Nationals Park is a
baseball stadium
A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...
along the
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...
in the
Navy Yard neighborhood of
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Home to
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
's
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
since its completion in 2008, it was the first
LEED-certified
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
major professional sports
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
in the United States.
Designed by
HOK Sport and
Devrouax & Purnell Architects and Planners,
the ballpark cost
$693 million
to build. An additional $84.2 million was spent on transportation, art, and infrastructure upgrades, bringing the total cost to $783.9 million.
The stadium has a capacity of 41,339.
The
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the ...
and the
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
building are visible from the upper decks on the first base side of the field.
![Nationals Panorama vs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Nationals_Panorama_vs._Cubs.JPG)
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 World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
, the first in the city since .
Location and transportation
Nationals Park is located in the
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
quadrant of Washington, D.C. on
South Capitol Street
South Capitol Street is a major street dividing the southeast and southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It runs south from the United States Capitol to the D.C.–Maryland line, intersecting with Southern Avenue. Afte ...
(a main artery separating Southeast from
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
Washington) at the
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...
waterfront. The ballpark is accessible from
Interstate 395 via the Southwest Freeway, and from
Interstate 295 via the
Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge
The Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is a through arch bridge that carries South Capitol Street over the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. It was completed in 2021 and replaced an older swing bridge that was completed in 1950 as the South ...
, 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 (it was previously above ground level).
The primary method of transportation to the stadium is on the
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,[Google Books search/preview ...](_blank)
system. The stadium is one block from
Navy Yard–Ballpark station
Navy Yard–Ballpark is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C. on the Green Line. The station is located in the Navy Yard/Near Southeast neighborhood of Southeast, with entrances on M Street at Half Street and New Jersey Avenue.
St ...
on the
Green Line. The station is located near the park's center field entrance (on the opposite side of Capitol Street SE from the main entrance) and is heavily used by fans on game day. The station's southern entrance was expanded when the stadium was built, adding an escalator and elevator and moving the farecard mezzanine to street level.
Parking near the stadium is limited. There are 14 Nationals Park-sanctioned parking lots or garages, with a small number of third-party lots nearby. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the Nationals ran a free shuttle service (dubbed the "Nats Express") from parking lots at RFK Stadium to Nationals Park on game days.
Several
Metrobus routes and the
DC Circulator
The DC Circulator is a bus system in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Department of Transportation operates the service in a public–private partnership with RATP Dev.
The DC Circulator buses are similar to shuttle buses since they ...
's Eastern Market–L'Enfant Plaza route serve the park. Various other transit options include a
water taxi
A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...
service from
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...
, 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 during the game. There are also 110 red bike racks on the sidewalks around the ballpark.
History
Site selection and design
After it was announced that the Expos would leave Montreal, the government of Washington, D.C., 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, District officials announced on September 21, 2004, that they had chosen a site near the SE Anacostia waterfront.
Construction
![Nationalspark-sept2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Nationalspark-sept2007.jpg)
Financing for the stadium was expected to be provided by a banking syndicate led by
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...
. However, the finalization of the financing deal stalled due to complex negotiations among the city government, MLB as the owner of the team, and the bank. The bank requested a
letter of credit
A letter of credit (LC), also known as a documentary credit or bankers commercial credit, or letter of undertaking (LoU), is a payment mechanism used in international trade to provide an economic guarantee from a creditworthy bank to an ex ...
or comparable financial guarantee against stadium rent to cover risks such as poor attendance or terrorism. The requested guarantee was $23 million, with the city requesting that MLB provide the guarantee. The financing situation was later solved, and construction began in May 2006.
The site of Nationals Park was chosen by
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
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. Groundbreaking 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 daily.
Opening
The
2008 Washington Nationals season was the team's first in Nationals Park.
The George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presid ...
(GW) 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
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
, 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
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
on March 30, which served as the first official MLB game at the park. True to tradition,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
threw out the
ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...
. The Nationals defeated the Braves, 3–2, with a
walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will no ...
from
Ryan Zimmerman
Ryan Wallace Zimmerman (born September 28, 1984) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and third baseman who played 16 seasons for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Zimmerman graduated from Kellam Hig ...
, giving the Nationals their first opening day win since moving to Washington.
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall p ...
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 The Elias Sports Bureau is a privately held company providing historical and current statistical information for the major professional sports leagues operating in the United States and Canada.
Elias is the official statistician for Major League Ba ...
, 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
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
.
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 was 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
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
of the original
Washington Senators,
Frank Howard of the
expansion Senators, and
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...
of the
Negro league
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans and, to a lesser extent, Latin Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be ...
Washington 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
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
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 the 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.
Concessionaire
Levy Restaurants
Levy is a restaurant and hospitality company based in Chicago specializing in providing food and beverage to major entertainment and sports venues. Founded in 1978, with a single family-run delicatessen in Water Tower Place, since 2006, it has ...
replaced
Centerplate
Centerplate, Inc. is a food and beverage corporation serving entertainment venues in North America, and the UK.
Centerplate, formerly known as Volume Services America, Inc., was originally a division of Canteen Corp. In 1995, it was sold to Flags ...
as the provider of food and beverage at Nationals Park beginning with the
2009 season.
Before the Nationals 2009 home opener on April 13, 2009, at 3 PM, longtime
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
announcer
Harry Kalas
Harold Norbert Kalas (March 26, 1936 – April 13, 2009) was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies, a position he held fr ...
was found unconscious in the Nationals Park press box at 12:20 PM. Kalas was rushed to
George Washington University Hospital
The George Washington University Hospital is a for-profit hospital, located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is affiliated with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The current facility opened on ...
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
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed "The Big Unit", is an American photographer and former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle M ...
became the 24th pitcher in MLB history to reach
300 wins when the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
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
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The 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
Stephen James Strasburg (; born July 20, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Strasburg was selected by Washington with the first overall pick in the 2009 Major League ...
, 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
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
before a sold-out crowd at Nationals Park. Strasburg pitched seven innings, giving up two runs and striking out 14 batters, a new team strikeout record.
2011 season
Minor changes before the start of the 2011 season include removing the party tent on top of the LF parking garage to improve views of the
U.S. Capitol
The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...
from upper sections, chrome baseball decorations adorning the outside the stadium, and various signage and concession changes including the departure of
Five Guys
Five Guys Enterprises LLC (doing business as both Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and simply Five Guys) is an American fast food restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries, and headquartered in Lorton, Virginia, part of ...
. 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
Daniel Meyer (born March 14, 1958) is a New York City restaurateur and the Founder & Executive Chairman of the Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG).
Background and early career
Meyer was born and raised in a reform Jewish family in St. Louis, ...
's Union Square Hospitality Group: Blue Smoke (barbecue), Box Frites ("Belgian-style fries and dipping sauces"), El Verano Taqueria (Mexican) and
Shake Shack
Shake Shack is an American fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew. In 2004, it received a permit to open a permanent kiosk with ...
(hamburgers, hot dogs, frozen custard). The team has also ended Friday night firework shows and fireworks after home runs and team victories.
2012 season
![Nationals Park from the 1st base line](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Nationals_Park_from_the_1st_base_line.jpg)
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
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
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 before 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. Nationals Park hosted Games 1 and 2 of the
2014 National League Division Series. The Nationals lost the series to the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
, three games to one.
2015 NHL Winter Classic
On January 1, 2015, Nationals Park hosted the
2015 NHL Winter Classic
The 2015 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, played on January 1, 2015, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. The game, the seventh Winter Classic, matched the ...
before a crowd of 42,832 spectators. The
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL) ...
defeated the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
, 3–2, after former Blackhawk
Troy Brouwer
Troy Brouwer (born August 17, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). T ...
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
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, 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 five 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. 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
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, three games to two.
2017 season
Before 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
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
Sonus 60, priced at $20,000 on
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an Web sites, was manufactured in
Mondaino
Mondaino ( rgn, Mundaìn) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and approximately southeast of Rimini.
Mondaino borders the following municipalities: Mo ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and tuned in
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. 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
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
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 and a better view of the field and crowd.
The Nationals made the playoffs for the fourth time since arriving in Washington. Nationals Park hosted Games 1, 2, and 5 of the
2017 National League Division Series. The Nationals lost the series to the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
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
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
beat the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
8–6 before 43,843 fans.
2019 World Series
Nationals Park hosted games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series, the first in the city since . The Nationals lost them all to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
, but still won the series in seven games.
2021 shooting
On July 17, 2021, at about 9:30 p.m.
EDT, a shooting occurred outside of Nationals Park in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, during a baseball game between the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
and the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
. Three people were injured. The shooting happened in the middle of the sixth inning with San Diego holding an 8–4 lead. Some fans moved into the teams'
dugouts and onto the
field
Field may refer to:
Expanses of open ground
* Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes
* Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport
* Battlefield
* Lawn, an area of mowed grass
* Meadow, a grass ...
while others left the stadium.
Some stadium employees believed the incident to be a
drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...
. The
Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPDC), more commonly known as the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the DC Police, and, colloquially, the DCPD, is the primary law enforcement agency for the District of Columbi ...
(MPD) reported the shooting occurred at N Street and
South Capitol Street
South Capitol Street is a major street dividing the southeast and southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It runs south from the United States Capitol to the D.C.–Maryland line, intersecting with Southern Avenue. Afte ...
SW, near the Third Base Gate.
In a joint statement the following day,
Mayor of D.C. Muriel Bowser
Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the eighth mayor of the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Counci ...
and Nationals owner
Mark Lerner
Mark Lerner (b. 1953/1954) is the managing principal owner at Lerner Enterprises and principal owner of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league ...
said, "While MPD's investigation is ongoing, it appears the incident involved a dispute between individuals in two vehicles. MPD does not believe the Washington Nationals, the ballpark or fans were the target."
The game was
suspended and was completed the following day at 1:05 p.m., before that day's regularly scheduled game, without further incident. The Padres defeated the Nationals, 10–4.
Washington Nationals average attendance
Features
![Nationals Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Nationals_Park.jpg)
As of the 2017 season, the ballpark has 41,338 seats and features 79 suites on three levels, all around the
infield
Infield is a sports term whose definition depends on the sport in whose context it is used.
Baseball
In baseball, the diamond, as well as the area immediately beyond it, has both grass and dirt, in contrast to the more distant, usually grass-c ...
. 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
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
Jefferson Jefferson may refer to:
Names
* Jefferson (surname)
* Jefferson (given name)
People
* Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States
* Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...
and
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
. 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.
![Aerial view of Nationals Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Aerial_view_of_Nationals_Park.jpg)
On March 13, 2007, Kasten announced that there would be a grove of
cherry blossoms
A cherry blossom, also known as Japanese cherry or sakura, is a flower of many trees of genus ''Prunus'' or ''Prunus'' subg. ''Cerasus''. They are common species in East Asia, including China, Korea and especially in Japan. They generall ...
located just beyond the left-field bleachers. Kasten stated that the cherry blossoms would 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
The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...
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 can get a glimpse of the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral during day games. Several area-based food establishments have concession stands:
Ben's Chili Bowl
Ben's Chili Bowl is a landmark restaurant in Washington, D.C., located at 1213 U Street Corridor, U Street, next to Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.), Lincoln Theatre, in the U Street Corridor (a.k.a. Cardozo/Shaw neighborhood) of Northwest, W ...
hot dogs,
Dogfish Head
Dogfish Head Brewery is a brewing company based in Milton, Delaware founded by Sam and Mariah Calagione and, as of 2019, owned by the Boston Beer Company. It opened in 1995 and produces 262,000 barrels of beer annually.
Select brews (includ ...
and
Flying Dog Brewery
Flying Dog Brewery is a craft brewery located in Frederick, Maryland. It was founded in 1990 by George Stranahan and is the largest brewery in Maryland. As of 2017, Flying Dog is the 28th largest craft brewery in the United States.
History
A p ...
beer.
Another feature, The Budweiser Brew House, is a full-service sit-down restaurant located in center field. It offers some unusual amenities 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.
The ballpark's press box is named in honor of longtime
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
sports columnist and reporter
Shirley Povich
Shirley Lewis Povich (July 15, 1905 – June 4, 1998) was an American sports columnist and reporter for '' The Washington Post''.
Biography
Povich's parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. Having grown up in coastal Bar Harbor, Main ...
, cited as a longtime friend of Lerner by the team.
In 2010, the stadium added the Ring of Honor, celebrating players from the
Washington Senators (
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Cronin spe ...
,
Rick Ferrell
Richard Benjamin Ferrell (October 12, 1905 – July 27, 1995) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and executive. He played for 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red So ...
,
Goose Goslin
Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin (October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971) was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers, from until .
Goslin ...
,
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Reds ...
,
Bucky Harris
Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was an American professional baseball second baseman, manager and executive. While Harris played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tiger ...
,
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
,
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. (; June 29, 1936May 17, 2011), nicknamed "The Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. He was a prolific power hitter who spent most of hi ...
,
Heinie Manush
Henry Emmett Manush (July 20, 1901 – May 12, 1971), nicknamed "Heinie", was an American baseball outfielder. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1920 to 1939, including 17 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (1 ...
,
Sam Rice
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Se ...
, and
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 – April 4, 1999), nicknamed "Gus", was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox, dur ...
), Negro league
Washington Homestead Grays (
Cool Papa Bell
James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell (May 17, 1903 – March 7, 1991) was an American center fielder in Negro league baseball from 1922 to 1946. He is considered to have been one of the fastest men ever to play the game. Stories demonstrating Bell's sp ...
,
Ray Brown,
Josh Gibson
Joshua Gibson (December 21, 1911 – January 20, 1947) was an American baseball catcher primarily in the Negro leagues. Baseball historians consider Gibson among the best power hitters and catchers in baseball history. In 1972, he became the se ...
,
Buck Leonard
Walter Fenner "Buck" Leonard (September 8, 1907 – November 27, 1997) was an American first baseman in Negro league baseball and in the Mexican League. After growing up in North Carolina, he played for the Homestead Grays between 1934 and 1950, ...
,
Cumberland Posey
Cumberland Willis "Cum" Posey Jr. (June 20, 1890 – March 28, 1946) was an American baseball player, manager, and team owner in the Negro leagues, as well as a professional basketball player and team owner.
Early life
Cumberland Jr. was born i ...
, and
Jud Wilson
Ernest Judson Wilson (February 28, 1894 – June 24, 1963), nicknamed "Boojum", was an American third baseman, first baseman, and manager in Negro league baseball. He played for the Baltimore Black Sox, the Homestead Grays, and the Philadelphia ...
), and the Nationals franchise's previous incarnation, the
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...
(
Gary Carter and
Andre Dawson
Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954), nicknamed "The Hawk" and "Awesome Dawson", is an American former professional baseball player and inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 21-year baseball career, he played for four different te ...
) who have been inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
.
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
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
victory, as it did in ,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
's "
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems. " 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 killed in the
Capital Gazette shooting
On June 28, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at the offices of ''The Capital'', a newspaper serving Annapolis, Maryland, United States. The gunman, Jarrod Ramos, killed five employees with a shotgun and injured two others who were trying to escap ...
, 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."
On January 11, 2021, the Nationals announced a partnership agreement with Bet MGM, a subsidiary of
MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International is an American global hospitality and entertainment company operating destination resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Detroit, Mississippi, Maryland, and New Jersey, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, and Pa ...
, to open a sportsbook at Nationals Park. The sportsbook will be accessible from outside the park and located by the Center Field Gate in a space formally occupied by auxiliary event space Center Field Social. Fans inside the stadium will be able to bet using a mobile device within the stadium and a two-block radius of the ballpark.
Seating
![NationalsParkCaptiol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/NationalsParkCaptiol.JPG)
Seating at Nationals Park is divided into over twelve 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 the left field, in which seats are $5 for all games (except playoffs, which cost more). Tickets go on sale hours before the first pitch on the game day 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
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
in 2014. The PNC Diamond Club, the naming rights of which were purchased by
PNC Bank
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (stylized as PNC) is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of ...
, is on the field level between the two dugouts. It was remodeled and expanded into two floors before the 2016 season.
[Checking out what’s new at Nationals Park in 2016](_blank)
/ref> 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
is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
Presidents Club until Delta Airlines
Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along wi ...
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, a homage to Griffith Stadium.
Non-baseball events
Nationals Park has hosted several non-baseball events, such as concerts and business meetings.
Hockey
On January 1, 2015, the National Hockey League held its 2015 NHL Winter Classic, "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.
Papal Mass
On April 17, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass (liturgy), Mass at Nationals Park for 47,000 people during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States, his visit to the United States. There were 200,000 requests submitted for tickets to the Mass.
References
External links
Stadium site on MLB.com
Near Southeast DC Redevelopment - Nationals Park
on Ballparks.com
Nationals Park at Stadium Journey
Structures Demolished for Nationals Park Construction
{{Authority control
Washington Nationals stadiums
Baseball venues in Washington, D.C.
Ice hockey venues in Washington, D.C.
Major League Baseball venues
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design basic silver certified buildings
Outdoor ice hockey venues in the United States
Sports venues completed in 2008
Washington Navy Yard
Populous (company) buildings
Southeast (Washington, D.C.)