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If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you'll know that I am slightly obsessed with the Washington Nationals. I attended my first Nationals game way back in July of 2013 (I wore jeans to a baseball game in July - not a wise choice) and sort of fell in love.
I feel like it didn't hurt that the team's nickname is "the Nats" - but there was something more there. The thrill of each at bat, watching pitches whip past batters, hearing the crack of the bat - the sights, sounds and experiences of baseball are absolutely one of my favorite things. So - using the book 100 Things Nationals Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, I decided to make myself a Nationals bucket list - so to speak.
I've only put fifteen things on my list, so it might not seem like a very long list but some of these things will require time...money...luck...or a healthy mix of all three, ha-ha! So, we'll see how long it might take me to try to attempt the things on this list. I think; after four seasons of being a die-hard fan, I'm well on my way!
The List
One. Cheer on the Racing Presidents - The President's Race takes place in the fourth inning of every home game at Nationals Park, so just attending one game allows this one to be accomplished easily. Teddy Roosevelt is a fan favorite - mostly because he loses all the time - so the fans have signs that say "Let Teddy Win". I think Abe is my personal favorite! I've completed this point on the list multiple times and I'll keep on completing it with each game I attend.
Two. Experience the Battle of the Beltway - The Baltimore Orioles are the Nationals biggest non-division rival; you see, when the decision was made to bring baseball back to Washington DC the MLB voted 29-1 to bring the national pastime back to the Nation's capital. The one person that voted against bringing baseball to DC? The owner of the Baltimore Orioles!
Nationals Park and Camden Yards are less than 40 miles apart and it's safe to say the Nationals have "stolen some Orioles fans away over the past fourteen years. The two teams only play 4-6 times a year and the match-up has been dubbed the Battle of the Beltway; the beltway being the name for the stretch of interstate between DC and Baltimore. I watched a game in the Battle of the Beltway on July 11th of 2015 and cheered my Nationals to a victory!
Three. Take a Nationals Road Trip - This is just what it sounds like; you make your vacation plans around the Nationals. You can do this in one of two ways: the first is to go through the Washington Nationals website and by doing this you not only get tickets to two of the three games but you also get hotel accommodations, a VIP tour of the ballpark, a pre-game reception with unlimited food and drink that also features a Washington Nationals player meet and greet and a gift bag that has a t-shirt, hat, MLB game ball and ball holder and access to all the pictures taken by the Nationals staff. Pretty sweet!
The second way to take a Nationals Road Trip is to pick a baseball city, buy your tickets and GO! The cities in closest proximity to Nationals Park are Baltimore (the Orioles @ less than 40 miles), Philadelphia (the Phillies @ 134 miles), Pittsburgh (the Pirates @ 228 miles), and New York City...which offers two options in the Mets ( @ 245 miles and no thank you) and the Yankees ( @ 236 miles). So...there you have it.
I've been to Camden Yards, so while it wasn't a road trip sponsored by the Washington Nationals I have made a road trip to watch my Nationals play!
Four. The 2018 All-Star Game - Which was hosted at Nationals Park in 2018 and was the first time the Summer Classic has been hosted by Washington DC since 1969! The week's festivities included the All-Star Futures Game, the Home Run Derby, Fan Fest, the All-Star Legends & Celebrities Game and of course; the main event, the All-Star Game!
This whole event was a hit or miss because it just depended on timing, schedule and tickets. I missed getting tickets to any of the festivities but I did watch the Home Run Derby with baited breath and cheered Bryce Harper to victory! It was awesome to see him win and a lovely way for him to say good-bye to the city of DC (since he left "us" for Phillie...boo).
Five. Visit Cooperstown - The Baseball Hall of Fame is a must for any fan's list and for Nationals fan, Cooperstown is only 380 miles away from home field. Cooperstown holds baseball mementos and memorabilia from the game of baseball's inception all the way back in the mid-19th century to present day. Definitely on my list...and I'm thinking...long weekend trip to New York that's all about baseball? Sounds perfect to me!
Six. Visit RFK Stadium - The stadium that hosted baseball's return to Washington DC has hosted numerous games throughout it's tenure - including 1,000 combined games between the MLB's Senators (the precursors to the Nationals), the Nationals themselves and also the NFL's Redskins and MLS' DC United.
The stadium has also played host to a multitude of concerts but has spent the last twenty years serving as the home base for DC United. The timeline for visiting RFK Stadium was pretty short; it was in decline and DC United's new stadium at Buzzard Point has been opened and is in use, so I guess I've missed my chance on this one. *oops*
Seven. Watch the Nationals Minor League Teams - There are five teams in the National's Minor League System and I've listed them all below. Catching a Potomac Nationals game or a Hagerstown Suns game seem like the mostly likely options.
AAA - Fresno Grizzlies; located in Fresno, California. These players are literally a step away from the major leagues.
AA - Harrisburg Senators; located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Senators are where the Nationals send players for rehab starts.
A - Potomac Nationals; located in Woodbridge, Virginia.
A - Hagerstown Suns; located in Hagerstown, Maryland.
A - Auburn Doubledays; located in Auburn, New York.
Eight. Meet the Lerners - The wealthy owners of the Washington Nationals; Ted Lerner and his son Mark purchased the Washington Nationals franchise for a cool $450 million in July of 2006 and have since gone on to build the club so that it now stands at a value of approximately $1.2 billion! Not bad for thirteen years of management!
I'm not sure how you'd go about meeting the Lerners - although since they always sit in the Lexus Presidents Club Seats, perhaps it ties into number nine?
Nine. Sit in the PNC Diamond Club Seats - What could only be described as the ultimate in Nationals fan experiences; the seats in the PNC Diamond Club (located in the Delta Sky Lounge) range in price from $200 - $400! So you'll see what I mean when I say that some money might be involved in accomplishing some of these...ha-ha!
Does it count that I sat in the Lexus President's Club seats (now known as the PNC Diamond Club) on my tour of Nationals Park in November of 2015? I didn't think so... Maybe one year for a "big" birthday I can get a seat there?
Ten. Learn the Names on the Ring of Honor - There are 19 names (at present) on the Ring of Honor at Nationals Park. To be named to the Ring of Honor, you must be: in the Baseball Hall of Fame, must have played with the Washington Nationals, Washington Senators, Homestead Grays or the Montreal Expos and must have played significant years with the above mentioned franchises.
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| May 2015 |
Eleven. Hang out with Screech - On a warm spring day; April 17th, 2005 if we're getting specific, a rather large egg wandered onto the field at Nationals Park and the (large) baby bald eagle that hatched from the egg was christened "Screech" because he wouldn't stop screeching about his favorite team - the Nationals!
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| June 2016 |
This one was fairly easy when my seats were located right near the field in June of 2016! I snapped this gem of a picture then!
Twelve. Go to Nationals Park on Opening Day - This one is obvious; who wouldn't want to attend Opening Day? The 2016 season for the Nationals started on the road but I definitely contemplated tickets. I'm happy to report that I'll be going to Opening Day this year - in just one week! I'll definitely be posting all about that next week!
Thirteen. Go to Nationals Park on July Fourth - Nothing scream patriotic like wearing your red, white and blue while watching America's favorite pastime, right? My little sister and I were at the ballpark for July 4th of 2016 and we returned again for July 4th of 2017!
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July 4, 2016
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Fourteen. Watch a Concert at Nationals Park - Baseball games happen at Nationals Park 81 days of the year, but attending a concert at Nationals Park is just one way to change up the Nationals Park experience! The Park has been host to over 20 concerts over the last few years and they don't seem to be planning on changing that any time soon! I saw Billy Joel in June of 2016!
Fifteen. Get Autograph(s) - I'll go ahead and say that number fifteen on this list will also be the one that requires the most "luck"...but hey; I plan to be a lifelong Nationals fan, so I have plenty of seasons to try my luck!
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My ideas were cultivated from the book 100 Things Nationals Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die by Jake Russell. You can grab a copy on Amazon and if for some crazy reason you cheer for some other major league baseball team (why...why would you ever want to do that?), then I've noticed they also seem to have books just like this one for each and every team. So that's cool, I guess!
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