Baker says Nationals feed off energy of crowds at Nats Park

Dusty Baker reflected on his first half-season as manager of the Nationals prior to Wednesday's series finale against the Brewers.

Baker was asked about what he thought of D.C. through his first 85 games in a Nationals uniform as the skipper.

He spoke of his love for Nats Park and the city. And he noted how quirky the weather can be over the ballpark.

"It's just a wonderful place to play," Baker said. "I've seen sort of a tale of two stadiums. The ones when it's cold, (the ball) doesn't travel, and when it's hot, it travels like heck. I was joking it rains every day and it damn near does."

Baker has played or managed for eight teams and has been a part of pro baseball since 1968. With that experience and knowledge, he provided some insight on how the home field advantage helps his team at Nats Park.

"Some of the guys on the team wish our fans were a little more boisterous and crazy, little bit," Baker said. "Like we see at different stadiums on the road. But we also realize that some of our fans are new Nationals fans. Bunch of them are Cubs and Mets, wherever they come from. That's the dynamics of D.C. that you realize. We're trying to win everybody to us."

Baker said the 10th man on the field could very well be the Nats fans making noise to intimidate the opponent and energize the home club.

"We need their energy, big time," Baker said. "There's some days where you don't have energy. There's some days when you go to work and you don't feel it. You're trying to get it. Right? Some days you can just write a story and like no problem and other days man you're tearing up paper, like man, I can't get this. It's the same way for us."

Baker spoke about how when you are in Cleveland, it's mostly Cleveland fans. And you feel it. It's the same at most other venues.

"Like you go to Chicago, 98 percent of them are Chicago Cubs fans," Baker noted. "They're from Chicago. You go to New York. Most New York fans are from New York. On the other hand, you go to L.A., and we used to say the same thing in L.A.

"Dave Kingman hit three home runs off of us and then he got a standing ovation because half the people in L.A. are from somewhere else. San Francisco fans are louder because probably 90 percent of them are from San Francisco. It's just the different dynamics of the area and what a lot of the population is from."

Looking at attendance numbers through about the halfway point of the season, the Dodgers lead the majors averaging 44,814 through 43 games. The Nationals are 13th in the majors with an average of 31,063 fans per game through 41 dates.

So how do you change the intensity of the fan base in a particular city? He said the best way to build a dominant and fervent rooting base like you might see in Chicago or New York is through the team's youngest fans.

"You change it with the kids, I think," Baker said. "Unless they're brainwashed by their parents and a lot of times they are. Like I was talking to somebody the other day where their dad wouldn't let them eat unless they were Yankees fans. I'm serious. I'm not being facetious. I'm serious about that.

"I think you start it with the kids. This franchise is only 10 years old. This is the third try here. The kids actually bring their parents to the ballpark. Their parents drive and they pay for the tickets. I remember when I was a kid, I begged my dad to always take me to the ballpark. That's where it starts with the kids."

It is of note that the cities Baker mentioned with deep fan bases: New York, Chicago and San Francisco, also happen to be the three other teams in the National League that are currently in top playoff contention just like his Nationals.