Very nice. When Wily Mo comes back, we're going to have an even better bench. I could get use to an excess of talent.

Let me just welcome everyone up to beautiful National Park, where we'll have a great team that will compete for the toughest division in baseball. Don't miss the halfsmokes at Ben's and the best BBQ in the mid-Atlantic states at Red Hot & Blue.

That should be Capital One's Ryan Zimmerman National Ballpark.

Just my idea that whichever business isgns on to the stadium, they might want to add the name of the guy whose salary they are paying....

They will have to lie and cheat to deny Ryan Zimmerman the Gold Glove now! I am sure that 5-10 of his errors last year would have been routine scoops for Nick. If Nick has a full season at first base, I may have to up my prediction to a sweet 81-81.

I just can't predict a winning season yet. I don't want to lose patience in The Plan now, not when it is starting to come into focus.

90-72. A bit optimistic, but how can you avoid being optimistic on Opening Day Eve?

I'm disappointed in the LACK OF COVERAGE of the Washington Nationals by the Washington Post. They didn't mention GO METRO once!

does anyone know what the situation with cameras will be? i know i could bring my DSLR to RFK (altho i think they frowned on the "pro" gear), but i'd like to know if i can bring it tomorrow night. don't want to get turned back at the gate on opening day, but i'd like to use the good camera instead of a point-and-shoot for this.

radio broadcast of the game is on WFED (1050 AM). Some hockey game is on 3WT at 7 p.m.

There is supposed to be free video via MLB TV today, but I can't get the link to work for me.

The Post site would not accept my posting with a link from the MLB site, but you should be able to tinker around there and find it.

first complaint....

masn is referring to the BALTIMORE ORIOLES as the O's on its scoreboard.

Really good to see Felipe and DY's reaction. If they can truly be good soldiers and valuable bench players, that should help a lot.

Sutton just commented on Lo Duca's penchant for making pitchers work the inside part of the plate. I like the aggressive attitude. Hat will be interesting to keep an eye on.

took all of half an inning for don sutton to bring up andruw jones and the braves, i hate him so much

I still miss Tom Paciorek

no HD on cox today? :(

Here's an idea. What would people think if the Nats named Ryan Zimmerman captain? I think it would be a good signal to him and to the rest of the club about the long term face of the franchise. I think there are only two others in MLB- Varitek and Jeter.

3 stolen bases for the O's in 3 innings? Is this Redding's delivery or Lo Duca's prowess behind the plate?

my god, it may a track meet for basestealers this season against the nats!

This from Nationals Park...

Clint is annoying in 40 foot tall high def...

There are just some things you cannot fix with technology.

note to all fans, stay away from Red Porch. The service is entirely unorganized. we have bee waiting 30 min to give an order and everyone is complaining. otherwise new park rocks

you posting from a phone or is there wifi anywhere in the park?

second complaint....

looking at the nats tv schedule, most of the broadcast tv games will be on friday and saturday nights and NO SUNDAY GAMES. this is the second straight year that the nats' tv games will be broadcast on the nights that most people go out, which will hold down viewership and revenues. we need to get control of our broadcast rights!

gonats, it's the first [rf]ing game they've worked. Geez Louise. Talk about entitlement.

@GoNats

This is supposed to be a tryout for the stadium, right? Give it a chance.

ok leetee... Why does it bother you the BALTIMORE ORIOLES are referred to as the O's on the MASN Scoreboard. I for one like the logo's on there...
Is it because the O's looks like ZERO's? or are you just a traditionalist?

I don't have a problem with it. As long as they don't use BIRDS or something like that.
I agree I miss Tom Paciorek and can't stand Don Sutton

@NatsFan

If this was a MASN Orioles broadcast, I could live with it. But, I never thought about how much that "O" actually looks like a zero!

That reminds me, we need to agree on a new protocol. May I suggest replacing the excellent but now outdated "[RF]" with "[AB]"?
Discuss.

I don't know, I kind of like [RF]. It's a Nationals Journal tradition. ;)

leetee1955,
it's time for us to just get along. After all it is your O's who own the broadcasting rights. I don't think it's a big deal. I think I would rather see the shorter names with the logo, and O's doesn't bother me, but i have one of the "new" hats the Orioles wear that has just O's on it. I could see if the team with the lowest runs scored got upset, but seems how thats the Nats and not the O's I don't think it's that big of a deal.... I can't wait to be at The Yard next Saturday and at the Nats game on April 7th.
Go Baseball!

Phone, sorry. Had a bad experience at concessions too, with a cold hot dog for my wife. oh well, where is Aramarak?

Phone, sorry. Had a bad experience at concessions too, with a cold hot dog for my wife. oh well, where is Aramarak?

Phone, sorry. Had a bad experience at concessions too, with a cold hot dog for my wife. oh well, where is Aramarak?

"Guests are prohibited from throwing balls back onto the fi eld. Violators are subject to ejection or possible arrest."

??

@NatsFan,

Agreed. However, they are not ?my" O's. Never have been, never will be.

Eh, what are we - Cubs fans?

---

"Guests are prohibited from throwing balls back onto the fi eld. Violators are subject to ejection or possible arrest."

??

Nats win!

I'd take this type of game 81 more times this year.

one more thing i found... not just 1liter water bottles allowed, juice boxes as well...

"Metal, plastic or glass containers of any kind (except for factory- sealed, plastic water bottles, no larger than 1 liter and juice boxes) are prohibited at Nationals Park. Only one bottle of water per person will be permitted."

Make that 82 more and you've got a deal. ;)

---

I'd take this type of game 81 more times this year.

@231 -

they say that at Wrigley, too. Only, they don't eject ppl from tossing an opposing team's homer ball back. Of course, it isn't done during play or thrown *at* a player.

Let's hope the stadium folks have enough understanding of the game being played in Nationals Park to let us cop this tradition (since I guess we're now ready to give up on forming our own traditions or selecting our own songs and just stealing from everyone else. *sigh*).

That Cubs tradition sucks - leave it Chicago. I hope they eject people anyone that does it here - and eject those that shout "O" during national anthem. Leave lame traditions in lame cities. We need to develop our own traditions - not do things like steal Sweet Caroline from Boston.

Here's a better tradition -- our pitching staff totally dominates and opposing batters don't hit homers in Nationals Park. How'd that suit ya?

By the way, I watched the game on MLB.tv tonight (had to call their tech support to get it to work and the quality still stunk), and I heard them play Sweet Caroline, Green Acres and a lot of other songs that you'd hear at other stadiums -- for better or worse.

Of all the local-park traditions in baseball, throwing the opponent's homer ball back at Wrigley is my favorite.

The three SBs tonight were of some concern although as I've said before SBs are a vastly overrated stat. Nonetheless it appeared to me to be more on Bergman and less on LoDuca. If you want to be a total geek, one thing you can do at games is put a stop watch on the pitcher and catcher. If it's taking the pitcher longer than 1.2 to get the ball to the plate, blame the pitcher. If it's taking the catcher longer than 2.0 to get the ball to 2nd base, blame the catcher. If it's neither, congratulate the runner.

Time the pitcher from the start of his motion to when the ball hits the catcher's glove. It's a little deceptive with lefties. Time the catcher from the point the ball hits his glove to when the ball hits the 2B/SS's glove.

Otherwise a nice win the end the meaningless part of the schedule. Let's go get 'em tomorrow.

WA2CHI-

I'm glad somebody else liked Tommy P as much as I did. I do appreciate Sutton, though.

Friends-

The long, baseball-less winter is over. Tomorrow we stand firm against the hecklers, a growing Major League fan base against a doubting national horde of skeptics.

We have a first-rate ballpark. We have a MAJOR market. We have a chip on our shoulders cut in Canada, and imported to be knocked off at the rest of the franchises' peril.

The Nationals are finally, permanently in DC. The countdown to a championship starts now.

I just got home from the park. WOW. They did it right. 2 most popular vendors, 1) Ben's Chile Bowl, and 2) The coffee place. Both lines were lllloooonnnng and constant. The field played fair although I don't know if there's going to be an improvement over the footage at RFK. Belliard crushed one that everyone thought was gone and it died before the warning track. Nice nice vistas from the viewing platforms. The buzz on the train, and in the park was palpable. I think the only F on the night was Metro. Delays on the way in to the tune of 1 and a half hours to get there from Glenmont. Only an hour to get home but the Navy Yard platform was jam packed and they had no trains in the station waiting for the crowd after the game. They better improve on this or people are going to drive. Period.

Here's my stadium review:

First, the park is absolutely stunning visually. The webcam just does not do it justice. Everything that people (including Boz) have been saying about the architecture is absolutely true. I didn't sample the sightlines from too many places, but people I talked to were impressed from the seats they had. My seats were amazing.

When you hop off of Metro and walk down Half Street, it is a sight that you won't soon forget. Very impressive.

The surprise of the night had to be Metro. I normally come from Forest Glen, and I would estimate that even with the crowd tonight, my ride from stadium to Forest Glen was a full 20 minutes shorter than from RFK. The Navy Yard station doesn't look all that spectacular, but it is at least adequate for a crowd of 30k, and probably fine for 40k. I was prepared for disappointment, and I got a fast, efficient ride home.

The food service was slow... but I noticed a recurring theme... the problem was in getting the food in the customer's hands, and not in actually making the purchase. Once you had the food, you paid and were on your way right away. I suspect that with training and familiarity, that part of the process will get a lot faster. As an aside, in most of the food lines, you have direct sightlines to the field... so you can actually watch the game while in line.

One thing that is a little strange about the stadium is that the "action" seems to be along the baselines and in the outfield - meaning, most of the concessions, facilities and other non-game attractions are not behind the plate. It is a little different than you would expect, but it makes sense, given that the main entrance is in the outfield.

I was a little concerned that the non-baseball activities would be a distraction, but I was able to resist... but I don't have kids.

They don't have the heat working yet...

Don't come to the game tomorrow night expecting to be fed. The concourses on the lower level are not that wide and the food lines go all the way across the concourse. And the stadium was only half full. God help us.

I was wimpy and left early (bottom of the 7th, minor leaguers in).

Bergmann was not trying to hold runners for the first few steals. I think Trembley has been preaching to the O's to take a base if it is given. I recall someone getting mad at Roberts at the start of spring training for stealing 3d and Trembley defending him. Nice to see patience by Guzman and Milledge walking in the first inning when Loewen had not settled in.

Good job by Metro running trains on both sides of Navy yard tracks back towards L'enfant and Gallery Place. But the platform at Navy Yard was truly jammed. Move down, move down, move down - it really does work.

Hate to say it, but of the 5 or so people I struck up conversations with, it was near unanimous - OP@CY is better. Wider ground level concourses. The cutaway is nice but if you are facing a concession on the outer wall, what good is it? The concrete facade interior does not match the green metal trim. Oh, and the view of the new space for lease at halfstreet.com is the more common view than the Capitol or the Washington Monument Boz described.

I'll give them a break on the concession lines because it was first night. When the beer does get to all the taps, there are some good choices - Bass was worth the $7 (c'mon, what to you pay for a 20 oz Bass at most bars?), Pilsener Urquell, Stella, lienenkugel's wheat. I saw Guiness draft in cans. Kudos to the RH&B brisket - better than at their restaurant, but I'm not a Texan so I can't really have a trustworthy opinion about brisket (or ribs).

The one suggestion for the concession lines - put up ropes, stanchions, or whatever to keep the lines from blocking the concourses. And please allow thermoses of hot drinks in during April. Mayorga may be great stuff, but they don't pour joe quick enough to keep the lines down.

New post.

Name for the ball park?
Pretend they never left town
"The Big Train Station"

Nats sighned Olmedo Saenz to a minor league contract.