For Nationals and Their Fans, a Relationship in Need of a Lift

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Talking Points -- April 13

Tony Kornheiser talks about voice-of-God sports announcers, the Nats' awfulness and Tiger vs. Phil.

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Whether because of the economy, the residue of last year's disappointment or the natural diminishing of interest in the second year of a new stadium -- or more likely, a combination of all three -- the Nats are expecting a significant decline in attendance in 2009. More so than yesterday, it will be the season's second home game, tomorrow night, that tells the tale.

"I'm never concerned about attendance," Kasten said. "We'll get the attendance we deserve."

But it was Kasten's concern about empty seats for Opening Day that led to a mild controversy in the days leading up it. Perhaps thinking no one in Washington would hear, Kasten went on a Philadelphia radio station and invited Phillies fans to come on down for Washington's home opener. Tickets might be tough to score in Philadelphia's own Citizens Bank Park, he said, "but it'll be much easier if you drive down the road and come see us here in Washington."

To some Nationals fans, it was the worst sort of betrayal, a breaking of the sacred vows of fidelity between a team and its fans. But to Phillies fans, it was old news: They didn't need Kasten's sales pitch to know tickets could be had at Nationals Park.

"We got into a lottery for tickets [to Opening Day] in Philly, but we didn't win," said Ken Stern, a Phillies fan from Brooklyn, N.Y., who bought yesterday's tickets several weeks ago and attended the game with his 11-year-old son, Jack. "Here, we didn't even have to enter a lottery. I had my choice of tickets."

"We were surprised at the seats we got," said Phillies fan Bob Connor of Toms River, N.J. "Section 131. Can you believe that? Our [stadium] sold out in six minutes."

But any Nationals fans who harbored fears of the park being taken over by cheese-steak-loving marauders from up I-95 encountered no such thing. Nationals fans outnumbered their Phillies counterparts by a wide margin. Many of the fans in the park yesterday won't attend another game all season, but for one afternoon the joint was packed with Nats diehards.

"It's still major league baseball, and it's better than I can play," said one Nationals fan, who declined to give his name because he was supposed to be at work. "I'm sure maybe there's a limit [to a fan's patience], but I don't know what that limit would be."

The Nationals had hoped for a triumphant unveiling of their revamped roster, highlighted by new left fielder Adam Dunn -- at two years, $20 million, the most expensive free agent signing in franchise history -- but the 0-6 start took away any sense of triumph, and Dunn, despite a homer and a double in his home debut, received only modest applause.

By the middle of the game, the Nationals' defense had already committed three errors and had failed to delivery the knockout blow to Phillies lefty Jamie Moyer, at 46 the oldest player in the game.

And by the seventh inning, when the Phillies bashed two home runs to take the lead, the small contingent of Phillies fans was on its feet cheering, and a smattering of boos greeted the Nationals as they came off the field.

The atmosphere turned electric only once -- when third baseman Ryan Zimmerman clobbered a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Phillies all-star closer Brad Lidge, pulling Washington to within one run with Dunn striding from the on-deck circle to the batter's box and still nobody out. But Lidge struck out Dunn, the first of three quick outs that ended the game.

Another loss in the books, the Nationals and their fans went their separate ways, the players slinking off the field to their clubhouse, the fans to the parking lots and the Metro. Where does it go from here, this marriage? Time will tell. But yesterday, they didn't even kiss each other goodnight.