HAPPY 31st BIRTHDAY ADAM DUNN!

Adam getting ready to take the field before a game


Hitting one of his 38 home runs on 2010


Adam at Washington Dream Foundation Gala
giving his signature "Hook 'em" greeting

Photos 2010 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/
Nats News Network. All Rights Reserved.

Updated: Fans Selected Pumpkin #1 - Congrats to Larry LaHaie, the winner of the 2010 Nationals Pumpkin Contest! His prize-winning Teddy pumpkins are pictured below.

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VOTE on the Nationals Pumpkin Carving Contest by Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. ET.  The Nats selected the top three entries and they are quite impressive this year.

The winner get an official Adam Dunn 2010 game-worn Nationals jersey.  See link for more details.

If you missed the deadline, you can still show your Nats pride by carving a Nats pumpkin. Download the Nats stencils here.

TOP THREE ENTRIES:

(Photos from Nats website)

Pumpkin #1

Pumpkin #2

Pumpkin #3



The hit series "Top Chef" is based in Washington, D.C. for season seven.  If you haven't watched the show before, you might want to tune in for an upcoming episode featuring Washington Nationals Adam Dunn, John Lannan and Matt Capps (now with the Minnesota Twins). Will they cook? Compete against each other? Lannan may have an edge? Whatever they

Nats fans have seen John Lannan cook previously at the ESPN Zone Cook-Off when he was partnered with Joel Hanranhan (now with Pittsburgh Pirates) and finished in second place, after Willie Harris, with their sea bass. 

I guess Bravo didn't realize that Willie Harris was the Nationals Top Chef!  A few of the Nationals competed in the first "cook-off" at ESPN Zone as part of the Winter Caravan in January 2009.

According to IMDB, episode 11 "National Concession" will air on Wednesday, August 25 at 10:00 p.m. on Bravo.

The plot summary: "The six remaining chefs take over two concession stands at Nationals Park in D.C., creating game snacks for the die-hard fans of the Washington Nationals major league baseball team. But ballparks aren't just serving hot dogs and peanuts any more, adding a variety of tasty and higher-end creations to the menu." (Written by Bravo Publicity) 

Slideshow of the ESPN Zone Cook-Off, January 2009:

All Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols Photography/
Nationals News Network. All Rights Reserved

The 2010 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on July 13, 2010.


Fans can cast their votes up to 25 times at MLB.com until July 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET to make Nationals like Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, Josh Willingham and Pudge All-Star starters.


MLB posted latest numbers today.  Pudge is sitting at third place for NL Catchers with 1,331,145 votes -- 351,853 behind first place Yadier Molina and 165,952 behind second place Brian McCann.  Notice anything missing?  Yes, other Nationals! No Zim, No Dunn and No Hammer.  Let's Go Nats Fans!  Get voting!


VOTE YOUR NATS INTO THE 2010 ALL-STAR GAME

Now is your chance to vote for your favorite Nationals for the 2010 MLB All-Star Game on nationals.com. If you select the Nationals as your "favorite" or "other favorite" Club 25 times between April 21 and July 1, you'll receive an exclusive Buy 1 - Get 1 FREE ticket offer good for your choice of one Nationals non-prime home game after the All-Star break, excluding Sunday games during the month of August, regularly priced up to $39. This includes games against the Phillies, Cubs and Cardinals.


As an added bonus, you will also be entered for the chance to win an Official Washington Nationals Jackie Robinson Day 2009 Adam Dunn game-worn jersey featuring the #42 on the back!  NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. See Official Rules for details.

If you are interested in attending the 2010 All-Star events, you can find more information here.  Hall of Famer Rod Carew was named as the All-Star FanFest Spokesman.  Carew was an 18-time All-Star and spent the last seven seasons with the Angels.

The Washington Nationals Annual Food Drive is this weekend during the Battle of the Beltways series with the Baltimore Orioles. 

We would like to encourage ALL fans to bring non-perishable food items to Nationals Park on Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23.  

Volunteers will be outside of the Center Field Gate on Saturday from 2:00 p.m. through the 4th inning and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. through the 4th inning.  Canned vegetables, soups, dried pasta, rice and paper products are suggested items.

To kick off the food drive, Food Network star and Smithfield Foods spokesperson Paula Deen will participate in two events at Nationals Park today prior to the game against the New York Mets.

Washington Nationals players and First Ladies Sean and Jessica Burnett, Adam and Rachel Dunn, Wil and Yormarie Nieves, and John Lannan and Maryanne Garry will help to deliver more than 100,000 servings of donated food to the Capital Area Food Bank as part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes initiative.

Paula Deen will also host a VIP Military Reception from 5-6:00 p.m. with Smithfield Foods on the Nats Park Rooftop Party Deck.

As Paula Deen would say, "Bring Food to the Park Ya'll!"

Paula Deen, the "Queen of Southern Cuisine," recently joined Smithfield Foods' 10-city "Helping Hungry Homes" tour across America to provide one million servings of meat to the nation's hungry families.

The 10-city tour was just one part of Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes initiative which works with food banks, schools and community groups, and in the wake of natural disasters to support families faced with food insecurity issues. More than 35 million people live in households considered to be food insecure, including 22.9 million adults and 12.6 million children (From Smithfield Foods' website).

Photo Courtesy of Smithfield Foods

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY ADAM!
(And "Hook 'em Horns!")


Photo © 2009 Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.