- 2 days ago
Grant & Danny's parade to celebrate the Nationals getting above .500 was a huge success!
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00:00Welcome back, live from Half Street, Grant and Danny on the fan.
00:06We've got some Nats fans in attendance ready to party.
00:09Screech is out here with us as well.
00:11We're going to be passing out some Nats goodies.
00:13We're going to be raffling off tickets this evening.
00:15We're just getting started.
00:16We're going to be walking down to the center field gate,
00:19and then we're going to go over to Walter's Sports Bar,
00:23where we're going to hang out for a little watch party
00:25as the Nats look to win their fourth in a row.
00:26So, Toby, the folks are getting ready to dig in on their dinner tonight.
00:30Pupatella providing pizza before our walk.
00:33This is the good stuff.
00:34This is incredible.
00:35This is so much fun.
00:36We've got the crowd out here getting some pizza.
00:38We're going to hang out and watch some Nationals baseball.
00:41They're playing winning baseball, Grant.
00:42It's a fun thing to watch.
00:43It's a fun product.
00:44So it's awesome to see.
00:45We've got Screech out here.
00:46We've got the whole crew.
00:46It's fun.
00:47Screech is looking good.
00:48We've got signs.
00:49People are very excited.
00:51What is it about this Nats team, do you think,
00:53that people have taken to this year?
00:54This is not just about them being a game over .500.
00:58It's just a different caliber, it feels like, of competition,
01:02night in and night out.
01:03This is a team that's been really fun to watch.
01:05The youth, the exuberance, the fact that they hit and they score.
01:08This is the number one offense in Major League Baseball right now.
01:12Who saw that coming?
01:14Yeah, I mean, that's what makes it fun, Grant.
01:15Regardless of what happens every night,
01:16runs are going to be scored against them or for them.
01:18So it's a lot of fun to watch this team.
01:20And there's someone that, you know, in years past,
01:23it was a slog to watch this team.
01:24Now we're into the end of May, and it's a blast to watch them.
01:27Last night, six home runs.
01:28That's always fun to turn on the TV and see that.
01:30All right, so I'm going to take this mic real quick.
01:32I want to walk through the crowd a little bit.
01:33Let's get a little feel for where people came in from.
01:36So, sir, first, where did you come in from today?
01:38I came from work, actually.
01:40Where's work?
01:41Oh, Walter Reed.
01:42Oh, very cool.
01:43Yeah.
01:44Big Nats fan?
01:45I'm a D.C. fan.
01:46Nats, even the Mystics.
01:48Over .500 parade.
01:49We've got a bad day to be a hot dog hat.
01:51Absolutely.
01:51I think that might be the best giveaway they've done.
01:53It was the good luck charm, I think, that pushed them over, yeah.
01:55It definitely feels like it.
01:57That number one giveaway of this five-year slug here as a Nats fan?
02:01Winning the World Series, you know, and then from there, you know, the hot dog.
02:05Oh, yeah, 21 on, yeah, I've forgotten the last five years, so I'm still living in 2019 and
02:10then this year.
02:11What's your name?
02:12Where'd you come in from?
02:12Julia from Northwest.
02:14Julia, thank you for coming out.
02:15We appreciate it.
02:16How long have you been an Nats fan?
02:18Since 2012.
02:19Okay, very cool.
02:20So you've been here since they turned things around the first time.
02:22Yes.
02:22What do you make of the season so far?
02:24Very interesting, very compelling, and seeing where this thing goes.
02:28Well, it's a brand new brass, brand new staff.
02:30I want to check in down the line here with some people that are waiting to get some of
02:33their pizza.
02:34So what's your name?
02:35Where'd you come in from?
02:35My name is Ben.
02:36I'm from Wheaton.
02:37So what do you think about this group so far?
02:39What do you find compelling about these Nationals?
02:41I just think they're a really impressive young team.
02:45Managerial staff, GM, doing an excellent job with the development and growth.
02:49Imagine what we could do with more money.
02:52I mean, it's incredible.
02:53That's the thing, right?
02:53They're playing this kind of baseball right now.
02:55What if you had, open up that checkbook a little bit, get some veterans in here.
02:59Another bad day to be a hot dog.
03:00Oh, yeah.
03:01Now, of the giveaways, I'm saying that's my number one of the season so far.
03:05Was that, like, on your calendar to make sure you got that?
03:07Definitely this.
03:08Went with a whole group of friends to make sure we could secure it.
03:12The batting practice pullover was also a real nice piece.
03:16And what's your name?
03:16Where'd you come in from?
03:17Jonathan.
03:18I'm from about three blocks down the way.
03:20That helps.
03:20The Navy Yard.
03:21I like that.
03:22Very well played.
03:22You can feel the energy around Navy Yard.
03:24People are excited about this team.
03:25It's been awesome, Jonathan.
03:27Sir, what's your name?
03:27Where'd you come in from?
03:28Ashburn Dave from Ashburn, Virginia.
03:30Ashburn Dave made it up.
03:31Here with my girl Roxanna.
03:32Let's go Nats.
03:33How about these Nats this year?
03:34Oh, on fire right now.
03:36So exciting right now.
03:37500.
03:38First time in, what, five, six years?
03:40This time of the season.
03:41We're hitting the ball well.
03:42Pitching's coming around.
03:43We appreciate you all doing this for us.
03:45It's a great time.
03:46Yeah, we want to have a little fun, right?
03:47It's been a long time as fans.
03:48A lot of watching some bad baseball, so we might as well enjoy this.
03:52Blake Butera is a manager of the year candidate.
03:54We got some players like James Wood who are face of the franchise players.
03:57What's your name?
03:58Where'd you come in from?
03:59Hunter from Crofton.
04:00All right, so favorite national right now?
04:03Dylan Cruz.
04:03Oh, big Dylan Cruz guy back in the big leagues.
04:06How do you feel about it?
04:06Yeah, he's looking good.
04:07He's looking good.
04:07I'm excited.
04:09There's been some improvement with the batting, like Hebert, Jacob Young, guys you didn't think
04:13you would see improvement from.
04:14So I'm hopeful for Dylan Cruz that the bat's going to improve.
04:17Appreciate you, buddy.
04:18All right, Toby, I'm going to bring you back in here.
04:21Strong crowd from all over the DMV, bro.
04:23Yeah, this is a lot of fun to see all the people that have come out.
04:25I think it shows how much different this team is, how much people are embracing this new
04:30front office, this new coaching staff, and the way that this game is being played.
04:34I mean, Butera ball, we kind of joked about it at the beginning of the year, the way we're
04:37playing.
04:37But this is something that's sustainable, the way that they're making sure they go out
04:40and set guys in the best position possible to score runs.
04:43And they're doing it right now.
04:44They're swinging it well.
04:45And this is a team that's playing a lot better baseball than we've seen over the last couple
04:48of years.
04:49All right.
04:49So just quickly, I want to get a little feel for the crowd here at this point.
04:54The Nationals find themselves a game over 500.
04:58So I'm going to throw a couple of names out there.
05:00I want to get just a feel, right?
05:02So if your favorite player on the team is James Wood, let me hear from you.
05:08All right.
05:08If your favorite player is CJ Abrams, let me hear from you.
05:14Very good.
05:15Now, I see my guy, Kenyon, who's actually an usher over at the ballpark.
05:18This is one of my favorite guys at Nationals Park.
05:21So, Kenyon, people can see you when they come over there.
05:24What, Section 114?
05:26117, 118.
05:27That's close enough, right?
05:27Yeah, you're in the ballpark.
05:29So, speaking of the ballpark, vibes have been high.
05:32Yes, they have been.
05:33Yes, they have been.
05:33People need to come out, get there early, get your food, sit down, and root for the Nats.
05:38You've been cheering for baseball in D.C.
05:39We've talked about your past and how far back you go in this city.
05:43What does it mean for you, a day like today?
05:45Just to take inventory.
05:47Look, this team's not going to the World Series anytime soon.
05:48But we've got baseball in this city, and it's fun to be at the park again.
05:51They're exciting.
05:53They're young.
05:54They're exciting.
05:56I think the management team and the front office have done a good job at managing basically pitch by pitch.
06:03I mean, because some of the things that's going on right now, we know it's just not supposed to happen.
06:08I mean, we're above 500.
06:12Nobody, nobody picked us to be above 500.
06:14And you guys think they can keep it up?
06:16Yeah!
06:17Is it sustainable?
06:18All right, good enough.
06:19So, is our band ready to go?
06:20I think it's time to start walking, I believe.
06:22Just because myself waddling down this street is going to take a little while, I'll be honest with you.
06:27So, are you guys ready to go?
06:30All right, we've got the Crush Funk Band.
06:32So, you guys get a little something going just to start us off here.
06:35See what we got.
06:36All right, we've got the Crush Funk Band.
07:08All right, so grab your pizza and let's walk down Half Street.
07:12It's the Grand Danny.
07:13The Nats are over 500.
07:17Celebratory parade in March.
07:19Screech is leading the way down Half Street.
07:22Toby, I did not see this coming.
07:24I did not either.
07:25When this started on opening day, I've got to say.
07:28I did not.
07:28I did not think we'd be walking down Half Street with Screech leading the way.
07:31I did not expect that.
07:33By the way, the funniest thing about this is, I think about this right now, our listeners
07:37driving around the DMV.
07:38Danny Root is not here.
07:40Of course.
07:41Danny is in Vegas.
07:42You and I and Screech are three wide like a NASCAR race.
07:46There's 100 listeners behind us.
07:48And Danny's just, this is the thing.
07:51He misses all the fun.
07:52Yeah, I mean, Danny's probably having a little fun with the family coming back from Vegas.
07:56We're waltzing down Half Street having a good time.
07:58I'm in full uni.
07:59I got some funny looks around the office.
08:01I probably look ridiculous to anyone that has no idea what's going on with the parade.
08:04But you can't miss it now, Grant.
08:06You can't miss it.
08:07You know, it's hard not to think about where the Navy Yard was, what it was 15 years ago.
08:12I was at opening night at Nationals Park in 2008.
08:16The first ever game played in this ballpark when Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off home run.
08:21This neighborhood looked nothing like this.
08:22And now the ballpark is the key to the whole revitalization and kind of the son of the solar system
08:30here.
08:30You and I work down here every day, so we see it.
08:32It's absolutely amazing.
08:34Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't get a chance to be down here for the 2019 World Series
08:38and experience what this ballpark was like during that playoff run.
08:41But seeing some of the excitement in the ballpark for this team and the way that they're playing, it's been
08:46a blast.
08:46I mean, the excitement that you see night in, night out, and I think back to that Orioles series,
08:50having 30-plus thousand in the ballpark, almost 40,000 multiple nights, it's why you get romantic about baseball.
08:56So it's cool to see the excitement, the energy around this club right now.
08:59I am thoroughly enjoying seeing all of the weird looks that we're getting from people getting off the Metro.
09:06There's also going to be, I'm sure, some people listening because we're coming up on a little traffic.
09:11There's got to be some people listening to the show as they see this walking down the street,
09:15which would be pretty entertaining as well.
09:17Yeah, I think it's hilarious.
09:18We've got Screech over here trying to direct traffic.
09:20We've got to stop at stoplights.
09:21We've got to follow the regular laws.
09:23We didn't go through and get streets shut down for this one yet.
09:25I'll pull a Charlie and Dave.
09:27So we're coming up on the stop sign.
09:28So the signs I see right now, I've got a, my daughter is two, says she's not old enough to
09:35have seen 500.
09:36Would you believe the Nats are over 500?
09:38James Wood, Bebop, Chore Beat.
09:41Very well done.
09:42Van playing us down.
09:44We've got balloons somebody brought that say 500 on them as well.
09:48This is a real life parade.
09:49Yeah, how are you?
09:50Are you having fun?
09:51Yeah.
09:52Good parade so far, huh?
09:53Yeah, this has been a blast.
09:54This is a lot of fun.
09:56And, you know, to see the way that people are starting to come back and see this ball club again
10:00is a lot of fun.
10:01To see people coming out of the yard every single night.
10:03All right, Screech, we've got a walk sign here.
10:04All right, we're now crossing over M Street.
10:08So this is the one big intersection we're going to have to deal with on our jaunts.
10:13Now, we're not all going to get across, right?
10:15We're at 13 seconds.
10:16Yeah, I think we're going to have to speed this up or whatever we're going to do.
10:20Everybody's very excited for the Nats parade.
10:22Over 500.
10:23Let's go to the World Series.
10:24The Nats are over 500.
10:26Next stop, postseason baseball.
10:28Let them know, Screech.
10:31This all began.
10:33Yeah, the looks we're getting as we walk by the Metro stop.
10:37The National Guard doesn't know, like, what is happening?
10:39Do we need to help you?
10:40What's going on here?
10:42This started with one random comment because we didn't think that they would get over 500.
10:47And then they just kept playing good baseball.
10:49And we fell in love with this group.
10:51It's easy to fall in love with C.J. Abrams or James Wood.
10:55Superstars who are going to be representing the team in Philadelphia this summer.
10:58But Curtis Meade, two homers last night, seven homers.
11:01Turning it around.
11:02Miles Michaelis on the mound.
11:03Zach Littell coming off seven innings, one run.
11:06Rosters deep.
11:07You look at the bullpen and Gus Varlin and guys like the P.J. Poulins and Andrew Alvarez
11:14is on the left side of Dunn.
11:15It's a team effort for Blake Butera's bunch.
11:17Yeah, it's not just one guy.
11:19You've got the stars we know about.
11:21But it's everybody chipping in for this team up and down the order.
11:24All of the different pitchers that are contributing.
11:27And, you know, you never know what you're going to see at the ballpark with this team every
11:30single night.
11:30And it's little things where you're trying the first and third steal.
11:34It's hitting the ball out of the ballpark.
11:35It's trying different things with the pitching staff.
11:38So, it's been fun to watch the way that they're managing this ball club and making sure they
11:43can get the most out of their guys.
11:45Goldstone Creamery on our right.
11:46Delicious spot to get your ice cream.
11:48Screech is looking for a scoop here.
11:52He's trying to stop.
11:53Yeah, Screech is trying to grab a little ice cream.
11:54I don't blame him.
11:55Now we're passing a pizza joint.
11:56We are going to continue to enjoy pizza from our friends at Pupatella today.
12:01We provided dinner.
12:02We're also headed over to Walter's Sports Bar for a watch party tonight.
12:06So, if you couldn't make it down for the parade, no problem.
12:09Come on out for the watch party where we're going to be over at Walter's enjoying a free
12:15beer as Nats fans wearing Nats gear for the first 100.
12:17I mean, how awesome is that, by the way?
12:19And to see the passion from this fan base.
12:22Grant, we haven't seen passion like this in a while for this team.
12:25But to see this again, it's really cool.
12:27Well, it's great to see some of the folks at the bar.
12:28They don't know what we're doing wearing Nats gear.
12:30Just kind of look out.
12:31Pispump.
12:32Yeah, yeah.
12:32Kind of cheer us on as we walk.
12:35It's just great having Screech alongside, having the whole band add so much to this parade.
12:40Like you said, it was almost like a little bit of a, hey, they're not actually going to do it,
12:45right?
12:45This is kind of fun.
12:46But now it's turned into something really big, and it's a blast.
12:49Baseball's one of those sports because it's every single day where it's tough when your team's not competitive.
12:54Exactly.
12:55But when you're playing quality, legitimate baseball, when you're doing things the right way,
13:00when you're hitting and you're scoring like this team has over the duration of the season,
13:04you can get to a point where you start looking forward to 645 every night.
13:08And that's happening again this season.
13:10Yeah, I mean, that's the thing.
13:11When you talk about baseball, it's an every-night sport.
13:13It's a part of your life every single night.
13:14So when the team is dreadful, it can kind of hurt your mood a little bit in terms of your
13:19everyday life
13:20because you're not able to be happy with what your team is doing.
13:23But with where this team is at right now, tuning in to watch them every single night is a blast.
13:29And that's something that adds to your every-night appeal is what you're trying to do every night.
13:33So it's really, really cool to see this Nats team be able to do what they've done.
13:35So we've made it to the center field gate.
13:37Garris, keep me honest on time.
13:39What time is it right now?
13:41We are now coming up on the center field gate.
13:44We've made it through the four blocks.
13:46Just a couple of minutes of show left.
13:47So we're going to start giving away some prizes and things here for our fans that made it out.
13:52Pretty incredible.
13:53Still walking across N Street here, the last of our crowd.
13:57Turned out to be a very good showing.
13:59We got candy being thrown.
14:01Candy being thrown.
14:01I love it.
14:02Pick up the candy.
14:04Very cool.
14:07The band you're hearing in the background is Crushed Punk.
14:11That is the band playing today.
14:13We've got to thank them for coming out as well as Pupatella Pizza for providing the delicious pizza that everybody's
14:20eating as they walk.
14:21I love the idea of just walking down the street eating a slice of time.
14:24Yeah, I mean, I just love the looks that we got from people that don't know what's going on and
14:30the smiles, though.
14:31People aren't looking at it like, what are these idiots doing?
14:34They love it.
14:35It's a lot of fun.
14:36Darius, say what you said again.
14:38I'm pulling a Peyton Manning and trying to cover my headphones here.
14:42He wants me to get a little closer to the microphone.
14:45I'll tell you, we could probably just share this one, too, which will make it a little bit easier.
14:50Final few moments of our Nats parade.
14:52All right, Nats fans.
14:55So we made it down Half Street in the Navy Yard.
15:00I want to thank everybody for coming out.
15:03Appreciate you.
15:05Let's hear it for the Crush Funk Band.
15:11Thank you to our friends over at Walters where we're going to have our watch party this evening as well.
15:16Thank you to the good people from Coupetella Pizza for making this event part of their day.
15:23They didn't have to do that necessarily, but they took care of us.
15:26Yeah, this has been really cool to see everybody come out for this.
15:29It adds so much to have everybody out here.
15:31And, I mean, this environment's great.
15:33This is really cool.
15:34And hopefully this is the first parade we get to celebrate before we get a bigger parade down the line.
15:39There have been two parades I've been a part of for the Nationals.
15:42The first one's the one you want, right?
15:44The over 500 parade, pretty good as well.
15:47Hard to beat that 2019 parade.
15:49But this is the kind of day made possible when people start having pride in their baseball team again.
15:54Just getting this many people to come out, I think, is indicative of that.
15:58Well, it's cool.
15:58I mean, you even heard Blake Butera talk about seeing the environment down here in the Navy Yard after games
16:03with this team this season.
16:04I mean, I'm sure he's going to see clips of this flowing around social media and be pretty fired up
16:09with the excitement and the love that these teams are getting right now.
16:13All right, Rush Funk, give me one second real quick.
16:15I just want to say thank you to everybody who came out.
16:19Awesome.
16:19We're going to be watching the game over at Walters, obviously.
16:22We're saying goodbye to our radio audience.
16:24So, one final time, let's hear it.
16:27N-A-T-S.
16:28Nets, Nets, Nets.
16:30Oh, Toby, they did the woo.
16:32We didn't need to do the woo.
16:33You've got to do the woo.
16:34Come on, Grant.
16:35Let's go, Nets.
16:37Let's go, Nets.
16:39From Half Street, the Grant and Danny Over 500 parade.
16:44One day to celebrate the future of this organization, what's possible for the Butera to Boney-led Nationals.
16:53From the Navy Yard, thanks to everybody for listening all over the DMV.
16:56Our party's just getting started.
16:58Let's go watch some baseball.
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