Big Train welcomes former Commander Fred Smoot, hosts art sale on Fan Appreciation Night

Commanders cheerleader signs an autograph by Mark Thalman

ROCKVILLE, Md. — It was Fan Appreciation Night on Sunday at Shirley Povich Field, and the guests and activities did not disappoint.

First, the team welcomed former Washington Commanders cornerback Fred Smoot alongside team cheerleaders and mascot Major Tuddy. The Commander Legend said connecting with the community has always been important to him.

“I’ve been deep in the community since I played,” Smoot said. “So it ain’t like I’m just getting back in it. I’ve always been a part of it. It’s always been big to me.”

Fred Smoot and cheerleaders by Mark Thalman

“At the end of the day, when you play sports, [it’s] the fan bases who take care of you,” he said. “So I think what we do is we turn around and we take care of them. I think it’s the universal circle.”

Smoot also said he’s glad to remain local to this day.

“There’s no place in America like the DMV,” he said. “I can go to the mountains in one day. I can go to the beach in one day. If I want to go to Philadelphia, it takes me no time.”

Smoot met with fans and signed autographs before the game. He also got the chance to throw a ceremonial first pitch.

“If it weren’t for Major Tuddy, I would have threw a good first pitch out there,” he said.

The team also gave fans a chance to buy the original baseball artwork created at the June 28 contest. Volunteer painters from the Montgomery Art Association hosted a plein air event on that day, where fans watched them capture parts of Shirley Povich Field on the canvas.

Anastasia Walsh, who organized the sales for the Montgomery Art Association, said the organization has “been in business for 71 years.”

“Our artists range from totally novice to somebody who’s been through a full education in art,” Walsh said. “I myself retired before I started doing art. That’s a very common theme.”

Anastasia Walsh by Mark Thalman

“You feel a connection to what they’re doing because you’re watching the game as they paint,” Big Train vice president Amy Matush said. “I do think the player parents have a special stake in it, too, because they can’t always be here. And when they see their kids on the field being painted or watercolored or acryliced or whatever it is that they do, they want a piece of that history, too.”

With 731 fans in attendance, Fan Appreciation Night was certainly popular among local residents. Sunday’s activities were a fitting way to celebrate another year of community events.