Every ballpark. Every stadium. Every arena in the four major sports. Damn we’re good!

Once again we are at 122. And every time we get a chance to officially plant the USRT flag at a new destination, there is always a sense of anticipation and giddiness.For us it began as we walked out of the subway station at Navy Yard. We followed the crowd onto Half Street, which is one massive construction zone, as cranes are in the air, holes are in the ground, and this neighborhood is going through an incredible transformation. Straight ahead… there it is!!! The bright and gleaming new stadium, rising amidst the emerging neighborhood.

Nationals Park is the anti-Camden Yards. Not a single red brick anywhere. Not a kelly green seat anywhere. The exterior of the edifice is grey limestone, glass and light colored steel supports. The main entrance here is in left centerfield - that is where the subway traffic channels into the ballpark, and most of the ramps and surface lots are also to the north side of the facility. That makes the other entrances around the building, including the signature home plate entrance, very underused.

Home plate is on the south side, and behind there is the Anacostia River bridge, the last of the cement plants that was once the staple of the neighborhood, and a nicely redeveloped micro park and nature trail along the river which was a seedy mess when we visited back in 2005. What they have done with this district to date is actually very exciting - We’d love to see it all again when it’s done.

We toured the entire ballpark once we entered (we saw Ch 4’s John Murphy brushed by us didn’t have a chance to say hi though), and the first thing we checked out were the concession stands. The good news? The food variety here is absolutely incredible. Maryland crabcakes, hot dogs, brats and sausages of every variety, “Taste of the Major Leagues” stands with food offerings from peer ballparks, yes a chicken wing stand, deli sandwiches. cheese steaks. We could go on and on. The bad news? The prices here are way over the top, clearly the most expensive we have seen anywhere. Want an example? Small draft beer, $7.50, Pulled pork sandwich $10, your basic hot dog $4.50, hot dog with the works $6.75, mixed drink $12. They must really hate the Orioles, as the crabcake sandwich was $14! Sunday we are sitting in the club level, so we may as well apply the lube, bend over and grab our ankles now to save some time.

All the concourses are open to the field and even when walking around the place, you feel that you are a part of the game. Some of the nice viewing areas in the outfield include the Red Porch, a two level restaurant and open bar with great views of the action. It was a popular spot - the place was packed. Other outfield amenities include a Playstation play section, a “Build a Bear” store, the main team merchandise store, a music stage, and other children’s play areas.

The scoreboard and electronics here are also very nice but not over the top. Ribbon boards ring the entire second level, and are matched up with a circular ribbon above the Red Porch, twe LED boards on the outfield walls, and a massive HD scoreboard in right centerfield. Out of town scores are shown on the right LED, and in deference to the one at RFK, an analog clock with the “W” logo is the signature of the main scoreboard.

We have a lot more to show and describe about this fantastic venue, and we will save for the official venue profile, which we will unveil in a few days along with a bunch of thumbnailed photos and, of course, we will “score” the venue and compare it to its peer facilities in MLB.

As for the game, it was an ugly one for the Nats - Texas got a 7 run 7th inning enroute to a 13-3 pasting of the Nationals. Suprisingly, this was not the worst loss this season at home for the Nats - they have been routed at least two other times at home, including an 11-0 loss to the Marlins. Yep, on the field - this team is a disaster, and looking up and down the roster of has beens, castoffs and rejects, it may be a while before things turn around.

After the game, we hopped the train and headed over to Dupont Circle, just to feel the energy and vibrancy of a city that has people, nightlife and an urban pulse. Entertainers were performing in the street, music was thumping out of nightclubs, quaint bistros with outdoor patio seating were packed. Yeah it was all good. But we were beat after a long and exciting day, so we hopped back on the red line and headed back to our hotel.

Day 3 will be a 1:35 matinee at the yard, and we will be in the club seats with the rich folk. We’re doing the “park and ride” thing from the lots at RFK Stadium, and as soon as the game is done we will be pointing the car back to B-lo.

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