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Maybe it was the indignity of the Marlins spoiling the last Opening Game ever in RFK. Maybe it was the insufferable Aramark concessionaires, who insist that it's perfectly acceptable to run out of buns in the fifth inning of the first damn game. Maybe it's the humiliation of the long winless streak to the other presidents. There's no telling. Something, though, was terribly amiss in that giant head of Teddy Roosevelt's during the Nat's 9-2 loss yesterday afternoon.
After a long spring of separating roster chaff and listening to the experts' dire predictions, the Nats got to work yesterday at proving all the doomsayers right. The home team was outplayed in every facet of the game, disappointing the more than 40,000 fans in attendance and spoiling Manny Acta's managerial debut.
Staff ace John Patterson just didn't have his good stuff, and it showed early. Hanley Ramirez hammered Patterson's second pitch to the right field corner for a double (one of his four hits on the day), then Mike Jacobs singled him home and the rout was on. Perhaps the most disturbing sign came on the inning's last pitch: a two-out, two-on, two-strike fastball to Joe Borchard -- a rear-back-and-fire-it moment where Patterson could barely crack 90 mph, well off the Big Nasty's best heat in the mid-nineties. Borchard swung and missed, but that was one of the few times the Fish came up short.
Thus, by the top of the fourth inning, Teddy Roosevelt's enormous noggin could be spotted on the roof over the right field upper deck, his toothy grin concealing his desperation. He seemed to be contemplating a quick end to what looks to be a long and painful season as he watched CF Nook Logan crash to the wall and then the warning track, making a brilliant catch, but injuring his foot. As Logan slowly limped all the way to the third base dugout, Roosevelt crept to the roof's edge, appearing closer and closer to a merciful death in the outfield grass far below. With no regard for TR's great legacy, third baseman and obvious Freedom Hater Miguel Cabrera mashed the next pitch to the left center upper deck. Patterson's day was done and Teddy struggled to the edge, restrained only by a fearless and no doubt patriotic RFK employee.
Photo by Flickr user philliefan_99.
Moments later the Presidents Race began, with the freakishly proportioned George, Abe, and Thomas again sprinting to deny Teddy's long-delayed glory. At this he lept into the crisp blue sky and plummeted, freed at last from the weight of the Venezuela Crisis and mid-inning novelty entertainment.
But there, look again: a ropeline! Bully! Big Teddy swooped down from the roof, passing his forefather competitors before losing speed and momentum, eventually falling to earth like a harmless Ryan Church popup and losing the race, once again, to that dandy bastard Jefferson.
The bright spots on the day for the Nats were few, especially when SS Cristian Guzman joined Logan on the bench after pulling a leg muscle running to first. Ryan Zimmerman got his sophomore effort off right with a first inning triple over Borchard's head in right. Zim also made a couple of nice plays at third, including an over-the-railing catch of a foul popup. Dmitri Young powered a couple of doubles down each line. Jesus Colome, the last man to make the 25-man roster, pitched two scoreless innings (immediately prompting some writers to push for a trade of Chad Cordero and put Colome in the closer's spot, allowing for the irresistible "Jesus Saves" headlines).
Tonight the Nats send Shawn Hill to the mound to build on his success in Spring Training. Hill will attempt to quiet the dangerous trio of Ramirez, Dan Uggla, and Cabrera at the top of the Marlins order, who banged out eight hits between them on Monday. The Marlins counter with lefty Scott Olsen.
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So that's why Guzman didn't hustle it out to 1st. If I'm thinking of the correct play, the whole stadium was booing his apparent lack of effort.
I remember that play. He looked gimpy, so I was wondering a bit about the boos.
If anyone should've been booed, it's Aramark. I waited 20 minutes for a lemonade at the stand behind Section 430, and some of the food lines on the 300-level concourse are a study in inefficiency.
F*ing brilliant use of "bully."
Yeah - I think the crowd was booing him for not running out the grounder...oops!
It wasn't only Aramark that had the problem, but they were certainly ill-prepared. Capital Q (in the "Food Court") ran out of all food by the sixth inning. No beef brisket, no nothing. It's amazing that Nats president Stan Kasten keeps preaching customer service as one of his main tenets. Seems to me that the Nationals fan experience is rife with some of the worst customer service in the country!
RFK was NOT ready for Opening Day at all. Stan Kasten needs to crack the whip. Several ATMs were out of order, food/beverage sales were a disaster and the bathrooms weren't even properly stocked. If the team is crappy, ya gotta do something to wow the fans -- or at least make it easy for them to spend money.
It's never a good sign when you walk into the stadium expecting your free hat and they don't have any. Apparently they ran out at the particular gate where we entered, simply because they needed to restock.
Then, the beer vendor outside section 532, one of the few that served anything other than Bud or Miller, didn't have any of their Home Run Ale or Pilsner Urquell to even start the game.
I expected the crowds, and expected them to run out of some stuff. But not having everything stocked before the game is damned inexcusable.
Agreed the service was atrocious and slow. One cashier for three lines of food and beer patrons waiting to spend money. The funny part was when the befuddled Aramark folks had a problem and needed to call the manager over. The manager turned out to be a freckly faced kid of no more than 20 with an afro the size of a watermellon, who promptly set everything right.
Perfect recap. The sight of the RFK employee trying to free Teddy from his harness was priceless.
At least we won't have to deal with the food shortages for the rest of the season since I'm sure RFK will never be more than half full, the way the Nats are playing already.
The scariest moment was when Teddy first started down the zip line, he went into freefall a couple of seconds before the line tension kicked in. It looked like he was going to crash into the upper deck. Sadly, this was the most exciting part of the game.
They ran out of Pilsner Urquell? How insulting. I hope none of your friends saw you with poor people beer.
Alena, don't be so sure. There are fans of other teams like the Cubs and the Phillies and the Mets who will surely inflate attendance!
Opening day wrap-up: Show up at 1030 wanting to start festivities in the parking lot. Can't. Kasten managed to have cops there but not employees to collect parking. Sat for half-hour...meanwhile traffic strecthed all the way back up the ramp on 395. Get in and there's construction guys laying asphalt to parking spaces...they've had an entire off season to fix this. Got in to see our ace ruin the game and our center fielder by throwing a batting practice-esque pitch. All this for premium ticket and parking fees! Our only hope is Cordero and Zimmerman, and the rookie pitchers.
How long until Washington DC becomes the first "three time loser" in baseball history. The first city to lose its franchise 3 times.
Guess what folks, it won't be any better at the new stadium. Parking will be a disaster, traffic will be a standstill, and since the stadium is being built on the cheap, it won't have any of the amenities of the other new stadiums.
DC is a not a baseball town. Simply wishing it was doesn't make it so. MLB should have realized this, but they didn't so now they will have to live with their mistake for another decade, until the Lerner's sell and the league allows the team to move.
Then, the beer vendor outside section 532, one of the few that served anything other than Bud or Miller, didn't have any of their Home Run Ale or Pilsner Urquell to even start the game
Man up, Nancy. Its a ballgame. If you don't like domestic beer and hotdogs, make room in the park for a real fan. You know, someone who is there to watch baseball.
It wasn't just the good beer. They were running out of everything - including Bud and Miller. No beer. No hot dogs. No chicken. All by the 5th inning on opening day. Nice.
Teddy was awesome though.
In response to bballman-your post is one of the dumbest things i've read in awhile. The new stadium is being built "on the cheap" for nearly $620 million? The team will move in 10 years? Uh-huh. DC isn't a baseball town yet, but that doesn't mean it can't become one after a few years.
The official term, and this comes from the DC Sports and Entertainment people is "value engineering." In order to get under the caps, they had to scrap many of the more expensive features. The result will be a stripped down version of a new stadium that will not be able to compare to the newer parks in Detroit, Philly, Cincy, San Fran or Pittsburgh. When the Yankees move into their new stadium, it will make the Nats discount park look like RFK in comparision.
Hey, bballman...were you born an idiot or did you work at it over the years?