"How Do You Know" hits DVD and Blu-Ray

"How Do You Know" hits DVD and Blu-Ray
Many Nationals fans managed to save some hard earned-cash by skipping the box office premiere of "How Do You Know" last fall. The the motion picture flop featured Owen Wilson as a Nationals pitcher along Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson. For those of you who missed it in theatres, the romantic comedy is set to be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 22. If you're still not inclined to spend money on this one, at least rent it from Netflix or Blockbuster. Despite the poor...

It all begins today

It all begins today
A full season of summer friends, peanuts and Cracker Jacks and the highs and lows of Nationals baseball is now upon us. Whether you're excited, optimistic or cautious about the season, we can all agree that it's time to get rolling and start playing real, live Nationals baseball games. With that in mind, here's a list of television games for the Nationals this spring, including tonight's tape delayed game on MLB Network. Monday, February 28 @ 9:30 p.m. on MLB Network Sunday, March 6 @ 1...

Werth and Desmond bobbleheads among 2011 promotions

Werth and Desmond bobbleheads among 2011 promotions
On Friday, the Nationals released a list of new promotions for the 2011 season. Of course, the most exciting additions are Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond collectible bobbleheads. Werth will be honored with his very first Nationals bobblehead on Saturday, July 30, against the Mets. Desmond's first bobblehead will be given out on Saturday, Aug. 20 against the Phillies. The bobbleheads are a PNC Bank promotion for the first 15,000 fans at each of those games. There will also be another Fan's...

NatsFest details announced

NatsFest details announced
The Nationals have now officially announced that NatsFest will take place between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 30. Fans will have an opportunity to watch the Nationals practice, meet players and coaches, take photos with Ryan Zimmerman's Silver Slugger award, visit MASN's interactive area and race against the GEICO Racing Presidents. There will also be a special Kids Zone with a bounce house, interactive games, face painters and balloon artists. Of course, the team store and concession...

A few good women

A few good women
Do you know a woman who has gone to bat against breast cancer? Major League Baseball and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are again teaming up to honor and celebrate extraordinary women across the country who have battled breast cancer. To enter, fans can submit stories about how they've battled or overcome breast cancer. You can also sort through the inspiring stories and vote for your favorite candidates. The winners will serve as honorary bat girls during Major League Baseball's Mother's...

Win a trip to spring training

Win a trip to spring training
What could be better than winning round-trip airfare and a two-night hotel stay to catch Nationals spring training in Viera, Fla.? What if you also won a behind-the-scenes tour, a meet-and-greet with Nationals players and an opportunity to take on-field batting practice? DC101 and Miller Lite have teamed up to send one lucky Nationals fan on a VIP trip to Florida from March 25-27. To win, listen to Elliot in the Morning on DC101. He'll be giving away tickets to opening day on March 31 and...

Surprise Valentine's Day visits from Screech and Uncle Slam

Surprise Valentine's Day visits from Screech and Uncle Slam
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too," a child once said. Does your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife or partner love baseball? If so, surprise your beloved this Valentine's Day with a special visit from Nationals mascot Screech or the Single-A Potomac Nationals' Uncle Slam. Screech is available for a five minute surprise appearance in which he'll deliver a Valentine's Day card along with a balloon and a box of chocolates. The cost is...

Nats offer presale for spring training tickets

Nats offer presale for spring training tickets
On Monday, the Nationals will open up spring training ticket sales to fans who've registered to receive "Nationals Insider" e-mail updates. The opportunity allows fans to purchase spring training tickets a week before the general public. The presale starts on Monday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. and ends on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at noon. A limited number of tickets for the March 12 game against the Yankees will be available in the presale. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Saturday,...

NatsFest scheduled for March 30 (updated)

NatsFest scheduled for March 30 (updated)
The Washington Nationals have announced that the third annual NatsFest will take place on Wednesday, March 30. In previous years, the Nationals hosted a winter caravan leading up to NatsFest in late January, but they are trying a new approach in 2011. The event is on a Wednesday, though the team believes fan participation will be higher than ever. "Through this event, we hope to engage our fans like never before and get them excited for what is sure to be an electrifying baseball season,"...

Nats owners impressed with Ted Leonsis

Nats owners impressed with Ted Leonsis
Speaking at a Washington Post breakfast forum sports business featuring the owners of area teams Tuesday morning, Washington Nationals principal owners Robert Tanenbaum and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum discussed the challenges of owning and developing a baseball team in the nation's capital. Joined by Redskins owners Dan Snyder, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and D.C. United owner Will Chang, the group fielded questions from the Post's Mary Jordan about the market, the business, failures, customer...

Local SABR event scheduled for Jan. 29

Local SABR event scheduled for Jan. 29
The 37th annual meeting of the Bob Davids Chapter of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) will be held at the Holiday Inn Rossyln at the Key Bridge on Saturday, Jan.29 from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Guests and non-members are invited to attend. The cost is $32 and includes a lunch buffet. The day-long event will include baseball trivia, elections of officers, networking, speakers, baseball books, presentations, raffles and more. In the morning, David Vincent will present research on...

Tanenbaums to speak at sports business forum

Tanenbaums to speak at sports business forum
On Tuesday, Jan.11, The Washington Post will host "Scoring Big: The Business of Sports," a breakfast forum featuring local sports executives. Nationals owners Robert Tanenbaum and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum are scheduled to participate in the event. Other participants include Redskins owners Dan Snyder, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and D.C. United owner Will Chang. Mary Jordan, editor of Washington Post Live, will moderate the conversation. The forum will also be streamed live at ...

Plans for Nats baseball academy move forward (updated)

Plans for Nats baseball academy move forward (updated)
The D.C. City Council has approved a lease with the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation to build the long-awaited baseball academy at Fort Dupont Park, Mike Henderson of Nats Daily News reports. The measure, which was approved Tuesday, will allow construction and operation of the youth baseball academy on land transferred to the city in June, as well as an opportunity for the District to provide a $10.2 million grant for financing the project. Chairman Vincent C. Gray pushed for this...

"How Do You Know" review

"How Do You Know" review
I've delayed writing a review of "How Do You Know," the new motion picture starting Owen Wilson as a Nationals reliever, because I'm not sure how to say this in an articulate but kind way - the movie is terrible. Sure, it's worth going just to see Wilson ponder true love in the visiting bullpen while wearing the Curly W, and the season ticket holders who participated as extras did a great job. But the film will probably be a let down even if your expectations are already low. ...

Nats holiday discounts and store hours

Nats holiday discounts and store hours
From Dec.16 through Dec.23, the Nationals Park Team Store in center field will have special holiday discounts and hours. The store will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday leading up to Christmas. Selected items will be discounted at 50 percent and the new Jayson Werth jerseys will be available for purchase. Shoppers can park in Lot C on the corner of 1st and N streets for free. Today, Screech will stop by to sign autographs and pictures from noon-12:45 p.m. Fans can also...

Racing Presidents in "The Nutcracker"

Racing Presidents in "The Nutcracker"
Last week, the Racing Presidents traded in their running shoes for ballet slippers. Teddy, Abe, George and Tom appeared in Septime Webre's The Nutcracker at Warner Theatre. Check out their rehearsal and performance video below:

"How Do You Know" updates

"How Do You Know" updates
The long-awaited debut of Owen Wilson as a Nationals reliever in "How Do You Know" has finally arrived. The film opens Friday, but some Nationals season ticket holders will be invited to screen the movie on Wednesday evening in Washington, D.C. The team will host a red carpet VIP event to promote the film. In Los Angeles, the real red carpet for the film begins tonight at 9:30 p.m. Fans can watch at http://youtube.com/HowDoYouKnowMovie. You might also want to tune in to Owen Wilson's...

Odds and ends

Odds and ends
A few quick off-the-field news items, and then you can quickly return to our extensive Winter Meetings coverage: Nationals hitting coach Rick Eckstein will donate his kidney to his brother on Wednesday, according to Bill Ladson. Kidney disease runs in the Eckstein family. Rick's brother Ken, who will receive the kidney, had a previous transplant in 1991. Rick and the entire family are huge proponents of organ donation. Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner is blogging from the Winter...

A moment of silence

A moment of silence
Despite the exciting news yesterday and the optimism that greets us each year at the Winter Meetings, there is a cloud hanging over NatsTown today. This weekend, former Nationals closer Chad Cordero and his wife lost their 3-month-old daughter, Tehya. We are sending condolences to Chad and his family during this very difficult time. Chad was and still is a beloved part of this organization and its history. His loss is heartbreaking. There will be a "Moment of Silence" to support the...

New 'How Do You Know' Clip Features Nats Fans

New 'How Do You Know' Clip Features Nats Fans
A new clip of 'How Do You Know' surfaced today, exclusively on MySpace, featuring a baseball scene from the upcoming James L. Brooks movie with Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson. Nationals season ticket holders were invited to sit in as extras during the filming at Nationals Park in 2009 and some familiar faces are clearly visible in this clip. In the one minute segment, Wilson discusses "love" with his bullpen teammates while the center fielder makes an amazing catch. Mild warning -...