing pain, I'm fine"
On working from the stretch, "It was kind of good. Kind of bad."
Commented that when he had runners on base, he got a little too quick to the plate

Damn...that's a whole lotta quotes...thanks estuartj.
In looking at the quotes though, I saw one omission: He didn't mention anything about his sinker. Throwing a fastball and throwing a sinker are two vastly different things. We will have no idea as to what is going on with that arm until he can throw the sinker without pain (stabbing pain, dull pain, whatever). Since that is really his go-to pitch, I would be more comfortable getting a read on that pitch.

leetee1955, I'm in the camp of folks that recognize that many current Nats fans are (a) new to baseball entirely; (b) recently converted Os fans (who may still vacillate between the two depending on results) and (c) baseball fans from someplace else that have adopted the Nats in lieu of and/or in addition to their (former) hometown club.

To the extent that any such such fans come to this site to talk baseball, and even a bit of (hopefully well-informed, funny and smart) trash, I say, welcome. To the extent that trolls come to interrupt what has been, for a long time, a great discussion about baseball and, at appropriate times, other interesting stuff (like sandhill cranes, for example), I say, better left alone.

Listening to the game Hill was absolutely on in the 1st 3 innings. Inning 4 was tough but a BB and 2 infield singles isn't exactly hitting the cover off the ball, and he did get out of trouble with a swinging strikeout. There were 2 solid singles in the 5th bookending a GDP. Sounded like a guy tiring to me. Not surprising considering how little he's pitched so far.

Reading the comments ESJ posted above it sounds a lot like a pitcher after his 2nd or 3rd start in Spring Training. I wouldn't mind seeing him get one more rehab start facing better competition at say AA Harrisburg before rejoining the Nats. Gives the Lannan/Chico tandem an extra chance to prove who should/shouldn't go back to Columbus when SHill comes off the DL. All of this of course depends on how he feels tomorrow and the day after of course.

Can I delete "such such" for the (Congressional) Record? Danger of posting while trying to put kids to bed. Zzzz.

Only if I'm allowed to delete "of course... of course."

BobL makes some wonderful points. DC is a town that will take a certain amount of growing a fan base. Not only are there a fair amount of immigrants, but some 2nd generation DCers have been imbued with the loyalty left over from parents. That will take some time. Let's face it, there aren't many of us who can speak of their dad being at Griffith Stadium for the '33 WS.

Additionally, with no Major League Baseball for 34 years, the youth leagues didn't grow up with a chance to go, as a group, and see the hometown team.

I will admit that Boz has a point in that his son holds a loyalty to the Os, because that is what he grew up with.

All of this will take time, patience, and the ability to not panic (I'm wondering how soon there will be screams to bring up the kid pitchers now, instead of waiting 'til '09 or '10).

Of course, I can assume that we will never suffer the indignity of having 6,000 empty seats for the 7th game of the World Series (not the 2nd game of the season on a cold and rainy Monday evening...THE SEVENTH GAME OF THE WORLD SERIES), as did Baltimore in '71 and I was at that game.

One comment for the Milledge hate squad to buffer:

Taking the play last night where he dropped the ball as an example, if you think he was floating or having trouble locating the ball or just running the wrong way (a la Nook Logan), look again. He was setting up to have his momentum going in the right direction and to nail a throw to third. Only, he didn't quite catch the ball. An embarrassing mistake, to be sure. Watch him closely -- and preferably live, so you can see the whole game and not just the camera angles that the TV permits you -- and I think you'll see him make a few really amazing centerfield plays.

I watched him in spring training and I've no reason to think that the scouts, coaches, and managers are in error to put him in the center of our outfield. Stay tuned.

well... i *can* say my dad was there for opening day at DC stadium in 62 and used to walk to griffith stadium from the hospital my grandfather worked at to catch afternoon games.

still, i was 7 when the senators left and i remember little of them. we moved to rochester when i was 4, i didn't end up back here til i was 15 and the Os were in the 78 world series.

i begrudgingly followed the orioles, and still pay attention to them. and i'll always keep my hatred for the yanks and sawx. but i'm a nats fan through and through now.

i always thought one of the reasons DC should be successful long-term with attendance would be the transient nature of the city. we have braves fans, mets fans, philly fans, cubs fans, and so on. so while they may not be nats fans, we should have attendance bumps for those games. and while it's always better as a fan to be in a partisan house, i don't mind seeing a few thousand extra tix sold for those games if it helps pay for a better team in the long run.

I have seen Milledge in CF live five times so far this year. He seems to read the ball poorly off the bat and either get poor or late jumps to the ball. His athleticism can erase many of the mistakes however. Also, while he did position himself in yesterdays game for a through, he chose to catch the ball with only his glove instead of using both hands.

I thought Planet NJ was going to officially adopt the moniker "The Senate"?

There's not been a consensus on a name as far as I know.