Deborah Jones Sherwood
  • Welcome
  • *Silent Night
  • *Everything I Know about Christmas, I Learned from the Hallmark Channel
  • Christmas in the '50s
  • *The Holiday Letter 2015
  • My 2018 Christmas Letter
  • The Man in the Red Plaid Shirt
  • Happy New Year!
  • *Sparking Joy
  • Happy Halloween!
  • *ZOOMING ALONG
  • *The Elderly Lady Next Door
  • Me & Mr. K
  • *The SEND Button and Other Regrets
  • *Home Alone
  • Valentine's Day
  • *Ain't no way to Treat a Lady
  • *Dawdlers and Tiaras
  • My Birthday Fundraiser
  • *'Tis the Season to be......Scary!
  • Who You Gonna Call?
  • ...and the winner is.....
  • Remembering Annie
  • *Stacation in the Hood
  • My Day as a NIH Lab Rat
  • *Blithe Summer
  • *Never Buy Fish from the Clearance Bin and other Sage Advice
  • *Four and Twenty Blackbirds
  • Spring! When an Old Man's Fancy turns to Thoughts of ....Home Projects
  • Oh, Maury!
  • Oh, Crap. Another Birthday.
  • There's No Cool like an Old Cool
  • Mooning the Baptists on Easter Sunday
  • Bye, Bye, Bonnie
  • *When I'm Sixty-Four
  • *Take me out to the Ballgame...please?
  • Honor Flight
  • "But you don't look sick."
  • Are you an Old Geezer with an Extra Nats Ticket?
  • Are you the Goat who kicked me in the Head?
  • *Oh! The Places You'll Go!
  • *You Go, Girl!
         TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME......please....
     
     I’m not certain when I turned into such an avid Nationals fan. Most likely, it happened when I moved back home to Washington in 2012, and settled in the Southwest Quadrant only three blocks from Nationals Park. From my apartment balcony I can hear the home run horn, and cheers from excited fans.

     It didn’t take long for me to accumulate an entire wardrobe of Nats apparel.  I have bright red t-shirts, nylon windbreakers, a sparkly red sequined baseball hat, and a sweatshirt, all sporting their trademark  curly W. I also have a red and blue vest purchased from the retail shop at the bottom of the 8th inning during a game against The Pirates.  After a few glasses of Merlot, the $125 price tag seemed very reasonable.

     Watching the game on MASN or listening to it on the radio while I sit in traffic keep me informed with play-by-play action, but those mediums are meager substitutes for actually being at the stadium.

     Unfortunately, few of my friends enjoy attending the games. Going out to lunch, a favorite activity among us senior ladies, is considered an exciting way to spend the afternoon. Throw in a few pictures of grandkids, a stimulating conversation about the latest health trends seen on Dr. Oz, and splitting a rich, decadent dessert always make a rip-roarin’ good time.

     I prefer going to the game with someone else, finding it much more enjoyable than being there alone.  The camaraderie of a fellow Nationals fan cheering our team to a common goal is just part of the fun.  Watching Bryce Harper stealing second base, Jayson Werth knocking the ball out of the park and Max Scherzer winding up for his fast pitch are beyond exhilarating.  Passing hot dogs and beer hand to hand down the row, the t-shirt toss, Screech encouraging cheers and the Presidents’ Race all add to the experience.

     It is rare to find someone who is not emotionally affected by the stillness and silence engulfing the stadium as The National Anthem resonates throughout the arena, and the profuse appreciation of our military when they receive their well deserved recognition. 

     I have an entire summer ahead to Root, Root, Root for the Home Team, collect bobblehead figurines of my favorite players, stuff myself with hot dogs, and hopefully persuade my girlfriends that going to a baseball game can be as much fun as nibbling  breadsticks at The Olive Garden.