Time to start a new Nats thread. Lots of things happening--especially with the team moving to the new stadium.

Individual tickets, Scoreboard/Bigscreen unveiling and homeplate moved from RFK to new Nationals Park on Tuesday, March 4th. Cherry trees to be planted on the 6th. First game in the new stadium (GWU mens baseball) on the 22nd. Exhibition game on the 29th and Season Opener on the 30th.

Some questions for the season:

How will Dukes, Milledge, LoDuca, the Boone Brothers turn out?
Will Patterson, Hill, Bergman last all or even most of the season injury free?
Who will end up playing firstbase, Johnson or Young?
Will Zimm continue to improve?
What role is Lopez going to play?
Can Guz last the season?
How is the new stadium going to turn out?
Will Teddy win?

It's a bit odd to me that the very first event isn't a Nats game.

I hope to get down there to see the new place at some point.

Oh, and I'm surprised there's no corporate name yet. Are they really going to just call it Nationals Park?

The GWU game will be limited in attendance (probably no more than a couple thousand) and will be used as a trial run for the stadium. The Nats owner is a GWU alum.

No corporate name as of opening day which is fine for now for most people I've talked to. Most expect it to not stay that way though. An article in this weeks Washington Business Journal rates the potential corporate suitors, (Gieco, BoA, Capital One, Marriott, BB&T, Chevy Chase Bank) but for now the big sign over the scoreboard says only NATIONALS PARK.

Geico Park? YES! You could have the presidents race against the gecko and the cavemen!

Tarp is now coming off the field. The stadium cam: http://clarkconstruction.oxblue.com/clarkhuntsmoot/

I just read that the Nats put single-game tickets on sale. They had about 4,000 tickets on sale for opening day and they sold out in about 6 minutes.

Their website says they have online and phone orders only -- the RFK box office is closed and the new park's box office isn't open yet. I bet they're still applying service charges to those phone and online orders, though...yep. Just checked for a Phils-Nats game. Still applying service charges even though there's no way to buy tickets in person.

There was an article in the Washington Post, and someone mentioned that it was the fastest-selling Washington-area event since Michael Jackson sold out the Capital Centre on the "Thriller" tour in 1984 in about three minutes. Impressive!

Great panoramic picture of the stadium from the the Red Porch here at JDLand.

That's an outstanding shot. It is fun to imagine all the Baltimore residents that will travel there to see a game.

More stadium photos from someone who got a tour this past weekend: Nats Stadium Pics

What a great shot! I'm glad for them to have that ballpark. I may even have to travel down when the Mets are there...

awesome ballpark.

what's the capacity?

A little over 41,000.

Being a native of the DC area (Manassas for anyone in the know), I have been following the Nats since day one. They actually got me back into baseball after not following it since Nolan Ryan's retirement in 1994, but I digress...



I think Dukes, Milledge, and LoDuca will all turn out fine. I was shocked when I read they traded Schneider, and while LoDuca doesn't have the arm of Schneider, I think he'll be just fine. The environment that the Nationals system has created for troubled stars like Dukes and Milledge, and Young last season, helps these cast-aways find their true talent and center, while re-discovering themselves at the same time without fear of prejudice.

Patterson? Considering he was just released today: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjo...l/?hpid=topnews

I'll put Young at 1B by opening day with Johnson gradually resuming duties as the season progresses.

Zimmerman will definitely continue to improve. He has so much potential and drive. He knows his flaws and is constantly working on them.

The stadium, providing they can get parking issues worked out, will be ROCKIN! I tried to get tickets to opening day...yeah right. Of course, the weekend I'll be back in DC for a wedding the Nats are in Florida that week. One of these days I'll get down there, preferably when they're playing Philly.

And yes, Teddy will finally win. In an interview with Lastings Milledge on washingtonpost.com, the reporter asked his thoughts on it, and Milledge replied that he'd try to help Teddy win, even if that meant him putting on the suit himself.

hottie ryan z with a walk-off home run!

Great way to start off what hopes to be a good season for the team!

Congrats to the Nats winning the first game in their new stadium. The ballpark was nice, I will have to make a trip down there for visit. Did anyone notice the mixed reaction Bush got when he was announced before tossing the ceremonial first pitch. A few more boos than I expected.

There were quite a few boos, although you have to give W. props for going up to the mound and zinging the ball in there.

NICE ballpark, and great way to open it up!!
I had my Nationals jersey on while watching it last night in support...
I'll have to get up there to see a game...



That is usually pretty typical for any politician who throws out a first pitch. You will always find people on both sides of the fence in attendance...

That was such an amazing game last night! The reaction to Bush made me laugh my butt off. I was blown away by the views of the stadium, but when Zimmerman smacked the ball out in the bottom of the 9th...let's just say I made a bit of a scene. And yes, I was in a bar wearing my Nats jersey, and will be doing so again when I manage the bar tonight!

That was a nice way to start way to start my Monday morning to see and hear those boos

Can I go? If you drive I'll pay for your ticket to the game.



He got booed big-time!

A great start for the Nats. I think that park will be a big boost this year.

The park will be a HUGE boost this year! As Zimmerman said in an interview, everyone is tired of being mediocre, and having to play in a relic like RFK didn't help that mentality in the slightest. Bud Selig called Nationals Park a cathedral, and even the Braves had praise for it. Something tells me it will be awe inspiring for everyone...and hopefully all the visiting teams will be too distracted by it to play well on their first visit.

What a great game tonight! Well pitched by both sides. Both Hamels and Redding were great. The defense was sharp as well. The difference in the game was a home run that somehow sneaked out of the park. I know it can't last.... but the Nats are off to a nice start.

A nine game slide? What the eff?!?!?! I saw they just demoted Bergman to Columbus. While that may help things temporarilly, what with his 11.something ERA, the team as a whole needs to get their act together if they want to accomplish something - anything - this season! I know we're only a few weeks in, but c'mon! We have the skill and determination, so let's start showing it and stop with the sloppy BS. Let's show the NL East, and the rest of MLB, that we can, and are, a team to contend with. At this rate, we may just bring true the predictions of the Nats last season this year...

So, if weather and such permit, I'm going to head down to DC on Wednesday to see the Nats-Braves. It's a 4:35 pm start, the only midweek non-night game all season (except for Memorial Day and Labor Day -- why don't they have businessperson's specials?), which would ensure that I can catch a train or bus home the same night.

Well, I wasn't able to get to to the game mentioned above. Here's an explanation of why there aren't any more weekday afternoon games on the Nats' schedule.



Of course, today's game had an announced attendance of 28,552. Far from "everyone," I'd say. There's a link at ESPN.com to attendance figures. The Nats are averaging 29,163 in the new park (don't know if it includes today).

A comparison of other teams' park openings since 2001 (as far back as ESPN's page has the stats for):
Cardinals 2006 - 42,588
Phillies 2004 - 40,589
Padres 2004 - 37,531
Reds 2003 - 29,077
Brewers 2001 - 34,704
Pirates 2001 - 30,742

I guess $600 million doesn't get you what it used to.

On the plus side, this means plenty of available seats for Night OUT with the Nationals on Monday June 23, 2008. Show your pride in the nation's capital.

I didn't go back and look at the teams involved but my guess is attendance probably is up from what it was in their old ballpark, but the teams that don't seem to be drawing so well in their new parks also are teams that haven't been very competitive. That's the situation the Nats are in.

I attended Saturday night's loss to Milwaukee. It's a nice park (and the Presidents' race is a hoot), but too similar to all the other HOK-built stadia. Also, the mega-priced seats behind home are very often empty.

Not off to a great start in attendance, especially the ridiculously over-priced seats behinf home plate which have almost noone in them. The stadium (and other specially taxed entities for the stadium) is, however, generating much more cash flow to repay the city-owned stadium bonds. A win for the DC taxpayer, even if the team can't win games.

I don't know the details but I can't help but wonder if the money going into the city's coffers and into the development of the surrounding area is really going to live up to what was promised. I'm sure the team is making out very well, though.

I'm now thinking of trying to get down there on Sunday. No softball here this weekend because it's the day of the Pride parade. So do I go to Pride or do I go see Nationals Park? Hmmmm....

Now with the longest current winning streak in MLB. Perhaps the Nats won't lose 100 games this season.

Only 6 wins needed in the last 18 games to keep from losing 100 games. The 2008 Nationals are the greatest team ever in the entire history of the new stadium that opened this year.

Now it's six wins in 13 games to keep from losing 100 this year. It's so lonely being a nats fan.

I'm looking for a big 4-game sweep from the Nats starting tonight. Make it happen.

So far you are getting your wish. Perhaps another win tonight.