Battle of the Beltways
We made it to Nationals Park well before the game started. Our seats would have been fine, except for the large drunken lout sitting next to us. Fortunately, there were enough empty seats that we were able to move up a row and away from him.
The Nationals continued doing what they do best - namely, losing. Not that the Orioles are a great team either, but at least they managed to hit the ball (and not have their pitcher commit two errors). In the end, the Orioles won 9-1.
As for the new ballpark, the main positive is that it's a lot nicer than RFK. Maybe it looks better from other directions, but the approach from the metro is remarkably dull. They gave out a free program, which is a very nice touch. The concessions are not bad, either, including several local chains (Ben's Chili Bowl, Five Guys, Gifford's Ice Cream), though ballpark prices are, alas as inflated as anywhere. I had a fish taco and a margarita, which were both good, but Robert was disappointed in the chicken tenders he bought. (That strikes me as something that is inevitably going to be disappointing, but he's an adult and can make his own choices.) All in all, I'd describe the ballpark as intensely average - nothing wrong, but nothing special.
The most dramatic event of the game was the thunderstorm that came in during the 6th inning. We were under an overhang, but they still made us go up to the concourse to wait it out. That took about an hour. On the plus side, that thinned the crowd a lot, making the metro less crowded when the game did end.
The Nationals continued doing what they do best - namely, losing. Not that the Orioles are a great team either, but at least they managed to hit the ball (and not have their pitcher commit two errors). In the end, the Orioles won 9-1.
As for the new ballpark, the main positive is that it's a lot nicer than RFK. Maybe it looks better from other directions, but the approach from the metro is remarkably dull. They gave out a free program, which is a very nice touch. The concessions are not bad, either, including several local chains (Ben's Chili Bowl, Five Guys, Gifford's Ice Cream), though ballpark prices are, alas as inflated as anywhere. I had a fish taco and a margarita, which were both good, but Robert was disappointed in the chicken tenders he bought. (That strikes me as something that is inevitably going to be disappointing, but he's an adult and can make his own choices.) All in all, I'd describe the ballpark as intensely average - nothing wrong, but nothing special.
The most dramatic event of the game was the thunderstorm that came in during the 6th inning. We were under an overhang, but they still made us go up to the concourse to wait it out. That took about an hour. On the plus side, that thinned the crowd a lot, making the metro less crowded when the game did end.