2015 Season in Review
In 2015, the Potomac Nationals hosted over 200,000 fans at Pfitzner Stadium as an average of 3,500 fans per game enjoyed Red, White, and Blue baseball while the Nationals ushered in 13 sellout crowds and performed a whopping 16 fireworks shows.
Staying connected to the community the club serves, the Potomac Nationals raised a six-figure total through all of the team's community service arms in 2015.
While garnering regional and national media attention throughout the '15 season, the P-Nats were an award-winning club as their Star Wars Day "Lando Calrissian" theme jerseys were chosen through a Minor League Baseball fan vote as the inaugural "Jersey Joust" Champions.
INSIDE THE CHALK LINES
The 2015 Potomac Nationals opened their 38th season of Minor League Baseball competition with high expectations following a (78-58) Carolina League regular season slate in 2014 and in the afterglow of capturing a Mills Cup Championship over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (then-Texas Rangers).
Featuring eight members of Baseball America's 2015 Washington Nationals Top-31 Prospects List on Opening Day, the P-Nats were skippered by the reigning Carolina League Field Manager of the Year, Tripp Keister while Pitching Coach, Franklin Bravo and Hitting Coach, Brian Rupp rounded out the Nationals' coaching staff for the second straight campaign.
With 2014 South Atlantic League Most Valuable Player, IF Wilmer Difo coming off a career season as a member of the Class-A Hagerstown Suns anchoring the Potomac offense, former Canadian Junior National Team standout, RHP Nick Pivetta taking the role of starting rotation ace, C Spencer Kieboom, a '14 SAL mid-season All-Star, serving as the human backstop, RHP Jake Johansen tabbed as a bullpen stopper, and former starter-turned-closer LHP Nick Lee being ushered into the fireman's role, the 2015 P-Nats were projected to be in the hunt for the franchise's sixth all-time Carolina League Championship.
Coming off of the Carolina League Championship, the 2015 season got underway vs. the Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland Indians) with an 8-6 loss. After a rainout on day two of the season, the P-Nats and Hillcats split a doubleheader as each team picked up a one-run victory. At 9-6 through the first 15 games of the season, the P-Nats looked to be off to a good start before they ran into trouble again in a doubleheader vs. Lynchburg. A doubleheader sweep on the final Sunday of April began a five game losing streak, and a victory in the April finale vs. Winston-Salem (Chicago White Sox) capped off a (10-11) month. Starting center fielder Rafael Bautista went down with the first of multiple injuries throughout the season on April 15th and did not play again for the P-Nats until July 13th. Overall, injuries limited Bautista to just 66 games with Potomac in 2015.
The month of May proved to be a major hurdle in terms of first half standings, as the P-Nats went just (11-18). Solid pitching in the month by Dakota Bacus (2-0, 1.38), Pivetta (2-2, 2.80), and Derek Self (1-0, 2.08) was not enough to overcome a team batting average of just .228 for the month. Only Brandon Miller (four) hit more than two home runs in the month, part of a trend that saw the club finish with the least home runs in the Carolina League in 2016. The club lost seven of the first eight games in May, which put the P-Nats 5.5 games out of the playoffs. The team never pulled within three games of the playoffs the rest of the first half. May did see the addition of two of the top prospects in the Washington Nationals' system, as both Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez joined the P-Nats on May 5th. Throughout the season, Lopez lit up the radar gun both at The Pfitz and on the road, as he routinely topped 100 MPH.
June featured an uptick in the clubs' performance, as the P-Nats went (15-10), their only winning month of the season. Giolito made his presence known, as the top overall Washington Nationals' prospect posted a 2.31 ERA in his five June starts, though he earned only one win. Pivetta continued his stellar season with a 3-0 record in the month, while the team hit a monthly best .284. Narciso Mesa (.348 BA) and Chris Bostick (.412 BA) both had terrific offensive months, though power continued to be a struggle, as the team hit just 10 home runs in 25 games. Bostick was promoted to Double-A Harrisburg on June 15th, while outfielder Isaac Ballou was promoted to Harrisburg on June 28th.
The mid-point of the 2016 season saw the P-Nats become victims of their own pitching success, as six different pitchers were promoted. Wander Suero (7/2) and Nick Lee (7/4) started the promotion cycle, while Pivetta was promoted to Harrisburg on June 8th, then later traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jonathan Papelbon. Just over two weeks after the Pivetta promotion, Giolito, Matt Purke, and John Simms were all promoted to the Senators on July 25th. Giolito finished the season (3-5) with a 2.71 ERA, Purke made only two starts before his promotion, Simms finished second on the team with six wins, while Pivetta led the club with a (7-4) record and an ERA of 2.29.
Even with all of the pitching promotions throughout the month, the P-Nats' pitching staff put together another month with a sub-3.00 ERA. However, the offensive struggles continued, as the team hit just .250 with seven home runs in 30 games. Khayyan Norfork was the offensive star of June. In 25 games, Norfork hit .299 with an on-base percentage of .344.
The second half got off to a good start, as the P-Nats stayed either in first place or within one game of the division lead through much of the first month. A 1-9 stretch from July 15th to July 24th dropped the team to three games out, their deficit when the month came to a close.
Despite a solid August record of (13-14), the P-Nats continued to fall out of the playoff race as Lynchburg ran away with the second half title. Potomac was just one game under the .500 mark due largely in part to another outstanding pitching month (3.08 team ERA), but the Hillcats dominated August with a league best 2.57 team ERA and an 18-9 record. Brian Dupra (2-0, 1.06) and Justin Thomas (0-0, 1.93) were brilliant out of the pen for the P-Nats in August, while Austen Williams (3-1, 1.80) thrived in a starting role. The season wrapped up with a (3-4) September, which included a loss in each of the final two games of the 2015 season. The P-Nats finished second in the Northern Division in the second half at (32-37) and second in the division overall in 2015 at (65-74).
The strength of the 2015 P-Nats season was certainly the pitching staff. The group, which featured multiple top 10 Washington Nationals prospects, put together a 3.31 ERA over the season, third in the Carolina League. The staff finished the year third in both strikeouts (997) and WHIP (1.28). Offensively, the team finished in the middle of the pack in most team batting categories. The P-Nats were fifth in batting average (.252), fourth in on-base percentage (.317), and sixth in slugging percentage (.346). The offense recorded the fewest strikeouts by any team in the league (823), more than 40 fewer than the next closest team. The 49 home runs were the fewest in the league, half of that of league leading Lynchburg's 98. 49 home runs was the lowest team total by any team in the Carolina League dating back to at least 2005.
As is customary for the Potomac Nationals due to the team's close proximity to its parent club, the P-Nats received ten (10) players from the Washington Nationals on rehabilitation assignments in 2015 including: RHP Aaron Barrett, RHP David Carpenter, RHP Erik Davis, RHP Casey Janssen, OF Reed Johnson, IF/OF Tyler Moore, IF Anthony Rendon, OF Denard Span, 2B Dan Uggla, and OF Jayson Werth.
The Washington Nationals also optioned RHP Tanner Roark to the Potomac Nationals on August 25th to prepare for Roark's entrance back into Washington's starting pitching rotation.
BEST PROMOS IN THE BIZ
The Potomac Nationals outdid itself once again as the Minor League Baseball club with the most prolific and captivating promotions in the professional baseball landscape during the 2015 season.
A star-studded 2015 promo lineup included 16 fireworks shows, countless premium giveaway items featuring five bobbleheads/figurines, multiple Mills Cup Championship commemorative pieces, numerous celebrity appearances, a host of game-used, autographed on-field jersey auctions, and a slew of theme nights and special events for the entire family.
P-Nats Baseball, the number one family-friendly entertainment option in Northern Virginia, truly exhibited the best promotional prowess in the history of the franchise to the benefit of the Potomac Nationals' faithful at Pfitzner Stadium in 2015.
The Carolina League's defending champions honored their fifth-ever Mills Cup Trophy clinch by distributing replica 2014 championship rings on Opening Night, and a canvas photo of the Mills Cup Championship dogpile celebration to P-Nats fans, as well.
The P-Nats' promo docket unveiled the following collectable bobblehead and figure giveaways in 2015: a Steven Souza Jr. "The Catch" figurine commemorating his no-hitter clinching web gem behind Washington Nationals RHP Jordan Zimmermann on the final day of the 2014 regular season, a Michael Taylor "Flattop" Major League Debut bobblehead with faux hair, a Wilson Ramos hybrid half-man, half-buffalo "Buff-A-rine," The Goonies 30th Anniversary "One-Eyed Willie" bobblehead, and a Ryan Zimmerman P-Nats bobblehead.
The Potomac Nationals produced a supplemented count on all bobbleheads and figurines to meet the amplified fan demand for this exclusive P-Nats memorabilia.
In recognition of the stellar play by Rendon with the Washington Nationals since his debut in 2013, the former Potomac National was memorialized with a P-Nats jersey t-shirt giveaway.
Furthermore, Nationals fans enjoyed a quartet of replica jersey giveaway which featured reproductions of the P-Nats' home white, alternate blue, alternate red, and road grey jerseys.
The number one theme night to attend in all of Minor League Baseball took place at the Home of the Potomac Nationals in 2015. Paying tribute to one of the most popular cult film classics of all time, the P-Nats hosted "The Goonies 30th Anniversary Night" featuring a post-game showing of The Goonies (1985) on the outfield video board. Famous child star actor, Corey Feldman, who played the role of Clark "Mouth" Devereaux in The Goonies, was on hand to meet and greet fans while signing autographs and posing for pictures. Feldman appeared in such fan-favorite motion pictures as Gremlins (1984), Stand By Me (1986), The Lost Boys (1987), and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). Fans in attendance also received a one-of-a-kind "One-Eyed Willie" bobblehead upon entrance to The Pfitz.
For the second straight season, the trademark event night of the 2015 season was Cowboy Monkey Rodeo Night with Tim "Wild Thang" Lepard & Team Ghost Riders which served as their encore after a terrific reception to circus act's exceptional performance at The Pfitz in 2014. As seen on ESPN's E:60 program, the Cowboy Monkey Rodeo is an internationally recognized live animal entertainment act that features capuchin monkeys riding sheep dogs herding livestock. Lepard and Team Ghost Riders have performed at destinations around Minor League Baseball, and also at the home of the National Football League's Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Military Appreciation Night, a stamp of the Potomac Baseball franchise, honored the armed forces community on the hallmark evening of gratitude for military members and their families. Fans received a Potomac Nationals camouflage t-shirt upon entering the ballpark on Military Appreciation Night. WWE legend, Sgt. Slaughter was scheduled to be at The Pfitz to sign autographs and take pictures with P-Nats fans on Military Appreciation Night but due to a radar tower going down in the region that affected his air travel, Slaughter had to postpone his appearance to later in the season. On the evening of his rescheduled appearance, Slaughter engaged the P-Nats' crowd like only "The Sarge" could.
Special game-used, on-field, autographed jersey auctions were scheduled to celebrate Al Pacino's birthday and Saturday Night Live Night. Al Pacino-related banter was in the air while Pacino trivia was underscored on the video board. SNL Night brought with it a celebration of 40 years looking back at the sketch comedy and variety show touchstone. The SNL Night "Spartan Cheerleader" jerseys worn that night by P-Nats player and coaches finished in 5th place out of 122 other Minor League theme jerseys in the inaugural MiLB "Jersey Joust" competition.
Make-A-Wish Mid Atlantic once again brought children with life-threatening ailments out to Pfitzner Stadium for a majestic afternoon and evening of the P-Nats VIP Experience. The Make-A-Wish kids got to meet and greet P-Nats players and coaches on the diamond, enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Nationals' ballpark, and engage in a special tribute in the middle of the game that night.
Late in the season, the Potomac Nationals enshrined 1994 Prince Williams Cannons outfielder, Mike Cameron within the club's exclusive Potomac Baseball Hall of Fame as the 11th all-time member in franchise history to receive the club's highest honor.
The Potomac Nationals gave away 2015 and 2016 magnet schedules, a team photograph, a camping stool, and rally towels to round out their giveaway lineup.
The P-Nats' biggest media splash of the 2015 ledger came when the club garnered regional and national media attention (ESPN, Sports Illustrated Online, and Washington Post Online) for the Wilson Ramos "Buff-A-rine" (half-Ramos, half-buffalo figure) giveaway promotion.
Meanwhile, the Michael Taylor "Flattop" MLB debut bobblehead, Ramos "Buff-A-rine," and the "throwback" Jayson Werth "Wolf-A-rine" (2014) were all displayed on the desk of ESPN's Mike & Mike live simulcasted radio and television show, as well.
Notably, the Potomac Nationals' Star Wars Day "Lando Calrissian" theme jerseys were the design chosen through a Minor League Baseball fan vote as the "Jersey Joust" Champion for the 2015 season. The P-Nats' award-winning theme jersey was featured on Yahoo Sports, Esquire Online, Washington Post Online, and MTV.com.
RED, WHITE, & BLUE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Potomac Nationals once again served as a bastion of community service and support in 2015 while raising over $100,000 through all of the club's community relations avenues this past season.
P-Nats players and coaching staff members made at least one public appearance per week during the 2015 season while the team hosted 95 fundraisers at Pfitzner Stadium to benefit local, regional, and national non-profit organizations, schools, churches, youth sports teams, and other civic groups.
P-Nats player autograph signing events at business locations of official corporate partners took place twice per month during the 2015 season.
The Nationals worked on events with NephCure Kidney International, the DC Metro Church Administration, Prince William County Special Olympics, HomeAid Northern Virginia, the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society "Woman of the Year" candidate, Stormy Knowles, Team Think Pink, the Virginia Department of Social Services: Putative Father Registry, Autism Speaks, and the Miracle League of Alexandria.
Uncle Slam's Reading Program, which provides children incentives at The Pfitz to read books during the school year, reached a new benchmark of student participation as the program was rolled out inside over 50 local schools.
The Nationals' 2014 Mills Cup Championship Trophy Tour allowed for Red, White, and Blue fans to view the historic hardware up close and personal at multiple sponsor locations including the Potomac Town Center Spring Fest, the Quicken Loans Golf Tournament, the World Police and Fire Games Opening Ceremony, and at Wegmans.
In association with Reality Realty, the Potomac Nationals hosted a sprawling Military Appreciation event to benefit Student Vets of America which brought into The Pfitz a season-best attendance mark of 8,116 fans who were on hand to help pay tribute to local and regional military members and their families.
Stonewall Jackson High School, Woodbridge High School, and Garfield High School all conducted premium fundraisers with the P-Nats which included game-used, autographed jersey auctions, a 50/50 raffle and donation table, tennis ball toss fundraising, and promotion of the school's booster clubs.
The P-Nats enjoyed their third season of partnership with Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic on Make-A-Wish Day at Pfitzner Stadium which coincided with Star Wars Day allowing children with life-threatening medical conditions to experience a VIP day at the ballpark including an exclusive pre-game, on-field experience, player autographs and photo opportunities, catch on the field, and post-game run the bases. The award-winning commemorative Star Wars "Lando Calrissian" jerseys donned by P-Nats players and coaching staff members were auctioned off during the game then autographed after the contest, and handed to the winning fans with all the proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic.
Mid-season, the P-Nats also donated a team-signed bat to the nephew of a member of the Rancho-Cucamonga Quakes' radio team who is currently battling cancer.
The Nationals are set to host the 5th annual IWALK for ACTS 5K sponsored by: Image Church on October 17th to benefit local neighbors in need who have been affected by hunger, homelessness, and abuse.
The ballclub will also have a presence at the 2nd annual Colleen Classic Golf Outing to benefit Rosaria Communities, a non-profit with the mission of fostering the construction or renovation of housing to provide independent living opportunities for developmentally disabled adults in the Washington Metropolitan area. The money raised goes towards keeping up the homes, paying for expenses such as insurance and support programs for the residents, and providing income for the care providers.
2016 ON THE HORIZON
After a 2015 journey that witnessed the Potomac Nationals fall short of on-field expectations but reach new heights as an organization and off the diamond in assisting the community the P-Nats serve, the Nationals will continue to entertain the Northern Virginia region, Washington, D.C., and Southern Maryland as an award-winning, community-minded, family-friendly, prolific Minor League Baseball franchise staple.
On the horizon is the 2016 season, and while the Washington Nationals reload their chain of talent primed to take the field in Woodbridge, VA next year, the Potomac Nationals are already planning to take fan experience at Pfitzner Stadium and community impact to new peaks…
2015 POTOMAC NATIONALS' FRANCHISE FAST FACTS
After 38 years as a Minor League franchise, the Potomac Nationals' organization established these benchmarks in 2015:
*Potomac Baseball franchise has now been owned and operated by Chairman/CEO, Art Silber for 26 years
*P-Nats hosted 13 sellout crowds at Pfitzner Stadium during 2015 season
*With an attendance mark of almost 218,000 fans, the P-Nats have now eclipsed the 200,000 fan threshold for the 13th time in franchise history dating back to the 1990 Prince William Cannons (New York Yankees) who accomplished this feat for the first time
*Largest single-game attendance in 2015: 8,116 fans on Saturday, August 15th (Military Appreciation Night and Scout Night)
*Nationals raised over $100,000 through all of the club's community service avenues in 2015
*P-Nats hosted the number one overall prospect, RHP Lucas Giolito, and the number three overall prospect, Reynaldo Lopez in the Washington Nationals' Minor League organization per Baseball America
*Washington Nationals sent ten (10) players down on rehabilitation to Potomac Nationals in 2015 including: RHP Aaron Barrett, RHP David Carpenter, RHP Erik Davis, RHP Casey Janssen, OF Reed Johnson, IF/OF Tyler Moore, IF Anthony Rendon, OF Denard Span, 2B Dan Uggla, and OF Jayson Werth
*Washington Nationals optioned RHP Tanner Roark to Potomac Nationals on 8/25/15 to prepare for Roark's entrance back into Washington's starting pitching rotation
*Six (6) former P-Nats were promoted to the Washington Nationals in 2015: RHP A.J. Cole (2013), IF Wilmer Difo (2015), LHP Matt Grace (2012-2013), RHP Rafael Martin (2011, 2013-2014), C Pedro Severino (2014), and LHP Sammy Solis (2011, 2013, 2014)
*Among the 40-man Washington Nationals Roster at the conclusion of the '15 regular season, 31 players previously appeared in a P-Nats uniform in their career as either a full-time player or while making a rehabilitation appearance with the Potomac Nationals
*Five P-Nats players captured Carolina League Player or Pitcher of the Week Awards in 2015 including: RHP Dakota Bacus, and RHP Reynaldo Lopez, RHP Brian Rauh, IF Adrian Sanchez, and RHP John Simms
*P-Nats honored with a pair of mid-season Carolina League All-Stars, C Spencer Kieboom and RHP Nick Pivetta
*Pivetta was traded by Washington to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for closer, RHP Jonathan Papelbon in advance of the MLB Trade Deadline on 7/28/15
*Former Prince William Cannons Outfielder, Mike Cameron (1994) was enshrined as the 11th member of the Potomac Baseball Hall of Fame
*Lineup of celebrities who visited The Pfitz in 2015: WWE Hall of Famer, Sgt. Slaughter, Hollywood star, Corey Feldman, Potomac Baseball Hall of Famer, Mike Cameron, former Washington Capitals goalie, Brent Johnson, and former Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback, Sean Glennon
*P-Nats players and coaching staff members made at least one public appearance per week during 2015 regular season
*Potomac Nationals' Star Wars Day "Lando Calrissian" theme jerseys chosen through a Minor League Baseball fan vote as the "Jersey Joust" Champion for the 2015 season
*Michael Taylor "Flattop" MLB debut bobblehead, Ramos "Buff-A-rine," and Jayson Werth "Wolf-A-rine" (2014) all displayed on the desk of ESPN's Mike & Mike live simulcasted radio and television show
*P-Nats garnered regional and national media attention for Wilson Ramos "Buff-A-rine" (half-Ramos, half-buffalo figure) giveaway promotion (ESPN, Sports Illustrated Online, Washington Post Online) and the "Lando Calrissian" Star Wars Day award-winning theme jerseys (Yahoo, Esquire Online, MTV.com, Washington Post Online)
*P-Nats increased season tickets and mini plan sales by 100% and corporate partnership clients by 50% in 2015