Getting Their Red On For The Rock The Red Crowd

A sellout crowd at Verizon Center for a Washington Capitals Hockey Game provided the largest turnout of the first three days of The 2010 Winter Caravan. At one point, the line of hockey/baseball fans waiting on the main concourse to get autographs with Nyjer Morgan, Matt Capps, Ryan Speier, Adam Dunn, John Lannan and Josh Willingham snaked a good quarter way around the arena from Section 108. Upstairs near Section 424, Brian Bruney, Drew Storen, Craig Stammen, Tyler Clippard, Danny Espinosa and MASN's Rob Dibble greeted an equally enthusiastic, although not as frenzied, group of supporters for one hour before The Capitals took on The Florida Panthers in NHL Hockey.



Our Washington Nationals were Getting Their Red On with The Washington Capitals Rock The Red Crowd.



With Nationals Principal Owner Mark Lerner a partner in Lincoln Holdings alongside Ted Leonsis--The Owner Of The Washington Capitals, Our Washington Nationals and The Caps are perfect partners to cross promote to each other's fan bases. Over the past three seasons, both teams have joined together for numerous events and last night's friendly Winter Caravan Stop on Fun Street was the latest to Get Everyone's Red On.


Both teams wear the same colors. Both teams cater to a similar fan base. And both franchises are looking to becoming forces in their respective sports. The Capitals are already close with arguably the greatest player in hockey today--Alexander Ovechkin, an exciting young team and an electric fan base that makes attending any Caps game at Verizon Center an enjoyable experience. The Capitals also put on a terrific in-game experience.

Our Washington Nationals are working to reach that level with Ryan Zimmerman onboard, Stephen Strasburg rising in the wings and their own young and hungry fan base thirsting for that same success The Washington Capitals have enjoyed over the past three seasons. Solid years of championship runs are reasonably in sight for The Caps. They've framed a solid foundation. A goal Our Washington Nationals would love to emulate and build upon in their not too distant future.


Can you imagine if The Washington Capitals took home The Stanley Cup in the same year as Our Washington Nationals won The World Series? That would be some serious "GETTING YOUR RED ON" and The Nation's Capital would probably go bonkers. Growing your fan base is important. The Capitals have done an excellent job doing so--winning consistently didn't hurt them either. Our Washington Nationals are following a similar track. They are just not there yet. And last night's Winter Caravan stop at Verizon Center spotlighted the team's ever growing hold on the region in professional sports.

The Rock The Red Crowd wanted to be Baseball Fans, too. That's a good sign for both franchises Getting Their Reds On.

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The 2010 Washington Nationals Hot Stove Luncheon

Our General Manager Mike Rizzo, responding to a question by Season Ticket Holder Ray Mitten--who wants to see Adam Dunn "retire as a National"--proclaimed that on this very day he began preliminary discussions with Dunn on a possible contract extension. Mr. Rizzo also stated Stephen Strasburg will have to put in his "apprenticeship" in the minor leagues before being called up to the parent club. And that Orlando Hudson is still in the mix as a possible middle infield upgrade in 2010--but other players are also being discussed.

Our Manager Jim Riggleman believes that injuries curtailed Cristian Guzman's efficiency at shortstop in 2009 and he expects "The Guz" to return to his usual role on the left side of the infield in 2010. Riggleman also stated he was "naive" about players juicing on steroids during the previous decade of play.

And Team President Stan Kasten believes Washington can be a top market--just below New York & Los Angeles in payroll and market size.



That was the news that came out of today's 2010 Hot Stove Luncheon at Nationals Park. The 2nd Annual Event sold out in the Conference Center which drew a festive crowd itching for the baseball season to begin anew for Our Washington Nationals. This social get together has become the KICK-OFF of Washington's new campaign in a very short span of time. Ask most Season Ticket Holders who paid their $45 or $75 (to sit with a player) and attend. The atmosphere was terrific. An opportunity to chat with Mr. Kasten, Mr. Rizzo, Riggleman, Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Matt Capps, John Lannan, Nyjer Morgan, Drew Storen, Josh Willingham, Craig Stammen, Jason Marquis, Tyler Clippard, Brian Bruney, Danny Espinosa or Ryan Speier. Everything on the record. Just speak up and get a response.

Many did.


It also didn't hurt that "Tony Plush" was in attendance. "Chicken Man", also known as Hugh, was sitting at our table along with Our Washington Nationals John Lannan. Hugh was wearing his specially made "Plush" Hockey Jersey which Nyjer immediately took notice of and came over to adore and embrace. That man is hilarious. Just like during the Q & A, The African Queen looked up and noticed Morgan glancing at her. When she waved--this was the response.

He's too much.

Honestly, for the remainder of the afternoon, every time Nyjer Morgan made eye contact with Sohna--he would perform a special wave. They would laugh and laugh and laugh. That's fun. That makes everything personal. And that's what many fans of Our Washington Nationals enjoyed this afternoon at Nationals Park. A chance to just embrace the camaraderie of chatting with Our Players and getting to know them a little bit better.




For nearly three hours today, a few hundred fans of Our Washington Nationals enjoyed a lunch headlined by Chicken Marsala and finished off with the largest serving of Cheesecake seen in some time. Then, participate in an hour long Q & A headlined by NBC's "Meet The Press Moderator" David Gregory and assisted on the floor by MASN's Rob Dibble--who was taking questions. After the conclusion of the formal lunch program, every fan was invited to The Stars & Stripes Club for an autograph and picture session with 12 participating players, Riggleman and Dibble.



Finally, included for every attendee--free gifts: Red Curly "W" Fleece Blanket, Curly "W" Water Bottle, Curly "W" Baseball Seam Bracelet and a Harris Teeter Nationals tote bag. Additionally, one lucky person at each table was a recipient of a Nationals Backpack which contained various memorabilia and a "signed" jersey of a Washington Player.

Was the 2010 Hot Stove Luncheon a major news maker?

No, but that was not the point.


On one of the coldest days in Washington, D.C. in recent memory, The 2010 Season Ticket Holder Hot Stove Luncheon was burning hot with conversation about Our Washington Nationals. Today's event at Nationals park further spurred our interest in the new season approaching, while leaving The African Queen and I yearning for that most well-known phrase heard before each played game: Play Ball!!

Sohna and I had a wonderful time today just enjoying baseball and our team.

And that's really what it's all about.

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Our Conversation With Jonathan Griffith/P-Nats VP & General Manager

One of the real pleasures of enjoying Major League Baseball again in the Washington, D.C. area is the opportunity to not only see Our Washington Nationals play on a regular basis, but also one of their Minor League Affiliates. Just 20 to 30 minutes south of The Nation's Capital, The Carolina League Potomac Nationals compete in Single A Ball, three steps from The Big Leagues.





Last night at Pfitzner Stadium--The 2010 Winter Caravan made it's sixth stop in Woodbridge, Virginia. While players Danny Espinosa, Drew Storen and Ryan Speier signed autographs and took pictures alongside MASN's Rob Dibble for fans, The African Queen and I chatted with Jonathan Griffith--Vice President & General Manager of The Potomac Nationals. The P-Nats share a close relationship with their Major League Affiliate. Both are building newer fan bases. There is a distinct possibility Washington's Number One Overall Draft Pick from 2009--Stephen Strasburg--might pitch a portion of 2010 in a Potomac Uniform. The hype has barely begun. And there is a long standing new stadium issue that many would like to see resolved. For a good 15 minutes, The P-Nats VP & GM chatted with Sohna and I.

Here is Our Conversation With Jonathan Griffith:

How important is it to have the local Major League Team your affiliate? (SBF)

“I believe it is huge. We’ve been associated with many other teams. Having the closeness, not only for us, but also The Washington Nationals, means all these people here are Washington Nationals Fans and Potomac Nationals Fans. We are trying to create the winning atmosphere down here in Woodbridge. And if you look all the way from us and up in their Minor League System—they are all winners. They all have winning records and the entire organization is benefiting from the Minor Leagues.”

“Having The Washington Nationals here tonight is great for us because those people who didn't know about us before—do now. The general public we have just let in here (for the caravan stop). They probably have never been here before. They didn’t realize how close we (The P-Nats) were to D.C. Additionally, this is helping to get the word out: ‘Hey, you can get to see these guys before they go big time’. John Lannan pitched here. Drew Storen was here last year. Craig Stammen was here previously. In fact, Washington’s Starting Five (from 2009) was at some point here over the past two seasons. So, for us, that is our big thumping point. Come See Them Now—Before They Are Stars.”

Are you seeing Washington Nationals Fans coming down here on a more regular basis? (SBF)

“Yes, we are. When they first got here in 2005, it really hurt us because everyone wanted to see the new kid in town. Now, more people are realizing we are the affiliate of The Washington Nationals and they also want to see us because we are less expensive as well. When a family of four can come here on a Monday for $4—that’s a huge drawing point for us. We really benefit off that. At Nationals Park, we have our kiosk set up on the main concourse. We run commercials on the scoreboard and people are realizing more and more: ‘Hey, The Potomac Nationals are only 20-minutes down the road. We can go down there and see them when they are young.’ That especially rings true if we get Stephen Strasburg. We had Storen last year. If we get Strasburg or some of the other top prospects, it will help us out a lot.”

It’s a distinct possibility Strasburg is coming here—at least for a short period of time. (SBF)

“I know. I know.”

How are you going to handle that? (SBF)

“Obviously, the press aspect of it is going to be our biggest concern. We will probably be sold out for the first couple of months. That’s huge for us as April & May are usually tough months trying to get people to come out and see a game here. He (Strasburg) seems to be the ticket for everybody to come see him pitch. We are preparing for it now, especially with the media aspect. On a normal game, you know this; we have two people covering us. On the day Strasburg possibly pitches—we are going to have hundreds of media here. We have already started to prepare for that now. Even though we are in January now—we only have really two months to get ready for that to happen. Hopefully, it will happen. If it doesn’t, we will be prepared for the next top prospect to come.”

In Arizona, Strasburg was pitching in The Arizona Fall League where usually 100 people attending a game is a big crowd. He pitches and thousands show up. He’s a different ball game. (SBF)

“Yeah, no doubt. He was selling out pitching in college games. When you sellout a college start, you are going to sellout a minor league ball field too—especially when we are 20 minutes down the road from the parent club. People in D.C. need a bright point. Hopefully, he will turn out to be our guy. And when he gets up to D.C. he will be our shutdown guy, that number 1 type pitcher. That sense of excitement about what he could be in The Majors, will filter down and draw fans here to see him now. And of course, everyone is going to get the chance to see him here—for a whole lot less.”

“And the access we give here is excellent. Our guys here are as close as we are talking right now when they are down on the field—compared to Nats Park. When The Washington Nationals are down in the bullpen, their players are a few hundred feet away. Here, in the bullpen, you are talking to the fans. So, it’s a big thing for those who come to see us play.”

Hopefully, if Strasburg does come here and gives you big crowds you will be able to keep them. (The African Queen)

“No doubt it will draw us fans we have never had before. We would draw from Washington, D.C. and Maryland—places we normally can’t draw from. But we will then because of the unique circumstances surrounding Strasburg.”

There is a branding aspect to this that is unbelievable. (SBF)

“Yes, there is. And we know this is kind of a once in a lifetime deal. We do realize that and we are going to try and jump on it as much as possible. As soon as we have him show up at our team hotel, it will be on. (laughter among us)”

Could Strasburg arriving to play for The Potomac Nationals jumpstart the delays in getting a new stadium for this team? (SBF)

“When it comes to the new ballpark, it’s not a matter of anyone not wanting it. No one has the money right now. If we could find a naming rights sponsor it would be a done deal. We have everything set up and ready to go. Prince William County is behind us. We have The Washington Nationals behind us, but it’s just a matter of $25 Million and where it comes from. And that is the biggest question. You hear talk about us moving to Loudon County or this place or that place, but like I tell everyone—until we have that $25 Million, we are not moving anywhere. If someone wins the lotto and wants to give us $25 Million (laughing)—Hey, I am in!! But that’s really the only chance for us to move unless we get a naming rights holder. We are trying very hard along those lines, but it just hasn’t happened yet.”

The toughest thing here is the day games during the hot summers. There is no protection from the heat. (SBF)

“It’s brutal. It’s just so hot. It’s also the ballpark. In the average ballpark, the clubhouse has things these guys don’t have here: the gym equipment, the spas, things like that we just don’t have so we have to go outside for it. It would be nice to have a nice little ballpark for our fans and our players, especially after Harrisburg (Washington’s AA Affiliate) did all their renovations. And they were basically, a bigger us as far as the building used. Now, they’ve kind of stepped it up. So now they’ve done it, we need to follow suit. And we are doing everything in our power to make something happen.”

Something like Bowie (P.G. County Stadium/BaySox) would be terrific. (SBF)

“That’s a great little ballpark. It really is. I love Bowie; even Frederick (Maryland—home of The Keys) is a nice ballpark. They’ve done some renovations to their ballpark the last year or two. And it’s so funny, every time we play them up there, you see just as many Nationals Fans as Orioles Fans now. It’s really pretty funny. And I tend to walk around the ballpark in Frederick and remind those folks The Potomac Nationals are just down the road. Come on down and see us.”

You mentioned earlier that when The Washington Nationals first came to D.C. you lost some of your fan base. Now catching lightning in the bottle, do you think you can sustain that momentum? (SBF)

“This is what I tell people. Our fan base is five years old. We don’t have the hard-core fans like The Orioles yet. We haven’t been here as long. The Washington Nationals haven’t been here that long. We are growing our fan base just like The Washington Nationals are. We get more of the casual family that wants to go out for an evening. We don’t get the fan here that is living or dying on us winning and losing. You get that far more in The Big Leagues. All these kids we see playing at Potomac, we are growing them for Washington. We do these baseball camps out here every year for children. Danny Espinosa was out there last year. Michael Burgess was out there last year instructing. Those guys are going to be in The Big Leagues. Those children are going to be telling their parents to take them up to Nationals Park for games for that reason. And that is kind of the whole point of the Minor Leagues anyway. We are all building this together and we can do nothing but grow.”

It also has to help with The Washington Nationals close that so many of their players come down here to Woodbridge on re-hab assignments? (SBF)

“You look at how many Big League guys we get in comparison to all the other Carolina League Teams. No other team is getting the quality of guys we receive. On average, we are getting nine to twelve guys per year. Big League guys who come down here to get themselves back into playing shape. That doesn’t happen anywhere else. Dmitri Young was here last year, Elijah Dukes. We also had Lastings Milledge here for us and then for The Pirates Organization as well.”

And he hit a couple home runs here off your guys. (SBF)

“Yeah, he did. But it makes the atmosphere here more fun because we have such good access to Major League players coming to play for us for short periods of time. And those guys love it because they can stay in their own homes in the D.C. area, be with their family and come down here, play ball and go back home. We provide more of a family atmosphere for those players than they would get going to Harrisburg or Syracuse for re-hab assignments--and living in a hotel. That’s makes our situation nice for both them and us.”

With that final answer, Our Conversation With Jonathan Griffith/P-Nats VP & General Manager came to a close. The Potomac Nationals do offer a nice alternative and a good opportunity to watch, at Pfitzner Stadium, some of Our Washington Nationals youngest stars develop--a year or two before they ever play a single game at Nationals Park.

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"Stuffing Party"--USO Warehouse--Ft. Belvoir, Virginia

"The fact that Jim Riggleman would take time out of his schedule 21 days before Spring Training and come to Ft. Belvoir, Virginia to pack bags for soldiers, sailors, air corpsmen and marines deploying around the world--says something about him as an American," stated Major General Karl Horst, Commander Joint Force Headquarters—National Capital Region—Military District of Washington. "It says something about him as a leader of The Nationals' organization and also the commitment from professional athletes and professional athletic organizations."





Major General Horst was standing inside The USO Warehouse located in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, just south of the nation's capital. A "Stuffing Party" was well underway and Our Washington Nationals were participating. Day two of the 2010 Winter Caravan was making it's 5th stop in support of our Armed Forces. Principal Owners Mark & Judy Lerner were joined by Our Manager Jim Riggleman, MASN's Rob Dibble, Infielder Danny Espinosa, Pitchers Drew Storen & Ryan Speier, Screech, as well as, about dozen front office staff from NatsTown.




“Today, we are putting together deployment kits and care packages that will be going out to troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan. And also, troops that are deploying out to Haiti," explained Ron Wise--Director, Operation USO Care Package. "To date, we have shipped out over 1.8 million care packages and the Nationals are here this day to thank the troops for our country and show support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom”.



For nearly two hours, Nationals Staff, USO Staff, Civilian Volunteers & Military Personnel formed a human assembly line to package 2025 Care Packages. Many to be given to troops deploying over the next few days and weeks. Others to be shipped to armed forces members already on the ground overseas. Three to four times per month this particular USO Warehouse is brimming with activity. Inside each care package are hygiene items, at least three or four snacks, an entertainment item, a message of support written by a volunteer and a pre-paid phone card so the troops can call back home. The care packages are produced to boost the moral and show the troops the American Public is standing behind them. And for many of the servicemen and women, this will be the only thing they receive when they deploy out.

“Anything you can do for the Armed Forces is great to be a part of. They do so much for us," believes Mark Lerner. "As you know, we try to do something with the military at every one of our home games. This is just another extension of that. I wish we could do more because you can never do enough for their sacrifices."

95% of all items included in the Care Packages are purchased by The USO thanks to generous cash contributions from donors throughout these United States & Territories. Additionally, The USO receives product donations from companies like Energizer, Gillette, Reader’s Digest, AT&T and Wrigley’s gum. But, any product donated must fit within the size limitations of the foot square packages.


Jim Riggleman: This one is unique. I am really glad to have the chance to be here today. I never knew how this stuff was organized. What a tremendous effort to be able to get these various items—that you and I take for granted—packed up and sent on their way so the troops can have some comforts. It’s not only impressive to see this in action, but it’s necessary and I am really happy to be able to be here today and participate."

Since becoming American GI's "Home Away From Home" during World War II, The USO has supported, entertained and boosted morale of armed forces members. Today, there are 140 centers worldwide. “Our role has never changed," said Mr. Wise. "We are still doing shows in Iraq & Afghanistan. We have entertainers lining up to go out and do shows. Our strong point is also when those troops are deploying out or coming back in, they don’t have any money. They need a place to shower, a place to sleep. That’s when we are there at the airports. We have centers in Baghdad and also in Afghanistan. We try to be in those places where they need us the most. Honestly, this effort can’t go away, not until everyone is home. That’s our mission—until the troops come home.”


That's why so many liked minded volunteers, including members from Our Washington Nationals were on hand at Ft. Belvoir this Wednesday afternoon giving their personal time in support for a worthy cause.


Major General Horst gets the final words: "The men and women soldiers, sailors, air corpsmen and marines deployed overseas ensure and protect our way of life. Baseball is our way of life too. There is a symbiotic relationship as I see it where these teams and these athletes are giving back to our nation as well. We are all called on to serve in a special way and this is how they (Our Washington Nationals) serve in support of our men and women in the armed forces.”

SIDE NOTES: USO TO GO



"I don’t think people realize sometimes how bad it is over there (in Afghanistan). It’s complicated, but with a lot of coordination and a lot of security we make sure we get out there too," explained Ron Wise. Many of America's deployed troops are stationed in very remote areas and that is where "USO TO GO" comes in. It's a re-fitted Entertainment Center that can be transported to the forward lines to help relieve stress out in the field of combat. No larger than 10' X 10' in size, "USO TO GO" is stocked with DVD movies, a flat-screen HDTV, three computer XBOX gaming centers, computers to access the internet and VOIP telephones for the servicemen and women can call home for free--thanks to it's remote satellite uplink capabilities. Three are currently in Afghanistan, two in Iraq and one in Africa. They are transported around based on need.

Finally, Major General Horst presented both Mark Lerner and Jim Riggleman with a very specially engraved Joint Force Headquarters--National Capital Region--Military District Of Washington Medallion: The Award Of Excellence during today's "Stuffing Party". "We give these to our service men and women and to special people that support us--for a job well done," said Major General Horst.

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