I've noticed an oddity, and it came to the forefront today. The Missus and I, plus the Frinklin-in-laws in town for the week, completely enjoyed the Taste of Tacoma. A beautiful setting, a perfect day, great food and a very pleasing vibe all the way around. That isn't the point.
The point to all this is that I've noticed that after the Mariners and perhaps the Yankees, the most popular MLB team in the Pacific Northwest seems to be Fred's beloved Washington Nationals. I saw no fewer than three different Nats caps today, with one guy sporting a Livan Hernandez jersey to boot. Add to that the guy on the train I see every day wearing his navy Nats cap, and I have to wonder about the popularity of the Nationals. I'm too damned lazy to actually research this, but on anecdotal evidence alone I'd say the Nats are on their way to being a -forgive the slight pun- national franchise like the Red Sox and Yankees.
I really like the navy cap. I might have to get one.
Posted by Frinklin at July 2, 2006 10:47 PM | TrackBackFor the faults of MLB through the whole relocation process, the one thing that Selig should be thoroughly applauded for is the creation of the Nationals brand and the return of the Curly-W. (The red/blue cap split for Republicans and Democrats is just an added bonus - even though I'm generally moderate politically, I lean towards the traditional navy blue caps)
In just a year's time, the DC area has been blanketed by red and blue Curly-W caps and Nationals merchandise, to an extent almost unimaginable.
It's cool to see your hometown baseball team so well-represented, but the real importance of the establishment of the Nationals brand is that it creates *identity*, both for the team itself and for its fans. It's crucial for the future of the team, and it's something that "new" teams like the Marlins, Devil Rays and Rockies never really developed. We've got that with the Nats, and it bodes very well for us as a team.
Even better to see Nats Nation represented well in the Pacific Northwest.
Posted by: PapaShaft at July 3, 2006 09:48 AM