Some of the contracts throughout baseball are so astronomical that we tend to assume players are selfish. While that is certainly true for many, it is not true of all. Players like the Nationals’ Danny Espinosa remind us that players do indeed care about more than just money.
Realizing that the Nationals rank 23rd in average attendance this year with 23,486 fans per game, Espinosa has decided to do his best to build interest in the team and give fans an opportunity to catch a game. The infielder announced on Twitter Tuesday that he had four tickets to give away if any fans wanted to meet him for lunch.
“I am going to eat lunch and Rubios Baja Grill in 20 minutes on Clarendon blvd,” Espinosa wrote. “I have 4 tkts for the game tonight. Meet me there if you em!!”
Espinosa said he had met a lot of fans their before and likes eating there, so he decided give some tickets away. He was only able to give away two tickets, so obviously the interest in free Nationals tickets (or the number or Espinosa’s Twitter followers) was hardly overwhelming. He said he is considering holding the giveaways more often.
Obviously playing in front of a half-empty stadium is disappointing for players, or Espinosa would not be giving away free tickets. Unfortunately, giving away free tickets will do little to spark fan interest until the Nationals front office pieces together a winning franchise.
