A strange mix of excitement and irony swirled around Nationals Park over the roller coaster last 24 hours. Anticipation and eagerness surrounded the start to the day when Nationals introduced top draft pick Bryce Harper to fans and media in “Oppo Boppo” fashion before he heads off to begin his professional baseball career. A familiar rush of hope surged when right-handed starter Jordan Zimmermann made his first start on an MLB mound post Tommy John surgery, facing the Cardinals in place of Stephen Strasburg, on the 15-day DL awaiting results of an MRI. Both events tempered the fear of the unknown lurking in Nats fans’ hearts while the lead roller coaster car click-click-clacked up the steep hill. The cars crested and careened down as stomachs clenched and the latest punch was thrown as the ride surged into the first loop of today’s morning press conference — Stephen Strasburg will miss the remainder of this season and likely most of next season with ‘likely’ Tommy John surgery.

Oof. What a horrendous punch to the gut for Nats fans. Strasburg has intrigued both ardent and casual fans alike nationwide since before his June 8th MLB debut, filling stadiums across the country. He brought buzz. He brought intrigue. He brought passion. He brought 92 strikeouts and 100 MPH fastballs that made opposing batters look like little leaguers. In addition, he brought hope and a reason to watch and pay attention to the Nationals after coming off a 100+ loss season. He brought (positive) national media attention. MLB Network took notice of the team in the Nation’s capital. ESPN took notice. Even though this season is likely a wash, fans eagerly looked forward to next year’s trot out of the opening day gate. All that – crushed. Gone. In one pitch plus six days of nailbiting while waiting for MRI results.

The initial shock is extremely difficult to overcome. Cry. Drink (wait til you get home from work, though). Eat cheese fries (or whatever comfort food you prefer, that just happens to be mine). Take a bubble bath. Listen to Mozart. Then look for hope.

Read more on CSNwashington.com

• Strasburg Signing
• Rumors of Rizzo’s Desmise
• Tony Plush at ESPN Zone
• Rizzo Saved!
• Twitter/Facebook Followers Night
• Ladies Night
• Strasburg Introduced
• Picnic in the Park
• And More…!

This might be my busiest week ever as a Nats Fan… must keep the stamina up (and the family from feeling abandoned)! It started Monday night as a hardy bunch of us gathered on Capitol Hill with our phones and laptops to keep up a group watch for the signing of Stephen Strasburg (picture above). TV announcer Bob Carpenter got wind of the gathering and even mentioned it on ESPN News that night while doing the interview circuit, his MASN blog, and Tuesday night’s game broadcast! He likes to think our positive energy helped things work out the way they did. Ok, I’ll take that!

We sat on Twitter, Facebook, and draft blogs all night long, figuring those were likely the first places news would break. Three people at a table near us were highly amused. “Are you on a live feed? (giggle)” Yep. “Oh, look! She’s got a phone AND a laptop going at the same time – two fisted!” Well, ya know, I had to do my twitpics with the phone! I think I got some funny video as midnight passed and we voiced conjecture on whether the deal would get done or not. I’m not sure anyone will let me post it, but we’ll see :-) Good times!

Obviously, Strasburg was signed with just over a minute to spare. I think it took about 3-5 minutes more for the news to break on Twitter. And there was much rejoicing! He will be introduced to fans and media Friday at 2 PM on the field at Nationals Park. $1 tickets will be offered at the ticket sales booth starting at noon until they run out (1,000 left). 6,000 allotted were sold yesterday online already. Fans can get into the stadium if they have tickets to Friday night’s game (which the $1 tickets include).

Last night was Teddy’s Twitter and Facebook Followers Night at the ballpark. More on that later, although I think I must have missed the good stuff as I didn’t arrive until the game started. Ladies Night is tonight! Unfortunately, the mechanical bull is unable to make it. I’ll have to find something else to photograph and amuse myself with this time. Saturday is the season ticket holder appreciation “Picnic in the Park”. Sunday is the next blogger day. So with the exception of Tuesday when I watched the game from the comfort of my recliner, this has been a jam packed week at Nats Park!

p.s. Congrats to dcborn61 and Andrew on winning the draft contest. I’ll email you details on redeeming your Coveroo shortly!

We touched down at BWI at 4:30 PM and raced home, showered, dropped the kids off with the sitter, and arrived at Nats Park in the middle of the 2nd inning. As we made our way to our usual parking area, there were open spots on the street and I suggested we park there. We continued to the $15 transportation lot next to the Douglass Bridge instead since we got a parking ticket on the street once. Should’ve parked on the street. I held my hat over my face as we made our way to the S. Capitol/Potomac intersection as the garbage smell was gag-inducingly awful. I didn’t bring my camera to the game because I was tired after traveling all day and also not in the best mood going to our first game since Manny Acta was fired. I should have remembered my American Express ripoff mantra of never leave home without it.

The game was pretty exciting in the beginning, but I’m sure you know how it ends. Jim Riggleman lost his third game in a row to his former team as the Nationals interim replacement manager. Despite not knowing how I’d feel at the game, figuring I’d just observe from a detached state of mind, I did find myself jumping in cheering a few times. I probably looked funny cheering without one iota of Nats garb on. I was wearing my glider hat acquired in Oregon (and cringed after realizing its blue color could be taken as a Cubs thing). (Yes, I shamelessly plugged a link to vacation photos in there!) I understand the “get your red on” campaign for this series as after every play that went the Cubs way, seas of blue stood in the stands. Quite stunning to see, actually.

With iced coffee in hand (beer vendors were in oddly short supply), we walked back to the lot after the game. We trudged through the gate closest to Nats Park and weaved between parked trailers in the dark since it was the closest entrance point and wandered across toward our car. A police officer standing close to the main entrance/exit gate was yelling, but we ignored him not realizing he was yelling at us. “Yes, you sir! Leave the lot immediately! Do not go to your car!”

Wha?! Confusion ensued. Are we in trouble? Is everyone in the lot being checked for something? What is going on? We filed out with others while hearing nothing about the situation and stood on the street outside the lot trying to get upwind from the garbage smell with hundreds of others. We heard it could be “a while” — an hour or more before we’d be allowed in. Rumors of a dead body floated around (given the smell). Then we heard assault. Manhunt. Soon a DC police helicopter lifted off from the heli-pad nearby and circled around with a search light pointed in our general vicinity. [ Crappy Photoset ]

K9 units arrived and slipped into the lot under the police tape now stretched across the gate. More police cars arrived. Eventually a policeman put a very large automatic weapon into the trunk of one. That sent a few of us several steps backwards, particularly since we’d been wondering aloud if we were sitting ducks standing out there like idiots while some criminal was on the loose. Just as suddenly, we were free to return to our cars with the mystery of what happened still unknown. Anyone know what happened? I’ve scoured news sites and turned up nothing.

Ah welcome back home to Nats Town! Vacation is over.

So do I buy a ticket to the 1st game and skip ladies night to see potential history being made (or rather, hopefully see Zimmermann postpone history) and photograph it? Or do I attend Ladies Night like the good girl I am and photograph that instead??

All tickets for tonight’s postponed contest, including season tickets, will be treated as rain checks and can be exchanged for same priced tickets for any future 2009 Nationals home game, excluding the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on June 23, 24 and 25. All rain check exchanges are subject to availability. Tickets can be exchanged at any Nationals Park box office. Nationals Park box office hours are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

NATIONALS RESCHEDULE MAY 3 RAINOUT AGAINST CARDINALS FOR JULY 23 AT 7:05 PM

The Washington Nationals today announced that their postponed May 3 contest vs. the St. Louis Cardinals has been rescheduled as a 7:05 p.m. game at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23.

Season-ticket and mini-plan holders, whose ticket plans include tickets for the postponed May 3 contest, should retain their tickets for use during the rescheduled game on July 23.

Those with individual-game tickets (all non-season and non-mini-plan tickets) to the postponed May 3 contest may use those tickets for the same seats to the July 23 contest or may exchange their tickets for any other 2009 Nationals regular-season home game, excluding the three-game series against the Boston Red Sox from June 23-25.

Individual-game ticket holders can exchange their tickets at the Nationals Park Main Box Office, located at the corner of M and Half Streets, SE. Nationals Park Box Office hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All rain check exchanges are subject to availability.

The 12 DC high schools with baseball teams were offered an opportunity to hold one two-hour practice at Nationals Park on the field or in the batting cage next to the Presidents Club near the end of the school year at no charge. I’ve heard what youth baseball fields are like in DC and can only imagine how cool the experience of playing at a major league ballpark — even once — will be for these kids. Cardozo Senior High School, Dunbar High School, and Roosevelt Senior High School have already signed up for practices.

The second part of the initiative gives every DC high school student and faculty member a ticket to one game at Nats Park. Each high school will have their own “night at the ballpark”.

I’ll have video later – have to go enjoy some of this beautiful day!

If only the native language in the Dominican Republic was French, this would have been unveiled a month ago! All those years of bucking the trend/norm and taking French instead of Spanish has finally come back to haunt me. The extent of my Spanish speaking is the ability to count to ten. Of course, I never had the intuition to realize I would ever need to know Spanish back in my school days. Now I’m going to spend some time trying to learn a new language as an adult!

New Nationals first base coach, Marquis Grissom, has been receiving a bit of press lately on his foundation and hopes of using major league name recognition to promote his youth baseball association and dreams of building a baseball academy someday. Sound familiar? Nationals manager Manny Acta launched the 501(c)3 nonprofit ImpACTA Kids Foundation in 2007 with the same desires and a goal of providing opportunities for kids to achieve their dreams in both the Dominican Republic and US by emphasizing the importance of education, health and athletics.

Before taking his place behind the autograph table during the winter caravan at the Martinsburg, WV mall, Manny walked over to where I was pulling out my photo equipment. “I have to talk to you,” he deadpanned. Oh my gosh, my mind raced. Had I said something horrible he didn’t like? Did I post a photo I wasn’t supposed to? Why else would he want to talk to me?

“Am I in trouble?” I asked.

“No! You do websites for a living, right?” He went on to explain that he was looking for a volunteer to redesign his foundation’s website and was wondering if I would do it. “That’s it?!” Whew, what a relief! And an honor! I was thrilled! His only requirements were it be modern and dual language – reaching out in Spanish is very important to him. (muy! See, I know another word!)

So here we are in 2009, and the ImpACTA Kids website has been relaunched with a modern look and a Spanish language mirror site. Donations can be made online and supporters can even comment by registering locally or using their Facebook, Yahoo!, or Google account. Future events will be covered quickly on the site and some videos will also appear this year!

In conjunction with the announcement of the site redesign comes the news that Acta will also begin blogging on MASN’s website – both typed and video. Of course his video blogs will be recorded in English and Spanish! He will also participate in wired Wednesdays. Knowing personally how difficult raising funds for a nonprofit is, particularly in this financial climate, I sure hope all this exposure helps him attain his goals and I really look forward to continuing to help out in any way I can.

Now where’s my Rosetta Stone system?? I felt so guilty hounding everyone I knew that speaks Spanish to translate the English site into Spanish (or at least fixing Google Translate’s version). Without that piece, the site would have been ready a month ago. Many many thanks to Manny’s sister, Anayma, for her eagerness to help out. Also, a graphics credit is due to twoeightnine (same guy who designed the logo here) for the awesome homepage image creativity on photo of Manny with the kids.

Now go! Visit the site! Note there’s a group page on Facebook as well.

The Washington Nationals today agreed to terms with shortstop Cristian Guzman on a two-year contract extension through the 2010 season. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made this announcement.

No $$ disclosed yet. Congrats, Nate!

Press Release with the good and fruities:

NATIONALS ACQUIRE SECOND BASEMAN EMILIO BONIFACIO FROM ARIZONA IN EXCHANGE FOR PITCHER JON RAUCH

The Washington Nationals today acquired second baseman Emilio Bonifacio from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jon Rauch. Bonifacio was optioned to Triple-A Columbus of the International League. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Jim Bowden made the announcement.

The switch-hitting Bonifacio entered the 2008 season rated as Arizona’s No. 6 prospect according to Baseball America. The same publication also cited Bonifacio as its 2008 Winter Player of the Year—an award encompassing the three Caribbean winter leagues (Dominican, Venezuelan and Mexican)—after he batted .300 and posted a .359 on-base percentage with Licey of the Dominican Winter League.

“This trade brings us a quality, young player, who has the potential to develop into a solid leadoff hitter and outstanding defensive second baseman,” Bowden said. “He is a high-energy player with a lot of potential, and we anticipate he√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll fit nicely into our long-term plan of drafting, acquiring and developing a solid nucleus that will lead our club in the near future.”

In Washington, Bonifacio joins third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, outfielder Elijah Dukes, outfielder Lastings Milledge, and catcher Jesus Flores as building-block position players who began this season 23 years-old or younger. Bonifacio, Dukes and Milledge were all aquired via trades within the last year.

Widely recognized as one of the fastest runners in professional baseball, Bonifacio is viewed as having all of the tools necessary to hit leadoff in the big leagues. Last season, playing for Double-A Mobile, Bonifacio led the Southern League in stolen bases (41) and hits (157), while ranking second in runs scored (84). For his career, Bonifacio owns a stout stolen base percentage of 78.1 percent (280 of 357).

Bonifacio batted .302 (111-for-367) with 18 doubles, five triples, one home run, 29 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 85 games with Tucson of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League before being recalled by the Diamondbacks in early July. He was a Pacific Coast League All-Star selction, marking his fourth consecutive All-Star season.

Originally signed by Arizona as a non-drafted free agent on December 21, 2001, Bonifacio is a career .284 (788-for-2770) hitter with 107 doubles, 36 triples, 13 home runs, 231 RBI and 280 stolen bases in seven minor-league seasons in the Diamondbacks’ system.

Considered well-above average defensively, Bonifacio’s sure-handedness and range are reminiscent of Orlando Hudson, the Diamondbacks’ current second baseman. Baseball America named Bonifacio as the best defensive infielder in Arizona’s chain entering this season.

The 29 year-old Rauch was 4-2 with 17 saves (22 save opportunities) and a 2.98 ERA (16 ER/48.1 IP) in 48 appearances with Washington at the time of the trade.

But the elation didn’t last too long as on the heels of an article about the Lerners withholding $3.5 million in rent from the District, nobody watching on tv, now ESPN has an article on Jim Bowden and Jose Rijo being the first top MLB people investigated by the FBI in Dominican Republic signing practices.

I have nothing to say about the rent issue. I don’t know enough to form an opinion either way and there are two sides to every story, but the news certainly couldn’t have helped the warm-fuzzies in the community. As for the FBI investigation, I definitely want to believe Bowden’s quotes that the FBI asked nothing about his personal activities and this was a general information session, as well as Rijo stating he’s glad the investigation is underway to help the kids.

This is a lot of bad publicity in one week, though, for a club that’s struggling to get a foothold in the hearts and minds of fans in the region. Society as a whole has a tendency to remember the bad. Good thing the Nationals won a whopper of a game last night for some current positivity. Let’s not forget the good community work the Nationals are doing every week to benefit local kids and services. Here’s one:

Washington Nationals and MLB.com Pilot Text-Giving to Benefit Children’s Hospital

During an afternoon game against the Houston Astros, fans will be invited to text the word “NATS” to 90999 to give $5 to support the work of Children’s National Medical Center to fight pediatric diabetes, a growing concern in the Washington area and nationwide. While the focus will be the July 13 game, anyone can donate between July 10th and July 31st.

“We’re proud to support Children’s National Medical Center to improve the lives of children in our community,” said Alphonso Maldon, President of the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation. “And by offering text giving, we’re making it easy and convenient for fans to show their support.”

MLB.com, the Nationals, and Children’s are partnering with the Mobile Giving Foundation, which enables nonprofits to accept donations from almost any phone and major cellular providers. According to Jim Manis, Founder and CEO of the Mobile Giving Foundation, “MLB.com is helping the Mobile Giving Foundation pioneer charitable giving over the mobile channel in the U.S. Text-to-Give technology was used successfully on air during the Super Bowl by the United Way as a proof of concept, but this is the first time mobile giving has been used in stadium at a professional sporting event to provide fans an opportunity to support their charity.”

I’m assuming this means the $5 will appear on your cell phone bill. More details are at the Mobile Giving Foundation. (hmmm…. I wonder if a mobile giving campaign will work for the lighthouse? heh)

In other community relations news, Nationals pitcher Steven Shell visited Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Thursday, July 10 as part of the Nationals 2008 Summer Reading Program. Shell participated in a reading circle and posed for pictures with the children. Also on Thursday, outfielder Willie Harris and catcher Paul Lo Duca hosted a basic skills clinic for the students of St. Coletta of Greater Washington, a special education public charter school located in Southeast, DC. Nationals catcher Jesus Flores participated in a reading circle at the Unity Health Care Upper Cardozo Center where he read to the children in Spanish. Pitcher Jon Rauch visited children at the Georgetown Hospital Pediatric Unit whose families stay at the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Washington DC house. As part of Rauch’s relationship with RMHC, he will host those families at the Nationals game on Saturday, July 12 vs. the Houston Astros. Rauch has visited the local RMHC houses and hosted their families at Nationals games for the past two seasons.

And finally, the Nationals are hosting Christmas in July right now!

The Washington Nationals and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves will partner with the Toys for Tots foundation to collect new, unwrapped toys during their weekend series against the Houston Astros. Volunteers from the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves will be stationed outside of all Nationals Park gates beginning two and a half hours prior to game time and through the fourth inning. The main collection point will be at the Center Field Gate, as well as at the Community Table, located on the main concourse level behind Section 143, adjacent to the Family Picnic Area.

This is the third season the Nationals have partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves to benefit children in need in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The toys will be distributed to non-profit organizations and pediatric wards. This year, the Nationals are looking to surpass their collection totals from 2007 when they collected over 1,900 toys.

So while keeping a close eye on the other developments, let’s not get lost in all the “bad” news.