Photo by @CharlesAllenDC
Led by Vincent Orange, the D.C. Council bestowed ceremonial resolutions on Washington Nationals left fielder Bryce Harper and manager Davey Johnson. It could have been a simple, happy affair. But, of course, when the D.C. Council gets involved in populist subjects, things have a tendency to get awkward really fast.
At several points in his winding remarks, Orange bestowed honorifics upon himself and the six other Council members who supported public financing of Nationals Park on the first vote on the matter in back in 2006. Of the so-called “great seven” and “mighty seven,” as Orange called the voting bloc, only he and Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) are still on the Council.
And there was other awkwardness during the ceremony. For instance:
Jack Evans makes bold prediction for Harper: Noting that Harper opened the season with home runs in each of his first two at-bats, and added a third last weekend in Cincinnati, Evans said that the 20-year-old outfielder is on pace to club 95 homers. Clown projection, bro. Harper, who was honored for being the 2012 National League Rookie of the Year, will almost certainly not hit that many, considering it would be 23 more than Barry Bonds’ steroid-addled record.
Davey Johnson gets some years back: Johnson, last year’s National League Manager of the Year, plans to retire at the end of the current season and move to the Nationals’ front office as an adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo. The 70-year-old skipper has enjoyed a great career as one of the steeliest managers in recent baseball history, but according to the D.C. Council’s resolution, he might have a few more years than he expected. The resolution, Johnson noted in quick remarks after accepting the framed document, printed his birthdate as January 30, 1948. “I hope this was signed into law because I’m five years younger on that certificate,” he said.
Vincent Orange says what no elected official should say: Orange could have closed the ceremony with, oh, “Go Nats!” or something innocuous like that. Instead, he opted for a exuberant “Let’s play ball!” Hmm. Something about an elected official uttering the phrase “Let’s play ball” inside a capitol building already beset by political scandals seems a little off.
