Nationals Park
Location	1500 South Capitol Street, SE Washington, D.C. 20003
Broke ground	May 4, 2006
Opened	March 22, 2008 (College game) [1]. South Capitol Street is a major street dividing the southeast and southwest quadrants of Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common March 29, 2008 (Exhibition game) March 30, 2008 (Opening Day)[2]
Owner	D. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Opening Day is warmly regarded in North American tradition as the beginning of a new Major League Baseball season C. Sports & Entertainment Commission (DCSEC)
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$611 million[3]
Architect	HOK Sport, Devrouax & Purnell Architects - Planners
Tenants	Washington Nationals (MLB) (2008—present)
Capacity	41,888
Field dimensions	Left Field - 336 ft (102. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 4 m) Left-Center - 377 ft (114. 9 m) Center Field - 402 ft (122. 5 m) Right-Center - 370 ft (112. 8 m) Right Field - 335 ft (102. 1 m) [1]

Nationals Park is the current ballpark for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. A baseball park, baseball stadium, or ball park / ballpark is the field of play in the game of Baseball and the spectator seating areas The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D It is the first LEED-certified green stadium in the United States^[4]. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) Green Building Rating System developed by the U Green building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — Energy, Water, and Materials — while reducing building A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The facility was opened in time for the 2008 baseball season-opening game (in North America) against the Atlanta Braves on March 30, 2008, and previously hosted collegiate baseball games. The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25 2008 in Tokyo Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common It is located along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood of Washington, D.C. and replaces the RFK Stadium as the Nationals' home ballpark. The Anacostia River is a River that flows about 84 mi (135 km) from Prince George's County in Maryland, USA and Navy Yard, also known as Near Southeast, is a neighborhood on the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a professional sports Stadium in Washington D The new ballpark, designed by HOK Sport and Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners, seats 41,888 fans and cost $611 million to build. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[3] It sits across the river from the D.C. United's proposed soccer-specific stadium at Poplar Point. DC United is a professional soccer club located in Washington D Poplar Point Stadium is a proposed 27000-seat Soccer-specific stadium for the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington D Fans can view the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building from certain areas of the stadium. The Washington Monument is a large tall sand-colored Obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington D

The park's name echoes the original name of the old Washington Senators ballpark, National Park, which was renamed Griffith Stadium when it was rebuilt. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Boundary Field is a former Baseball ground located in Washington D Griffith Stadium was a Sports Stadium that stood in Washington D

Location and transportation

The view from the Gallery (upper) level behind home plate.

Nationals Park is located just one block south of M Street, SE, a main (and until very recently, underused) artery bisecting Southeast and Southwest Washington, D. Southeast (SE or SE is the southeastern quadrant of Washington D C. The ballpark is also accessible from I-395 via the Southwest Freeway, and from I-295 via the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which carries South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River. Interstate 395 (abbreviated I-395) in Virginia is a 13 mile (21 km long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Springfield Virginia Interstate 295 (I-295 in the US state of Maryland and in Washington D The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge otherwise known as the South Capitol Street Bridge carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River in The Douglass Bridge was renovated so that South Capitol Street will continue at ground level past the stadium (it was previously 15 feet above ground level).

The ballpark is also accessible via the Washington Metro's Navy Yard station, on the Green Line. Navy Yard is a Washington Metro station in Washington DC on the Green Line. The Green Line of the Washington Metro consists of 21 Rapid transit stations from Branch Avenue to Greenbelt. Located a block and a half from the ballpark's gate in left-center field, the station is heavily used by fans on game day. Prior to the ballpark's opening, the Navy Yard station's ballpark entrance and farecard mezzanine underwent a major expansion, along with the addition of an extra escalator and elevator to handle the crowds.

The Nationals run a shuttle service from parking lots at RFK Stadium on gameday, given that parking in the immediate vicinity is highly limited. Several Metrobus routes service the park, and various other transit options have been proposed including a potential water taxi service from Virginia. A water taxi or water bus is a Boat used to provide Public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment

History

Nationals Park, under construction in September 2007, with the US Capitol seen in the background.

Financing for the stadium was expected to be provided by a banking syndicate led by Deutsche Bank. Deutsche Bank AG (literally "German Bank" ˈdɔɪtʃə,) is an international Universal bank with a broad private clients franchise headquartered in However, finalization of the financing deal, as of December 2005, stalled due to complex negotiations among the city government, MLB as owner of the team, and the bank. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. 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 future ballpark. Anthony Allen "Tony" Williams (born July 28 1951, in Los Angeles California) is an American Politician who served The ballpark's design was released to the public at a press conference on March 14, 2006. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. Design-build (or design/build, and abbreviated D-B or D/B accordingly is a Construction project delivery system where in contrast to " Ronnie Strompf, the project superintendent, coordinates the efforts of numerous subcontractors on a daily basis. ^[5]

The ballpark has 41,000 seats and features 66 suites, all around the infield. Infield is a widely used term in Sports Terminology, its meaning depends on in what sport it is used Other amenities include the "Oval Office bar. | |-| |-| |- | |-| |-| |-| |-| |} The Oval Office is the official office of the President of the United States. " Team President Stan Kasten also said that the team might sell the naming rights to the levels of the luxury suites, which bear the names of presidents Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Stan Kasten (born February 1, 1952 in Lakewood Township New Jersey) is the President of the Washington Nationals and a founding partner of While the city has agreed to spend up to $611 million, Kasten has stated that the principal owners, the Lerner family, have spent tens of millions of dollars more on "jazzing up the park. Lerner is a common German family name Its literal meaning can be either "student" or "scholar" " The park has an out-of-town scoreboard installed in the right field wall. It is 102 feet long. The main scoreboard is more than 5 times bigger than the one at RFK Stadium. Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium, better known as RFK Stadium or RFK, is a professional sports Stadium in Washington D The main scoreboard is 101 feet long and 47 feet high. ^[6]

On March 13, 2007, Kasten announced that not only was the Nationals new ballpark on schedule to be ready by Opening Day 2008, but that there would be a grove of cherry blossoms located just beyond the left field bleachers. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Opening Day is warmly regarded in North American tradition as the beginning of a new Major League Baseball season Kasten stated that the cherry blossoms will provide a look that Americans associate with the nation's capital. The Nationals also have plans to erect 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. Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Frank Oliver Howard (born August 8 1936 in Columbus Ohio) nicknamed "Hondo" and "The Capital Punisher" is a former left The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft Joshua Gibson ( December 21, 1911 - January 20, 1947) was an American Catcher in Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues The Homestead Grays were a professional Baseball team that played in the Negro Leagues in the United States. ^[7]

Opening season

Panoramic view of Nationals Park on Opening Night, March 30, 2008.

President George W. Bush throws the ceremonial first pitch before a sold out crowd at the Washington Nationals season opener on March 30, 2008

The 2008 Washington Nationals season is the team's first in Nationals Park. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding Ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and The Washington Nationals ' 2008 season is the 4th season for the franchise in the District of Columbia, and the 40th since the original team was started The George Washington University (GWU) and the Nationals announced in February 2008 that the GWU baseball team would play the first game in Nationals Park on March 22, 2008. The George Washington University ( GW or GWU) is a private coeducational university located in Washington D Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common GWU played Saint Joseph's University in an afternoon game^[1] and had a 9-4 victory over Saint Joseph's. Saint Joseph's University (also called SJU or St Joe's) is a private Coeducational Roman Catholic University located ^[8]

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 Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[9]

The Nationals opened the 2008 MLB season (in North America) 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. The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25 2008 in Tokyo Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. True to tradition, President George W. Bush, while greeted with as many boos as cheers, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding Ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and The Nationals defeated the Braves 3-2 with a walk-off home run from Ryan Zimmerman,^[10] giving the Nationals their first opening day win since moving to Washington. In Baseball, a walk-off home run is a Home run that ends the game Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984 in Washington, North Carolina) is a baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals Chipper Jones of the Braves hit the first batted ball and first home run, while the Nationals' Christian Guzman got the first base hit. Cristian Antonio Guzmán (born March 21, 1978 in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic) is a Dominican Baseball player who plays 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. ^[11] The game was the most watched MLB opening night in the history of ESPN ^[12]. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to

The second game at Nationals Park set the modern MLB record for smallest crowd in the second game of a new facility ^[13].

Pope Benedict XVI visit

Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Washington, D. Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger C. in April 2008 where he met President Bush in the White House. See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence He celebrated Mass at the Nationals Park for 47,000 people on April 17. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. There were 200,000 requests submitted for tickets to the Mass. ^[14] Following this, the Pope then traveled to New York City, where he addressed the United Nations, visited the World Trade Center site, and celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium. The City of New York The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. ^[15]

References

External links

• Official Site - Nationals Park
• Clark Construction - New Ballpark Webcams
• Near Southeast DC Redevelopment - Nationals Park
• Nationals Park page on Ballparks. com
• Nationals Park to have cherry trees inside park on ESPN. com
• Nationals Park the name in 2008