softball and baseball

Wednesday was my last softball game, and I was feeling conflicted because my roommate’s friend had tickets to the Nationals game that night. I really wanted to play my last softball game, but I also really wanted to see the Nationals – it was one of the things on my “To Do” list, and since my time is almost up, I figured I wasn’t going to get to cross it off. So, I asked if I could play in the first half of the softball game (I usually ending sharing my position with another female player), and decided I could have the best of both worlds by playing half of the game and missing just the first inning or two of the Nats game. We ended up actually having just enough people to play the game, so I couldn’t really leave early… but it was so overcast (and sprinkling) that by 7:15 it was getting dark, so we called the game. We were getting our butts kicked anyways. I thanked everyone for a fun season and headed toward Nationals Park.

The new stadium is just a short metro ride from the National Mall, and I met up with Amy at the center field gate. I grabbed some food and we headed to our seats – we had a great spot in right field, right next to the bullpen. The Nats were playing the Dodgers (boo!), so I cheered on the Nats! The stadium was nice – it seemed a bit small – or at least smaller than what I’m used to (SBC Park and Angels Stadium). It was also a bit weird because there were a LOT of empty seats – not something I usually see at a major league ball game. Two of my favorite parts of the game were when the Presidents raced and when they did YMCA. I’m not sure if the Presidents are mascots, necessarily, but they are people dressed up like some of the more notable presidents: Jefferson, Washington, Teddy Roosevelt… The creepy thing is that they have normal sized bodies and GIANT heads. Here’s a picture of Jefferson and Washington (I think).

I was so glad to be able to make a game before I left, and I had a great time. The Nats even won! That made it extra special!