Two Games in Washington

Before Friday, I’d never seen the Yankees play anywhere in the Bronx. That changed this weekend, even if it felt like I was in Yankee Stadium for part of it. Nationals Park had many ups that surely outweighed the downs and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

Let’s get the negatives, however few there may be, out of the way. The only thing I didn’t like regarding an in-game experience was the President’s Race. It’s more of a nit-pick and it’s obviously for the kids, but I’m just not really a fan of gimmicky stuff like that. The only real detriment was getting back to just about anywhere from the stadium. While there was a Metro stop right next to the Park, it was extremely crowded. My girlfriend and I even tried one a few blocks away from the Park and eventually got on a train, but only after a long wait, which was followed by another, even longer wait that we abandoned for a shot at a cab, which probably wasn’t all that wise considering the general lack of cabs in D.C., a point that was highlighted by the complete dearth of cabs around the stadium.

As annoying as transportation was at times during the weekend, the wonderful experiences I had at Nationals Park far surpassed any negatives. First of all, the park was beautiful. It had a big stadium look to it, yet felt pretty compact without being overwhelming. I’m much more a fan of the big stadiums, like Yankee Stadium III, and Nationals Park was able to capture that feeling while not actually being that gargantuan. The food and drink options in the park were great and well priced. The food in Yankee Stadium isn’t necessarily awful, but the options are pretty repetitive; that wasn’t the case in D.C. where it seemed like there were a variety of eateries to choose from, not just the same things over and over again. The best part was this was the case throughout the whole stadium. Even in the upper deck there were varied food options.

And, of course, what would a visit to a ballpark be without the game itself, or in this case, the games themselves. Friday night’s game was fantastic for two reasons: 1. The Yankees won pretty handily and got another great start from Phil Hughes. 2. My girlfriend’s birthday present to me was a pair of tickets three rows up from the Yankee dugout. I’ve never sat that close before and it was a great experience. The view was good and seeing the players and coaches up close was a rare treat. When sitting that close, you get to see and hear interactions that you merely get hints of on TV and radio. It was also cool that Nick Swisher waved at me that night. Saturday, our seats were right under the scoreboard in right field, so we had a nice elevated view (even if the ball darted under the overhang out of our sights a few times). The atmosphere in the Park was great, too. Everyone, regardless of side, was heavily invested in the game. All eyes were on the field at all times and there was, thankfully, NO ONE DOING THE WAVE! The crowd was pretty evenly split between Nats and Yankees fans, probably 60/40, but the Yankee fans in attendance were remarkably vocal, starting many “Let’s go Yankees!” chants and the like. Anyway, the morale of the story is that I had an absolutely fantastic weekend in Washington, D.C., and would go back, Nats game or not, in a heartbeat. If you’re interested in going to Nationals Park, do so ASAP. It’s a beautiful park with a young, exciting team.

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