The Home Opener

[dlgood]

Thoughts on the return of Baseball to DC. Yes, I was at the game, sitting way up in Section 522. These are the worst seats I've ever had in RFK, and yet, not too bad. The old stadium is a cramped dump, the audio/video system is for crap, and it's something of a cookie-cutter multi-purpose layout lacking a bit in character. And yet, it's still a great experience.

The baseball purist in me misses the more intimate and quirky settings of Camden Yards or Pac Bell. But, the same purist welcomes having nothing to look at but the game itself.

And it's interesting - I've been to RFK for Redskins games, for a Rolling Stones concert, and way back in 1980, for a Washington Diplomats soccer game. The highlight of the stadium are the catwalks to the seats, and the way the decks swing when fans stomp up and down.

Livan Hernandez pitched a hell of a game. Almost a no-hitter actually. Didn't allow a ball out of the infield until the 7th, and didn't allow a run until the 9th, when he was clearly out of gas. And Vinny Castilla fell a single short of hitting for the cycle, earning an ovation before his 8th inning at-bat and getting Arizona relieve Lance Cormier a chorus of boos when Cormier hit Castilla.

The one thing - it was cool to have baseball here instead of having to watch Baltimore's team. But these Nationals don't feel like "mine" just yet. Something I didn't really become aware of until Castilla's run-scoring triple in the fourth. I wonder how long it'll take... But it'll be cool to find out.

I just hope the President doesn't go to too many games. Admiral Page held my sister late at work, so between that and the security restrictions, we didn't get into our seats until the bottom of the first inning, and thus missed all of the pre-game festivities...

ETA At Orioles games, they play John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the seventh inning stretch. I care not for that.

Last night's game featured a live appearance by Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go and a DC legend. If our seventh innings feature "Bustin' Loose" on a regular basis, I will be very pleased.

Comments

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

I saw Livan Hernandez pitch once when he was still with the Marlins, back in 1999 against Tom Glavine. Good game -- Hernandez pitched well, and also hit a home run and an off-the-wall double. Marlins won 6-2.

Cool that you got to go to the game. What are the prices like?

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

As of now, prices actually aren't too bad.

Upper deck outfield is $7 and Upper Infield is $11. The lower levels start creeping toward $20 but overall I think that's decent. We paid $20 for seats that are normally going to be $13 but that was Opening Day mark-up.

The food, on the other hand, is generic and expensive. Which puts it behind Camden Yards, where the food is expensive but great.

[ladyoneill.livejournal.com]

Why on earth, on the east coast in a major metropolitan city do they play a John Denver song about being from the country?! LOLOL

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone knows. Baltimore is not exactly "Country"... I don't know who they're trying to fool.

[londonkds.livejournal.com]

This comes only from watching Homicide: Life on the Street and reading the book it was based on, but doesn't Baltimore have a large and relatively unassimilated West Virginia/hillbilly population?

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

I have no idea. But if so, that explains a lot...