Harry Jaffe: Nationals are champs --off the field
By: Harry Jaffe
Examiner Columnist
September 20, 2009
Nationals pitcher John Lannan has had a so-so season on the mound. He's recorded seven wins and nine losses. The book on Lannan is that he starts strong but tends to break down in the middle innings.
But off the field, Lannan has been an ace. Last month he started Lannan's Cannons, a ticket program for children getting treatment at the National Institutes of Health. When the Nationals play at home on Sundays, Lannan hosts 25 kids living at the Children's Inn, the temporary home for patients who need special treatment. Lannan has also gotten behind a campaign to raise $93 a night, the cost for a Children's Inn stay.
How come?
"It's the way I was raised," Lannan tells me. He grew up in Long Island and attended Chamanade High. "In high school I always did a lot in the community. I figure I'm pretty fortunate. I'm grateful, and I show it by giving back."
There's more: Lannan has visited elementary schools and libraries and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
"He's never turned us down," says Nationals public relations manager Lisa Pagano.
The way Lannan carries himself on and off the field is a metaphor for the Nationals franchise. On the diamond, the ball club is headed for another hapless season, approaching 100 losses; but in the community, the Nationals are hitting home runs and coming through on promises to bring baseball to down-home D.C.
On five Saturdays during the season, the Nationals hosted baseball clinics at the ballpark. The team invited youth baseball teams to spend a day at the field. In the morning, coaches coached. Batting coach Rick Eckstein and base coaches Marquis Grissom and Pat Listach gave pointers. Players ate lunch with the kids. Infielder Alberto Gonzalez and pitcher Tyler Clippard were regulars. Each kid was invited back for the game that night.
This Saturday the Nationals are inviting girls from softball teams across the region to work with players on a professional fast pitch team. They will practice at Greenleaf Recreation Center and walk to the ballpark for the game.
The Nationals players and officials reach into the community in dozens of other ways. They clean up the Anacostia, help maintain rec centers, and collect and distribute school supplies. The team's Dream Foundation contributes millions to baseball academies and community organizations, not to mention more millions to fight children's diabetes.
The Nationals deserve props for at least two reasons. African-American kids used to come up through sandlots to the majors. Now it's all hoops. Seeding a love for hardball is a gift. And for a new team to knit itself into the community and build a fanbase, the Nationals need to give the city a sense of partnership. After the city paid for the stadium, the team has an uphill climb to earn steady good will.
"We're just starting in D.C.," Lannan says. "It's our job to go out and let our fans know we care about them. This is a start."
Now if they could win a few more games. ***
E-mail Harry Jaffe at hjaffe@washingtonexaminer.com
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