My Top Ten Nats Moments of 2018
By Alex Ross, Age 10
Even though the Nats did not have a great season in 2018, I still had a lot of fun following the Nats and going to games. Last year, I wrote about my top ten favorite moments of the 2017 season, and now here are my top ten moments from 2018:
10. On June 12 we went to Yankee Stadium, and on June 30 we went to Citizens Bank Park with lots of other Nats fans to see the Nats play. In New York, Adam Eaton gave me a ball in left field while I was holding up a “We’re Eaton Bases” sign. Also, when Aroldis Chapman came in for a save, I was heckling him about how fast he was throwing and then he threw a pitch 102 MPH and I felt silly. Sadly we lost that game but the next day Soto hit a homer and the Nats beat the Yankees! The Nats also lost the Phillies game but one really cool part of the game was when the Phillies pitcher, Vince Velasquez got hit in the arm on a comebacker he got up and threw the ball with his opposite hand to get the out. It was a hard throw also!
#OnePursuitAtCBP pic.twitter.com/yPQfHKLSpU
— TravelNats (@natsroadtrips) July 1, 2018
9. On July 29, my friend Eddie, his dad, and I went to a Potomac Nationals game. We caught lots and lots of foul balls (and gave a lot of them away). We saw a very lopsided game and Potomac crushed. Top prospect Luis Garcia had a great game and after the game I got his autograph along with a couple other players.
My son and his bud had a great time st the @PNats42 game today, catching a million balls and watching Garcia and the other future @Nationals crushing. (They gave away a bunch of their haul to other kids…) pic.twitter.com/lCrocl0ANR
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) July 30, 2018
8. This moment is not a Nats moment but it was still a very cool experience for me. On August 15, while my dad, me, and my friend Eddie and his dad were on a baseball road trip, we went to a game in Cincinnati and the Reds played the Indians. In the top of the sixth, Melky Cabrera hit a home run ball and I got it!! It bounced off someone’s hand and I dove on it and I picked it up. It was my first home run ball and I also got a couple of other balls that day.
@alexnatsblog just caught this homer! Cabrera's 2-run home run
Sent with @MLB At Bat https://t.co/uI2SRaFf82— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) August 16, 2018
7. On July 24, my dad and I went to a Nats game against the Mets and they won 25-4! It was very fun to watch and we had a lot to cheer about. Murphy had 6 RBI’s and 2 home runs and Roark had a 3 run double. He also pitched 7 one run innings. Mark Reynolds hit a three run home run to add to the blowout. It was crazy!
#Redskins with a 3-touchdown victory over the #NYGiants tonight. What, wait, that's #MLB #baseball?!?! #daaaaamn! #25to4 #Nationals #Mets #drubnation #rout #blowout #spanking @nypostsports pic.twitter.com/1meHRPGwOL
— Drew Brown (@drewmbrown) August 1, 2018
6. After the season was over, I was really excited when the Nats signed Patrick Corbin. Right now Corbin is the only lefty starter for the Nats and he is a lefty just like me. He is going to be here for the next six years and then hopefully I will be ready for the team a couple years after that. Now the best three starters on the Nats are Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Corbin, and I think those three guys can lead the Nats to a championship!
Patrick Corbin introduced in his #46 jersey and flanked by starters Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg as well as Ryan Zimmerman. pic.twitter.com/ObdMvgaplz
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) December 7, 2018
5. I got to go to the All Star Game and it was an amazing experience. I went with my friend Vince from Miami who we also went to the All Star Game with in 2017. The best part for me was that I was sitting by the bullpen and in between innings I yelled to Blake Treinen, “You look better in red” and he laughed and tossed me a ball. It was also a lot of fun to be able to see other All Stars at Nats Park.
https://twitter.com/alexnatsblog/status/1019418691111407618
4. For the second year in a row, I got to be Little Screech on Screech’s birthday at Nats Park. Screech and I walked around the field and I did some dancing and it was a lot of fun. I was in the costume before the game and during the national anthem, but we only stayed for part of the game though because I had a travel baseball game that I had to play in. That game, my friend and I pitched a combined no-hitter!
Fun times today at @Nationals Park as my little man @alexnatsblog got to be Lil @ScreechTheEagle on field before the game today. He brought the team a needed win! pic.twitter.com/vaYqRaSS6u
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) April 30, 2018
3. On my baseball road trip, we got to go to Wrigley Field and see the Nats play the Cubs. 99% of my experience at Wrigley was amazing. My friend Eddie and I got to go on the field for batting practice from the field and we got to talk to the players and get some balls. Max Scherzer also pitched an amazing game. The horrible part of the game was that David Bote hit a walk off grand slam off of Ryan Madson and the Nats lost. Although, if the Nats had Doolittle (who was hurt at the time) they probably would have won that game because he would have closed it out.
Best Day ever. @alexnatsblog was just on the field at Wrigley for BP, talked with all the Nats, got a ball, and got it signed by Zimm and Reynolds. I wish I was him. Go Nats! pic.twitter.com/941V3N9X0G
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) August 12, 2018
2. I got to go to the home run derby and it was amazing. There were so many amazing hitters that kept on hitting home runs and it was so much fun. Whenever Bryce Harper was batting, the stadium was going crazy because he was on the Nationals and he kept on hitting homers. Bryce Harper went on to win the derby and everybody was going crazy!
Bryce Harper won the Home Run Derby in the most dramatic way possible. pic.twitter.com/qpnvbcx0xe
— ESPN (@espn) July 17, 2018
1. My favorite moment of 2018 was when Juan Soto hit his first career homer. I went to the game and had a sign that said “In Soto We Trust” and when he hit the homer I was going nuts and I even got on Sports Center!! To make that day even better, during batting practice, I got 6 balls and I had a catch with Padres pitcher Matt Strahm. As if that wasn’t good enough, we only stayed at that Nats game for a few innings and then my dad and I went to game 6 of the Capitals vs Lightning playoffsplayoff and the Capitals won! It was a great day and I had so much fun.
More fun stuff from last night as @alexnatsblog played catch with Pads pitcher Matt Strahm during BP. The Pads pitchers were fun – Alex had a good convo about hockey and how red is a nice uniform color with Stammen and checked in on Joe Ross’ Health with his bro @TalkNats2 pic.twitter.com/UKMYCqpcqe
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) May 22, 2018
We saw two freaking fantastic games tonight. #ohwhatanight. Go @capitals in game 7 #insotowetrust @nationals pic.twitter.com/RoDLR5zbQj
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) May 22, 2018
My little guy made the opening Sports Center montage! #famous #insotowetrust @Nationals https://t.co/RVXKclHe42
— Andrew Ross (@drazthegr8) May 22, 2018
Those were my Top Ten and tell me your top moments! There were a lot more fun moments of the 2018 season that did not make my top ten and it was tough narrowing it down. I hope you liked my list. I am very excited for 2019, when I get to go to my first world series games at Nats Park! GO NATS!