Posts Tagged ‘Memorial Day’

Memorial Day Musings from D.C. Posted by Brian Conlin in Washington Nationals May 30th, 2008

This past Memorial Day, three cars cut me off in a 20 minute span on the D.C. Beltway. I spewed F, D, B, C, S, and A bombs with no reserve.

After walking through the turnstiles of Nationals Park and taking a tour of the stadium, I noted only one touch of personality, the patriotic bunting hung from the upper decks.

I managed to weave through crowds without anything from Ben’s Chili Bowl or any of the other eateries being spilled on me as I found my seat along the third baseline. Waiting for the game to begin, I watched as a middle-aged man pushed his way through some Milwaukee Brewers fans, the Nationals opponent that day, and announced his displeasure about sitting next to these foreigners before pledging his allegiance to the Yankees.

Even though the game had started, I could see only what now seemed like a zoo. Grown men attacked foul balls without regard to the children sitting next to them. People downed beer with reckless abandon. It was 40,000 people exposing their id.

With the game moving slowly and mediocre ball being played, I wondered if I should head home. When the Brewers put up six runs in the sixth inning to put the game in doubt, I decided to stay longer.

Just before the eighth inning, the video board showed a picture of four wheelchair-bound veterans in attendance. Immediately, the largest cheer of the day erupted from all corners of the stadium. A good portion of the fans stood and applauded these men and women for their individual work and for being symbols of their active and inactive peers.

The standing ovation is a symbolic salute for these wounded warriors and their co-workers who have paid a dearer price because they will never again be able to rise to their feet.

They did not choose to protect the inconsiderate individual but to preserve the ideals and freedoms of this nation.

I sat through the rest of the game and enjoyed the competition of the athletes. But the game’s outcome, the actions of the players, and the behavior of the fans lost their significance – in the harsh light of what these veterans gave up so that we could enjoy freedoms such as watching a baseball day in the warm sun.

Nats fall to Brewers in Extras on Memorial Day Posted by Henry Brier in Washington Nationals May 30th, 2008

The Memorial Day masses exited Nationals Park while listening to a Jamaican Rastafarian crooning about how ‘every little thing gonna’ be all right’ after the Nationals blew a lead in the top of the seventh inning, closed a deficit in the bottom of the 8^th, then gave up the winning run in the top of the 11^th.

Starting pitcher Jason Bergmann departed after throwing 5.2 innings of shutout, four-hit ball, enough to make him eligible for the win when leaving the mound with the Nats leading 2-0 overe the Milwaukee Brewers. The next three relievers proceeded to give up a run apiece before first baseman Dmitri Young smacked a deep drive to centerfield in the bottom of the 8^th, pulling into third with what initially was a stand-up triple.

The umpires then convened, discussed whether Young’s shot had cleared the fence, decided that it had, and the 298 pounder casually strolled home with his first homer of the season as the Nats pulled even.

Closer Jon Rauch, the Nats’ fifth pitcher of the afternoon, pitched a 1-2-3 9^th. Saul Rivera came on in the 10^th, struck out the first batter, gave up a single to the next hitter, and induced the next two batters to fly and line out, respectively. Read more