DC Part 2 (long and full of photos)

knowitall commented "The real reason AL pitchers hit batters more often is that they don't have to go to the plate".  That is the common misconception.  Pitchers are rarely hit when at the plate because no pitcher wants to hit another pitcher (automatic out) on base,  It all comes down to the economics.

Looking at all seasons from 1969 to the present

1. Pitchers are more likely to hit good batters and a pitcher is the least likely to be hit in the NL.
2. Good pitchers are less likely to hit batters then bad pitchers.
3. Teams who are losing are more likely to plunk the other team. The larger the deficit the more likely to hit someone, as the chance of winning falls the price of plunking also falls so it's more likely to see a HBP.

Having a DH increases the likelihood of a HBP by 15% because there are more and better batters in the AL.
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It's weird. I know the exact time I caught my cold,  4:15 Thursday.  I actually looked to see what time it was. I was in a meeting. On the mend now.

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As for the trip.

My first experience with the Metro (subway) was a brain fry. It was busy and I was facing a bank of large ATM-ish things and I needed to pay for a Metro card.  Of course the first thing you do is start punching buttons hoping a miracle will happen. When it does not happen you realize there are lots of words telling you what to do so you sort of skim it hoping it will be totally obvious which of course it isn't.      

By the time you come to the realization that you will need to STOP, calm down and READ, a person is there to help and punches an obvious button 2 times and there you are.   You go through the turnstiles (where cold germs are bred)

and you are now in the tunnels of THE METRO

I tell ya - they are FAST   0-60 in 10 seconds and you better hang on!  Some serious speed on those things and they are WONDERFUL. DC is a very very polite city.

We get off at the right place but take the wrong exit and are 2 blocks away but that is fine. I get my first views of Washington DC.

After saying farewell to Kelly who is meeting relatives I make a plan to look at places in my area which is called Penn Quarter which is the East End of Downtown and contains the Verizon Center.

It's Sunday afternoon and my first stop is The Building Museum which I had never heard of.  Sort of a huuuuge dull looking building (from the ground) until I go inside.

Some of the largest columns in the world. Many huge events are held here. I'm still working on photos of this goliath structure.

Many many column.

MORE INFO 

The National Building Museum is housed in the former Pension Bureau building, a brick structure completed in 1887 and designed by Montgomery C. Meigs, the U.S. Army quartermaster general. It is notable for several architectural features, including the spectacular interior columns and a frieze, sculpted by Caspar Buberl, stretching around the exterior of the building and depicting Civil War soldiers in scenes somewhat reminiscent of those on Trajan's Column as well as the Horsemen Frieze of the Parthenon. The vast interior, measuring 316 × 116 feet (96 × 35 m), has been used to hold inauguration balls; a Presidential Seal is set into the floor near the south entrance.

My next stop was the National Portrait Gallery - sadly most places I did not really explore because there was a time problem. I wanted to see as much of DC as I could and maybe NEXT time I go back I could have a better idea on what needed more exploration.

BTW - I only took one lens, a 10 -20mm wide so most of my shots look a little leany.

I have some better shots of this at night just before my altercation with security but that is for another blog - I'm trying to be linear here time wise. (teaser).   I have so many photos even after 4 days home I have not looked at them all yet. Once I get ALL of them processed I can start cropping and zooming in.  For instance - that chair BUGS me! (I actually moved it after I took this shot).  I have some awesome shots of this place - just have not found them yet LOL

I saved Chinatown for last as I wanted dusk or night shots and since the Grand Hyatt was only a few blocks away I figured I'd wait.  DC seemed like a very safe town so I had zero problems walking around at night.

I had problems with Chinatown without a tripod.  All I could do was lean against light poles and in reality there was not many photo ops anyway.  A lot of Chinese restaurants but that was all I could really see.

 Oddly I was hungry and found a tiny little corner place with 5 stools called Beef and Bread that had outstanding sandwich's.  Had to be a place locals got their food.

I checked out a couple breweries.  One was across from the Hyatt but more of a yuppy sports bar that had brew NOT brewed on site.  The other was Gordon Biersch. I walked about a mile looking for it and it ended up 2 blocks from the hotel. I learned my way around DC on that excursion.

Headed back to the hotel and was so thrilled to be in DC I had one more beer where a woman from Tunisia started up a conversation with me and a fellow rally attendee from Ohio. That was the odd thing about DC.  So many people from other countries that you normally are not around. Tunisia, Tel Aviv, Nairobi and so forth.

Nuff said for today!