Nationals Seek To Attract Female Fans With Baseball 101 Event

The Nationals before their July 17 game against the Cubs will host Baseball 101 for Women at Nationals Park as part of a “special drive to attract females,” according to Dick Heller of the WASHINGTON TIMES. The event will begin at 9:30am ET with a tour of the Nationals’ clubhouse, followed by a skills clinic on the field. The evening portion of the program includes a Q&A session with club officials and broadcasters, and the "day ends with a ticket in the left-field seats." The Nationals will charge “$85 for the entire day and $45 for just the evening part.” Heller: “This idea ranks right down there with the deals that brought Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes here. ... I’m all in favor of baseball attracting new fans of either gender, but I’m not sure this scheme will work for the worst team in the major leagues.” Many females “already enjoy good baseball,” so “why go after girls and women who previously didn’t give a rodent’s rump, as suggested by the 101 tag?” (WASHINGTON TIMES, 7/9).