The Washington Nationals unveiled plans Wednesday for the nationally televised Opening Night game against the Atlanta Braves, and they will feature a party atmosphere inside and outside the new Nationals Park.
Among the scheduled events Sunday: Local Dixieland jazz band Sheiks of Dixie playing outside the Navy Yard Metro Station; barbershop quartet The Ringers entertaining by the Centerfield Gate; face painting and balloon artists for the children; flyovers by four F-16s representing the D.C. Air National Guard; the first pitch from President Bush; and a seventh-inning rendition of “God Bless America” by American Idol finalist ElliotYamin.
Mayor Adrian Fenty, who opposed public financing for the $611 million, 41,888-seat ballpark when he served on the D.C. Council, will start the game with “Washington, Let’s Play Ball.” The National Anthem will be performed by D.C. native Denyce Graves.
All fans will receive a Curly “W” lanyard and “Welcome Home” rally towel upon entry to the park. Pregame ceremonies led by Nationals’ broadcaster Don Sutton start at 7:45 p.m., with first pitch slated for 8:15.
Grandstand tickets for opening night will be on sale for $5 beginning at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, but the team is not allowing fans to camp out on team property or line up prior to 3 p.m.
“The Washington Nationals are excited to offer these affordable seats for the Inaugural Game at Nationals Park,” team President Stan Kasten said in a statement. “Fans who purchase these tickets will be asked to enter the ballpark immediately to ensure these tickets remain in the hands of the loyal fans who have anxiously awaited the opening of the ballpark.”
For Ward 2 D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, a lead supporter of the $611 million stadium project, the opening game means vindication.
“We got baseball in Washington, which people said couldn’t happen,” Evans said. “We got the stadium built on time. The financing plan worked exactly as I said it would. … It all worked out exactly as I said it would.”
