Nationals Park
Nationals Park is a baseball park along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the home ballpark for Washington Nationals. When the Montreal Expos franchise relocated to Washington, D.C. and became the Nationals, they temporarily played at RFK Stadium until Nationals Park was completed. It is the first LEED-certified green major professional sports stadium in the United States.
The ballpark, designed by HOK Sport and Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, cost $693 million to build, with an additional $84.2 million spent on transportation, art, and infrastructure upgrades to support the stadium for a total cost of $783.9 million. The stadium has a capacity of 41,339. The Washington Monument and the Capitol building are visible from the upper decks on the first base side of the field.
The park's name echoes that of the early-1900s ballpark used by the Washington Senators, National Park, until it was rebuilt and renamed Griffith Stadium.
Nationals Park hosted the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the first All-Star Game to be played in Washington, D.C. since 1969. It hosted games 3, 4, and 5 of the World Series, the first in the city since.
Location and transportation
Nationals Park is located in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. on South Capitol Street at the Anacostia River waterfront. The ballpark is accessible from Interstate 395 via the Southwest Freeway, and from Interstate 295 via the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which carries South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River. The Douglass Bridge was renovated so that South Capitol Street could continue at ground level past the stadium.The main method of transportation to the stadium is on the Washington Metro system. The stadium is one block from Navy Yard–Ballpark station on the Green Line. The station is located near the park's center field entrance and is heavily used by fans on game day. Prior to the ballpark's opening, the station's ballpark entrance underwent a major expansion, with the relocation of the farecard mezzanine to street level, along with the addition of an extra escalator and elevator to handle the crowds.
Parking near the stadium is limited. There are a total of 14 Nationals Park-sanctioned parking lots or garages, with a small number of third-party lots also in the vicinity of the stadium. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the Nationals ran a free shuttle service from parking lots at RFK Stadium to Nationals Park on game days. However, the team canceled the service after the 2009 season.
Several Metrobus routes and the DC Circulator's Eastern Market–L'Enfant Plaza route serve the park. Various other transit options include a water taxi service from Alexandria, Virginia and Georgetown.
Cyclists are encouraged to ride to the stadium and are offered free valet bicycle parking. Garage C, located next to the ticket windows at the corner of 1st and N Street, houses a free bike valet service where fans are invited to store their bikes for the duration of the game. There are also 110 red bike racks on the sidewalks that create the perimeter of the ballpark.
History
Site selection and design
After it was announced that the Expos would leave Montreal, Washington, DC began looking for a site for a baseball stadium to lure the team to Washington. After considering sites near RFK Stadium, in NoMA and straddling I-395 at Banneker Park the District announced on September 21, 2004 that they had chosen a site near the SE Anacostia waterfront.Construction
Financing for the stadium was expected to be provided by a banking syndicate led by Deutsche Bank. However, finalization of the financing deal stalled due to complex negotiations among the city government, MLB as owner of the team, and the bank. The bank requested a letter of credit or comparable financial guarantee against stadium rent to cover risks such as poor attendance or terrorism. The requested guarantee was $24 million, with the city requesting that MLB provide the guarantee. The financing situation was since solved and construction began in May 2006.The site of Nationals Park was chosen by Mayor Anthony Williams as the most viable of four possibilities for a ballpark. The ballpark's design was released to the public at a press conference on March 14, 2006. Ground breaking was in early 2006. With an ambitious construction schedule of fewer than two years to complete the stadium, a design-build approach was selected to allow the architects and builders to work in concert with one another. Ronnie Strompf, the project superintendent, coordinated the efforts of numerous subcontractors on a daily basis.
Opening
The 2008 Washington Nationals season was the team's first in Nationals Park. The George Washington University and the Nationals announced in February 2008 that the GW Colonials baseball team would play the first game in Nationals Park on March 22, 2008. GW played Saint Joseph's University in an afternoon game and the hometown Colonials had a 9-4 victory over Saint Joseph's.The Washington Nationals defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 3-0, in an exhibition game on March 29, 2008, in their first game in the ballpark.
The Nationals opened the 2008 MLB season in Nationals Park with a rare one-game series against the Atlanta Braves on March 30, which served as the first official MLB game at the park. True to tradition, President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Nationals defeated the Braves 3-2 with a walk-off home run from Ryan Zimmerman, giving the Nationals their first opening day win since moving to Washington. Chipper Jones of the Braves hit the first batted ball and first home run, while the Nationals' Cristian Guzman got the first base hit. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Zimmerman's game-winning home run was the third walk-off home run in major-league history to be hit in the first MLB game played at a stadium. The game was the most-watched MLB opening night in the history of ESPN.
In their first season at Nationals Park, the Nationals finished with a league-worst record of 59-102. At home, they drew 29,005 fans per game, placing their average attendance at 19th in MLB.
Seasons and changes
2009 season
Several ballpark improvement projects were completed by the Nationals during the off-season, including:- Expansion of the Red Porch restaurant in center field to include additional tables on both the concourse and field side. Glass windows on the concourse side were replaced with slidable garage doors, opening to a fenced outdoor patio. On the field side, the rear-most row of Center Field Lounge seats were removed, with an outdoor deck featuring tables and chairs installed in its place. New signage was added on the concourse side.
- Installation of three statues in the ballpark honoring Walter Johnson of the original Washington Senators, Frank Howard of the expansion Senators, and Josh Gibson of the Negro League Homestead Grays, which played many of its games in Washington.
- A large Washington Nationals hat was added above the entrance to the team store near the center field plaza.
- New LED message boards were added over the roof of the Center Field gate, providing information and instructions to fans entering the ballpark.
- New advertisement panels were attached to the face of the two garages in center field, with green panels being replaced by white panels. Additional panels showing the team's 2009 promotions and the current lineup were added to the western garage, facing the plaza.
Before the Nationals 2009 home opener on April 13, 2009 at 3 PM, longtime Philadelphia Phillies announcer Harry Kalas was found unconscious in the Nationals Park press box at 12:20 PM. Kalas was rushed to George Washington University Hospital and pronounced dead at 1:20 PM. A moment of silence was held before the game, followed by both Nationals and Phillies fans applauding Kalas in tribute. The Phillies played with a picture of Kalas in their dugout.
On June 4, 2009, Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher in MLB history to reach 300 wins when the San Francisco Giants beat the Nationals 5-1 at Nationals Park. The game was scheduled to be played the night before, but was delayed due to heavy rain in the DC-area. On July 4, 2009, Adam Dunn became the 123rd player to hit 300 career home runs. The home run came in the 7th inning in a 5–3 win versus the Atlanta Braves.
2010 season
During the All-Star break, the press box was repainted blue to match the color of the seats. On June 8, 2010, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, called the "most hyped and closely watched pitching prospect in the history of baseball", made his first major league appearance, starting a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates before a sold-out crowd at Nationals Park. Strasburg pitched 7 innings, giving up two runs and striking out 14 batters, a new team strikeout record.2011 season
Minor changes prior to the start of the 2011 season include the removal of the party tent on top of the LF parking garage to improve views of the U.S. Capitol from upper sections, chrome baseball decorations adorning the outside the stadium, and various signage and concession changes including the departure of Five Guys. Nationals Park also became home of the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame. In June 2011 four new concession stands opened, owned by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group: Blue Smoke, Box Frites, El Verano Taqueria and Shake Shack. The team has also ended Friday night firework shows and fireworks after home runs and team victories.2012 season
On May 4 for the series against Philadelphia, the Nationals renamed the park "Natitude Park". This was following their "Take Back the Park" plan, first selling advance tickets to fans in the Washington D.C. area before opening up ticket sales to other states. This marked a shift from recent years where Phillies fans had flooded the park, as the crowd was predominantly Nationals fans and the team took two of three from their division rivals. The Nationals made the playoffs for the first time since relocating to Washington in the 2012 season, with Games 3, 4, and 5 of the 2012 National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals being played in Nationals Park. Washington lost the NLDS three games to two.2013 season
Team owner Theodore N. Lerner approached D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and other city officials in mid-July 2013 and asked if the city would pay to have a retractable roof built over Nationals Park. After seeing sketches, Gray rejected the proposal at the same meeting. No cost analyses were done prior to the meeting, although team architects speculated it would cost $300 million. City officials noted that the stadium was not designed for a roof.2014 season
The Nationals made the playoffs for the second time since arriving in Washington, and Nationals Park hosted Games 1 and 2 of the 2014 National League Division Series. The Nationals lost the series to the San Francisco Giants three games to one.2015 NHL Winter Classic
On January 1, 2015, Nationals Park hosted the 2015 NHL Winter Classic before a crowd of 42,832 spectators. The Washington Capitals defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 after former Blackhawk Troy Brouwer scored the go-ahead goal with 13 seconds remaining in regulation play. This made the Capitals only the second home team to win a Winter Classic, and the first to win two Winter Classics, having won in Pittsburgh in 2011.2015 season
On July 17, 2015, during a regular-season game between the Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a series of three power outages affected a bank of lights along the park's third base line. The first power outage, which occurred in the bottom of the 4th inning, resulted in a delay of 1 hour and 22 minutes. Play was later resumed as the pitchers retired the next 5 batters. In the middle of the 5th inning, another power outage occurred, which resulted in a 40-minute delay. The bottom of the 5th inning was later played; at the end of the inning, a third power outage occurred. Due to the power outages, the game was suspended in the top of the 6th inning, with the Nationals leading the Dodgers 3–2 at that point. The game was resumed the next afternoon, with the Nationals winning against the Dodgers, 5–3.2016 season
The Nationals made the playoffs for the third time since arriving in Washington, and Nationals Park hosted Games 1, 2, and 5 of the 2016 National League Division Series. The Nationals lost the series to the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to two.2017 season
Prior to the 2017 season, the Nationals added the MGM National Harbor Dugout Club, named for the nearby Maryland casino which opened in December 2016. These seats were added near the first base dugout, in the approximate location where the tarp was stored in previous seasons. The tarp has been moved to the third-base side.In late September 2017, a new organ was installed at Nationals Park, fulfilling the Washington Nationals organization's long-held goal of upgrading the stadium's organ. The Viscount Sonus 60, priced at $20,000 on European Web sites, was manufactured in Mondaino, Italy, and tuned in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was installed in a former radio booth on the second floor of the stadium's press box, replacing a less-capable portable Hammond organ that had been located in a corner of the stadium's sound effects control room. The new location gave the organist a private room for the first time, as well as a better view of the field and crowd.
The Nationals made the playoffs for the fourth time since arriving in Washington, and Nationals Park hosted Games 1, 2, and 5 of the 2017 National League Division Series. The Nationals lost the series to the Chicago Cubs three games to two.
2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Nationals Park hosted the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 17. It was the fifth MLB All-Star Game to be played in Washington, D.C., and the first in Washington since 1969. The American League beat the National League 8-6 before 43,843 fans.2019 World Series
Nationals Park hosted games 3, 4 & 5, of the World Series, the first in the city since. The Nationals lost them all to the Houston Astros, but still won the series in seven games.Washington Nationals average attendance
Features
As of the 2017 season, the ballpark has 41,339 seats and features 79 suites on three levels, all around the infield. Team President Stan Kasten also said that the team might sell the naming rights to the levels of the luxury suites, which currently bear the names of presidents Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. While the city agreed to spend up to $611 million, Kasten has stated that the principal owners, the Lerner family, spent tens of millions of dollars more on "jazzing up the park". The park has an out-of-town scoreboard, which is long, installed in the right field wall. The main scoreboard, at long and high, is more than five times the size of the one at RFK Stadium.On March 13, 2007, Kasten announced that there would be a grove of cherry blossoms located just beyond the left field bleachers. Kasten stated that the cherry blossoms will provide a look that Americans associate with the nation's capital.
Other distinctive features of the ballpark are the views of the U.S. Capitol from the upper deck. These views have been mostly blocked by new construction in recent years. Fans in the upper deck sitting down the right field line near the foul pole, during all day games, fans can get a glimpse of the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral. Several area-based food establishments have concession stands: Ben's Chili Bowl hot dogs, Dogfish Head and Flying Dog Brewery beer.
Another feature, The Budweiser Brew House, is a full service sit-down restaurant located in center field. It offers some amenities unusual in a ballpark such as salads, along with regular ballpark fare such as burgers and hot dogs. When the stadium first opened in 2008, the restaurant was enclosed by glass windows with a view of the field which were soon made retractable. The restaurant was eventually expanded to outside the interior, with tables being placed in three rows outside.
In 2010, the stadium added the Ring of Honor, celebrating players from the Washington Senators, Negro League Homestead Grays, and the Nationals franchise's previous incarnation, the Montreal Expos who have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Since 2011, a submarine dive horn has blared after every Nationals home run and win—a nod to the park's location in the Navy Yard neighborhood. And as with any World Series victory, as it did in, Queen's We Are The Champions is played over the PA.
In September 2018 Nationals Park began using a bullpen cart.
In September 2018 the ashes of John McNamara, a sportswriter who was killed in the Capital Gazette shooting, were spread in the flowers just over the left field fence.
In terms of batting park factor ESPN writer Tristan H. Cockcroft has said that "Nationals Park has been remarkably consistent in its neutrality from a run-scoring perspective."
Seating
Seating in Nationals Park is divided into over a dozen different pricing zones. There are four seating levels: the field level, mezzanine level, gallery level, and upper gallery level.The Grandstand is composed of sections 401 and 402, in the corner of the upper deck in left field, in which seats are $5 for all games. Tickets go on sale 2½ hours before the first pitch on the day of the game and cannot be ordered in advance.
The stadium features three levels of upscale luxury seating. The largest of the three, the Norfolk Southern Club, is a two-story indoor lounge exclusively for fans with tickets in sections 206–221. The lounge is and features various food entities, live television broadcasts of the game on dozens of TVs, and views of the Anacostia River. It was previously named the Stars and Stripes Club until the naming rights were purchased by Norfolk Southern Railway in 2014. The PNC Diamond Club, the naming rights of which were purchased by PNC Bank, is on the field level between the two dugouts. It was remodeled and expanded into two floors prior to the 2016 season. The Delta Sky360 Club seats are located right behind home plate and are the most expensive seats in the stadium and include access to an indoor lounge. It was previously named the Lexus Presidents Club until Delta Airlines purchased the naming rights in 2016.
As features were changed, added, or removed, seating capacity has changed repeatedly since the stadium opened; the number of seats has dropped slightly several times since it opened in 2008. In the inaugural 2008 season, seating capacity was 41,888; as of 2016, the seating capacity is 41,313. The seating capacity increased to 41,339 in 2017.
Nationals Park contains a split in the upper deck that is a homage to Griffith Stadium.
Non-baseball events
Nationals Park has hosted a number of non-baseball events, such as concerts and business meetings.Hockey
On January 1, 2015, the National Hockey League held its "Winter Classic" - the New Year's Day traditional outdoor game - at Nationals Park. A hockey rink was constructed on the field where the home team Washington Capitals hosted the Chicago Blackhawks. The Capitals scored the game-winning goal with 13 seconds left in the 3rd period, defeating the Blackhawks 3–2.Concerts
Performers who have held concerts at Nationals Park include Billy Joel, Taylor Swift, and Paul McCartney, among others.| Date | Artist | Opening act | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
| July 11, 2009 | Billy Joel Elton John | — | Face to Face 2009 | 38,617 / 38,617 | $4,638,645 | |
| July 23, 2010 | Dave Matthews Band | Zac Brown Band | 2010 Summer Tour | 36,772 / 36,939 | $2,701,617 | |
| September 14, 2012 | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | — | Wrecking Ball World Tour | 36,525 / 36,525 | $3,305,920 | Ali Weinberg, the daughter of Max Weinberg performed accordion on "American Land", backing vocals on "Twist and Shout" and "Shout". |
| July 12, 2013 | Paul McCartney | — | Out There Tour | 39,515 / 39,515 | $4,452,036 | |
| July 25, 2014 | Jason Aldean | Florida Georgia Line Tyler Farr | Burn It Down Tour | 32,263 / 36,948 | $2,188,891 | |
| July 26, 2014 | Billy Joel | Gavin DeGraw | Billy Joel in Concert | 38,487 / 38,487 | $4,200,480 | |
| August 11, 2014 | One Direction | 5 Seconds of Summer | Where We Are Tour | 42,834 / 42,834 | $4,233,063 | |
| July 13, 2015 | Taylor Swift | Vance Joy Shawn Mendes Haim | The 1989 World Tour | 85,014 / 85,014 | $9,730,596 | Lorde was the special guest. |
| July 14, 2015 | Taylor Swift | Vance Joy Shawn Mendes Haim | The 1989 World Tour | 85,014 / 85,014 | $9,730,596 | Jason Derulo was the special guest. |
| August 14, 2015 | Zac Brown Band | The Avett Brothers | Jekyll and Hyde Tour | — | — | |
| July 30, 2016 | Billy Joel | Charlie Puth | Billy Joel in Concert | 37,807 / 37,807 | $4,031,634 | |
| September 1, 2016 | Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band | — | The River Tour 2016 | 36,463 / 36,463 | $4,627,705 |