Baseball

The Washington Nationals Continue To Author The Season That Can’t End Soon Enough

Taylor Adkins
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One picture to sum up an entire season. Photo: Getty Images

There have been too many low points to recall during the 2015 Washington Nationals season. Saturday evening should have been the last one.

As the Nats and Phillies were in the midst of laboring through an extra inning dud on a cloudy, rainy, windswept afternoon at Nats Park, Jeurys Familia was in Cincinnati recording the final, NL East clinching out for the Mets, luckily they got some great sports floodlights northamptonshire so everything looked better and well illuminated. A season that had spun out of control for months, was for all intents and purposes, mercifully over.   Read more...

Fans Really Care When Other Fans Leave Baseball Games

Taylor Adkins
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The Centerfield Gate at Nats Park. Photo: Taylor Adkins/FakeSportsBar.com

I was at the Mets/Nationals game at Nats Park yesterday, and stayed until the final out. This doesn’t make me a better fan than someone who left prior to that point. 

The Fan Police were out in full force on the internet yesterday in regards to some of the 34,210 fans who left yesterdays game early. Bryce Harper invigorated their cause by calling out Nats fans himself during a postgame session with the press.

FSB In The Stands: The 20th Anniversary Of Cal Ripken, Jr’s 2131st Consecutive Game At Camden Yards

Taylor Adkins
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Warehouse on Eutaw Street with the 2131 banners. Photo: Taylor Adkins/FakeSportsBar.com

BALTIMORE, MD —

In September of 1995, baseball was in rough shape.

The strike of 1994 had bled into 1995, creating a slightly shortened season and no defending World Champion since the prior years World Series had been cancelled. 

The World Series had only been cancelled once before (1904), and plenty of fans did not welcome back baseball with open arms.

Baseball needed a savior, and Cal Ripken, Jr. was the man for the job. Having not missed a game since May 30, 1982, Ripken was on pace to break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak in September of the 1995 season.   Read more...

Seven Available (And Awesome) Entrance Songs For MLB Closers

Taylor Adkins
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Mets reliever warms up at Nats Park. Photo: Taylor Adkins/FakeSportsBar.com

Being a Major League closer comes with many perks. The pay is awesome.  You appearances in actual games equates to about 4% of the season, so there’s plenty of down time to relax and watch baseball. When you do your job correctly, you are in essence the grand finale of the show and therefore get one of the loudest ovations of any given game.

Sure, there’s the paper thin job security and all the pressure of getting the three toughest outs of the game, but still, as far as major professional sports go being an MLB closer is pretty choice.  Read more...

The Nationals and Orioles; Rivals Everywhere Except On The Schedule

Taylor Adkins
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Photo: Taylor Adkins/FakeSportsBar.com

Rivalries in sports are usually cut and dry. They consist of two franchises, from their fan bases all the way to the front offices, that flat out don’t like each other. When the two teams get together, it’s always a different feel from a game versus any other opponent, even if both teams are having down years.

The recipe for a good rivalry should include most of the following:  Read more...

  • Consistently on the schedule, particularly in the final 1/4 of a season. Obviously helps if teams are in the same division
  • Geographic proximity

The First Sports Bar, Or: How I Learned To Stop Caring And Love Baseball Cards

Taylor Adkins

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I’m 33 years old and I should be retired by now. As an impressionable and extremely lazy 11 year old, The Guy Behind The Case (official title) at the baseball card shop assured me this would be the case.

If everything had gone according to plan, I would have paid this months cable bill with a handful of Donruss ’89’s from that one factory set I still had laying around.

Instead? I’m pecking at keys, with boxes of Bobby Bonilla rookie cards in the darkest corner of my most unfrequented closet.  Read more...

FSB In The Stands: The Yankee Effect At Nationals Park

Taylor Adkins
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Setting sun on a gorgeous night at Nationals Park. Taylor Adkins/FakeSportsBar.com

 

“That’s why you go to games!”, I excitedly shouted to anyone within earshot as I strutted out of Nationals Park after a thrilling mid May, walk off victory this past Tuesday.

I’ve traveled home from Nationals Park 59 times in my life, but this last visit was different. In fact lots about Tuesday night felt different from the typical venture to Half Street.

The New York Yankees were in town.  Read more...

FSB In The Stands: Minor League Baseball, Shrimp & Grits And (Almost) Bill Murray In Charleston, South Carolina

Taylor Adkins

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CHARLESTON, SC —

Within 60 minutes of landing in Charleston, ordering a John Daly at 10am on a Wednesday seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

After dropping our bags at the hotel and trudging a mile or so through the thick southern air, Mrs. FSB and myself arrived at our first destination. With my head still full of airplane weirdness, I crossed the threshold of the Rutledge Avenue sidewalk, into The Hominy Grill, a bedrock breakfast joint in Charleston specializing in low country classics. It was our first stop on a four day tour as we ate and drank our way through The Holy City.  Read more...

The Hipsters Guide To Becoming A Nats Fan

Taylor Adkins
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Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

The Washington Nationals enter 2015 with massive expectations. The 2014 NL East champs added Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to an already dominant starting rotation. Their potent lineup features a blend of youth and experience, and their bench seems to be much improved compared to last years roster.

Within their division, the Braves and Phillies have imploded and are in full rebuilding mode. The Mets and Marlins have pieces in place, but both still seem to be at least a year away from seriously contending with the Nats.  Read more...

Postcards From Viera: Washington Nationals Spring Training

Taylor Adkins & Rick Beale

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VIERA, FL —

Spring Training is in full swing, with MLB teams taking the field against one another for the first time today. In Clearwater, the Phillies evidently have some serious rust to shake off.  In Viera meanwhile, the defending NL East Champion Nats are gearing up for a season with incredible expectations. 

Rick Beale, an FSB regular and father of my dear friend Justin is down in Viera to take in the Nationals Spring Training this week. As I look out my window into the dark and icy hellscape of Metro DC, I have to admit I’m extremely jealous.   Read more...