Why the Lerners want a roof over Nationals Park

News that the Lerners want to add a roof over Nationals Park has caused quite a Thanksgiving week stir among Nats fans, with many questioning the hubris of the request and others calling into question the necessity. Over at The Post, Adam Kilgore and James Wagner have compiled an analysis of rain delays and postponements showing that 88 games have been affected in the team’s first six seasons there.

Whether 88 is a big number or a small number can be debated, but that would be missing the point. The real question for the Lerners (and ultimately for the fans), is how many games had attendance impacted by weather. That number could easily be five times higher.

For better or worse, this is a team that depends on a la carte ticket sales. Even when there was a surge in season tickets after the 2012 season, the team capped sales at about half the stadium capacity, and that includes partial season ticket plans. I don’t know if that was an attempt at manufactured scarcity, or some philosophical statement by the owners, but unless the Nats win several World Series in a short period of time, it is likely to continue to be the state of things for the Washington Nationals.

It’s a much more complicated analysis, so I can only speak anecdotally, but it’s my observation that unless the Orioles, Yankees, or Red Sox are visiting, if the forecast is anything other than sunny and warm, attendance will be somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3 capacity. And of course, that’s just announced paid attendance. When the actual weather matches the forecast, the true attendance is always much lower. We’ve all been in Nationals Park when the forecast is cold and drizzly, and it turns out to be cold and drizzly. The place is pretty empty.

I’ve had to list a number of my tickets on StubHub over the years. The consistent #1 determinant of whether they sell is… the weather. When the forecast is bad, even when the game is played without postponement or delay, you can’t give them away. By contrast, when the weather is nice, tickets sell even if it’s the Padres or Astros in town.

For what it’s worth, bad weather includes the inevitable mid-summer heat waves that hit DC every year. When it’s 100 degrees outside and the air quality is Code Red for a day game, there may not be a delay, but the entire first base side of the stands becomes no man’s land.

I’m sure the Lerners have compiled and analyzed this data, and I’m sure it’s compelling.

This of course says nothing about whether a retractable roof would be an eyesore, or what circumstances would determine whether it’s opened or closed. There are surely negatives to the idea; but as a fan I want the team to be able to fill the stadium with other fans.

Filling every seat is the single biggest thing the Lerners can do to make for a better day at the ball park. It pumps the crowd and the team, it throws of the opposing pitchers, and it funds free agents and long-term contracts.

Would a roof drive away some fans? Would it be retractable? Would it be an eyesore and block the sun when the weather is nice? Should the Lerners pay for it themselves? Is it even possible to retrofit a roof onto an existing ball park? All good questions. But it’s a good conversation to have.

Photo: Chris Rief

Doris Kearns Goodwin on getting Teddy and Taft together

Doris Kearns Goodwin Teddy Taft Racing PresidentsHistorian, author, and baseball fan Doris Kearns Goodwin appeared on CBS Sunday Morning to discuss her new book “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism.”

Goodwin talks about her favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt, and of visiting Nationals Park and realizing her dream of getting Teddy and William Howard Taft to stand together.

Video: Trick or Treating with Teddy Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt learned Thursday that Halloween is the one night of the year when a ten foot tall president at your door doesn’t surprise anybody.

Teddy Roosevelt Goes Trick or TreatingThe Rough Rider went trick or treating on Thursday night, accompanying young Nats fan Jake Lang and friends through Lang’s Potomac, Maryland neighborhood.

With a little help from Twitter, Lang’s Bryce Harper costume had won the fan vote in the Nationals’ Pic or Treat Halloween Costume Contest, with Teddy as the prize.

“We were far behind in the voting,” said Lang, “then I tweeted Bryce and his sister and they helped. I tweeted Holden on the radio and he helped. My family tweeted and put it on Facebook and my friends voted a lot.”

Teddy kept the spirits high despite a steady rain and a failure by most neighbors to recognize him. Watch as one after another fails to recognize the racing president, until he finally barges in on some Nats fans.

“It was so cool trick or treating with Teddy,” Jake added. I had a great time.”

Video: Washington Nationals presidents race year in review

The 2013 season was one of high expectations for fan favorite racing president Teddy Roosevelt. But things got off on the wrong foot with the introduction of a fifth president, Roosevelt rival William Howard Taft, and it was Memorial Day before Teddy notched his first victory.

Along the way, the presidents were visited by Teddy’s great great grandson Winthrop, HBO’s VEEP Selina Myer, The Bird, The Racing Pierogies, That Cat, a giant cicada, Mr. Kool Aid, the Sharknado, Martha Washington, Sharky, the grounds crew, Teddy’s pet moose Bullee, a rally pigeon, and a dozen other mascots from the DC area.

Here for your pleasure, a finish line view of the presidents race season:

Video courtesy of YouTube member lfahome

Teddy and an all star cast of villains hold off Lincoln to hand George Washington the 2013 presidents race title

Bullee the Moose tackles Abraham Lincoln Washington Nationals racing presidents

Bullee the Moose tackles Abe Lincoln

Martha Washington hands off to the Rally Pigeon Washington Nationals racing presidents

Martha Washington hands off to the Rally Pigeon

The Rally pigeon hands off to the Sharknado Washington Nationals presidents race

The Rally pigeon hands off to the Sharknado

Kool Aid Man hands off to Bullee the Moose in the anchor leg of the Nationals presidents race

Kool Aid Man hands off to Bullee the Moose in the anchor leg

Bullee the Moose takes out our cameraman Luis Albisu - Washington Nationals presidents race

Bullee the Moose takes out our cameraman at the presidents race finish line

After cheating his way into contention entering the final day of the 2013 season, Abraham Lincoln was thwarted by Teddy Roosevelt and an all star cast of interlopers on the final home date of 2013.

Abe needed to sweep the doubleheader to take the title, and The Great Emancipator appeared to be on his way to victory during the afternoon opener; but a rare appearance by Roosevelt conspirator Bullee the Moose ended Abe’s chances. Bullee tackled Abe just short of the finish line, giving the victory to Teddy.

The evening finale was occasion for a relay race featuring a who’s who of presidents race sabateurs.

Martha Washington began the affair by shoving her husband aside and staking the villains to an early lead. The Rally Pigeon held the lead vs. Thomas Jefferson, but in the third leg, Abe Lincoln gained ground vs. the Sharknado, and the Kool Aid Man was unable to gain it back, falling behind to William Howard Taft.

That left Teddy Roosevelt behind in the anchor leg to Bullee the Moose. The Rough Rider and his usual co-conspirator pushed and shoved along the home stretch before the Moose was thrown over the rail into Row A of Section 134.

Bullee plowed into our intrepid cameraman along the presidents race finish line, knocking out what exclusive footage we had hoped to share from the final day of the season.

The prognosis is positive for a full recovery by 2014.

Teddy took the tape to pull even with William Howard Taft for the final season standings.

Abe showboats, wins race from left field bullpen

Racing president Abe Lincoln taunts cheats winsDespite needing to win out the remaining home games to claim the presidents race season title, “Honest” Abe Lincoln has gotten cocky. After attacking rival George Washington Thursday night, Abe gave the field a head start Friday, starting the race from the left field bullpen.

Lincoln caught the pack and surged ahead, turning to taunt his fellow presidents as he took yet another improbable victory.

With a victory Saturday night, Abe could set up a final battle vs. George for the season title on Sunday afternoon.

GIF: Abe Lincoln refuses to pass the baton to George Washington. Literally.

Abe Cheats - refuses to hand the baton to George Washington - hits racing presidentKnown for his dirty tricks, “Honest” Abe Lincoln has established himself as the winningest racing president since the opening of Nationals Park; but this season, George Washington has been the class of the field, holding a comfortable lead in the season standings since April.

Yet George has been unable to put away a resurgent Abe, and entered Thursday night’s contest still needing just one victory to seal the season.

In what began as a traditional relay race, Abe Lincoln was called upon to pass the baton to George Washington for the anchor leg, but the Great Emancipator wasn’t willing to hand the victory to his rival. Instead of passing the baton, Abe reared back and clobbered the founding father, stealing the victory for himself.

Full finish line video below, plus a slo-mo version:

Video courtesy of YouTube member lfahome

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,895 other followers

%d bloggers like this: