The NL East-leading Nationals are seeing crowds at Nationals Park up 10.25% from '14 "through the same number of home games," according to Thomas Boswell of the WASHINGTON POST. The team's average attendance "is 32,348, but with the end of school coming and increased crowds in the summer, they will be sure to average nearly 35,000 this year." The Nats' weekend series with the "awful Phillies" saw the team draw "back-to-back sellouts -- 41,722 and 41,044." Just five years ago, the Nationals "were 23rd in attendance and drew only 22,568 per game despite a state-of-the-art park that opened" in '08. Since baseball returned to DC in '05 after a 33-year absence, the Nats "have never been higher than 11th in attendance." This year, they will "battle the Tigers, Cubs, Royals and Padres for the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th positions." Nationals RF Bryce Harper said, "I thrive on big crowds. Of course. I love playing in front of a lot of people. If it’s a little crowd, I hate playing. I mean, truly. I’m not trying to be rude, but a little crowd, I can’t stand it" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/24).
NATIONALS TREASURE: In DC, Barry Svrluga reports the Nationals will mark their 10 years in DC "with a ‘Nats at 10’ exhibit at the Newseum” beginning July 31. The team will have a "second-floor space all their own to display not just items from their past, but their story -- both how it happened and how it was covered.” Newseum exhibits writer John Powell “penned the text that will help tell the story.” He said, “There’s a lot of baseball fans at the museum, and that’s coming across in the writing process.” Svrluga notes the Nationals “had to have a stash of items that could be included in such an exhibit.” Many of the items “have been on display in the team’s offices at Nationals Park,” while others “have been stored in a climate-controlled environment under lock and key.” There will be the pitching rubber from P Stephen Strasburg’s debut in ‘10, the “lineup card from the first game at RFK Stadium” in ’05, the jersey Harper wore in his ’12 debut and even his “That’s a clown question, bro” T-shirt. The exhibit, which will extend into the offseason, also will include the bat Ryan Zimmerman "used to hit the walk-off home run that opened Nationals Park" and the "yellow shoes worn by giant Teddy Roosevelt when he won the nightly Presidents Race for the first time” (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26).
