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Written by wrigleyville
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Saturday, 29 March 2008 |
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I was a Washington Nationals season ticket holder for three dismal seasons as they played in the dump known as RFK, about a mile east of the Capitol, biding my time until they opened the new ballpark on the waterfront. Instead, I moved away, having trudged to RFK to watch countless hours of bad baseball.
Tonight, the Nationals played their first game at Nationals Park - naming rights aren't sold yet, for some reason - though it was just an exhibition against the miserable Baltimore Orioles. To honor the occasion, the Nationals' biggest fan - and friend of Wrigleyville and Sarge - lived blogged the test-run Opening Night via BlackBerry. We'll call him RyanZimmerman'sStalker.
(Note: There is a heavy emphasis on logistics, as there is zero parking around the stadium - which the Nationals keep assuring everybody isn't a problem - because they needed to build condos and shops nearby. I'm sure the owners will be saying the same thing when the Nationals are 30 games below .500 and playing to a half empty ballpark. - WV)
4:23: After some research got on metro at L'Enfant - 2 stops to Nationals Park. Metro car not crowded. Metro station was...with tourists, children, and strollers.
4:28: Quick walk to the stadium. Losts of people asking for my money for charity. Apparently to support ask risk youth in DC. Walk staight to the Centerfield Gate. I'm going to circle around to the home plate gate.
4:31: All the sat trucks set up along M Street. No line at all at Leftfield gate.
4:40: As I walked in through the Home Plate Gate the attendant took my ticket and said, "Welcome home." The Nats are taking batting practice. Dimitri looks big. The field is beautiful. It's cold. The sea of blue seats encompasses the freshly mowed field. The Curly W is in centerfield. The Red Porch in Center Field looks like a cool place to hang out some night. The stadium is much more lively than RFK. And the scoreboard is as big as advertised.
5:05: Not going to lie....it is a hella-long walk up to the seats. I think that has as much to do with the very slight incline up as anything else. On the path up, there is an increasing view of the unsightly cement factory that sits between the stadium and the mighty Anacostia. The seats are directly behind home plate with a good (if not distant) view of the field. Probably only slightly further than our seats at RFK. From our seats there is a view of several DC construction cranes, a steady stream of fans pouring in from the Metro, and the Capitol Dome. The view is unobstructed.
5:06: I enjoyed a half smoke sausage "all the way" with chili, onions, and mustard. Coupled with a diet coke, the cost came to $11.25.
5:14: The demensions:
LF - 336
LC - 377
C - 402
RF - 335
There is a huge screen that takes up about 2/3 of the RF wall. Impressive. p.s. Had to kick a guy out of seats when I got here.
5:24 (in reference to nearby fans at RFK): The dad who hates his kid is here. One section over. No Announcer sighting.
5:31: Lots of people on the field congratulating each other. I see Mayor Fenti. He's sporting one of these femmy french hats...not a Nationals lid. Reminds me of when Linda Copp's handler as wearing a Yankees cap at a fundraiser at Hawk and Dove. Don't see the man who made this happen...Mayor Williams. The soundsystem just cranked on. It's loud enough and clear. U2 is playing - "It's a Beautiful Day."
5:44: A former Senators announcer just called the Lerner family, "the Miracle Makers." Del. Holmes-Norton is on the field....she's angry about something. Stan Kasten thanked me for coming. Then we all cheered for the contractors ho built the stadium...I assumed they were paid for their efforts. Anthony Williams NOT here today. They showed file footage of him on the big screen when they announced him.
5:53: There's a huge ribbon....which is being cut. No Linda Cropp.
6:05: (Note from Sarge: Controversy! Local news reporting that the Nats Express bus that picks up fans at RFK is actually dropping them off many blocks away from the new stadium. The bus drivers say they're trying to keep congestion down. The fans report being "surprised.")
6:08: The team is led onto the field by The Face of the Franchise!!!! RYAN ZIMMERMAN!!! Fyi, playing with a DH tonight.
6:11: First pitch outside. Second pitch: Roberts flies to shallow center. Good view from the seats. Tough to pick up the fly. Mora strikes out. We can hear the press box PA system. Game time temp: 53. TRIVIA - what underachieving former National recorded the first home run in the Nationals return to Washington in the pre-season game in season 1?
6:15: Either the radar gun is broken or Bergman is throwing 0 mph.
6:17: First NKOTB song played at 6:16. "Hang Tough". Guzman to lead off. ANNOUCER SIGHTING. In section 416.
6:21: Guzman BB, Miledge HBP. Now The Face is up...
6:23: The Face sacrifices himself for the team to get Guzman to 3rd. Johnson in the 4 hole. A vender is getting some laughs by saying "I've got your nuts...peanuts."
6:29: Johnson, first hit and first RBI. Guzman, first run scored. Johnson looks slim...and, I'm sure, fragile.
6:32: Kearns: first extra base hit. Miledge: scores. Johnson: held at 3rd. May have pulled his hammy. We'll see if he stays in the game. Lo Duca: walks. Dukes up w bases loaded. Nationals 2-0. Fyi - Adam Loewen sucks. 30 pitches so far.
6:35: Dukes strikes out with bases loaded to end the inning.
6:38: (Note from Sarge: He then broke the bat over his leg and began beating up a woman in the front row.)
6:59: Orioles are 3 for 3 on stolen base attempts.
7:09: Big upgrade on the Nat Pack this year. A long way from the days of Angry Man (the T-shirt guy).
7:15: Presidents Race. Start from Centerfield. Race is along the warning track. Abe leads most of the way...finish is -
1. Tom
2. Abe
3. George
4. Teddy
7:37: My patience is being tested... I've had to stand up A LOT to let the people in our row out. I'm not friendly. New pitcher in for the O's. Bases loaded for Lo Duca. It's cold.
8:36: Freezing fingers. It's still cold. My fingers can barely move - a sign of my age I'm sure. 3-0 Nats. Stayed around to taunt Cordero - Acta must've known. He kept O'Connor in. Nats win.
8:41: It's 8:36. Timing to see how long it takes to get to the metro. Nick Johnson named player of
the game. The concourses are wide open....most of the crowd has already left. It's cold. It reminds me of an Opening Day in Baltimore during which they had to stop the afternoon game bc of the snow. Rodrigo Lopez was never quite the same. I've found the escalators. The trip is much quicker.
8:45: BREAKING NEWS: Walked by Hard Times. The following items are on the menu:
Chili Dogs
Chili Mac
Bowl of Chili
Chili Nachos
Frito Pie
8:53: The Walk Back: An easy 12 mins to the metro. Get to see the 360 scoreboard in centerefield up close. And walk down the promenade, which they seem to have a pretty ambitious plan for...in 2009. Check out www.halfstreet.com - guess the marketing worked. NOTE: we are STOPPED in the entryway to the metro. No one is moving. No one. This despite, 80 percent of the crowd had alreadt left. And they weren't starting with a sell out. We're moving again.
9:00: Got right on the metro. Doors closing.
9:05: The Walk Back: Arrived at L'Enfant. Eeirly the only one who parked here. Going up escalators.... Car is here. No ticket. Less than 30 minutes from the seats.Labels: Nationals Park, Washington Nationals
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