Presidential Try Outs

Today was the tryouts to be one of the running presidents for National's home games. Unfortunately they requested that no pictures be taken by non media attendees, and also have asked that if we are selected we not publicly announce it. So when I hear one way or the other I will simply post that I have heard but will not specify and I can either tell you in person or via email (Julie, looking in your direction) assuming that wouldn't violate the policy. Ok, here we go.......

I arrived at RFK around 8:30 this morning bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to don the presidential robes. It was pretty funny to see that all the other potential presidents looked pretty much the same as I do and seemed just as excited. By that I mean they were predominantly slightly scruffy guys in their mid to late 20's, dressed either in jeans or warm up pants and trying in earnest to eat the shit eating grins on their faces (as was I). There were only two women and to my amazement one had her arm in a sling. I have no idea how she navigated the weight of the costume with one less appendage. So I got to the business of sizing up my rivals. It wasn't long before my judging glares were interrupted by a reporter from the Washington Times who asked to interview me. He asked why I was trying out, where I was from, pretty much what you would expect but for me the day was just getting better. I was already excited to be there and now I get to be in tomorrow's paper (albeit a paper I never read).

Once I finished up with the interview it was time to go into the stadium. That's when I saw it up close....the field. It's hard to describe the feeling of being able to walk on a the field of a major league park, even a recently retired one. It was half pure wonderment and half sadness since I knew that RFK's glory days have come to an end. That experience was cut short as we had to make our way to the locker room but Let me tell you, seeing RFK from that angle made me feel as excited as a ten year old kid.

Once we made it to the locker room we had to fill out the expected waivers just in case anyone snapped a femur trying to prove that he or she was the real deal. After that we all sat around and listened to a very friendly Nationals staff give us a run down of the costumes and a lecture of what we could and couldn't do in the suit and what we could or couldn’t do if we were selected. Really everyone seemed pretty cool, staff and the people trying out. There was a lot of friendly banter amongst the hopefuls once the staff was done talking and as we waited for late arrivals. Of course this was a competition after all, but it really seemed like everyone was there was having a great time.
Finally it was time to suit up. I don't think I should go too much into detail about the actual mechanics of the costume since the staff seemed pretty adamant about the press not taking pictures of them before we put them on, but what I can tell you is that those things are damn heavy! We were told ahead of time that one of the prerequisites for trying out was the ability to run in a forty pound suit, but I still had no idea how awkward it would be to carry such a top heavy load. Naturally I volunteered to go first. Well, the truth is I had to go first because I had to get back to work today...but I digress. A staff member suited me up in the Thomas Jefferson costume and lead me and two others out on to the field with the rest of the thirty hopefuls and a bunch of media in tow.
There I was, dressed up as Thomas Jefferson lined up ready to race past the visiting team dugout against Abe Lincoln and George Washington (Teddy was mysteriously not in attendance)....literally....I had such a big grin my face hurt. And then we were off. Running in the costume turned out to be a hell of a lot harder than I had imagined. The head kept bobbing around on me and I could hardly see anything but I did manage to finish the race a very close second, although I think just the ability to run in the damn thing is all they really cared about. After the race they had us ham it up a bit and do some shtick. As a former actor this was my forte and I think I did a pretty good job, but who knows.

The last part of the tryouts consisted of an interview with more Nationals staff members. I liked these people a lot. They seemed like the type of people that I would have been friends with even if I wasn't trying to make a good impression. Although I guess if your job is working in baseball and you love it its pretty easy to keep a good attitude.

So that's it. I should find out in a week or two. Wish me luck because this was so much fun today I am still smiling.

I'VE BEEN SELECTED!!!!!

That's right, I have been selected to try out for the Running Teddy Roosevelt for this summers Nationals games. Yes...I realize how big of a dork I sound like right now, but that would be so unbelievably awesome!!!!! Wish me luck, and if I make the cut I expect to see you all at Nationals Stadium rooting for Teddy!!!!!

O's The Agony...Here we go again

(Another One For Abbott)

It's been almost 12 years since that infamous Derek Jeter home run in the 1996 ALCS that ruined the World Series dreams of Orioles fans. Even today, mentioning the name Jeffrey Maier inside the other beltway (I-695)is likely to get you a dirty look and a shake of the head. Yet if it wasn't for Peter Angelos, Maier's name would probably be just another mostly forgotten piece of baseball folklore. Instead Maier's name joins the ranks of the other great spoilers....Billy Buckner, Steve Bartman, and the Billy Goat. To O's fans he is a bitter reminder of what could have been, and probably what should have been. So why do I bring this up today? I bring it up because of the Erik Bedard trade to Seattle, which in my opinion is yet another in a series of long mistakes and setbacks suffered at the hands of an owner who can't tell left from right or up from down.

It's no secret that you simply can not win championships without good starting pitching. Sure, the O's pick up reliever George Sherrill in the trade who had an era of 2.36 over 45.2 innings last season. But lets not forget that we are talking about an Orioles team who gave up 30 runs in one game alone to Texas last August. Relief pitching isn't going to count for anything if by the time you bring him in the score is so lopsided you might as well declare the mercy rule.

Ok, so I am saying the O's need better defense so the acquisition of Adam Jones, a top Seattle prospect, should be good news right? Well, the real answer to that is maybe. Defensively yes, Jones appears to be the cork in the outfield that the O's have been looking for, but behind the plate Jones hasn't been spectacular in his (albeit limited) appearances so far batting .246 with a .700 OPS. I will say that those numbers have improved over last year, and are likely to continue to do so, but in my opinion the gamble is going to end up not being worth giving up Bedard.

I don't pretend to be the all wise sage of baseball trades and acquisitions, and here's hoping that I am completely wrong on all of these predictions. However if the Orioles really want to start to rebuild their team the right way they need to start at the top and figure out a way to trade Angelos.

Keep You Fingers Crossed Everyone!!!

Yesterday I applied to be one of the running presidents at Nationals home games (Teddy Roosevelt to be exact). To my surprise I actually heard back from the Entertainment coordinator today about the position. Holy crap, how awesome would that be?!?!?! Wish me luck!

Congratulations to the Giants...and a few thoughts on Football

One Sunnyside resident, Luis Pinzon, 27, was overcome with joy. “We finally beat Boston,” he said, wearing a Lawrence Taylor jersey. “That’s all I care about. We finally beat ’em. Not Boston. Undefeated Boston,” he said with vindictive relish. “That’s who we beat. As long as they won, I don’t care if the Yankees lose to the Red Sox for the next five years. I’m not going to complain. That’s enough. I’ll give my first-born child to — to — to whomever.”

Mr. Pinzon’s wife, Sonia Pinzon, 26, said she was trying to be supportive, but giving up a child was where she drew the line. “I don’t think so,” she said.

Now that is just TOO funny!!! It reminds me of the SNL Mastercard commercial from after the sox won the World Series in 2004....I can't believe I am actually linking to a red sox site, but this is a classic.

To be honest with all of you, until very recently (last season) I have never been terribly knowledgeable or well schooled in the world of Football. I have now come to the point where I watch it almost every week, but I have not had a real alliance to any particular city as the way I do to my beloved Yankees. See, my high school never had football, and while I would always watch the Super bowl, football was just never on my radar unless it said NURF on the side. When I first moved to football crazed DC my comprehension of the game was so vague I quickly realized that I was going to need to do some home work if I hoped to have anything of sporting substance to talk about from after World Series until the end of the January.

I started small, but steadily gained enough knowledge so that I could at least hold my own against my roommate in our ritualistic Xbox face-offs (we actually kept a running tally of wins on the refrigerator). Believe it or not at that point I actually played as the Patriots. I thought what the hell, I am from New England right? And they actually are not from Boston, but Foxboro, which is miles down I-95. That all ended in October of 2004. You see, even given my limited interest in the game at that time I realized that baseball loyalties cross over to other sports. I could no longer quazi cheer for the Patriots, or root for any team from (or near) Boston for that matter. In a nod to my roommate and good friend, I then chose the Ravens.

Since the early days of the Xbox challenges I have actually grown to really enjoy football. As I mentioned, I now find myself watching almost every Sunday, I even went to my first professional football game in Baltimore and saw the Colts thoroughly embarrass the Ravens. I've come to realize though that I think I should be rooting for the Giants. I can't give up my pledge to support Baltimore, but watching Eli Manning and the Giants this year was awesome. Similar to when the Yankees play the sox, the Super bowl turned out to be a classic New York vs. Boston battle royale. In fact it was nothing less than the best Super bowl I have ever seen. Plus, with so many of my friends being fans of Boston based teams, rooting for the Giants just feels natural. So I think that I have come to an epiphany, I still have a lot to learn about football that much is clear, but I think starting next year I am going to pledge partial allegiance to the Giants with the remaining half going to the Ravens.

I know what you all must be thinking, I am becoming a fair weather fan. I fully admit that, so in order to not be one of "those guys" I hereby pledge the following (at least when it comes to the NFL):

1. I will not to talk the talk until such time as I know football stats at least partially as well as I know baseball stats.

2. I will not purchase any Giants paraphernalia for at least one season.

3. I will know the names of at least 40% of the players on each of my chosen teams.

4. Should someone call me out on my fair weatherness I will not argue.

5. No matter what, The Yankees and Baseball always come first, no exceptions....EVER.