Published: May 20, 2009 12:08 am      

It all started with hello

Don’t know if there is an official name for the center field plaza at Nationals Park or not, but if there isn’t, a strong case can be made to name it Hollidayville in honor of its most famous and most loved resident, broadcaster Johnny Holliday.

Holliday was out and amongst them Sunday afternoon prior to going on the air with Ray Knight for the Nationals pre-game television show on MASN, and without fail, he stopped to visit each person who said hello to him. In fact, be warned: If you’re on a tight schedule, or have someplace to be or somebody to meet upon arriving at Nationals Park, you might want to put off saying hello to Johnny until you have some time to spare, because once you engage him, you won’t be going anywhere for awhile. But then, you won’t want to.

That’s how it was for a few buddies and me on Sunday, and know from the start, we weren’t complaining. What was meant to be a walk-by hello from some fans and friends from Cumberland turned out to be a 45-minute visit, beginning with Johnny’s curiosity about so many folks here, from the family of the late Chazz Offutt, WTBO-WKGO general manager Rich Cornwell, the entire Dapper Dan Club of Allegany County, the entire community of Cumberland as a whole, and how much Johnny loves to visit Western Maryland.

We talked Maryland basketball, of course, and we talked about the Nats’ woeful bullpen performances. When his broadcasting partner Knight was brought up in the conversation, Johnny said, “He’s such a great guy. As real as they get. Why don’t you come to the tent and meet him?”

Naturally, we didn’t want to intrude just prior to a broadcast (no, not much), but Johnny insisted and took us to the MASN tent overlooking center field where we watched a production meeting concerning the upcoming broadcast and then met Knight, the former World Series hero and big-league manager.

And, of course, Johnny was right on about Ray Knight, as he spent a good 15 minutes telling us about his times with the Mets, where he became friends with Cumberland’s Sam Perlozzo; his one season with the Orioles, when he put together a 26-game hitting streak; and his time as manager of the Reds, where he had to put up with Marge Schott, the late owner of the ballclub.

“When I was in New York and Sam was promoted at the end of the ’86 season — he was the manager of our Tidewater club at the time — he took care of my bats for me,” said Knight. “He would go through all of them, find the best ones and mark the sweet spots on them with little dots.

“Sam has just a remarkable feel and knowledge for this game, and is as smart as anybody in baseball. He’s a great baseball man, and he’s one of the best friends I’ve ever made in this game. I think the world of Sam Perlozzo.”

It was at this point that one of the producers came over and informed us air time was approaching, but that we were more than welcome to stay and watch if we wished to. Kind as that was, we didn’t want to intrude any further.

What a day it was to be a baseball fan, though. The second-year ballpark was well worth the visit, I highly recommend it even though Nationals Park, in my estimation, is not in the same class as Camden Yards and PNC Park. The Phillies won an 8-6 ballgame, the hot dogs were good, the beer was cold, and the Metro ride was uneventful.

In short, the day was everything a visit to the ballpark is supposed to be. But thanks to the kindness and the friendship of Johnny Holliday, it turned out to be one of the very best trips to a ballgame my buddies and I have ever taken; and for that, we will always be grateful.

Hollidayville. It’s not a place; it’s a refreshing and comforting peace of mind. For when you go there for a visit, the man who is naturally at the center of that plaza in center field makes you feel right at home.

Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Contact Mike Burke at mburke@times-news.com.