Jim Bowden, The Examiner
2007-04-26 07:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

We did not anticipate the reaction to what our organization did last week to honor the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy and their families. We underestimated the many lives we touched, when we had our team wear Virginia Tech hats in an official game last week.

The reaction has been humbling and a reminder of the role a sports franchise can, and should, play in a community.

We’ve received letters, E-mails, phone calls from students at the school, parents of students at the school, Virginia Tech faculty members.

We’ve received thousands of letters and E-mails from all over the country, telling us what a class move it was. It was talked about on national morning shows. It was shown repeatedly on CNN. It became a national feel-good tribute.

Even now, more than a week later, we walk into ballparks on the road and ushers and concessionaires and fans tell us it was a great tribute. After Ryan Zimmerman hit a grand slam in Florida on Sunday, a fan turned to me and said, “That was a great draft choice, but what you all did with the Virginia Tech hats was really cool!”

The purpose of a baseball team is to entertain and get people’s minds off their worries. We can’t take away people’s pain, but we can become a welcomed distraction. There’s a lot of good we do for a lot of people and to be able to use this stage we’ve been given is an honor and a privilege and a responsibility.

What must be recognized is how many people played a role in making this happen. From the fan, Dave Lanham, who let Stan Kasten know of his idea. Then Stan, who welcomes any good idea, told owner Mark Lerner, who told us to make it happen that night. He rightly thought it would make a stronger impact. My executive assistant, Harolyn Cardozo, called 16 stores before finding one (Sports Authority in Alexandria) that could accommodate us. Our players, led by John Patterson, Brian Schneider and Zimmerman, were instantly on board. Manny was, too. And I’ll never forget the emotion in equipment manager Mike Wallace’s voice when he phoned the clubhouse to say, “We got ’em.” Cheers erupted in the clubhouse.

And when the hats arrived in the second inning, and we saw the players run onto the field in them, there were tears. It was a powerful moment, one we’ll never forget.

We know many are still suffering. Our prayers go to the victims and their families.

As told to The Examiner’s John Keim.

Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden provides an exclusive column to The Examiner each week, ranging on topics from the Nats to the state of Major League Baseball.