By Alexandra Savage
Coming from a family of baseball fans (Go Sox!), I wanted to get more involved with the baseball scene in D.C. this year, but I had no idea where to start. After doing some research and attending a Nationals game myself, I found myself enjoying all that baseball has to offer in this city. As a result, I decided to create a guide to professional baseball in D.C. for both fans and newcomers alike.
The Washington Nationals
The Nationals, or ‘Nats’, are D.C.’s very own team in Major League Baseball. They play all of their home games at Nationals Park, which is located in Navy Yard. Taking the metro to Nationals Park requires a transfer at L’Enfant Plaza, and the journey can eat up quite a bit of time, especially on the weekends, so it’s important to plan ahead. Like many other college students, I was hesitant to buy an MLB ticket due to its price. However, I found that tickets can be purchased for only nine dollars in the nosebleed sections. Tickets are available at this link and the schedule can be found on the MLB website as well.
Traditions
In addition to having their own stadium, The Nationals’ also have a mascot: an eagle named Screech. He was actually designed by a fourth grade D.C. student named Glenda Gutierrez, and his official birthday is April 17th, 2005 according to an article by WUSA. Screech is also accompanied by four large presidential mascots who take the field every fourth inning for something called “the Presidents Race.” In this competition, Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Roosevelt race across the field, often running into shenanigans along the way. This blog, Let Teddy Win (named after his poor showing in the Presidents Races), has been following the races since 2006 and provides statistics for every President. See the picture below from NPR.
Recent News
The Nationals last won the World Series in 2019 against the Houston Astros. Since then, they have become the lowest-ranked team in the league, according to ESPN. Needless to say, they won’t be in the playoffs this year. This past summer, the Nationals suffered another blow. They lost famed player Juan Soto in a trade to the San Diego Padres after he refused a 440 million dollar contract, according to a piece written by the Washington Post. In return, the Nationals received a group of players from San Diego, including shortstop C.J. Abrams and first baseman Luke Voit. Although their season is drawing to a close, hopefully the Nats will be able to regroup over the winter and come back stronger than ever next season.
