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Opening Day has Bush and jet fighters. Fans can bring own food
Published on Sunday, Mar 30, 2008
From Beacon Journal wire services
Look around Washington. The cherry blossoms are in bloom, the pope is planning a visit, and the presidential contest is taking its toll in fingernails. But the capital city is all fired up over — wait for it — baseball.
The Washington Nationals, heir to a Civil War-vintage sporting tradition, plan to open their season today in a whimsically designed new ballpark about two miles southwest of Capitol Hill. After a winter of congressional hearings about steroids and the major league opener this week in Tokyo, the team will inaugurate the spring on American soil, playing the Atlanta Braves with a menu of hoopla that is scheduled to include ESPN, President Bush and jet fighters.
For some, the prospect of a stadium devoted to baseball has validated the arrival of the first major-league franchise in a generation. Since moving to the city from Montreal in 2005, the Nationals have shared the 46-year-old RFK Stadium with D.C. United of Major League Soccer.
As Opening Day has drawn near, public commentary has spared no facet of the new ballpark, including its hitting dimensions, its economic implications and such details as, in the words of one headline writer, ''Yes, You Can Bring Your Own Food to Ballpark.''
''Everyone's very excited,'' said Frank Ceresi, a lawyer and historian who provided photographs for a display inside the stadium. ''You can see people are starting to drive and stare at it.''
Built along the Anacostia River in a part of the city where, until recently, many people did not get out of their cars, the ballpark has been financed entirely by taxpayers. Longing for baseball here dates to the Watergate-era departure of the chronically sorry Washington Senators; they were often said to keep the city ''first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.''
The modern team became the Nationals as a ward of the league while the City Council debated stadium plans. In 2003, the city offered more than $250 million to pay for two-thirds of the projected cost, but the league's negotiators walked away.
In 2004, the league set a December deadline for an acceptable financing package, shut down a team merchandise store and took steps to begin refunding season-ticket deposits. After some tense negotiations, the City Council voted 7-6 to levy business taxes and approve $534 million in bonds. Without a cap on costs to acquire the land, the price soon grew to more than $600 million.
In 2006, Major League Baseball sold the Nationals to Theodore N. Lerner, an octogenarian and a real-estate developer who had cast about for decades to buy a sports franchise.
The team has failed to produce a winning season. Grandfathers on their deathbeds tell grandsons to cheer for the Redskins, but that kind of loyalty does not extend to every Washington team. As the Nationals settled into the basement of the National League East, average home attendance fell to 24,217 last year, from 33,651 in 2005.
For the new stadium, architects from HOK of Kansas City designed a 1.1 million-square-foot complex with 41,888 seats, 78 luxury boxes, four restaurants and three stores. With precast concrete, glass and steel drawn in simple geometric lines, they strayed from the national trend toward retro ballparks.
Astros dump Williams
Woody Williams was put on unconditional release waivers Saturday by the Houston Astros, who owe the pitcher $6.5 million.
Williams, a 41-year-old right-hander, was 8-15 with a 5.27 ERA last season and had an 11.32 ERA in spring training this year. He gave up five runs and five hits in three innings during Friday's 10-0 exhibition loss to Detroit.
Williams is 132-116 with a 4.19 ERA in a 15-year career. KRIV-TV in Houston reported Williams plans to retire.
Pettitte OK for Yankees
New York Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte reported no problems Saturday, one day after throwing 25 pitches off a bullpen mound. Pettitte was to pitch in a minor-league game Saturday.
Originally slated to start the Yankees' second game of the regular season, Pettitte has been slowed by back spasms and now is scheduled to make his first start Saturday.
''I'm good to go. I feel good,'' Pettitte said.
Around the leagues
The Atlanta Braves finalized their 25-man roster, optioning pitcher Buddy Carlyle to Triple-A Richmond and handing Jeff Bennett the final spot in the bullpen. Bennett went into spring training hoping to make the team as a starter but wasn't complaining about his role as a long reliever. . . . First baseman Nick Johnson and second baseman Ronnie Belliard were picked by manager Manny Acta to start for the Nationals. Johnson had been competing with Dmitri Young during spring training for the first base job. Belliard was in competition with Felipe Lopez. . . . A groin strain has put Hideo Nomo's comeback bid with the Kansas City Royals on hold. Nomo, a 39-year-old right-hander, is headed back to Arizona for physical therapy on the right groin muscle he injured last week. . . . The Seattle Mariners set their roster, and it will include spring star Mike Morse and speedy Charlton Jimerson as the last two position players to make the team. Late Friday night, Seattle optioned outfielder Jeremy Reed to Triple-A Tacoma and right-handed reliever Brandon Morrow to Double-A West Tennessee.
Get the full article here.
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