My first trip to Nationals Park was fun and uneventful. Before the game my friends and I circled the stadium, checking out the various food offerings and the many pleasant vistas. DC doesn't provide much of a view in most directions, but the view into the stadium was very nice.
Even though our seats were in the last row of the 200 level on the third base side, firmly under the overhang and next to a support beam, our sight-line to home plate was unobstructed. There were a couple of pop-ups to the left side that floated out of sight, but being in the shade at first pitch was a fair trade off.
The thing that impressed me most was to see all the fans come out. I haven't been to a Nationals game since the team's inaugural season at old RFK Stadium. In the 8 seasons since then, the team has attracted a lot of fans. While riding the Metro didn't have the same vibe as a D train to Yankee Stadium, it was great to see so many Nats fans geared up and ready for the game. I suppose that $5 ticket night influenced how many kids and families I saw.
I do have one complaint: after a 5 run third, the Nats felt comfortably in control of the game. And the wave started.
I am not opposed to the wave on its aesthetic merits. In the right stadium (usually a football stadium), the wave can be gorgeous. It is the refuge of fans who are bored by the game but don't want to go home yet. In those moments, I scoreboard watch and (if I'm close enough) try to follow which way the fielders shade the hitters pitch to pitch. But I'm obsessive like that.
Last night, the home crowd in DC did the wave. That's not my complaint.
They did the wave with two runs in, two outs, runners on first and second and the tying run at home plate. C'mon people, you're better than that.
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