The Nationals held Star Wars Day yesterday at Nationals Park for their series finale against the Dodgers, and it was easy to "find fans who were passionate about both baseball and Star Wars, and who were almost ecstatic about the opportunity to mix these hobbies," according to Dan Steinberg of the WASHINGTON POST. Many fans dressed up as their favorite Star Wars characters and "described how perfect this was for families where one son loves ballgames and the other loves blasters." Critics claim the Nationals "no longer need gimmicks to sell out their stadium, certainly not on a July weekend against the first-place Dodgers." The game marked the 11th crowd of the season of at least 40,000, which "already surpasses last season's total." With all three games of the weekend series sold out, team officials "have already said next year's Star Wars Day would involve a less sexy matchup." Critics also said that the promo "felt minor-league, or stupid, or unnecessary." But Steinberg reported fans "strolling the stadium said it was both special and appropriate for baseball" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/19). CSNWASHINGTON.com's Dan Shiferaw noted the convergence of Nationals fans and Star Wars fans "created a swarm well before the first pitch, as the outfield gates were packed over an hour-and-a-half before" the start of the game. The "original score from the iconic movie franchise" was played over the PA system, and the team gave fans a "chance to pose with the favorite Star Wars characters" (CSNWASHINGTON.com, 7/19).
PRESIDENTIAL COSPLAY: The WASHINGTON POST's Steinberg noted the Racing Presidents all wore "their own custom Star Wars get-ups" -- George Washington was Darth Maul, Thomas Jefferson was Princess Leia, Abraham Lincoln was Darth Vader, Teddy Roosevelt was Chewbacca and Calvin Coolidge was Luke Skywalker. They were "mobbed when they strolled through the center field plaza" prior to the game. During their on-field run, Darth Maul defeated Luke "in a lightsaber duel, and then crossed the finish line first" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 7/19).
