Author Topic: July 4 game  (Read 2790 times)

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Offline 114D

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July 4 game
« Topic Start: March 28, 2012, 09:26:10 AM »
11:05 AM start vs. the Giants.  Huh?  Is Nats Park being used for a concert that day?  Why so early?  That's the earliest game in Nats history and frankly I never heard of an MLB game starting before noon eastern time.  And since we are playing the Giants, that game starts at 8:05 AM for fans in San Francisco.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #1: March 28, 2012, 09:28:17 AM »
Makes me happy- I can watch the game, the head out to get a spot for the fireworks

Offline 114D

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #2: March 28, 2012, 09:31:51 AM »
Yeah I don't think it is a terrible idea -- and I am not going to the fireworks.  Hell I think it would be cool to have a few weekend summer games at 10 AM even to try and beat the heat.  I've just never seen it.

Offline blue911

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #3: March 28, 2012, 09:33:20 AM »
11:05 AM start vs. the Giants.  Huh?  Is Nats Park being used for a concert that day?  Why so early?  That's the earliest game in Nats history and frankly I never heard of an MLB game starting before noon eastern time.  And since we are playing the Giants, that game starts at 8:05 AM for fans in San Francisco.

The Patriots Day game always starts before noon.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #4: March 28, 2012, 09:33:46 AM »
I might go. I can watch the game, and get the hell out of DC before the fireworks crowd starts invading the metro and roads.

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #5: March 28, 2012, 09:35:45 AM »
11:05 AM start vs. the Giants.  Huh?  Is Nats Park being used for a concert that day?  Why so early?  That's the earliest game in Nats history and frankly I never heard of an MLB game starting before noon eastern time.  And since we are playing the Giants, that game starts at 8:05 AM for fans in San Francisco.

Boston has an 11 AM EDT game every year on the day of the Boston Marathon. I assume it's done for traffic reasons; also, if the game ends in about the usual amount of time, the crowd leaves Fenway Park right around the time the runners come past the ballpark.

But that's a unique situation and it's also a tradition up there. It's odd the Nats are doing it. I wonder if traffic and Metrorail congestion due to the fireworks and the concert at the Capitol might be part of the reason. Not so much for the fans' benefit but rather for law enforcement's benefit in terms of not having to manage an even larger crowd.

Offline Baseball is Life

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #6: March 28, 2012, 09:44:08 AM »
I think it's a great idea. Great way to start the holiday and then head out for barbecues and fireworks. I hope it becomes a Nationals tradition.

Offline loshjott

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #7: March 28, 2012, 09:58:23 AM »
I was at the July 4 game last year against the Cubs. I think it was a normal 1pm start. It seemed to end well early enough to get out of the Park and back home before major fireworks traffic.

Of course, I rode the Metro and didn't have to deal with traffic.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #8: March 28, 2012, 10:05:25 AM »
Awesome, I can catch the game, get my 20 mile daily ride in, and be home in time for grilling.  Bad ass.

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #9: March 28, 2012, 10:06:38 AM »
Boston has an 11 AM EDT game every year on the day of the Boston Marathon. I assume it's done for traffic reasons; also, if the game ends in about the usual amount of time, the crowd leaves Fenway Park right around the time the runners come past the ballpark.

But that's a unique situation and it's also a tradition up there. It's odd the Nats are doing it. I wonder if traffic and Metrorail congestion due to the fireworks and the concert at the Capitol might be part of the reason. Not so much for the fans' benefit but rather for law enforcement's benefit in terms of not having to manage an even larger crowd.


You may be onto something there - some past Fourth of July trips home from Nats matches have been real ordeals, especially if the opponent is a big draw like the Cubs (as has specifically happened).

I've got no problem with the 11.05 first-pitch myself - I rather enjoy day baseball.

Offline 1995hoo

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #10: March 28, 2012, 10:17:27 AM »
You may be onto something there - some past Fourth of July trips home from Nats matches have been real ordeals, especially if the opponent is a big draw like the Cubs (as has specifically happened).

I've got no problem with the 11.05 first-pitch myself - I rather enjoy day baseball.

For me the worst July 4 Metrorail trip was coming home from the fireworks in 1994 (I remember the year because the World Cup was here). The train in front of us broke down when we were under the river approaching Rosslyn and we sat for around 90 minutes.

As I said before, I doubt concern is so much with crowding per se as it is with assisting law enforcement in MANAGING the crowds. It's difficult enough as it is on July 4, especially when you factor in that there are a lot of people who seldom (or never) ride the Metrorail, coupled with stop closures (Smithsonian) and train re-routings and the like. Adding the baseball crowd in late afternoon, especially when a lot of the baseball crowd will want to change trains downtown at the same stops where fireworks-goers are trying to exit, surely can't help matters (and let's be realistic, most Metrorail riders are not savvy enough to go to, say, Archives to change to a Virginia-bound Yellow Line train instead of jamming in at L'Enfant).

Offline Slateman

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #11: March 28, 2012, 10:23:29 AM »
Makes me happy- I can watch the game, the head out to get a spot for the fireworks

That's why. And it's awesome.

Offline Evolution33

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #12: March 28, 2012, 10:28:16 AM »
Last year wasn't bad but in 2006 when Zim hit his walk-off against the Marlins it was very tough to get out of DC. People had parked on the 14th street bridge and a few exit ramps to watch fireworks.

Offline CALSGR8

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #13: March 28, 2012, 12:51:48 PM »
I think also it gets the game over before the heat gets unbelievably hot!

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #14: March 28, 2012, 01:05:09 PM »
That was a fun day...we were in the diamond club for that one.  I think we heard Willingham fart in the on-deck circle.
Last year wasn't bad but in 2006 when Zim hit his walk-off against the Marlins it was very tough to get out of DC. People had parked on the 14th street bridge and a few exit ramps to watch fireworks.


Offline mitlen

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #15: March 28, 2012, 01:38:42 PM »
If I ain't in Pittsburgh, I may try to make this game, go to the Folk Life Festival and watch the fireworks.    Could be a plan.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #16: March 28, 2012, 01:44:34 PM »
The Folk Life Festival closes a day before the 4th and reopens the day after, but the rest of the plan is solid.

If I ain't in Pittsburgh, I may try to make this game, go to the Folk Life Festival and watch the fireworks.    Could be a plan.


Offline mitlen

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #17: March 28, 2012, 02:01:19 PM »
The Folk Life Festival closes a day before the 4th and reopens the day after, but the rest of the plan is solid.

I'll see what I can do about changing the dates.   :)

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #18: March 28, 2012, 02:04:38 PM »
I'll see what I can do about changing the dates.   :)

I think the fireworks are pretty set in stone, maybe the Smithsonian will be reasonable?

Offline mitlen

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #19: March 28, 2012, 02:25:46 PM »
I think the fireworks are pretty set in stone, maybe the Smithsonian will be reasonable?

I wanted to change the Festival dates but the more I thought about it  ...   the bars are open.   :)   


Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #20: March 28, 2012, 02:26:57 PM »
Probably a more rewarding  cultural experience

Offline mitlen

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #21: March 28, 2012, 02:30:05 PM »
Probably a more rewarding  cultural experience

Smithsonian site shows the Festival is on from the 4th through the 8th in the second week.    What the heck  ...   looks like the Festival and the bars.   Double the culture.

http://www.festival.si.edu/


Offline Gleason2

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #22: March 28, 2012, 03:37:36 PM »
That was a fun day...we were in the diamond club for that one.  I think we heard Willingham fart in the on-deck circle.



I don't think that Willingham was on the team in 2006.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #23: March 28, 2012, 03:50:46 PM »
He wasn't, he was on the Marlins...who were playing here.


I don't think that Willingham was on the team in 2006.


Offline Gleason2

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Re: July 4 game
« Reply #24: March 28, 2012, 06:08:53 PM »
He wasn't, he was on the Marlins...who were playing here.



Right.  They were playing the Marlins that day.  My bad.