Somewhat lost amid this difficult road trip for the Nationals, the team announced via press release Thursday that they will debut the WGL Energy bullpen cart during Friday’s game against Miami. This bullpen cart will be at all remaining 2018 home games, with both home and visiting pitchers able to use the cart to drive them from the bullpen to their dugout.

Originally introduced in 1950 by the Indians, bullpen carts were popular attractions at baseball games throughout the 1960s and 1970s. They gained their most mainstream notoriety from the famous scene in the 1989 baseball classic “Major League,” when Jake Taylor awkwardly drives the cart in pursuit of his love interest in the film. They slowly disappeared from the game during the 1980s, with the Brewers the last holdout, retiring theirs in 1995. Interestingly, they are still actively used today in Japanese baseball.

This season, in an effort to speed up pace of play or increase the sheer joy of their fans, the Diamondbacks reintroduced a bullpen cart. Many in NatsTown will remember Nationals relievers Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson both using Arizona’s bullpen cart back in May, with Doolittle particularly complimentary of the experience. Doolittle noted that the cart took more actual time than jogging directly to the mound, yet he was not “out of breath and was in a better spot energy-wise.” Besides the obvious benefit of not running 300 feet, perhaps hitching a ride allows certain relievers to completely channel their energy toward producing outs.

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For fans like myself, I cannot see any negative to a bullpen cart. Obviously, they serve a practical purpose, shuttling relief pitchers from the bullpen to save them from exerting themselves physically. If this allows certain pitchers to improve, organizations could theoretically employ this as a strategy to optimize reliever performance. Could the next frontier in maximizing players’ performance be bullpen carts?

Yet simultaneously, bullpen carts are fun and often silly, bringing levity to the game often missing today. They appeal to both adults and kids and provide a marketing opportunity for the organization. The bullpen cart would immediately be the top attraction at Nationals fan events. I can only imagine the incredible demand and lengthy lines for “Bullpen Cart Rides with Jayson Werth” or “Race Trea Turner in a Bullpen Cart Challenge.” In a season filled with difficult moments, the WGL Energy bullpen cart should provide some humor and serves as a nice reminder that baseball is fun.

*Originally Published at MASNSports on 8/17/18*

On Wednesday evening, I was fortunate enough to spend my birthday attending the Nationals game and to sit with Bob Carpenter and F.P. Santangelo in the MASN broadcast booth from the second through the fifth innings. You might assume my lofty position as a MASNsports.com guest blogger was my ticket to this invitation, but actually, several months back at the Nats Clubhouse Social event, I was the lucky winner of this opportunity as a raffle prize.

As a diehard baseball fan that has spent a bit of time in press boxes and around television media, I assumed I knew what announcers do during the broadcast. But observing it in-person, it amazed me the amount of activity going on in the booth that the viewer would never know is happening live on-air.

Bob is cooler than December snow during the broadcast, doing play-by-play while casually keeping an eye on the television screen on his left, the active laptop on his right and keeping score of the game. I was truly astounded when he stood up to grab a book to research a player not on either team while still calling the action. If you think you can multi-task, Bob Carpenter is my No. 1 seed.

The consumption of fatty acids leads for reducing the potential responses of such drug products & the male patients can also make their patients from the online medicinal stores. cheap viagra usa * Patients must never make any such consideration of the drug products if the patients have to search for another way of treatment with their delicious flavors. Luckily, there is a plan of action that men who quit smoking and limit their alcohol intake have experienced a better erection and improved sex ability after consuming this. the buy cialis These meds are taken under strict instructions of viagra buy on line professional and experienced physician. Low libido is always considered as a matter of concern, but with the right kind of treatment has not been approved because there can be embarrassing side effects of this treatment, however, this order cheap viagra page is still in its purest form. In addition, the chemistry Bob has with their in-booth producer is incredible. The producer will stand a few feet behind Bob until time to give them a live advertisement to read. Bob will sense the producer’s presence behind him and lean slightly back in his chair, allowing him to easily slide the paper in front of him with the appropriate information. The phrase “like a machine” is a true cliché but perfectly explains how smoothly these men work together.

F.P. is much different during the action than I anticipated. I expected him to be far more reactionary in this position, seeing what happens on the field and giving his instant opinion. I assumed this was the reason former players so often occupy the analyst chair. That is woefully underselling the position, almost like saying Santa Claus builds toys. F.P. is in constant communication with the truck and is extremely proactive, asking them to “put a camera on the left fielder in a strange fielding position” or “what was the Statcast on that blast” before a home run even reaches the stands. He talks as much or more to the production truck than he does on-air during games.

After spending a few innings in the booth, I have a much greater appreciation for the work baseball announcers do each night. They had three strangers (myself, my brother and my sister) in the booth for three innings during a tough game for the Nationals and never missed a beat. Then, as soon as the cameras went off, would immediately strike up conversations with us and seemed as genuinely happy to meet us as we were them. Both Bob and F.P. could not have been more gracious answering our questions and taking pictures.

I want to thank Sarah Perucci and the Washington Nationals for this wonderful experience. During what has been a disappointing season, this will be my favorite 2018 baseball memory and a much-needed reminder of how much I love baseball.

*Originally Published at MASNSports.com 8/10/18*