Photo by Kevin H.

Washington’s professional baseball team has some trouble getting people — I mean, other than visiting fans, of course — to buy tickets to games at Nationals Park. But you can’t say they aren’t trying!

Offering incredibly cheap tickets and hot dogs, installing arguably the hottest fast food joint in the city in the centerfield stands and extending deep discounts to college students are all good ideas. The latest attempt of the team to draw people in? Beginning tomorrow, the Nats will offer a $5 beer “special” beginning two and a half hours before first pitch along the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar for every home game the rest of the season.

Now I’m as big a fan of enjoying a cold one at the ballpark as anyone. But realistically, with this promotion, the Nationals are proving two things: a) what’s considered a “special” price on beer these days is quite depressing, and b) the team obviously believes that there’s a large group of people out there who is willing to buy a ticket and show up to the park at 4:30 p.m. to drink five-dollar American macro lagers — and they might actually be right, which is pretty sad in its own way.