Below The Beltway

I’ve noted this summer that the Washington Nationals have the lowest television and radio ratings of any team in Major League Baseball, and some have attributed that to the Nationals’ admittedly abysmal record this season.
But, apparently, there’s more to it than just a teams record, because the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, this season’s surprise story [...]

In July, I noted that the Washington Nationals had the distinction of both the worst record in baseball and the lowest television ratings of any team in Major League Baseball.
Now, it appears that they’re dying on radio too:
The Washington Nationals, last in the National League East and closing fast on a 100-loss season, have attracted [...]

Much is being made of a report in yesterday’s Washington Post about the abysmally low ratings for Washington Nationals games on television:
 The Washington Nationals are drawing the smallest U.S. regional television audience in baseball this season, attracting less than one-third the average number of households of any other team, according to an analysis of Nielsen [...]

Spent yesterday evening watching the Washington Nationals battle the Texas Rangers at the new Nationals Park.
We had excellent seats:

Of course, the view wasn’t so great once the guy in the big eagle suit came by in the 9th inning:

And, by the way, that’s one impressive scoreboard:

Oh yeah, the Nationals won in 14.

The Washington Nationals couldn’t have asked for a better way to open the new stadium:
No grass was ever greener than the Kentucky blue that spread out across the field at dazzling new Nationals Park last night. No popcorn ever smelled so delicious. No beer ever tasted so refreshing, no hot dog so juicy. The senses [...]

The Post’s Thomas Boswell has a great article today about the new Nationals’ ballpark:
Manager Manny Acta already has his favorite seat picked out. Not a fancy box seat or suite, but a lower-deck outfield perch just above the Nationals’ bullpen in right field with the game spread out before him like a panorama and the [...]

Last night, Kellie and I, along with friends attended the Nationals game against the Phillies, the last night game at RFK before the Nationals move to their new stadium next season.
It was fun to be there, but, to be honest, the game wasn’t that great at all. The teams were tied 1-1 when the bottom [...]

The Washington Nationals may be regretting not trading away Alfonso Soriano when they had the chance, because now he’s signed a multi-year deal with the Cubs and they’ve got nothing to show for it:
That slugger Alfonso Soriano is leaving the Washington Nationals is hardly a shock, given the club’s long-term vision of rebuilding a winner [...]

Today, Kellie and I took our second trip of the season to RFK Stadium, this time to watch the Washington Nationals take on the National League East leading New York Mets. Much our last visit in June, today was very much of a pitching duel, with both teams kept hitless until the fourth inning. The [...]

No, the Nationals aren’t somehow magically in first place this weekend, but, when that happens, at least most of the people who live in the area will be able to watch the games. Comcast has settled its dispute with MASM and will broadcast Nationals games starting in September:
Washington Nationals fans in the Baltimore-Washington region will [...]