Ardent Nationals Fan

My dad and I used to go to a lot of Hagerstown Suns games. The stadium has since been torn down and "replaced" by a downtown stadium that is home to an independent pro team, unaffiliated with MLB (called the Boxcars). 

Because the Suns were a low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, Dad and I quickly became Washington Nationals fans. We enjoyed following the careers of future hall-of-famers like Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. Harper eventually became a free agent and walked, while Soto was traded for a big prospect haul. Luis Garcia, Jr. is our last Hagerstown Sun to still be playing for the Washington Nationals. For far, he's having a pretty good year. I've always thought he was underrated.

Bryce Harper - now a Phillie

Juan Soto - Padre, Yankee, and now a Met

Luis Garcia, Jr.  - still a National

The Nationals won the World Series in 2019, the year my dad died. It was unfortunate that my dad didn't live to see it, but I know he was watching from heaven. In fact, I think he caused Juan Soto's line drive to skip past the outfielder in the wild card game. Since 2019, I have become an ardent Washington Nationals fan. Somehow, it makes me feel closer to my dad.  

Not only do I follow the Nationals, but I also follow their minor league affiliates: Fredericksburg Nationals (low A replacement for the Suns), Wilmington Blue Crabs (high A), Harrisburg Senators (AA), and Rochester Redwings (AAA). I know who's hot and who's not down on the farm. Just ask me. It's always fun wondering who will make it and who won't. Some first rounders bust, while some guys drafted in the late rounds become stars. There are no certainties in baseball!

FUTURE NATIONAL STARS!?  (STILL IN THE MINORS)

Eli Willits - 2025 #1 draft pick excelling at low A

Travis Sykora - sidelined after TJ surgery

Jarlin Susana - also recovering from surgery

Seaver King (AAA) - finally breaking out ?

Devin Fitz-Gerald - turning heads in high A

Does it run in the family?  Elian Soto is now at low-A.

The Nationals have been very bad since they won their World Series. Their record is 1944 wins and 2164 losses. They are almost always last in their division. It's been hard being a fan (akin to being a Redskins fan during the Snyder era). Even their minor league teams have been bad, with very few prospects ever panning out. Things seem to be changing now, and I'm excited about the future of the team. 

As of this post, the Nats are 1 game over 500. They have the highest scoring offense in MLB. They have two superstars who deserve to start in this year's All Star game: C.J. Abrams and James Wood (both acquired in the Juan Soto trade). The National's farm system is vastly improved. If the Nat's hitting prowess continues and the pitching improves to just-average, they could find themselves competing for a playoff spot. Brad Lord (middle reliever) is also All Star worthy, in my opinion. Cade Cavilli and Foster Griffin are solid starting pitchers.

WILL THESE GUYS PAN OUT FOR THE NATS?

Dylan Crews - back in the show, but . . . 

Brady House - optioned to AAA

"Yoyo" Morales - when will he get his chance?

Harry Ford (AAA) - what happened?

Elijah Green (high A) - a total bust?

About a year ago, the Nationals fired their manager and GM, the same guys that led them to the World Series in 2019. In the off season, they cleaned house. They hired almost all new people, and most of them are on the youngish side, notably the manager, 34-year old Blake Butera. They invested heavily in analytics. They've brought a different mindset and brand of baseball to the Nation's Capitol. I'm enjoying the ride so far. Go Nats!

* * * 

Only the picture of Bryce Harper is mine. The rest were "snagged" from the internet.  I regret never getting a picture of Juan Soto. It seems both years he played for the Hagerstown Suns, he was gone so soon. He was injured the first year (2017), and didn't stay long the second year (2018). Harper played a half season for the Suns (in 2011). We saw him hit his first career grand slam. 

A Fairy Tale Season

I have been a Washington Redskins/Commanders football fan for a very long time. My first memory is from when I was 10 years old. My elementary school held a pep rally for the Redskins who were headed to their first Super Bowl. They lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, but got revenge ten years later when John Riggins lead them to victory in Super Bowl XVII. The Redskins have played in five Super Bowls, winning three of them with Joe Gibbs as coach. But it's been a long drought for the team and its long-suffering fans.

Tonight, the Redskins played in their first NFC Championship game since 1992. They were defeated by a more powerful Philadelphia Eagles team, and their fairy tale season came to an abrupt end. But, what a ride it was. Before today's game the Redskins had won two road playoff games, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and heavily favored Detroit Lions. After going 4-13 last year, they won 12 games in 2024. It was an amazing turn-around and an unforgettable season.

While it takes the whole team to win games, the 2024 season belonged to sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (QB1). Daniels was the second pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  He exceeded all expectations in his rookie year and was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Most pundits rank his rookie season as the best ever and consider Daniels a generational player.

Daniels beats you with his arm or legs. His poise is unmatched as a rookie QB. Nothing seemed to fluster him. He made so many great plays during the season and in the playoffs. Clutch plays. He threw for over 3,500 yards and ran for almost 900 yards (the most ever by a rookie QB; he broke RGIII's record). Jayden played well in the playoffs and had many people believing the Redskins would go to (even win) the Super Bowl. Sadly, they came up short.

Jayden Daniels   #5    QB1

The team's other star player was/is wide out Terry McLaurin, aka "Scary Terry" (#17). Before Daniels, McLaurin was arguably the team's best player and face of the franchise. He and Daniels made a formidable combination. McLaurin had 13 TD passes, second in the league. He scored a breakaway touchdown in the NFC title game against the Eagles. He had a 59-yard TD, off a screen pass, in the divisional playoff game against the Lions. McLaurin had over 1000 receiving yards for the 5th consecutive season. He is considered one of the best catch-and-run receivers in the league. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Scary Terry's 36-yard touchdown against the Eagles

It goes without saying that the 2024 season and post season had many memorable moments. The biggest play of the year was undoubtedly the 52-yard Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown. Many Hail Mary passes are thrown in the NFL, but few result in touchdowns and wins. I have a sweatshirt commemorating the play. Robin got it for me for Christmas. Ironically, the play occurred on my nephew Kevin's birthday. He is a huge Redskins fan. We often exchange text messages about the games.

The Redskins defeated the Chicago Bears 18-15. The loss seemed to derail the Bear's season, while the Redskins, with Daniels at the helm, continued to pull off amazing victories. They hit a 3-game slump in the middle of the season, but went on to win 12 games, including an amazing come-from-behind victory against the Eagles (despite five turnovers by the Redskins). Many of the Redskin wins were come-from-behind and last minute victories.

The Hail Mary

The Redskins played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card game. They were 3-point underdogs. They won the game in dramatic fashion. Of course. In the game's last six seconds, Zane Gonzalez bounced the ball off the uprights. Doink! His 37-yard field goal attempt was good. The Redskins won 23-20. They were on their way to the divisional round of the playoffs. The win was the Redskins first playoff win since 2006. Gonzalez was the team's 4th kicker; others having been hurt.

The Doink!

No one expected the Commanders to beat the first seeded Detroit Lions. The Lions had their own magical season, going 15-2. They were solid favorites, expected to win by more than a touchdown (an +8.5 point spread). Instead they lost by two touchdowns, 45-31. The Redskins defense intercepted the Lions four times, once for a touchdown, and recovered a fumble. Meanwhile, Jayden and the offense played flawlessly.

Four interceptions against top-seeded Detroit

Obviously Dan Quinn deserves a lot of credit for this year's miraculous season. He created a winning atmosphere. He's a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year. I think he should win. He won FOX NFL's coach of the year award. Throughout the season and into the playoffs, Quinn was known for being aggressive and taking a lot of chances, going for it frequently on 4th downs. Quinn and the team had so much confidence in Daniels. The team converted 87 percent of their 4th downs, tops in the league. Daniel's QB rating was out of this world on 4th downs. Sometimes he threw perfect passes; sometimes, he got the needed yardage with gutsy runs.

Poor Tress Way, who gave up his #5 jersey for Jayden.  He hardly ever got to punt. The team put together many long drives and frequently played all four downs. The team's most daring play might have been the fake punt in the NFC Championship Game. 4th and 6 from their own 34-yard line Tress Way lofted a perfect 23-yard pass to the 3rd string tight end. It was a first down. Instead of giving the ball back to the Eagles, they were able to put 3 points on the board. Unfortunately, they needed a TD.

Tress Way throws a completion for a 1st down.

It's fun to be a Washington Redskins/Commanders fan again. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that. We suffered for years under Dan Snyder's ownership. We've gone through several name changes, losing our beloved Redskins moniker. But this year, the team almost got to the Super Bowl. We have a franchise quarterback, finally (we just need to keep him healthy -- remember RGIII?). Hopefully, 2024/25 is just the beginning of many years of competitive football in the DMV. I will wear my Jayden Daniels jersey and other Redskins/Commanders gear with pride.

To all the players and coaches -- thanks for the memories. 2024/2025 is a season I will never forget.

Suns Memories

Hagerstown has a minor league baseball team. In fact, professional baseball has a long history in Hagerstown. Municipal Stadium is one of the oldest minor league stadiums in the country. Over the years, the Hagerstown team has been affiliated with many different Major League teams and been a part of different leagues. They joined the South Atlantic League in 1993.

In 2007, the Hagerstown Suns became a member of the Washington Nationals farm system. Currently, they are a class A team (low), which is in the middle of baseball's seven tiered system. From Hagerstown, the players usually go to the Potomac Nationals (high A), which recently moved to Fredericksburg (VA). They get promoted from the Auburn Doubledays (class A short season) in New York. Occasionally a player from the parent club will do a rehab stint in Hagerstown.

Dad and I went to our first Hagerstown Suns game in 2009. Steve Lombardozzi was the most notable player. He's from Fulton and went to the same high school as I did. He made it to the Majors, but never managed to stay for very long with any one team. He's no longer in the big leagues but still plays professional ball in an independent league. I like keeping track of some of the former Suns players.

Bryce Harper (2011)

Bryce Harper was drafted #1 by the Washington Nationals in 2010. He was paid big bucks and put on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He played for a half season in Hagerstown. More people seemed to come to the games when he played. The Suns started to be a good team. Dad always reminisced about how we saw Harper hit his first grand slam. We also saw him let balls go by him in the outfield. A former catcher, he was still learning to play the outfield. Harper may not have liked playing in rinky-dink Hagerstown, but we enjoyed watching him play his first season of professional ball. We were Harper fans when he played for the Nationals.

The best pitcher we saw play in Hagerstown was Lucas Giolito. He was another top draft pick of the Nats. He was coming off of Tommy John surgery when he played for the Suns in 2014. He went 10-2 with a 2.20 era. He was amazing. Unfortunately his innings were limited due to his surgery. Giolito debuted with the Nationals in 2016. He pitched four shutout innings, but struggled after that. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox at the end of the year. He had a terrible year with the Sox in 2018, but made the American League All Stars in 2019.

Lucas Giolito (2014)

Some of the Nationals top prospects come from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries. Juan Soto was the "cream of the crop."  Soto had two short stints in Hagerstown in 2017 and 2018. In his first year he played for about a month before getting hurt and not returning. His stats were very good. In his second year with the Suns, he played about a month before being called up to Potomac. His stats were great. Everywhere Soto played that year, he played extremely well. He was eventually called up to the Nationals and the rest is history. He's one of the best players on the team and probably a future hall-of-famer. And still only 21. Dad liked Soto a lot. I regret not getting a picture of him donning a Suns uniform.

Victor Robles (2016)

Victor Robles was another top prospect from the Dominican Republic. A center fielder, he played a half season in 2016 with the Suns before being called up to Potomac.  With the departure of Harper, he became a starter for the Nationals in 2019, alongside Soto. He had a solid year. Roble's journey to the Major Leagues was slower than Harper and Soto and he hasn't broken out yet as a superstar, but I think he will. He has all the tools and is still only 22. He's an especially good fielder, having been a finalist for a Golden Glove in his rookie year.

Carter Kieboom is the National's current top prospect. He played for the Suns in 2017. He's a shortstop. His major league debut with the Nationals (in 2019) was less than spectacular, but he's got a lot of potential.  He had a stellar year at Fresno (triple A). With the departure of Anthony Rendon, he was expected to get a lot of playing time this year. Carter's brother Spencer was a catcher for the Suns in 2014. He debuted with the Nationals in 2016, but failed to stick with the organization and became a free agent last fall.

Carter Kieboom (2017)

The only time the Sun's stadium was ever packed was when Tim Tebow came to town. After Tebow's football career fizzled, he decided to give baseball a shot. He's a great athlete, but by all accounts, only a so-so baseballer. But he packs people into the stadiums and has been great for minor league baseball.  The Suns had a four game series with the Columbia Fireflies, a New York Mets affiliate, in June 2017. We went to one of the games. We were lucky to get a parking place and seats. Tebow got a hit, but let a ball get passed him in the outfield. The Suns won the game.

Tim Tebow (2017)

The Suns have the lowest attendance in the South Atlantic League. The stadium was usually only sparsely populated, especially after the Bryce Harper era ended. The push to move the team, in the absence of a new stadium, didn't help to attract fans. There were usually only a handful of people in the stands during the cool, spring months. Attendance during the summer was better, but still only about 800, give or take a few hundred. Dad and I preferred to go to games Monday through Thursday, so attendance was likely better on the weekends. We didn't mind the low attendance. It made for a more pleasant experience.

My baseball buddy. Oh, how I miss him.

2018 was the last year Dad and I went to games. He passed April 14, 2019. During his decline, I had promised him I would take him to the Suns' opening night, no matter what. But it never happened. It was his time to be with the Lord. Mom and I went to one game in 2019. She had wanted to go on June 11 on what would have been their 64th wedding anniversary. There haven't been any games in 2020.

Lifelong Baseball Fans

My first memory of being a baseball fan was in 1969. I was 7 years old. I collected baseball cards. I was a member of the Baltimore Orioles fan club. The Orioles lost to the underdog New York Mets in the World Series. In 1970, the Birds beat the "Big Red Machine" in 5 games in the second of their three straight World Series appearances. Brooks Robinson (#5) was the MVP and put on a fielding clinic. He earned his nickname, "the vacuum cleaner," robbing many of the Reds players of extra base hits. After that, I wanted to be a third baseman.

I was an avid Baltimore Orioles fan for many years. I also loved playing baseball. We played pick up games (a cross between baseball and softball) in the neighborhood where I grew up. I played youth softball and was on the high school (fast pitch) team for two years, my freshman (JV) and senior (varsity) years. I continued to play softball after I graduated from high school and college. Then I lost interest in baseball. The O's last trip to the World Series was in 1983, when Cal Ripken still had hair. Opportunities for a female my age to play ball were few and far between and I had difficulty fitting  games into my work schedule. For years, my only connection with baseball was the annual softball game between extension agents from the Eastern and Western Shores.

I moved to Western Maryland (near Hagerstown) in December 2001. My parents moved to Hagerstown a few years later. My dad had always been a baseball fan, too. When we were kids, we watched Dad play in a local league. He was a first baseman. As I got older, I moved from third base/shortstop to first base. They called me "Stretch" because I was good at stretching to dig balls out of the dirt. As a teenager, Dad sold hotdogs at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. He went to Pirates games with his dad. Dad and I were at "odds" in 1971 when my Orioles faced his Pirates in the World Series. The "Bucs" won in 7 games; Roberto Clemente was the MVP. Like many people of his generation, my dad had fond memories of baseball. It was America's pastime. Who had heard of soccer then?

Hagerstown has a minor league baseball team. Dad and I went to our first game in 2009.

I Love Baseball

I love baseball. My dad and I have half-season (35 games) tickets to the Hagerstown Suns.  With our package, I selected all the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday games. We can't get to all the home games, but when we miss a game, we can trade our tickets in for tickets for the other games.

My dad, fellow baseball fan

The Suns are an affiliate of the Washington Nationals. So, we've also become Nationals fans, since that's where Suns players will end up, unless they are traded or end their careers prematurely. In reality, most of the Suns players will never play major league ball. Most play to fill out the roster. There are some big league prospects. Sometimes, prospects never materialize and sometimes the roster players become prospects.

The Suns are a low-A team, meaning there are several more steps to the big leagues:  Potomac (high-A), Harrisburg (double-A), and Syracuse (triple-A).  Below the Suns, there is Auburn, a short-season single A league and a couple of rookie leagues. Most of the players start below the Suns. Bryce Harper started with the Suns and played a half season here. He played well, but you could tell he didn't like playing in lowly Hagerstown. Oh well, we enjoyed watching him. We saw him learn his way around the outfield and hit his first pro grand slam.

Victor Robles:  future major leaguer?

Besides Bryce Harper, we've had the pleasure of watching some of the National's other top prospects, many of whom are still working themselves through the National's system or are playing for other major league teams. Michael Taylor, a current outfielder with the Washington Nationals, played for the Suns several years ago. The Nationals' #1 prospect and #1 prospect in the majors (top 100) is Lucas Giolito. He played for the Suns in 2014, after coming off Tommy John surgery. He posted a 10-2 record and was awesome to watch. He's still in Harrisburg. The Nats aren't rushing him. The Nat's current #3 prospect (#58 of top 100) is Sun's center fielder, Victor Robles. The Dominican has an awesome slash line and makes some good plays in the outfield.

Ripken, Jr.  Chip off the old block?

This  year's Hagerstown Suns boast three sons of former Major league players. Ryan Ripken (1B) is hall-of-famer Cal Ripken's son. Mariano Rivera III is the son of future Yankee hall-of-famer Mariana Rivera Jr. Cody Dent is Bucky Dent's son.  Bucky Dent played shortstop for the New York Yankees. Among the three, Rivera seems to have the most potential. So far, we've only seen him pitch once. LIke his dad, he's a relief pitcher. Ripken knocks runs in, but has a sub-200 batting average. Dent seems to be stuck at single-A. I think it's his third year in Hagerstown.

So far, the Suns are 28-17 and tied for first place. They've got a number of players hitting over 300. RBIs are spread around. They've got a few guys who can steal bases. It's hard to keep up with the pitchers because there are so many of them, more than half the roster. Despite the Sun's good record, we haven't seen many good games yet. As the season progresses, I'm sure that will change.

America's (My) Favorite Pastime

I've been a baseball fan my entire life. When I was a kid I memorized Baltimore Orioles statistics. Brooks Robinson was my favorite player. Of course, those were the hey-days when the O's were in the World Series almost ever year. In recent decades, it's been tough to be a Bird's fan.

While the Orioles are doing well this year (for a change), over .500 and in second place in the AL East, I'm thinking that I might become a Washington Nationals fan.  After all, that's where the boys from the Hagerstown Suns are heading, unless they get traded (or wash up!).

My family and I have become Hagerstown Suns fans. We try to attend a game during every home stand. Last year, we had the pleasure of watching Bryce Harper in his first year of professional baseball. The 18-year old phenom played the first half of the season with the Suns before being moved up to double A ball (in Harrisburg, PA). Bryce racked up some good stats in Hagerstown. We saw him hit his first grand slam and learn to play the outfield (previously he was a catcher).

Bryce Harper, future hall-of-famer

Of course, Bryce is now starting for the Washington Nationals. He's doing pretty good, too, batting .280, last time I looked at his statistics. He's made some good catches in the outfield. The Nationals are one better than the Orioles, currently atop the Eastern Division in the National League.  The two beltway rivals recently met in inter-league play. The O's took two out of three games.

One of Bryce's teammates (and another former Sun) is Steve Lombardozzi, who plays part-time at second base. Lombardozzi's  hitting a respectable .263.  I didn't learn until recently that he graduated from Atholton High School, my alma mater. He's from Fulton. I'll be rooting for him, too.

Another Suns alumni (that we saw play) has made it to the big leagues. Derrick Norris is a rookie with the Oakland Athletics. Norris was a hard-hitting catcher that racked up some good statistics in Hagerstown in 2009. He was traded to the A's at the end of last year, along with Brad Peacock and another player.

Former Sun Derrick Norris, now an Oakland A

I plan to follow the progress of Suns players as they strive to reach the Major Leagues -- from Hagerstown (A), to Potomac (A+), to Harrisburg (AA), to Syracuse (AAA) to the Nationals. Most of last year's players are currently playing for the Potomac Nationals. The Sun's shortstop, Jason Martinson, was recently sent to Potomac. He led the South Atlantic League in RBI's the first half.

Now that Martinson has moved up, the players to watch (IMO) are Matt Skole and Alex Meyer. Skole is a third baseman who leads the league in home runs and walks. Meyer is a 6'9" pitcher with a lot of power. He was selected to represent the Suns in the All-Star Futures Game.

Unfortunately, our days of being Suns fans may be numbered. The Nationals have not signed a contract with the Suns for next year. The team may be moved to Winchester, Virginia. The Suns (and Nationals) want Hagerstown (or Winchester) to build them a new stadium. 

In today's tough economic times, it's hard to justify building a new stadium. Plus, we love the current stadium, the oldest in the league. It is quaint, comfortable, and easy to get to. I wonder how many other stadiums still have a manual scoreboard.

Sports wrap

The Baltimore Orioles are playing 500 ball and are sitting at the bottom of their division. Of course, this is a rebuilding year; they're not supposed to be any good. It's been a long time since the Birds were good. As a life long Oriole fan, I have to cling to the memories of the great teams of the 70's and early 80's.

The Hagerstown Suns have a losing record. The other teams score lots of runs against them. My dad and I want to go to more games, but the weather is currently too hot and humid. We went to a game a couple of weeks ago. The stadium was pretty full. It was a Saturday night and the first 1,000 fans received a bobble head figure. There were fireworks after the game. We like it better when the stadium is "empty."

I'm not usually a horse racing fan, but I was rooting for Big Brown to win the Belmont Stakes. It's been many years since we had a triple crown winner. But it was not to be. Not only did the colt not win, but he finished dead last, after his jockey pulled him away from the pack. There are no explanations for Big Brown's disappointing run. Perhaps, he just didn't feel like he was in the groove.

I've watched the first two games of the NBA finals. I've always been a basketball fan, and it's my favorite sport to play. Two Celtic victories, so far. The Lakers and Celtics have always had a big rivarly. Back in the 80's, I rooted for the Celtics. I was a big fan of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale and the playing style of the Celtics. Today, I'm rooting for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Hopefully, the Lakers will fare better on their home court, with all the Hollywood stars watching them.

Redskins football isn't too far in the future. Who knows what things will be like with a new coaching staff. I was glad the 'Skins re-signed Todd Collins, last year's late season hero. Jason Campbell is developing into a solid QB. I hope Clinton Portis still has a good season left in him. The 'Skins seem to fare as Portis does. Maybe Jim Zorn will open up the Redskins offense. Hopefully, the Redskins will make the playoffs in 2008, and if they do, go farther than they did in 2007.