September 11, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Baseball ownership intrigues in Los Angeles!

After several years of grumbling by Angels fans that team owner Arte Moreno was not doing anything to improve the team, a potential new owner recently emerged: Stan Kroenke. He has pledged to build a new stadium with private financing, but the details are very hazy. It's not even clear whether he intends to remain on the same plot of land that the Angels have occupied since 1966. See ESPN.com.

On the PBS News Hour last week, an investigative journalist from L.A. named Pablo Torre reported on the legal peril confronting the principal owner of the Dodgers, Mark Walter. He allegedly violated securities law when he borrowed money to buy the Dodgers franchise in 2012. (The previous lead owner, Frank McCourt, had to declare bankruptcy.)

More and more page updates!

Hearing that news about the Dodgers' owner prompted me to check the MLB Franchises page, and noticed that I had erroneously listed Mark Walter as "Mark Walters" (plural), so I corrected that. (The purchase of the Angels by Stan Kroenke is still pending.) While I was at it, I made a few other corrections, such as updating the names of some of the stadiums on that page such as Oracle Park and Daikin Park. (It's hard to keep up with those changes on so many pages!)

Continuing in my laborious efforts to bring various stadium comparison pages up to date, I have fixed the formatting and content problems on the Stadium milestones page.

I also made minor tweaks to the Turf page and the Stadiums by class page.

Stadiums in Limbo page now reflects the facts that demolition of RFK Stadium was completed last year, and that Oakland Coliseum is essentially abandoned, used only as an occasional soccer venue.

Finally, both the Dolphin Stadium and Yankee Stadium pages have been corrected and made more conformable to the new standard format.

Nats resume plunge

Speaking of L.A., The Washington Nationals got swept by the Dodgers in a 3-game series there last week. In the first game, rookie starting pitcher Jackson Kent had two good innings and then his control slipped and the Dodgers jumped on the opportunity. Meanwhile, the Nationals managed to blow every scoring opportunity they had, while the bullpen officially set an MLB record for blown saves, with 38. The less said about the ongoing losing streak the better...

This came after an uplifting moment for the Nats when they faced the Braves to close out their home stand in Washington on Tuesday, September 1. On that day, all teams rosters expanded, and two Nats rookies were called up to play in their first-ever MLB games. With his parents watching in the stands, Yohandy Morales hit his first major league home run, helping the Nats to win, 9-5. Credited with the win was Jared Simpson, who pitched three innings in relief of Jake Irvin, likewise in his MLB debut.

August 31, 2026 [LINK / comment]

After another bullpen meltdown, the Nats redeem themselves

The Washington Nationals showed promising signs that they really had pulled out of their August nose dive this weekend, winning the first two games against their division rivals from Miami, and [had] a 2-0 lead going into the top of the 9th inning. And then, everything suddenly fell apart. Max Kranick gave up a single and two walks to load the bases and left the game with one out, and was charged with all 3 runs that later scored and became the losing pitcher. His replacement, Tom Cosgrove, hit the first batter he saw with a pitch, making it a 2-1 game, and then a sacrifice fly to left field allowed the tying run to score. [But] the throw to 3rd base was mishandled, with Cosgrove not in position to back it up, allowing the Marlins to take the lead. Absolutely disgusting performance! The next batter walked and then bamboozled Cosgrove by [unexpectedly stealing] 2nd base, while the runner on 3rd base scooted home to score. To top it all off, the next batter, Otto Lopez, hit a home run to give the Marlins a 6-2 lead. Un-effing-believable!!! So Cosgrove he was charged with a blown save in one of the most embarrassing moments in Nationals history.

In today's game, the Marlins took a 3-0 lead in the 4th inning, and it looked liked they were going to split the 4-game series. But the young hustling National named Daylen Lile had other plans. Having hit 3 homers over the past 4 games and being named National League Player of the Week, he led off with a single in the 1st inning, and then hit 2-run homers in both the 5th and 7th innings. That crazy guy almost single-handedly lifted the Nationals from the pits of despair to the heights of comeback glory! Pitching for the Nationals was a succession of relievers and recently-acquired pitchers. Will Dion pitched the first 3 innings, and former Blue Jay Matt Waldron pitched the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings, being credited with the win. A guy named Erik Tolman came in to pitch in the 8th inning, and promptly loaded the bases with 3 straight singles. Oh, no! Here we go again! But Blake Butera kept him on the mound, perhaps wanting to let the guy prove himself or perhaps just not having any good alternatives. I cringed in horror, anticipating the worst. But guess what? Tolman struck out the next batter and then got out of the inning intact as the batter grounded into a double play. Then in the 9th inning, he struck out all 3 batters! Talk about major-league nerve! I hope this was a sign of better things to come for the Nationals' mostly-deplorable bullpen. Final score: Nats 6, Marlins 3.

The Nats' bullpen: worst ever?

The crushing defeat at the hands of the Marlins on Saturday reminds us that the Nationals hold the dubious distinction of leading the major leagues in total blown saves: 35. I forget what the all-time record is, but the Nats are getting dangerously close to it. The Nationals and the Rays are tied for first place in the majors with 69 save opportunities, and whereas the Rays lead the majors in saves (with 54), the Nationals are tied in 18th place in saves (with 34). (Blown saves equals save opportunities minus saves.) Let's take a look at some of the most egregious cases this year in which the Nats' bullpen not only faltered, but suffered a total meltdown in the ninth inning, or later:

* The May 18 home game against the New York Mets was decided in the 12th inning, when Nats reliever Paxton Schultz gave up 5 hits and 7 runs, and then infielder Jorbit Vivas came in to pitch, giving up 3 more runs, for a total of 10 runs in that inning.
** In the June 10 game in San Francisco, the Giants scored 5 runs in both the 8th AND the 9th innings.

It is remarkable that none of those names are repeated, i.e., the failures of Nats' relief pitching is widely distributed. In most cases, the pitcher at fault recorded both a loss (L) and a blown save (BS), but on June 10 the Nationals had a 10-6 lead going into the bottom of the 9th inning, which is not a save situation, so Mitchell Parker was charged with a loss but not a blown save. In the game on Saturday night, Max Kranick loaded the bases and was charged with all 3 runs that later scored, thus becoming the losing pitcher. After Tom Cosgrove came in to pitch, the Marlins took the lead, so he was charged with a blown save.

Stadium page updates: Florida!

Over the last three days I have updated the three stadium pages for Florida: Tropicana Field, Dolphin Stadium, and Loan Depot Park. They are now all consistently formatted, with a section describing the locations and attractions of the respective cities, along with a composite photo of Miami -- but not St. Petersburg-Tampa, which I have yet to visit. This completes my project of updating all the regular MLB stadium (past and present) pages, which I began in early July. So when am I going to update the pages of the various stadiums used on special occasions for MLB games, or other significant minor league ballparks, such as Hamtramck Stadium? (After all, I recently did so for the Field of Dreams in Iowa.) Good question! Actually, I did pay an in-person visit to Hamtramck Stadium, located in an enclave within Detroit, so that will probably be first one. But that still leaves Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, among others...

Scenes from my two visits to what was then called "[Marlins Park" (NOT Dolphin Stadium!)]*** in February 2017.

And just in case that semi-tropical scenery isn't enough for you, here are some scenes from elsewhere in Miami and (with a mouse rollover) further south in the Everglades:

Miami high-rises as seen from a bridge across the Miami River, and one of the "Little Pink Houses" for you and me (cue John Mellencamp), also in February 2017. Ain't that America??!

And speaking of page updates, the Washington Nationals page now has all the data up through the month of August, during which the Nats won a paltry 11 games and lost 18. There are lots of new players' photos (in miniature size), taken in the game I saw on August 8.

Scherzer climbs strikeout rankings

In the Toronto Blue Jays' 7-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, former Nats pitcher Max Scherzer surpassed Gaylord Perry (3,534) in the all-time list of strikeouts, with 3,535, and now ranks #9. (He recently surpassed Walter Johnson, who struck out 3,508 batters in his illustrious career.) Don Sutton ranks #[7] with 3,574 strikeouts, [while Justin Verlander ranks #8 with 3,554]*** and it's possible Max could reach that number this year. But will he continue pitching in 2027? That game was only his second win of the year (2-7 record), since he hardly pitched at all from May through July, and his ERA is 6.16. In any event,

Well done, Max!

*** "After further review," I had to make multiple corrections the next day, indicated above with brackets around the affected text. That ought to teach me to try to squeeze in a summary of the preceding month's action before the first day of the next month!

August 30, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, October 2025

What follows is another extremely late summary of birds that I saw in October of last year. Little by little, I'm getting caught up, and should erase my long backlog within the next month or two.

October 3: It was a great day along Bell's Lane today! I checked out the northeastern stretch for the first time in a while, and was soon rewarded with nice views of Cedar Waxwings, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, a closeup of a (female) Black-throated Green Warbler, and my very first Northern Harrier of the season! Along the usual lowland portion, I saw several American Redstarts, a Northern Parula, a Black & White Warbler, and my first Ruby-crowned Kinglet of the season! It's always interesting to see a mix of summer birds and winter birds during the spring and fall migration seasons.

Bell's Lane, October 3.

October 4: In contrast to last Saturday, when the ABC field trip to Augusta Springs was originally scheduled, the weather this morning was almost perfect, and we saw a nice variety of migratory birds. Soon after arriving we saw a Cape May Warbler, along with all the Cedar Waxwings, but unfortunately I couldn't get a good photo of it. We saw Black-throated Blue Warblers at two locations, the first (a male) staying up in the trees while the second (a female) was much more cooperative. Other highlights included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (first of the season for me), a Common Yellowthroat, a couple probable Chestnut-sided Warblers, some Blue-headed Vireos, a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Belted Kingfisher. There were many smaller birds in the bushes across the meadow north of the boardwalk, but they were hard to see. I later determined from the photos that some were Indigo Buntings (note the blue tinges in the brown bird) and others were White-throated Sparrows (FOS). At one point we heard a an emphatic high-pitch song that was vaguely familiar, very close by, and Stephen Pietrowski's Merlin app identified it as a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We didn't see it, however. On the way back to Staunton we stopped at a couple places in Swoope, but didn't see anything special other than an American Kestrel. Overall, however, it was great day.

October 8: I paid a visit to Bell's Lane on the way home from work late this afternoon, and soon saw a Northern Harrier (F/J) once again. In the wooded lowland area I spotted a Northern Parula, an American Redstart, and an Ovenbird, but getting photos proved almost impossible. Near the kiosk toward the southwest end* were a Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker, as well as some Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings, and two Yellow-rumped Warblers -- my first ones of the season!

Bells Lane, October 8.

October 10: Jacqueline and I went for a walk at Montgomery Hall Park in the afternoon, after buying veggies at nearby Jones Garden. The big highlight was seeing a Common Yellowthroat up close, but otherwise just some Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a few other common birds.

October 11: On an ABC field trip to Madison Run that I led, we started hearing lots of birds soon after we began our hike, but for the most part they remained elusive all morning. In particular, we kept hearing Ruby-crowned Kinglets, but never had a clear view of any of them. At one point the Merlin app on two of our phones indicated that a Brown Creeper was present, but the calls were probably too high-pitched for us to hear. We heard a variety of woodpeckers, including Pileated, but the only clear sighting was that of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. There was a lot of bird activity at the Austin Mountain trail crossing, and we finally had decent looks at a Blue-headed Vireo, one of the late fall migrants, along with Carolina Chickadees, etc. As a reflection of the nice weather conditions, the trail was full of human hikers and their canine companions.

October 17: I finally had some time for birding this afternoon, so of course I went to Bell's Lane. I didn't see any of the hoped-for warblers, but I did have an excellent closeup view of a White-eyed Vireo, on its way south a bit behind schedule. That was a surprise! I also saw my first White-crowned Sparrow of the season, as well as a White-throated Sparrow; I had only seen the latter species once this season, during our Augusta Springs field trip two weeks ago. There were also a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets and the usual woodpeckers, etc., but no Gray Catbirds or Eastern Phoebes. They must have left town and headed south already.

October 18: I drove out to Swoope and the Boy Scout camp late this morning, mostly in hopes of seeing a Winter Wren or Brown Creeper. No luck with either of those, but I did see a plethora of woodpeckers: Red-headed, Downy, Red-bellied, as well as a Northern Flicker and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker! I also heard a Pileated Woodpecker but never saw it. A Hairy Woodpecker would have made it a perfect day, woodpecker-wise! Finally, there was a Yellow-rumped Warbler along North Mountain Road a couple miles to the north.

Swoope, October 18.

October 20: I went for a walk around Montgomery Hall Park, and was disappointed by the lack of birds until I reached the top. All of a sudden, there were Kinglets all around me -- both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned! (It was the first I had seen of the latter species this fall.) Unfortunately, they were just too fast for me to get any good photos!

October 22: I finally lucked out in getting a photo with perfect lighting conditions when I saw two Northern Harriers along Bell's Lane late this afternoon. Also a Red-tailed Hawk perched in the distance.

October 24: The bright sun in the late afternoon accentuated the colors of the birds along Bell's Lane. There must have been at least a half dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers near the kiosk, along with 15 or more Eastern Bluebirds. Toward the northeast end there was a flock of American Robins numbering at least 40. I had a brief glimpse of a Northern Harrier as well.

October 25: One thing led to another in the afternoon, and I eventually ended up at Coyner Springs Park southwest of Waynesboro. For the first time I walked there from the semi-new Shenandoah Village Drive which I mentioned in a post last month. It was slow going for a while, bird-wise, but as I reached the top of the hill (by the water treatment building), it got very busy! Many Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and even a Blue-headed Vireo! Just in case, I checked out the bushes where many of us saw the ultra-rare Kirtland's Warbler last year; no such luck. On my way back were several dozen American Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Common Grackles in the woods below, as well as some Cedar Waxwings. In spite of the overcast skies, it was quite a day!

Waynesboro, October 25

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.

August 28, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Nationals hit rock bottom, and then bounce back up!

After blowing the lead and getting beat by the Marlins in Miami on Friday one week ago, the Washington Nationals ended up getting swept by the host team. The Nats scored 2 runs in all 3 games, while the Marlins improved in each successive game. Starting pitcher Jake Irvin took the loss on Saturday, and rookie Jackson Kent did so on Sunday. Neither was really to blame, however, it was just the lack of run-scoring support by the erstwhile offensive juggernauts of the 2026 season.

Then the Nats returned home to face the Colorado Rockies, and Nationals Park looked banged up from the rock music concerts that had been held there during the team's 9-game road trip. Cade Cavalli was on the mound, and with the Nats' bats being silent in the first four innings, he found himself in the unusual position of being behind 2-0. But in the bottom of the 5th inning, the Nats staged a 5-run rally, adding multiple runs in the next 3 innings as well, and won the game handily, 13-3. Daylen Lile was the offensive spark plug, batting in 5 runs, with a home run to boot. But that reassuring victory carried no momentum with it, as the Nats lost 3-1 on Tuesday and then 13-1 on Wednesday. Andres Chaparro homered to give the Nats a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, but the Marlins hit two 2-run homers in the 4th inning, and piled on 9 more runs in the latter innings. To spare his bullpen further agony, manager Blake Butera put infielder Jorbit Vivas on the mound to finish the 8th inning, which was rather ugly, and then the 9th inning. That game had to be one of the real low points of the Nationals' disappointing 2026 season, with a perilous consequence: the 5th-place New York Mets pulled to within just one game of the Nationals in the NL East race! (The Mets were 60-72 after the Tuesday games, and the Nats were 62-72.) But somehow the Nats gathered their wits for the final game of of the series on Thursday afternoon. Starting pitcher Jake Irvin walked the bases loaded in the 1st inning, but got out of it intact. Then the Nats took a quick 2-0 lead on 3 singles and a timely sac fly by Brady House. Daylen Lile and Keibert Ruiz homered in later innings, and the Nationals won it, 7-1, thus splitting the series 2 games apiece. Those were the first games that the Nats had won with somebody other than Cade Cavalli as starting pitcher since Sunday, August 9!

This evening the Nationals welcomed (?) the Miami Marlins to Washington, The Marlins had beaten the Nationals in their last 7 matchups, almost as if they had a secret key to render the Washington players defenseless. But this time the Nats pulled off some "magic tricks" of their own, starting with a wild pitch thrown by Eury Perez in the 3rd inning that allowed 2 Nats baserunners to score. Catcher Joe Mack's throwing error accounted for the second run. That instantly broke the tension in the Nats dugout. Daylen Lile walked, and then Brady House crushed a home run way up beyond the Red Porch seats in left-center field, giving the Nats a 5-1 lead. WOW!! That ball was estimated to have gone 474 feet, one of the longest home runs this year, and one of the longest ones in Nationals Park history!!! In the bottom of the 7th inning, catcher Harry Ford hit a solo homer, and then the Nats piled on 3 more runs, leading to a very satisfying 9-2 victory over the Marlins. Starting pitcher Jackson Kent got his first major league victory, finishing seven innings with 106 total pitches. The promising signs he displayed in his previous three starts were borne out, and he may become part of the Nats' rotation next year! Meanwhile, the Mets lost again, providing the Nats with a bit of breathing room in the race to avoid the proverbial cellar. If the Nats can pull themselves together, they can at least end this big letdown of a season reasonably close to the .500 mark, and maybe even pull ahead of the Marlins to take 3rd place honors. Call me a dreamer...

[Tonight's game was the last of ten Nationals games to be broadcast by Gray Media local TV stations this year. That innovative approach brought Major League Baseball to a wider audience, and is to be warmly applauded. Likewise for the NBC (and Peacock) coverage of MLB games this year, mostly on Sundays. Hopefully both such TV broadcasting arrangements will be repeated next year. (If there IS a next year for baseball, that is... The possibility of a players' strike or a lockout by the owners seems to be growing all the time. )]

MLB returns to Williamsport, PA

This past Sunday, the annual "Little League Classic" game was played at Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (It's located in the north-central part of the Keystone State.) I was surprised to learn that, since the first such event in 2017, it was the ninth Major League Baseball game to be played there! So I updated the Bowman Field page accordingly. Technically, it is now called "Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field," after a few years of "Muncy Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field" being the formal name. Anyway, the Atlanta Braves beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. It was a possible preview of a postseason matchup, with the NL East leading team beating the NL Central leaders.

In another preview of a possible postseason matchup, Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves threw a 9-inning shutout against the L.A. Dodgers in Truist Park last night. In the bottom of the 1st inning, the Braves' Drake Baldwin swung at the first pitch he saw, and he put that ball way up into the right field seats. It was the only run scored in that entire game! Yoshinobu Yamamoto (ERA 2.56) pitched extremely well for 6 1/3 innings, but took the loss nonetheless. A classic pitchers' duel!

A few more page updates

Both the Anomalous stadiums page as well as the Stadiums by class page have been updated to account for the awkward transitional status of Sutter Health Park, the demolition of RFK Stadium, the conversion of ex-Turner Field and ex-Globe Life Park to serve as football venues, and a few other recent changes.

Over the weekend, I plan to finish the stadium page updates for Florida, and that will complete the MLB phase of my page update endeavors! (Eventually, I'll do likewise for the many temporary or anomalous stadiums as well. )

Is that the Astrodome? Nope!

The other day I was watching the movie Selena on the Pluto streaming service, and was intrigued by the scenes where the title character (played by a young Jennifer Lopez) was (supposedly) performing a concert in the Astrodome! But it sure didn't look like the Astrodome to me, as the grandstands appeared to be arranged in perpendicular fashion to each other, whereas it should have been a continuous circle. After checking the IMDb website, I learned that those scenes were actually filmed a 125 or so miles to the west of Houston -- in the Alamodome of San Antonio!

New stadium deals in K.C. & Tampa!

Over the past week, both the Kansas City Royals and the Tampa Bay Rays announced stadium deals with local government authorities, and I'll have a lot more to say about that soon.

August 22, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Virginia, September 2025

Here we resume the never-ending endeavor to catch up with blogging about birding... (The last such "episode" was on August 7.)

September 1: Along Bells Lane I saw a Blackburnian Warbler (female or young), along with more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, hawks, and flycatchers.

September 5: Jacqueline and I came upon a big cluster of various birds as soon as we started walking along Bell's Lane late this afternoon: Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Wood Pewees, a Northern Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and a Cape May Warbler doing amazing aerobatic stunts! A Cooper's Hawk (first year) soon showed up in search of a meal. Later on I came upon a Yellow Warbler (young or female), and was lucky to get a couple photos before it scurried away. Fall migration is/was in full swing!

Bell's Lane (September 5, 2025.)

September 8: I couldn't make it to the hawk watch, but I ended up getting some nice views of hawks when Jacqueline and I went for a walk around the trail at Mill Place in Verona: a Red-shouldered and a Sharp-shinned, which briefly engaged in an aerial tussle. On the way there (and back out again), we stopped at the big pond behind Hardee's, where I saw two Green Herons, a Belted Kingfisher, and a Solitary Sandpiper. But the big highlight of the day was spotting a pair (M & F) of Blue Grosbeaks hopping around the thick bushes near the parking lot. I heard some odd call notes, and thanks to the usually-reliable Merlin app (!), I was able to determine the species. It was quite a day!

Mill Place (September 8, 2025.)

September 12: I haven't had much luck along Bell's Lane lately, just a Cedar Waxwing on Wednesday and an American Redstart today, among the Eastern Phoebes, woodpeckers, sparrows, and other regulars. The hummingbirds out back provide lots of entertainment, but they seldom pose in good lighting conditions.

September 13: We had a nice variety of warblers and other neotropical migrants on our Augusta Bird Club field trip up in the Blue Ridge this morning. Many of them were either too fast or too well hidden to properly identify, but the ones here are fairly certain: Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Scarlet Tanager (male, in non-breeding plumage), Tennessee Warbler, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Blackpoll Warbler. We also saw a probable Blackburnian Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and Least Flycatcher, as well as an Eastern Phoebe, a Cedar Waxwing, and several American Goldfinches and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. It was just wonderful!

(Blue Ridge Parkway and Route 610, September 13, 2025.)

September 17: During Penny Warren's bird walk along Bell's Lane I saw an American Redstart, which has been the most common warbler species there since the spring, as well as a Northern Parula (underside view), a Red-bellied Woodpecker, some Eastern Phoebes, and a family of Cedar Waxwings rounding out the day's highlights. I never saw the Magnolia Warbler that Scott Priebe found.

September 18: A brief visit to Bell's Lane late in the afternoon paid off big time, as I saw multiple Palm Warblers -- the first ones of the season for me, and possibly of the year! Other highlights included Cedar Waxwings, a N. Flicker, E. Phoebe, and the first American Kestrel I have seen in months. (It was too far away for a good photo.)

September 19: Jacqueline and I walked all the way around Yulee's Trail in Montgomery Hall Park, but virtually all the birds we saw were at the top of the hill, where we started. The Red-breasted Nuthatch was a big surprise, and the Black-throated Green and Magnolia Warblers were also very nice finds.

September 20: Jacqueline and I hiked all the way up to the top of the Madison Run trail yesterday (five miles each way!), and we saw a few good birds along the way. Two of the species were maddeningly difficult to photograph (Swainson's Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler), but I eventually got good images of them. In both cases we saw multiple birds in two different locations. In contrast, the Pine Warbler, Black and White Warbler, and E. Wood Pewee seen here were more "cooperative," but one or two mystery warblers (such as the one or ones in the bottom right below) will remain in doubt. Overall, the birds were much scarcer than I would expect during the peak of migration season.

(Madison Run trail, September 20, 2025.)

September 22: I had my first real warbler "fallout" of the season along Bell's Lane in the morning! Magnolia Warblers (top right) and American Redstarts (top left) were present in multiple locations, while the Northern Parula and Black-and-white Warblers seen here at the lower right were in the same area of dense foliage and vines in the lowland stretch of the road not far from "Cujo Corner." Also in that area was a Swainson's Thrush and an Eastern Wood Pewee or two. Finally, in the thick bushes in front of the small pond was a Cape May Warbler -- the fifth warbler species of the day! Nearby I also saw Eastern Phoebes and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Red-shouldered Hawks were screaming off and on, but I didn't see any of them today.

(Bells Lane, September 22, 2025.)

September 26: In the morning Jacqueline and I did a bit of birding along the brand-new Shenandoah Village Rd. that connects the Target shopping center to South Delphine Avenue on the south side of Waynesboro. There were many American Goldfinches and American Robins, as well as some very special birds: Yellow-billed Cuckoo (elusive as ever), Cape May Warbler (top left in the first composite image), and Blackpoll Warbler. In the afternoon we went to Bell's Lane, where I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker, some Cedar Waxwings, an Eastern Phoebe, and an American Redstart.

September 29: Along Bell's Lane I found multiple Eastern Phoebes, Magnolia Warblers, and American Redstarts. There were 6-8 Eastern Bluebirds checking out the holes left by woodpeckers in a birch tree near the small pond.

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.

August 21, 2026 [LINK / comment]

MLB returns to the Field of Dreams

For the third time, on [the 13th of] August a Major League Baseball game was played at (or near) the Field of Dreams movie site near Dyersville, Iowa. The Minnesota Twins were "hosting" the Philadelphia Phillies, but there wasn't much doubt which way things were headed. On the third pitch of the game, Kyle Schwarber blasted a home run into the corn fields beyond right field, and the Phillies added another run before the Twins came to bat. In the 4th inning Schwarber homered again, and Brandon Marsh added two more runs with a homer in the 7th inning. Final score: Phillies 7, Twins 1.

This was the first time that an MLB game had been played at the Field of Dreams since the new permanent stadium was built there earlier this year. I made a point to visit it in June, on my way out west, and my photos were very useful in capturing the details. Interestingly, the outfield fences, light standards, scoreboards, dugouts, and even the stadium outline were virtually identical to the temporary stadium that had existed there from 2020 through 2022. (When I visited in 2024, I was surprised to see that there was no stadium at all; the entire structure was temporary in nature, and was removed after the 2022 game.)

Some views of both the new stadium at the Field of Dreams, as well as the farm and ballfield where most of the movie was shot.

Diagram update!

So, needless to say, I had some diagram revisions to take care of, which you can now see on the Field of Dreams page! For the most part, it's fairly accurate, but I noticed some discrepancies between the photos that I took there two months ago compared to the video images of the game that I saw. So, there are no doubt a few corrections that will need to be made...

Next year the Kansas City Royals will play as "host" to the Boston Red Sox at the Field of Dreams. Unlike this year's exclusive Netflix TV arrangement, the 2027 game will be broadcast nationwide on NBC Sports, which does not require a paid subscription to view. Yay! See royalsreview.com.

Cade Cavalli: the Nationals' new ace pitcher!

The Washington Nationals have been in a terrible slump for over a week, so let's accentuate the positive. In the only two games the Nats have won since August 11, the starting pitcher was Cade Cavalli, and both times he reached the double-digits in strikeouts, going 8 and then 6 innings without giving up a run. In the August 19 game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, he had a no-hitter going until the 6th inning! Earlier in the season he was mostly very good but had a few bad outings. But since the Nats' previous ace pitcher Foster Griffin was traded away to the Cleveland Guardians on August 3, Cavalli has stepped up and assumed a truly dominant role on the mound. He has had seven consecutive "quality starts," i.e. 6 or more innings pitched with 3 or fewer earned runs. With an ERA of 3.22, he currently ranks 15th in the major leagues, catching up on his former team mate who is now in Cleveland. (Griffin's ERA is 3.18, ranked 13th.)

Cade Cavalli (L) and Foster Griffin (R) in the dugout during the Nats' game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 15.

Otherwise, the Nats keep losing

Unfortunately, Cavalli's rise to excellence has coincided with a sharp decline in his team mates' performance. Since the August 11-13 series with the Cubs, the Nats have been shut out twice, and only once have they scored more than 4 runs. Andres Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz continue to hit home runs, but otherwise not much is happening. James Wood remains on the injured list, and C.J. Abrams has been slumping badly at the plate. Because of his often-shaky defensive performance at shortstop, he is starting to play at second base (or as designated hitter), which is probably not good for morale.

To sum up the recent series, the Nationals lost the first two games to the Cubs and then totally dominated the visitors 7-0 on August 13 when Cavalli was on the mound. Then they traveled to New York, where the hungry Mets took every opportunity they could, sweeping the Nats in 3 games straight. The Saturday, August 15 game was especially disheartening because the Nats had a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the 9th, whereupon relief pitcher Yovanny Cruz gave up a walk, a single, and a double before getting the first out, and then Francisco Lindor hit an RBI single to win the game. Jubilation in Queens!

The August 18-20 series in Arlington, Texas was strange, because all three games were shutouts. On Tuesday the Nats' rookie pitcher Jackson Kent gave up 5 runs to the Rangers in the first 3 innings, which was 4 more than the [home team] ended up needing. On Wednesday, the 3rd-inning home run by Jose Tena was all the Nats really needed, but the 3-run blast by Andres Chaparro in the 7th inning was a nice bit of insurance. Nats 6, Rangers 0. On Thursday Andrew Alvarez had another decent outing, but didn't get credit for it, as the Nats only got one hit the entire game. Final score: 2-0.

And then in Miami tonight there was another tension-filled pitchers' duel, and the Nats took a 1-0 lead when Keibert Ruiz homered in the 6th inning. But the Marlins took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the 8th, as Tom Cosgrove proved less than effective as a reliever. In the top of the 9th, hopes were fading fast, when Daylen Lile hit an ultra-clutch RBI single to tie the game. But in the bottom of the inning, Clayton Beeter loaded the bases after giving up a single and then committing a throwing error on a bunt single, after which he intentionally walked the batter in hopes of getting some miraculous force outs. It didn't work out that way, as Javier Sanoja hit an RBI single to win the game for the Marins. So now, the Nationals are only 2 1/2 games ahead of the last-place Mets.

FOOTNOTE: Tonight's game was the 33rd blown save by the Nationals' bullpen overall, equaling the relief pitchers' total number of saves. That is almost unimaginably bad. So far, the pitching acquisitions made just prior to the trading deadline don't seem to have made much difference.

Beginners' luck in Chicago!?

Last Sunday, rookie outfielder Joshua Baez played a decisive role when the St. Louis Cardinals took on the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field, and made history while he was at it. He not only hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his very first game, he hit two more home runs in his next two at bats. No other major league player had ever done that before. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals won it, 8-4.

R.I.P. Tommy John

The pitcher for whom "Tommy John surgery" was named passed away at the age of 83 earlier this week. In 1974, in his 12th year in the majors, Tommy John tore a ligament in his pitching elbow, and it seemed that his career was over. But Dr. Frank Jobe performed an experimental surgery, in effect "transplanting" ligament tissue from the lower part of his body, and John came back to pitch several more years with the L.A. Dodgers, and then the New York Yankees, among other teams. Nowadays, Tommy John surgery is almost routine for pitchers. He finally retired after the 1989 season, amassing 2,245 strikeouts with a 3.34 career ERA. (From Yahoo Sports and The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 2003.)

August 10, 2026 [LINK / comment]

The Nationals sweep the Reds

Fans literally swarmed into Nationals Park late on Saturday afternoon, hoping to snag one of the shirt & shorts sets that were being given away as part of the "Hawaiian Night" promotion. In spite of hassles with traffic and Metro farecards, Jacqueline and I, along with our niece Shary,* managed to arrive in time to take advantage of the promotion. I must say, the quality was quite satisfactory! It was a beautiful sunny day, although quite warm, and we made sure to get seats that were not exposed to the sun.

Scenes from Nationals Park on August 8, which was being celebrated as "Hawaiian Night." Hawaii (which some people spell with an apostrophe: "Hawai'i"), was actually admitted as the 50th state on August 21, 1960. [Nats' Starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez did very well but unfortunately was not credited with the win.]

Nationals Park from the northwest corner as players warmed up for the game.

The Nats perhaps had good reason to be a bit edgy: the last time they played the Reds (in Cincinnati on May 14), they lost 15-1! As the game got underway, starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez gave up two singles and a walk in the first two innings, but he kept his cool and no damage was done. The Reds' starting pitcher Chase Burns retired the first six batters he faced, showing that he is indeed of All-Star quality. (He had an astounding 13-1 record before this game.) The Nats got their first hit in the 3rd inning, a leadoff single by Jose Tena. Two batters later, C.J. Abrams doubled and Tena went to third. Then, on an 0-2 count, newly acquired Abimelec Ortiz singled to left field, bringing in both baserunners to score. That guy is having a heck of a debut with the Nationals. I got a good look at his wide face, and it occurred to me that he might be a relative of the Red Sox' retired stocky superstar David Ortiz. Not so, evidently. David is from the Dominican Republic, while Abimelec is from Puerto Rico.

No Reds batter reached base in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th innings, and Alvarez seemed to be in complete control. But right after Sal Stewart singled in the 6th inning, manager Blake Butera replaced Alvarez with Max Kranick. Dane Meyers popped out, but then Eugenio Suarez hit a home run into the left field (visitors') bullpen, and the game was tied. Argh! There went Alvarez's hope to get credit as the winning pitcher. Instantly fans (including me) groaned about the Nationals' woeful bullpen, and many of us wondered aloud why Alvarez was replaced so suddenly. His pitch count was only 73, after all. But it really didn't matter because Dylan Crews ignited a rally with a leadoff double in the bottom of the 6th, followed by an RBI single by Daylen Lile, a double by Keibert Ruiz, and a walk issued to Nasim Nuñez to load the bases. That was enough for Reds manager Terry Francona (yes, the former Red Sox boss!), and the night was over for Chase Burns.

In the 6th inning, Reds manager Terry Francona took the ball from a dejected Chase Burns, while his team mates confer on the mound.

In response to the pitching change, Blake Butera had Andres Chaparro pinch hit for designated hitter Jose Tena with just 1 out. Frankly, I have regarded Chaparro with disdain for much of this season, as he often exhibits poor plate discipline and chokes in clutch situations, but not this time! On a 1-1 count he smashed a bases-loaded double down the left field line, probably the decisive play of the game.

Fans reacted with whooping exhilaration when Andres Chaparro hit a clutch bases-loaded double in the 6th inning, BUT ...

For some reason, Nasim Nuñez tried to score all the way from first base on that play, and was easily thrown out at home. As one of the TV announcers said of the Nats' 3rd-base coach, "not the greatest of sends by Victor Estevez..." [Nuñez leads the majors in stolen bases with 40, which probably influenced the coach's decision.] But the next batter, Jacob Young hit a single to bring home Chaparro, who had reached 3rd base on a wild pitch. So, the Nats had a 6-2 lead after all. With their often-shaky bullpen, every run counts!

... Nasim Nuñez was out by a mile at home plate after shortstop Elly de la Cruz relayed the ball from left field with a blazing-fast strike to the Reds catcher Jose Trevino.

In the 7th inning, Yovanny Cruz (recently acquired from the Yankees in the big trade for Luis Garcia) took the mound and got into a bit of a jam, with runners on 1st and 3rd, but struck out Elly de la Cruz. Nats reliever Clayton Beeter got through the 8th inning just fine, just giving up a walk. In the bottom of the 8th, Chaparro hit an RBI single (the Reds' challenge of the call at first base was denied), and two batters later C.J. Abrams batted him in with a single to center field. Fans in Nationals Park (which was over 3/4 full, with 32,602 in attendance) were elated beyond measure, celebrating a big lead after so many recent tough losses. In the top of the 9th Tom Cosgrove struck out the first two batters and induced a fly ball out from Ivan Johnson to end the game on a triumphant note. Final score: Nats 8, Reds 2.

* I have to say, it was one of the most enjoyable Nats games I have seen in a long time. My niece Shary was very happy to be given an official certificate for her first game at Nationals Park! One noteworthy tidbit about that game: the only change in the lineup was for the designated hitter. All 8 position players put in a full 9 innings! Since the Nationals' roster has recently gone through some upheaval thanks in part to the trades over the past couple weeks, I thought it would help to show some of the new Nats' faces. This composite image includes some veterans as well as recent arrivals:

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Andrew Alvarez, Clayton Beeter, Jorbit Vivas, Keibert Ruiz, Daylen Lile (who was interviewed by Alexa Datt near the dugout after the game), Jose Tena, Dylan Crews, Andres Chaparro, wide-faced Abimelec Ortiz, and C.J. Abrams.

In the game on Sunday, which was broadcast [carried] by NBC's streaming service "Peacock," the Reds took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, but things quickly swung in the home team's favor. Three Nats players singled (including an RBI by Keibert Ruiz), and then Jacob Young gave his team the lead with a sacrifice fly. In the 3rd inning, Abimelec Ortiz hit a solo homer. Brad Lord (just back from the injured list) was replaced by Will Dion (part of the trade with the Cleveland Guardians for Foster Griffin), and did just fine for three innings, only giving up one hit. He was replaced by Trevor Williams (who missed the first four months of this year due to injury), who got through the 8th inning without allowing any runs. Then former Yankee Jake Bird took the mound in the top of the 9th, pitching for the first time as a National. (He had been on the IL at the time of the trade.) He did just fine in his debut with Washington: a 1-2-3 inning that gave the Nats an easy 7-1 win, and their first series sweep at home this year! (The swept the Brewers in Milwaukee in April.)

So, the Nationals are back to within two games of .500 (59-61), and have at least regained some of their confidence as the final quarter of the 2026 season is about to get underway. [Since none of them homered during the weekend, the team lead is home runs is down to just 4 (171 vs. 167) over the #2-ranked New York Yankees. The longer that James Wood remains on the IL, the more the team's dominance in a wide variety of offensive statistical categories become jeopardized.] Today the Nats have their first day of rest since July 23: that's 17 straight days with a game! Tomorrow the Chicago Cubs will arrive in Washington for a 3-game series, and then the Nats head to the Queens to play the Mets, [who just beat the Braves in Atlanta].

On a side note, the L.A. Dodgers came within inches of losing their 8th straight game in Phoenix on Saturday, as the Diamondbacks tied the game 1-1 with back-to-back triples to start the bottom of the 9th inning. But then they blew an easy opportunity to score the game-winning run, and ended up losing after 10 innings. Even so, the Dodgers lost again on Sunday.

August 8, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Nats begin home stand with a win

The Washington Nationals seem to score quite often in the first inning this year, and usually it's because of a homer from James Wood or C.J. Abrams. At present, however, Wood is on the injured list. Last night, the instigator of the offensive was Daylen Lile, who had a splendid rookie late season last year, but has sort of cooled off this year. With runners on first and second, Lile smashed that ball into the second deck beyond right field. That little guy has got some muscles! Starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (who is the lone top-notch hurler for the Nats since Foster Griffin was traded away) did OK on the mound, but he gave up three solo home runs in the early innings, tying the game. Then in the fourth inning, Daylen Lile doubled and two batters later, the Nats' new backup catcher Harry Ford hit the second home run of his career to give the Nats a 5-3 lead. It just barely cleared the fence in front of the Red Porch. Cavalli pitched into the 7th inning, but was relieved after two singles. With the bases loaded and only one out, Sal Stewart hit a ball up the middle, but shortstop Nasim Nunez managed to grab it, step on second, and throw it to first to end the inning. WHEW! That one defensive play is what really won the game for the Nationals. This time the bullpen held, and Clayton Beeter was credited with the save.

This evening the Nationals host the Reds for a second game. Andrew Alvarez will be the starting pitcher for the Nats, and Andrew Clem (me) will be at the game!

Support for the owners

The Sports section of Friday's Washington Post had a compelling analysis by Greg Cote of the Miami Herald of the impending showdown between MLB owners and the players. He quite rightly sees owner-initiated lockout as very likely when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The entire 2027 MLB season is at risk, and the consequences could be worse than in the 1994 strike. (Hence my very timely "If I were the Commissioner" suggestions on Thursday.) He writes, "Watching the Dodgers of all teams land Skubal was like finding out the winner of last night’s Powerball lottery was Amazon executive chairman, Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post." With regard to the MLB owners' push for a salary cap that would include a minimal-payroll floor, he continues:

"MLB and its owners are right on this.""
The players are wrong.""
"The game and players will benefit more from forcing cheap-skate teams to spend than it will suffer from putting a limit on the top spenders."

I wonder if he was thinking of owners such as the Lerners?! In any event, it's a worthwhile proposal. Much depends on public sentiment as the negotiations continue, and they players need to show that they are reasonable. John Q. Public is getting fed up with the Juan Sotos of the baseball world.

Speaking of the Dodgers, they were on the verge of ending their losing streak in Phoenix tonight, with a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 9th, whereupon Ryan Waldschmidt hit a 2-run walk-off home run. WOW! That makes seven straight losses for the Dodgers, tying the Nationals recent plunge.

Yet another page update!

Yesterday I started some tweaking of the MLB Franchises page, prompted by what I was reading about the ultra-thrifty owner of the Miami Marlins: Bruce Sherman. Somehow that name wasn't familiar to me, but sure enough it already was on that page. I decided I needed a better map to summarize how many MLB franchises each city has had over the past century or so. (For this purpose, I am ignoring the two franchises that relocated during the first two years of the American League's existence: in 1902 the A.L. Milwaukee Brewers moved and became the St. Louis Browns, and in 1903 the A.L. Baltimore Orioles moved and became the New York Highlanders, who later became the Yankees. Believe it or not!)

NOTE: This map is subject to revision.

August 7, 2026 [LINK / comment]

Birding in Kansas (& Virginia), August 2025

This episode of my birding adventures from last year begins with my trip out west to see my brothers in the southwestern suburbs of Kansas City.

August 3: The birding aspect of my recent road trip to Kansas got off to a surprising start when I walked across the motel parking lot to see an Indigo Bunting that was singing at the crack of dawn. (This was in the town of Cookeville, east of Nashville, Tennessee.) I soon heard TWO White-eyed Vireos in the bushes, and eventually got a photo of one. That was a big surprise! In the back yard of my brother Dan's house that evening, I was startled to see multiple Eastern Wood Pewees, chasing insects all around. They were regulars in the backyard throughout my stay there.

August 5: At the Corporate Woods Park, in Overland Park two days later I was flabbergasted to see a Northern Parula, at the very western edge of its range! (It's at the top left of the composite photo below.) Its song was different than what I am familiar with, and Merlin helped with the ID. There was also an Eastern Phoebe, a RED-eyed Vireo, and other species including many American Robins. It was a bit odd to be in a dense woodland with high-speed traffic passing nearby along I-470. On the way back to my brother's house, I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk flying above, and stopped to take a photo of it. In the evening we saw the Eastern Wood Pewees and a Great Crested Flycatcher or two.

(Corporate Woods Park, in Overland Park, Kansas, August 8, 2025.)

August 7: I explored Shawnee Mission Park, in the fringes of the western suburbs, and while there was an interesting trail in the woods above the south side of a big reservoir, there just wasn't a whole lot of bird action. I heard a Red-eyed Vireo or two, and saw some Eastern Phoebes, Eastern Wood Pewees, and Eastern Bluebirds there.

August 8: For the first time, I explored South Lake Park, which is a pleasant neighborhood recreational area in Overland Park. Kansas marks the western edge of the ranges of many eastern bird species, such as Carolina Wrens, which are only found near Kansas City and the southeastern part of the state. In general, these "yardbirds" are less common than here in Virginia, and are largely absent west of Kansas. Other highlights: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, and Eastern Kingbirds.

August 9: I took a solo mini-trip about 50 miles west to the state capital of Kansas: Topeka. There I saw a Eurasian Collared Dove near the capitol building. On the way back to the Kansas City suburbs, I stopped at the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center on the south side of Lawrence, where I saw my first Great Egret of the year. I also spotted some Wood Ducks, a Pied-billed Grebe, a Yellow Warbler, and a Common Yellowthroat, along with the usual birds.

(TOP RIGHT at Topeka, Kansas; the rest were at Baker Wetlands, south of Lawrence, August 9, 2025.)

August 11: I went to yet another neighborhood park in Overland Park, and soon heard a Great Crested Flycatcher as well as a Red-eyed Vireo, but didn't see either species. Later on, however, I spotted what turned out to be a Least Flycatcher zipping around some thick bushes. I'm pretty sure the two birds on the right side are different individuals of that same species, but they could be the same bird. Once again, Merlin helped pinpoint which species it/they was/were. Empids can be tough to distinguish! I also saw a Brown Thrasher, along with Northern Cardinals, American Goldfinches, etc. Back home at my brother's house the usual Eastern Wood Pewees were very active, as usual.

(Sapling Grove Park, in Overland Park, August 11, 2025.)

August 12: My most noteworthy day of birding in Kansas was at the Overland Park Arboretum. It wasn't easy, however, as I had to endure swarms of nasty mosquitos for virtually the entire 2+ mile hike, through damp riverside woodlands and occasional clearings. I saw the usual Red-eyed Vireos and E. Wood Pewees along the way, finally hitting the jackpot when I heard and then saw a couple Acadian Flycatchers (top center in the composite photo below) -- at the western edge of their range! Later I took refuge in a small cabin designed especially for bird watchers, in the middle of a cluster of bird feeders. (No mosquitoes inside!) There I saw a Ruby-throated Hummingbird, some White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy Woodpeckers, an Indigo Bunting, and an odd-looking bird that I later determined to be a female Blue Grosbeak (top right) -- first one of the year for me! Back in the parking lot as I was about to leave, I heard (according to Merlin) a Blue Grosbeak, saw a couple Eastern Kingbirds, and then -- to my utter astonishment -- a Western Kingbird (top left), at the eastern edge of its range! After departing the arboretum, finally, I spotted three long-winged raptors that were flying in amazing acrobatic style over an open field about a mile to the southwest. My photos of them were terrible (poor lighting conditions), but I could see with my binoculars that they had white heads and big black eye rings. Mississippi Kites!!! (First Of Year).

(Overland Park Arboretum, August 12, 2025.)

August 15: On my final full day in the western suburbs of Kansas City, I finally saw some Baltimore Orioles in the treetops of a neighborhood park. Also present were American Goldfinches, Northern Flickers, and many American Robins, including a juvenile. Unfortunately, I never did see any of my long-shot target species (Greater Prairie Chicken and Henslow's Sparrow) while out west, and I didn't get any life birds, but I was satisfied with seeing a decent number of less-common birds.

August 23: Back in Virginia, Jacqueline and I went hiking along the Riprap Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. There we saw Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Red-eyed Vireos, Worm-eating Warbler, and a possible Tennessee Warbler.

August 27: After going to a car repair specialist in a remote part of northern Augusta County in the morning, we went for a walk around the Natural Chimneys, but about all we saw there were some Eastern Wood Pewees. Late in the afternoon we strolled along Bells Lane and saw a Red-shouldered Hawk, Cedar Waxwings, an American Redstart (F/J), and a Downy Woodpecker.

(Natural Chimneys and Bell's Lane, Aug 27.)

August 30: More migrating warblers were appearing along Bell's Lane late in the month, and I actually got some recognizable images with my camera. Most notably, a Canada Warbler (female or young) appeared in the thick foliage, but it didn't stay long.

Additional photos and montages, including individual photos of some of the birds in the above montages, can be seen on the Wild Birds chronological (2025) page.