Update on Loudon County Ballpark

Much to my surprise, I saw an item today that the Atlantic League has committed to the investors that are trying to build a ballpark in Loudon County. While far from a done deal, it's an interesting commitment to make when there's a much larger fish to be landed in Richmond, where that Atlantic League is also offering to spend $28M in a massive renovation of The Diamond.

As always, I'll be rooting for more and closer options, especially since Potomac's affiliation only runs through 2010 and if there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that if the Nationals leave NOBODY will replace them at Pfitzner Stadium. Not even a summer college league.

The idea of a new stadium in Woodbridge is pretty damn close to dead, so it'll have to be nearly 100% privately financed, given Prince William County's parsimony. And it certainly won't be financed via a sponsorship, as has been floated in the past. But I won't linger on it. If it happens, it happens.

Road Trip #3 - Kinston and Myrtle Beach

This was the big one. I had planned it since last fall, when the PNats schedule came out and I saw that they were travelling to Kinston and Myrtle Beach in mid-May: late enough to be past the threat of April rain, early enough to be before the stifling heat.

On the rain, that proved to be a very close call but I made it, suffering only rain on the travel days of Friday and Sunday.

Originally, the plan was to visit Myrtle Beach on Sunday, Kinston on Monday so I could see Potomac in both places, but the reality of my wife having to take time off from work was a luxury we could not afford.

So I left the PNats game early on Thursday night and headed down I-95 to get ahead of the traffic on Friday morning. Luckily, there's a cluster of cheap motels about an hour south of Woodbridge, so the strategy paid off and I was able to coast through Richmond without any significant traffic or veering off on 295.

Because the point of the trip was to do some sightseeing along the way, I took a "detour" onto I-85, heading for Henderson, NC and what really struck me,was how there were rows and rows of wildflowers along the side of the road and in the medians. The effect, to me, is simply stunning.

In Henderson, I stopped at a southern chain for some authentic (Eastern) North Carolina-style BBQ. I'm not sure which I like more, so I'll have to keep trying both styles for quite some time to "decide."

Using RoadsideAmerica.com, I was able to plot some stops, mostly for the pictures:

Um, Wilbur, I think you misunderstood me when I said "lay of the land"...


Water Tower outside of the home of the Carolina Mudcats

As you can see from the opening picture, Grainger Stadium was the first stop. While not technically a WPA park, it's the same style and has my favorite feature: A roof.

It still amazes me that so many of the ballparks I've encountered here in the South don't have one. Last I checked, it does rain here from time to time, and more importantly, it's not a bad idea to have some shade when it gets up over 90!

The most amusing feature of Grainger, which you can see in the foreground, is that the box seats are actually stalls with a folding chairs. Somehow, I think I could get used to it, since I've always felt that the two things you're paying for when you buy a box seat in the minors are the proximity to the field and having a seat back.

Less amusing feature, the damn cartoon Indian. Maybe someday it'll go the way of blackface and minstrel shows, but I'm not holding my breath when the "stars and bars" are considered anything less than the American equivalent of a swastika.

Saturday was another, shorter travel day as I made my way out to the coastal town of New Bern, birthplace of Pepsi and then south towards Wilmington. Originally I thought I might be able to sneak out to the coast for a picture or two, but this being the first real warm weekend, the traffic was too heavy for me to risk falling behind schedule. A few highlights:

Downtown, New Bern, NC


Horrible Tourist Trap

Insert adolescent remark here

As you might expect in a touristy town, with a brand-new ballpark, the Pelicans' home was pristine, with all the amenities that come with new ballparks: luxury boxes, an air-conditioned team store, and terrific food.

I took a break from the BBQ and had what could best be described as the "fish dog" - a foot-long filet of whitefish that was particularly good because it was fried on the spot versus being plucked from under a heat lamp.


My one regret on this trip was not booking a room in Myrtle Beach itself because I wanted to get a head start on the drive home on Sunday, which was going to be all the way back (400+ miles) in one day. But that's a small quibble for what will hopefully become an annual tradition.

A new ballpark in Loudon County?

For the second time in the past few months, a story has popped up that a new "green" ballpark has been proposed for an area to be dubbed "Kincora," which will feature among the usual distractions when developers make their pitch, a $30M ballpark that will house an Atlantic League expansion team.

Sorry, I just don't see it happening.

And it's not necessarily because of the poor economy. Or because the Potomac Nationals haven't been able to get any traction for the past five-to-six years to replace its dump of a ballpark.

I just don't see it happening because I quite frankly don't believe it when the developers promise to build, at their expense, the roads to relieve the traffic congestion. Never mind that Loudoun County has a LONG history of NIMBYism. They refuse to build schools without a fight on the distorted notion that that will somehow stem the tide of "newcomers," which in rural Virginia parlance means non-native (I prefer "college-educated," but I digress).

It's a shame because on paper it looks like a good idea, and it would be nice to not have to go to Frederick or Waldorf to go see a game when the PNats aren't in town (and sadly, I don't see ol' Art using this as leverage against Prince William Count, who are just simply cheap, period).

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This weekend marks the long-awaited Carolina Road Trip — Kinston, NC on Friday, Myrtle Beach, SC on Saturday, driving back the whole way on Sunday. Look for pictures next week!

Road Trip #2 - Frederick

Because it's such a relatively short jaunt, it's hard for me to consider this a road trip, but I guess when you're gone nearly seven hours, it still counts.

What kills me about the trip to Frederick is that I usually end up dropping $4 or more in tolls because I prefer to go through Leesburg on the way to, and take 270 to the Dulles Toll Road on the way back, in my vain effort to avoid I-66 during the daytime (seriously, it's one of the best "rules" I've come up with for avoiding traffic).

And I'm fairly certain this is the fourth straight year I've made this trip on this weekend. It's funny how little the schedule can change from year to year.

In terms of the game itself, it was one of those affairs where if you came late and only saw the middle three innings, you saw all there was to see. Steven King homered twice off O's prospect Brian Matusz, who struck out eight over six innings, and Chris Marrero doubled to deep left-center. That was pretty much it for the PNats' offense - the third run coming on two Frederick errors; one to reach base, the other to attempt to nail a runner trying to steal third.

Defensively, the PNats threw this game away with two errors and a misplay in a near-comical fashion in the six-run fourth inning, the only one in which the Keys scored. That's the one thing that strikes me thus far this year - both teams on any given night have looked really, really shaky.

Otherwise, it was the usual easy-in, easy-out that I love so much about Harry Grove stadium (not to mention free parking!!!)

Opening Weekend

Wish I could find a picture of the big, honkin' pennant that's now flying above the CF wall, but for now this generic shot will have to suffice.

More than seven months after the P-Nats took the 2008 Carolina League pennant, they came back to the Pfitz, against the very same Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Well, same in name, anyway. There are a baker's dozen or so players that saw time in 2008 for the Pelicans, and sixteen for the Nationals.

Just like last year, there's a whole lot more youth and enthusiasm from the folks in South Carolina and a lot more "experience" on the Potomac roster.

But what makes minor-league ball so eminently watchable is that while Baseball America is fascinated with what will be, a fan like me can still appreciate what is right now.

This weekend, the P-Nats took two out of three from the Pelicans, losing the opener 7-5 on Friday night and taking the next two by scores of 5-4 and 11-4, going above .500 for the first time this season.

It's tough to tell how the pitching will develop, but it does seem clear that this team will be able to generate offense every way possible: HRs (a three-run shot and a grand slam today), doubles (three today, two last night, three on Friday) and a little small-ball, to boot.

I've always been a fan of "putting pressure on the defense" and the good news is that new Potomac manager Trent Jewett is too. Last night was a perfect example of just how well that can work.

With two out and runners on the corners in the bottom of the fourth, Jewett sent the runner on first, catcher Brian Peacock, on a 2-2 count. Instead of throwing through, the Pelican battery instead got upset over the "missed third strike." With a full count, the batter singled to left and both runners were sent and both runners scored, with the batter taking second on the failed throw home to get Peacock.

Clearly rattled, the next batter singled, and the batter after that doubled, who was subsequently sent to third via the steal (still two out!) and the Jewett went for the squeeze play, which ultimately failed, but the point was made: We will make you get us out and we will dictate how.

It was a beautiful display of "real" baseball, as the Pelicans looked every bit the part of a team full of 21- and 22-year-olds and the Nationals looked every bit the part of a team full of 23- and 24-year-olds. Sure, maybe more of the Pelicans may be in the majors this time in 2011, but for now, for that night, the Nationals were the better team.

And that's what I came to see.

Road Trip #1 - Lynchburg

Thanks to a forecast of poor weather, moved up my plans to visit Lynchburg a day and managed to get a good seat for Opening Day. Frankly, I was a little surprised. I know times are tough, but in a rinky-dink town with not much else to do (this is home to Liberty University, after all) I figured that the most popular date on the schedule would have been a draw, not to mention... some guy named Pedro Alvarez.

To the uninitiated, Alvarez was the Pittsburgh Pirates' top pick in 2008 and thanks to some maneuvering by uberagent Scott Boras, Pedro's debut was delayed until this particular night.

Suffice it to say, Alvarez did not disappoint. Three-for-four with a home run, a double, and four RBIs and three assists in the field. About the only quibble I had with him is that he seemed a bit slow for an infielder, but man, this kid can hit. He'll be in Altoona before Memorial Day, if not Mother's Day.

Potomac's hitters picked up where they left off, smacking 11 hits including several doubles. Obviously, it's early, but considering that the Opening Day starter is a 25-year-old, it may be safe to say that a repeat championship will be tough.

That's all for now - the hope is to post more often, particularly during homestands, or at least while I have the time to do so, thanks to our lovely economy.

And now it begins...

Three years ago, when I first moved to Northern Virginia, I became a season-ticket holder to the Potomac Nationals in the hope of seeing what I will now see this season... guys that I saw play in Woodbridge eventually playing in Washington.

That's because the Nationals announced this morning that Shairon Martis (2007) will be the team's #4 starter and Jordan Zimmermann (2008) will be the #5 guy. They will be joining John Lannan (2006) who has become the team's #1 starter.

Of course, it'll be a little nicer when it's a position player playing every day, since the road to the show is much shorter for a pitcher. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening for another couple of years. The next candidate is Leonard Davis, and I think the crowd will love it if he does his best imitation of Ozzie Smith, but I don't see Davis playing everyday without an injury to Ryan Zimmerman.

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Last year, I devoted quite a few posts to the new promotions, but this year it'll be just a few sentences because, frankly, not much has changed (for the better).

Mondays
Dollar Mondays are back, but once again, they've been cut down. What used to be $1 hot dogs, popcorn, sodas, and seats is now just dollar dogs and grandstand seats. It's nice gesture to include Memorial Day this year, but all that's left to cut is the hot dogs or the seats, and I fear they'll think people care more about the cheap seats than the cheap eats.

Tuesdays
Salute to Service is the theme for Tuesdays. To me, this rings a little hollow. Yes, they're including teachers, firefighters, and police. Yes, it's a free (grandstand) ticket. But most places offer a discount of some sort and they offer it every day.

Wednesdays
All-you-can-eat is back but it looks like it'll be strictly in-house fare. This is really too bad, because last year's promo made me a fan of Moe's Southwest Grill, and even though I've since found a place I like even better (Panchero's) I strongly suspect my Saturday night routine of a pregame meal at Moe's won't change.

Thursdays
Ladies Night moves from Friday to Thursday, and I can't say I blame them. I couldn't see much measurable effect from the promotion last year, and I suspect that's the driving force behind the change.

Fridays
Freebie Fridays is the "new" promotion, but in reality, it looks like they're shifting away from the weekend giveaways, particularly on Sundays, which this year are all at 1:00pm (they best hope for a LOT of cloudy days because only the diehards brave a metal stadium in 90+ degree heat).

Until next time...