Nationals Game

I know Sunday is supposed to be Top 10 Day, but I have to write a little bit about the Nationals-Mets game that I went to last night. There's tons of things I could focus on, but I'll just pull out some of the highlights.

The first highlight is the metro ride down to the game. Normally, I am a big fan of metro rides, because I enjoy looking at all the odd things people do...it's like a people zoo. However, going to a Nationals game, and one that is on a Friday night, and is starting soon after the ending of a Wizards playoff game, makes the metro a terrible, terrible place. Going to MCI Center is fine because I get on at Grosvenor which means there are plenty of seats and I just sit the whole way, even as others are forced to stand. Well, RFK is on the Orange-Blue line, which means I ended up being one of those saps who was forced to stand this evening...for 8 stops...while basically engaging in the Luckiest Pierre (if you don't know, don't ask) with about 70 other people. Although one guy at the zoo had only 3 visible front teeth, so that made things a bit more entertaining.

So, I make it to the stadium. My buddy picks me up since he lives a few blocks away and we go back to his place for some grilling out and beirut. Beirut was pretty uneventful. Didn't really dominate the table or lose every game, just a whole lotta drinking. Though we did decide to bet $1 on each game...to spice things up. Unfortunately, I didn't have any bills other than a twenty, so I was like, "We'll get you back if we lose. I'm good for it." Then I remembered, I had some change that I brought for the metro. So I reach into my pocket, say "Wait, I got it," and fling a bunch of quarters onto the table. The disgusted looks told the story, so I simply told 'em, "That's how I roll." It was pretty funny at the time, you'll have to trust me on that one.

So we finish that up, and head over to the game...missing the first 2 innings. It's baseball, I'm not really there for the excitement of the game anyway. In total, there's like 17 of us, sitting in the upper seats out along the left field line. These end up being pretty money seats because around the 5th inning, the heavens open up, but we stay dry under an overhang. I'm pretty shitfaced at this point with the beirut and the beers at the game...$6 a beer while I sit in my $10 seat. Ridiculous.

They eventually call the game in the eighth inning due to the rain and that's when the true excitement of the game begins. The grounds crew is apparently not well trained at this point, because they are completely unable to get the tarp onto the infield. At first they have about 15 guys trying to do it and they make it to the edge of the infield before the tarp just stops. And it ain't budging. Words can not really describe the next 20 minutes (I'm not kidding) but before all is said and done, the tarp has been shaken, folded back and forth, twisted, and manhandled by more than 50 guys, several of which have fallen flat on their ass during the exchange. Even some fans tried to lend a hand, but they just ended up with a solid beat down at the hands of security. Truly, the most exciting part of the evening.

I am so glad baseball is in DC.