This is just kind of sad. While it has yet to be officially announced by the team, it’s long been reported that, schedule permitting, President Barack Obama will throw out the first pitch at the Nationals home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, April 13. Yes, the home opener is a weekday afternoon game (3:05 p.m.), but considering the one-two punch of the Nats playing the world champion Phillies and the promise that the wildly popular Obama will be there, you’d think our pathetic little baseball franchise wouldn’t have any trouble selling tickets to at least this one game. You’d think that, but you’d be wrong.

This afternoon, the Nationals sent out an email to fans with the subject line, “Tickets for Opening Day are still available.” Inside the email, the newsletter offers up links to each and every Nats home game in their first week, which all still have plenty of tickets available, including Opening Day. Did they mention the first 20,000 fans at the home opener get a free Opening Day Hat?

Sigh. With evidence like this, it’s hard to imagine D.C. will ever become any sort of baseball town. Maybe this is why the new Screech looks so freaked out?