According to eyewitness accounts and this post by The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg, the Washington Nationals have installed poles along the fences down each base line at Nats Park to hold up what a team spokesperson described to Steinberg as safety netting during batting practice.  The poles appear to be a good 20 feet high and run from the corners of the camera wells at the far end of the dugout to at least 3/4 of the way down the fence.

According to Steinberg in a follow-up tweet, the poles and netting will all be removed before the games.

From a Nats team spokesperson to Steinberg:

“The Nationals are constantly looking for ways to make sure that our fans have a safe and enjoyable experience while at Nationals Park,” a team spokewoman e-mailed me. “This is in part due to the event that happened in Texas and our ever-vigilant quest to find safe solutions for any potential ballpark hazards.”

The "event... in Texas" the spokesperson refers to was a fan that died falling from the outfield stands over a 20-foot high wall onto a concrete walkway, after reaching for a ball specifically tossed in his direction by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton.  The incident, while tragic, was completely avoidable and did not involve a batted ball.  The area the Nats are putting up the fencing has a three foot wall, at most.

I'm all for safety, and if the number of incidents of fans getting injured during BP around Major League Baseball warrants this type of reaction, then MLB should mandate it across baseball and not leave it up to the discretion of individual teams. 

 

But it seems to me more players are injured during BP than fans.  Earlier this year, Detroit Tiger reliever Al Alburquerque was hit with a line drive and suffered a concussion, and just last homestand, Houston Astros reliever Sergio Escalona severely sprained his ankle when he stepped on a teammate's glove chasing after a ball.

One thing "safety netting" during batting practice will certainly prevent is fan interaction.  If these nets are up during batting practice, as a by-product the time honored tradition of getting an autograph before the game will now be severely limited at Nats Park.

On Saturday, July 11, 2009, Billy Joel and Elton John will appear “Face 2 Face” on the enormous stage in center field for the inaugural concert in Nationals Park. Nats Park hosted another event of similar magnitude in April 2008, however, not with lights and sounds of a rock concert.

I was invited to photograph the finishing touches to the stage yesterday and watch Nats Park transform from an MLB ballpark to concert venue. I have never been a roadie or worked on stage sets, however, cannot imagine that technology has made those jobs any easier. Constructing a stage is a huge process. I counted at least twenty semi-trucks along Potomac Avenue and in front of the will call windows so you can imagine the volume of supplies it takes to put this all together.

Being an "active" construction site, I wasn't able to get on the grass or get up close, but wandered along the warning track and observed. It was hard to miss the port-a-potties lined up in the Nats bullpen. And I thought it would be fun to slide down a harness like this guy.

The video screens had not been installed yet, however, I was told that there would be one large video monitor on each side of the stage. Nats Park has a brand new beautiful scoreboard, however, will not be used for the concert. I am guessing it has to do with sound/sights compatibility, as well as staffing since Nats Park was "rented out" for the night to the concert folks.

According to the concert promoter on hand, the crew started construction at Nats Park on Monday, July 6. That gives them a little more than five days to pull everything together. If you look at the tour schedule, the next show stop is Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday. The promoter explained that they have a second crew and set that is already in progress in Columbus! The stage and supplies from Nats Park will head to Wrigley Field in Chicago after Saturday's show. At least the weather has cooperated this week for setting up for an outdoor concert.

Leaving the field, I happened to notice that a sign was put up outside the visitors’ clubhouse in the tunnel that said “Billy Joel Band Dressing Room” with a picture of a motorcycle. A gentleman standing in the hallway said to feel free to take a photo, so I did. I asked about Elton John's and he said it was on the other side and I wondered if Billy and Elton flipped for the home clubhouse.

Limited tickets are still available. A capacity crowd is expected and guests attending the first-ever concert at the ballpark are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays, transportation congestion and long lines. All gates will open at 6:00pm and the show will begin promptly at 7:30pm. Fans planning on driving to the concert may pre-purchase their parking. Nationals Park is conveniently located on the Metrorail Green Line, at the Navy Yard Metro Station.

On a personal note, I saw Billy Joel and Elton John play together in 1995 and it was an incredible four hours of two legends on pianos playing songs that you can sing every word. If you haven't gotten a ticket yet, I highly recommend it. I looked up a few reviews and all seem positive. It is hard to pass up an opportunity to see two incredibly talented musicians play, especially at your home away from home!

Check out the setlist from the Jacksonville, FL show on March 2, 2009. Expect show to last approximately 3 1/2-4 hours. A few clips to prepare for big show.

Intro/Your Song

Just The Way You Are

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

Bennie and the Jets

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Lights

Speakers (I think)

Photos 2009 © Cheryl Nichols. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols

The Nats are finally coming home!!

I am looking forward to seeing Daniel Cabrera and the Nationals beat Jamie Moyer and the World Champion Phillies for our first win of the season.

Think about how it felt to win the first game at Nationals Park last March 30, 2008 against the Braves with Zimmerman's walk-off home run! The Nats also beat the Diamondbacks 5-3 in the very first Nationals' home game on April 14, 2005. Now let's get a Curly W against the World Champs!

Yes, the Nats are 0-6 and have had a rough start to the season, but I hope that fans welcome them home and cheer them on. Teams need support the most when they are losing!

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is the Nats crazy schedule and I believe it has had a significant impact on their performance. Unfortunately, the Nats finished most of their spring training games on the road, then flew to DC for the season ticket holder fan fest and exhibition game against the Orioles and boarded a plane for Florida immediately after the win over Orioles.

Home field advantage is not a myth. The Nationals have played 21 games in 24 days and 16 of them were on the road with a 6-15 record. Have you ever gone on a long business trip or a vacation and feel like you need to sleep for days afterward? You probably didn't run at 100% the entire time anyway. We feel that way after each spring training trip since we spend about 12 hours at the ballpark each day and drive all over Florida. As much as we love it, it can be completely exhausting and take everything out of us.

My point: The Nationals have been driving, flying and playing in opposing ballparks for a majority of the last month and hope that coming home charges their batteries. The Washington Nationals have nine home games in ten days. Granted, we play the World Champion Phillies and the two teams that just swept the Nats (Marlins and Braves), however, if we rally around the Nats, we will hopefully see several Curly W's in the books!

The Center Field Gates will open at 12:30 with festivities leading up to the first pitch and the Nationals have been encouraging fans to arrive early to avoid delays getting to the ballpark.

Get Your Red On!

Nationals Press Release:

The Washington Nationals today announced the Opening Day activities at Nationals Park when they host the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, April 13 at 3:05pm. Nationals Park opens for its second season after numerous upgrades were made to enhance the fan experience. Nationals fans are encouraged to arrive early and explore the park’s new features, which include statues of Frank Howard, Josh Gibson, and Walter Johnson in the Center Field Plaza and the newly renovated Red Porch Restaurant. The updated Nats Family Fun Area includes the Exxon Strike Zone, Playstation Pavilion, GEICO Racing Presidents Photo Area, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Rookies Concession Stand. Levy Restaurants, the team’s new concessions partner, will debut the ballpark’s new fare including the Healthy Plate Cart in Center Field, featuring wraps, salads and fresh fruit, the foot-long Crab Louie Sandwich, served at the Triple Play Grill in the Left Field V and the Italian Meatball Sandwich, offered at the Taste of the Majors stand outside Section 115.

The Nationals Park Center Field Gate will open at 12:30pm (all gates open at 1:30pm), allowing fans to view the team’s first home Batting Practice, beginning at 12:45pm. The first 20,000 fans to enter the park will receive a FREE red Nationals Baseball Cap, courtesy of the team’s broadcast partner, MASN. As fans roam the Center Field Plaza, they will be greeted by face painters, balloon artists and the music of Dr. FU, performing on the newly erected Center Field Plaza stage, a dynamic rock cover band know for its energetic shows. Road Soda, a local cover band and the Nationals house band, will perform a wide variety of music at the Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Stage. Fans may also view Nats Xtra, MASN’s pregame show, with hosts Ray Knight and Johnny Holliday, broadcasting live from the Center Field Plaza at 2:00pm.

David Gregory, Meet the Press moderator and Nationals Season Ticket Holder, will emcee the pregame ceremonies beginning at 2:35pm. Grammy-award winning artist Patti Austin will perform both the National Anthem and God Bless America (during the seventh inning stretch). Pregame ceremonies will include the introduction of the 2009 Washington Nationals; the unfurling of two giant American Flags by members of the DC Army and Air National Guard; the presentation of the colors by the Joint Service Color Guard; performance of the National Anthem with a flyover by four helicopters, a OH-58 Kiowa, two UH-1 Hueys and one UH-72 Lakota.

“The Nationals are excited to return home to Nationals Park and begin their second season there with an improved roster featuring Adam Dunn, John Lannan, Ryan Zimmerman and many others,” said Nationals Team President Stan Kasten. “We’ve improved the areas of the ballpark we felt needed upgrades and are confident that the new amenities, combined with the 2009 team on the field, will provide fans with the ultimate ballpark experience. We hope all of our fans will join us at Nationals Park in 2009 – the Home of the National Pastime in the Nation’s Capital.”

Fans may park for free at RFK Stadium’s Lot 8 and take the Nats Express to Nationals Park. The free shuttle will run all season, beginning 90 minutes before the each games first pitch and running until 90 minutes after the final out. There are plenty of parking options available for fans wishing to park at Nationals Park. Fans should visit nationals.com/waytogo for details and/or to reserve a parking space.

The Nationals will continue the nine-game homestand on Wednesday, April 15 with the second of three games against the Phillies, followed by three games each against the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves. Individual tickets are currently on sale for all Nationals games in 2009 at the Nationals Park Box Office, located at Half & N Street, SE, by visiting nationals.com or calling 888.632.NATS(6287). Fans interested in Nationals Ticket Packages including Full (82), Half (41), Partial (21), Mini (13, 12, 9) season plans and Group Outings of 25 or more should call 202.675.NATS(6287) – Option #1 or log onto nationals.com. Nationals Park is located on the Metrorail Green Line at the Navy Yard station.

Posted by Cheryl Nichols, Nats News Network Contributor and Photographer

The long anticipated sculptures of DC's baseball legends were unveiled in a public ceremony today in the Center Field Plaza at Nationals Park. The sculptures of Washington Senators Frank Howard and Walter Johnson, and Homestead Grays player Josh Gibson add a much needed historic link of the Washington Senators to the current Washington Nationals.

Frank Howard "The Capital Punisher" was at the ceremony along with several members of his family. Hondo was not shy about sharing his wonderful baseball stories. No matter how many times you've heard them, they never get old. Sean Gibson (the great-grandson of Josh Gibson) and Josh Gibson's great-great-granddaughter were also at the ceremony.

The sculptures were created by Omri Amrany and "The Ballgame," a suspended artwork at home plate entrance was created by Walter Kravitz. I found a short video n youtube showing the movement of suspended artwork. All pieces were commissioned by the DC Creates Public Arts Program and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in collaboration with the Washington Nationals Baseball Club, the DC Sports & Entertainment Commission (DCSEC) and HOK Sport.

Phil Wood, baseball historian and MASN contributor was the Emcee for the ceremony.

Omri Amrany, Walter Kravitz and Mark Lerner



BEFORE UNVEILING


WALTER PERRY JOHNSON "THE BIG TRAIN"
Engraved on sculpture base: Walter Johnson might have been the fastest pitcher in baseball history. With his sweeping sidearm delivery, the "Big Train" led the league in strikeouts 12 times during a 21 year career with the Washington Nationals from 1907 to 1927. Johnson won 417 games, including 10 straight seasons of 20 or more, and his 110 shutouts remains the major league record to this day. He led Washington to the World Championship of 1924. In 1936, Walter Johnson was inducted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame.










FRANK OLIVER HOWARD "HONDO"
Engraved on sculpture base: Frank Howard played for the Washington Senators from 1965 through 1971. One of the most physically intimidating hitters in baseball history Howard was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1960. He led the American League in home runs twice and in slugging average, runs batted in and walks once. He 237 home runs as a Washington Senator is a team record.










JOSHUA (JOSH) GIBSON
Engraved on sculpture base: Josh Gibson is considered one of the greatest power hitters in the history of baseball. The powerful catcher led the Washington Homestead Grays to eight of nine Negro National League titles from 1937 through 1945. Gibson utilized a powerful swing, and tales of this mammoth home runs have become legend. Over his 17 year career, he hit almost 800 home runs. In 1972, Josh Gibson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.









Sean Gibson with his great-grandfather Josh Gibson's sculpture



James Tillman, 88 was proud to pose by his former teammates shiny new sculpture. Tillman was Gibson's back-up catcher for the Homestead Grays.




THREE NEW SCULPTURES IN CENTER FIELD PLAZA

Photo (c) C. Nichols 2009. All rights reserved.

SLIDESHOW WITH MORE PHOTOS (YOU CAN CLICK ON THE SLIDESHOW TO MAKE PICTURES LARGER)