Post by Lefteroo on May 20, 2005 5:43:22 GMT -5
I got to play hookey yesterday afternoon (with my boss's permission) and slinked off to RFK Stadium to take in the Nats' matinee with Milwaukee. As I pointed out last month, it's an easy subway ride via DC's Metro to the ballpark, and there I rendezvoused with LL and my great pal and huge Yankee fan Diamond Jim.
Diamond Jim sprung for the $7 tix and I brought the sandwiches from Subway. We sat in the uppest deck down the right field line, and the seats were excellent. The game was sort of typical for the Nats - great starting pitching and a dearth of hitting. Even Nick Johnson failed to reach base; I think that's only the second time all year that has happened. The Nats scratched out three runs for the day, largely through the heroics of Vinnie Castilla, who doubled in Jamey Carroll and later scored the winning run on a short passed ball. He'd have been out by a mile, but the catcher's toss to the pitcher covering home was mishandled. Castilla also started a nifty 5-4-3 in the 8th and has been a rock all season at the hot corner. Carroll is a little-known reserve infielder who has been forced into the lineup due to a serious ankle sprain by Jose Vidro, and he has also been excellent.
This team is such fun to follow. They come out and play hard every night, and their pitching, including Esteban Loaiza, has been superb. RFK is a wonderful place to see a game.
Diamond Jim had a great story about his subway ride to the park. The train was crowded, and he happened to sit next to an elderly lady - he estimated her to be near 80, but she seemed to be rather elegant. She asked him if he was headed to the ball game, and he said yes. She then said, "You know, I thought Frank Robinson showed a lot of courage last night allowing Jeffrey Hammonds to bat in the bottom of the ninth." [Hammonds broke an 0-13 streak with a one-out, bases-loaded walk-off hit to produce a 1-0 victory.] Diamond Jim was astonished, but the woman, it turns out, is a season-ticket holder and proved to be incredibly knowledgeable about the game. Jim really enjoyed his conversation with her about baseball.
Diamond Jim sprung for the $7 tix and I brought the sandwiches from Subway. We sat in the uppest deck down the right field line, and the seats were excellent. The game was sort of typical for the Nats - great starting pitching and a dearth of hitting. Even Nick Johnson failed to reach base; I think that's only the second time all year that has happened. The Nats scratched out three runs for the day, largely through the heroics of Vinnie Castilla, who doubled in Jamey Carroll and later scored the winning run on a short passed ball. He'd have been out by a mile, but the catcher's toss to the pitcher covering home was mishandled. Castilla also started a nifty 5-4-3 in the 8th and has been a rock all season at the hot corner. Carroll is a little-known reserve infielder who has been forced into the lineup due to a serious ankle sprain by Jose Vidro, and he has also been excellent.
This team is such fun to follow. They come out and play hard every night, and their pitching, including Esteban Loaiza, has been superb. RFK is a wonderful place to see a game.
Diamond Jim had a great story about his subway ride to the park. The train was crowded, and he happened to sit next to an elderly lady - he estimated her to be near 80, but she seemed to be rather elegant. She asked him if he was headed to the ball game, and he said yes. She then said, "You know, I thought Frank Robinson showed a lot of courage last night allowing Jeffrey Hammonds to bat in the bottom of the ninth." [Hammonds broke an 0-13 streak with a one-out, bases-loaded walk-off hit to produce a 1-0 victory.] Diamond Jim was astonished, but the woman, it turns out, is a season-ticket holder and proved to be incredibly knowledgeable about the game. Jim really enjoyed his conversation with her about baseball.