A group of friends gathered last Friday night at a rain soaked campground just outside the village of Cooperstown, NY for a weekend that had been in the works for over a decade. All of us, just north of 30 and pals since high school, grew up in D.C.’s Maryland suburbs and were in town to celebrate the induction of Cal Ripken, Jr. into baseball’s Hall of Fame. The event was so much more than... more ›

For all the hand wringing over the Nats 9-17 April record (the second worst in baseball), the month's last game provided some vindication for many of the teams fans, and especially for centerfielder Ryan Church. At the beginning of April, Church's fate with the team was cloudy, with his supporters almost hoping he could be traded to find another opportunity. A quick glance at the lineup before a 3-2 win over the Padres late Monday... more ›

So we’re six weeks into the Nats post-Robinson era, and no one besides Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden has any clue what’s going on in the search for a manager. Kasten is dedicated to a process that is “thorough” and he is “prepared to hire the best fit.” He recently said an announcement might be made in the next two weeks, but resists giving any insight into the process whatsoever. What’s going on down there at RFK? Is this really the relationship they want with the press and their fans? more ›

As Nationals fans, we are but flecks of dust blowing in the wind. A tiny, insignificant bit of marginalia scribbled in the tome of baseball lore. That's what researchers found in a poll released yesterday by AP-AOL Sports. Out of the 2,002 people polled, the 32 percent that claimed to be baseball fans were asked several questions, including "Which Major League Baseball team do you root for during the regular season?" A whopping one percent... more ›

The Washington Nationals arrived at this year's All-Star Break in ignominious fashion, suffering their fifth sweep of the season at RFK. This time, the Nats were victimized by the San Diego Padres. After a successful series against Florida earlier this week, the Nats could smell second place in the NL East. They now find themselves amid the musky odor of the division's basement. That they played the Padres so closely only adds to the... more ›

After getting thrashed at home by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to the tune of 11-1, the Nationals experienced something of a wake-up call. The Nats might have looked around and found out that they were in the basement of one of the worst divisions in baseball. They might have done some research and found out that Friday night's beat-down was at the hands of franchise whose entire existence has been marred by futility... more ›

This entry was written by DCist contributor Benjamin Kabak. more ›

We've all heard the news -- the negotiations between MLB and the District over the new stadium aren't going particularly well. The City Council is increasingly annoyed with a stadium that is fast exceeding expected costs, while MLB continues being its own worst enemy by refusing to consider even the most basic financial concessions to the city. In a private meeting with the council yesterday, MLB chief negotiator Jerry Reinsdorf both surprised and angered the... more ›

bigmikenyc" src="http://www.dcist.com/attachments/dcist_tom/20051103_sunset.jpg"
width="512" height="285"/>

Good morning, D.C. The weather for the weekend href="http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/weekend.html?locid=20001&from=36hr_topnav_undeclared">looks
like it couldn't be better, with a beautiful Friday turning into a
pleasant Saturday, then transitioning into a Sunday that you won't feel bad
about wasting on hungover football watching. We can't wait — "God
bless the Indian Summer" and all that. How are you planning on
spending what might be the last warm weekend of the year?

Flu Shots Delayed: The Post href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/02/AR2005110202834.html">reports
that, for the second year in a row, flu shots are hard to come by. As
a result, clinics and other vaccine-purveyors are delaying shots for
low risk patients. But officials href="http://www.nbc4.com/health/5239910/detail.html">maintain
that there will be plenty of this year's vaccine, and that the delays
are simply due to new distribution and safety protocols put into place
after last year's shortages.

Bull Semen Stolen: Frederick resident Eric Fleming returned to his farm on
Sunday and found that someone had stolen $75,000 worth of frozen
genetic material. The thief made off with "straws" representing
between forty and fifty bulls. Fleming is offering a reward, so if
you encounter a bull semen vendor who seems more suspicious than
your usual guy, be sure to contact the appropriate authorities.

Nats Trade Castilla: Their ownership may still be
in flux, but the Nats' third base situation has just become clearer,
according
to WJLA. In a trade with the Padres, the Nats have obtained the
services of pitcher HREF="http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=400147">Brian
Lawrence in exchange for HREF="http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/player.jsp?player_id=112106">Vinny
Castilla. The 38-year-old Castilla probably doesn't mind the
trade; he was facing the prospect of losing his starting spot to
rising star Ryan
Zimmerman.

Briefly Noted: Examiners say cause of Behl's death
likely
to remain unknown... Area deer HREF="http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=612111">continue
their assault on retailers... BRAC HREF="http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1105/274640.html">won't
hold any more meetings... Man HREF="http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=25&sid=611971">sentenced
for knowingly spreading HIV... PG County teacher HREF="http://www.wusatv9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=44170">arrested
for rape... So has a Merrifield teen, for Dunn Loring Metro attacks...

Image of a Ballston sunset by Flickr user HREF="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigmikenyc/">BigMikeNYC

On Sunday, the chips finally fell for the Washington Nationals, and the team that inspired throughout the summer found themselves able to make plans for the fall. Four New York homers and more key hits that didn't quite come helped the Metropolitans sweep the Nats at home, dropping them to last place and .500 and mathematically eliminating the team from post-season play. more ›

Stick a fork in 'em? The Nationals' three game cross-country trip to San Diego, which started out on a high note with Friday night's 5-1 victory (John Patterson was brilliant - 9IP, 3H, 0BB, 1R, 6K), ended in the worst way possible: back-to-back heartbreaking losses that might have finally, quietly, snuffed out their 2005 playoff hopes. As you remember, the banged-up Nats left for the West Coast on Thursday a giddy bunch, with their... more ›

>> They can have all the closed door clubhouse meetings they want, but after being swept by the Padres over the weekend, our beloved Nationals have lost 22 of their last 30 games. Ouch. Nats manager Frank Robinson tried to shuffle the line up yesterday to no avail, and if this keeps up, he's running out of time to try any other tricks he has up his sleeve. The Nats are off today as... more ›

The New York Times Magazine featured, this past Sunday, the work of former Expos and current Mets General Manager Omar Minaya, whose work in Flushing has concentrated on attracting Latinos, both to the stands and the playing fields of Shea. Mentioned in the piece is the stellar work Minaya did with Les Expos, bringing in Latino talents such as current Nationals All-Star pitcher Livan Hernandez and second baseman Jose Vidro, in keeping the troubled... more ›

Thanks to another win last night, the Washington Nationals improved their first-place lead over the Braves and Mets by a full game. Not only that, but they extended their win streak to 5 games -- that's the record. Of course the Nats are ranked third overall in the NL behind the Padres and the smokin' St. Louis Cardinals, but when you see them ranked in order, the Nats look all the more impressive: Philadelphia and Florida, the teams ranked last in our division, fall into the NL's middle third. more ›