Fan Club Update

We tip our Senators’ caps one more time to Chad McConnell, guest speaker at our June meeting last week. We enjoyed meeting both Amanda and Chad; and hope they plan to join us again soon.

How about that Senators sweep of Trenton last weekend? Good pitching, highlight-reel defensive plays and clutch hitting make for an exciting combination against an always-talented Eastern Division rival.

Trea Turner finally has become the “official” player to be named later in the three-team deal that shipped Steven Souza, Jr. to Tampa Bay. We welcome Trea to the Nats’ organization and the Senators’ lineup tomorrow night against Richmond. The 21-year-old shortstop was hitting .322 at AA San Antonio with 21 extra base hits and 11 stolen bases.

If you’re traveling with us to DC for our Father’s Day Pirates-Nats game, we plan to leave the Radisson/Perkins parking lot in Camp Hill at 8:30 AM. We usually make a quick breakfast stop on the way and a full dinner stop on the return trip.

At last week’s meeting, I suggested we attempt a weekend trip to Erie to support the Senators on the road. If you’d be interested in Saturday/Sunday games August 8th and 9th at Jerry Uht Park (with an overnight stay), please call Jeanne Jacobs, Vice-President, at 717-774-2730.

We scheduled our next meeting for Tuesday, July 14th (MLB All*Star Game night) at the American Legion Post #143, 214 Market Street, New Cumberland. We’ll once again meet earlier in the month due to the Senators’ home game on July 21st. Guest speaker to be announced.

1-0 Lightning Strikes Twice

Following Saturday evening's 1-0 nail biter at Citi Field, what would be in store for the Harrisburg Senators Fan Club's first 2015 road trip on Sunday? The Nats had been blanked for eight straight innings; the Mets for nine consecutive. Plus the Mets shut out the Nationals 4-0 Friday night.

Very little scoring, but big time baseball drama this week in Queens. And that's what we saw by the time we arrived at the ballpark.

We weren't the only ones arriving late due to the NYC traffic snarls. That meant the game was starting yet security lines were lengthy. Fortunately, folks with children and anyone without a bag could jump the line. However, it didn't take long for the security line to shrink for the others. (I tip my Senators cap to those burdened by this huge responsibility. They took it in stride and remained pleasant throughout their encounters with fans.)

Once inside I peered onto the field from the open concourse. From the time I settled into my seat, I felt a more intimate ballpark than I'd expected.

Sure, it's big. But Citi Field is mostly tall. I expected the huge video boards to appear farther back from the outfield fence. The field played smaller than a big stadium should.

From Section 125 the action easily unfolded before us and 41,000 others. The Shea Bridge provides uniqueness to the outfield backdrop.

The large Citi Field logo is visible both inside and out. Mindy appreciated that the batting team lineup and stats always remain on the left video board; the defense and pitching stats on the right.

On the heels of our last Fan Club trip (Jordan Zimmermann's no-hitter to close the curtain on the Nats' 2014 regular season, we witnessed no runs at Citi Field. Ryan Zimmerman's 1st inning broken bat flare scored the only run of the game.

Not that we minded. Every pitch was meaningful. Both teams had opportunities, pitched extremely well and played good defense. The Nats stranded both 1st & 3rd one inning and bases loaded in another -- both with no outs -- yet Mets' pitching miraculously worked out of those jams.

It was good to see the Mets faithful respond to the team's early 1st place effort. The atmosphere nearly felt like playoffs to me, which added to the excitement.

Of course many former Senators saw action, including three relievers that Matt Williams paraded from the pen following Doug Fister's stellar 6.1 IP. Tanner Roark got two key outs; Aaron Barrett K'ed the only Met he faced to end the 8th; and, Drew Storen closed the door with a perfect 9th.

A Washington team hadn't won two straight 1-0 games since "Senators" displayed across their jerseys. However this game had turned, it was bound to be a classic, especially on the heels of the previous night's 1-0 contest.

Runs? Overrated

Since the DH debate has been boiling over yet again, let me start by saying that no one will ever convince me that baseball is a 9-and-a-half player game. That DH game may be called something, but it isn't "baseball" to me.

One of the main reasons why we must suffer this aberration of the game was lack of offense. Well, guess what? In many games, there's still a lack of offense. And guess what again? I'm perfectly fine with that.

I'm a big fan of crisply played, well-pitched 1-0 games. (Hey MLB, you want to trim time from games? Not many fans will be riveted to a 3.5 hour, 12-5 mopping with nine walks when pitchers can be replaced (or not) at will.

I don't care how long a 1-0 game takes to play. Baseball allows me to forget about the clock for a spell. Every pitch can change the outcome. Base running, moving runners and bunts matter. Every play in the field is magnified.

That's the game the Harrisburg Senators Fan Club enjoyed yesterday on our first ever trip to Citi Field. Due to the five-borough bike race street closures, we missed the only score in the top of the 1st. MLB Network provided the highlight(?) late last night as Ryan Zimmerman's broken bat blooper over 1st scored Jayson Werth.

Good teams seem to score runs this way more often than lesser teams. The Mets have been doing it this year. So have the Astros and Cards. In fact, St. Louis swept the Pirates this weekend in tight, low-scoring affairs on hundred hoppers, infield hits, bloop doubles kicking up chalk, and then finally a power display walk-off by Kolten Wong.

This time, it was the Nats' turn. Two consecutive 1-0 classics, Saturday evening and Sunday, both where the only run scored in the 1st inning. The rest of the games developed with all on the edge of their seats, many standing in key situations, including us yesterday.

More to come on our trip and why the DH would have ruined this game, but remember: if you ever feel the need to convince me that the DH belongs in baseball, you can save your writing/debating prowess for another topic. Because in my math, when it comes to baseball, 9 never equals 9.5.