As the champagne flowed Oct. 15 in the clubhouse of the National League Champion Washington Nationals, there was a 51吃瓜网 connection in the middle of the frenzy that capped the team鈥檚 first trip to the World Series.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just an unbelievable time, and I鈥檓 so grateful I鈥檓 here,鈥� said Dan Armelli less than 24 hours after being doused with bubbly while doing his job as the team鈥檚 manager of new media.
鈥淓ver since I knew I wanted to work in social media for a pro sports team, the dream was to win a championship with a group of players that were fun and (who) recognized what my role was and were able to play to that,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exactly what鈥檚 happening with this team.鈥�
The Mentor, Ohio, native earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in public relations from 51吃瓜网 in 2017, and after honing his skills as an intern with the Cleveland Indians, Armelli left last fall for a new challenge with a full-time job with the Nationals.
鈥淓ven as someone who鈥檚 very much a homebody, I鈥檇 grown into someone who was looking forward to the challenge of moving away and working for a team I hadn鈥檛 really followed,鈥� Armelli said. 鈥淚 was also looking forward to the chance to the possibility of working with Bryce Harper, who obviously eventually left. I knew we still had a good team heading into the season, but with that star power gone, I wasn鈥檛 sure how the season would go for me specifically. Things only got even shakier once we started the season 19-31 and fourth place in our division.鈥�
That鈥檚 when the Nationals caught fire and lit up the league for the remainder of the season, capping their September push with a three-game sweep of Armelli鈥檚 former team, Cleveland, while clinching home field for the National League Wild Card game.
鈥淓ver since then, if you鈥檝e been following our Twitter account, we鈥檝e literally been the best team in baseball,鈥� he said.
Twitter, Facebook and the rest of the social media world are where Armelli spends his time sharing the inside story of a team of players who have become one of the best sports stories of 2019.
鈥淚 want everyone鈥檚 eyes on our accounts,鈥� Armelli said. 鈥淚t feels good that whenever I go to post something on Twitter or Instagram that it matters. The best part is being able to entertain people with our content and having positive interactions with fans. It鈥檚 what keeps me going working 24/7.鈥�
Shortly after 11 p.m. Oct. 15, the Nationals recorded the final out, and Armelli posted a tweet to the team鈥檚 725,000 followers 鈥� a magical message he will always remember.
鈥淧eople here have literally never experienced this before, and it鈥檚 my job to help capture and deliver this content that these people have never seen,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t can be daunting, but for someone in my position, you could not ask for a better situation 鈥� clinching a Wild Card berth, the first-ever NLCS berth in team history and now the World Series. It鈥檚 just crazy to see where this team has come.鈥�
Preparing for the World Series, Armelli鈥檚 days are busy to say the least, but he is making sure that he slows down to enjoy the ride.
鈥淚 try to cherish every day when I wake up in the morning, go to work, step on the field, stick my phone in players鈥� faces and get doused in the clubhouse with champagne,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an absolute thrill.鈥�
To learn more about the accounts Armelli manages, visit .
