Which of the 10 Never Before Seen Facts on Nationals Park Will Impress You the Most? Those 10 Facts on Nationals Park are…
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10 Never Before Seen Facts on Nationals Park
Nationals Park is one of the league’s highly-praised east coast MLB venues every baseball fan has on their bucket list. In fact, the Washington stadium opened in 2008 and last hosted the All-Star Game in 2018. Any Washington fan that bleeds Nationals red will know every information possible, from the team winning the 2019 World Series to Bryce Harper claiming the MVP Award in 2015. However, there are new Nationals Park facts that many baseball supporters never knew or never heard of in their lives. For details on what facts baseball fans rarely knew about, please refer to 10 Never Before Seen Facts on Nationals Park below!
10: Two Construction Workers were Fired for Noose Incident at New Stadium
When it comes to MLB stadiums, they sometimes come with interesting construction stories. One example is that dinosaur fossils were found during the building of Coors Field in Denver. Another example is that a Red Sox fan buried a David Ortiz jersey in cement at the New Yankee Stadium. Unfortunately, there are some stories that turn out to be so controversial that they cost someone a job. Well, that’s what happened as Nationals Park was nearing completion in early 2008.
On a January day, a noose was discovered during the construction phase for the new ballpark. Soon, the worker who was responsible for the incident no longer had a job. The construction company, Truland, said that they were angered by the noose scenario and do not condone that type of behavior. Truland has a history of controversy because one of its employees made racist remarks on a group of African Americans in 2007.
9: A Fan Saved Another Fan’s Life at Nationals Park
At baseball stadiums, fans may never know when extraordinary good deeds are achieved. Those good deeds range from holding the door for someone to cleaning up spills on the floor. In fact, there are some people who would go above and beyond to make anyone’s day. That extra effort could actually make a new friend or even save somebody’s life. Fortunately, for Nationals Park, a fan saved another fan’s life at the baseball game.
The amazing moment in June 2022 during a Nationals contest vs. Brewers. Sometime in the 6th inning, a middle-aged man named John Clements suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed. The situation occurred at the 200 level at Nationals Park. Luckily, a firefighter named Jamie Jill and his friends performed CPR on Clements until medical officials arrived. Later, Clements breathed normally in the ambulance and soon recovered.
8: Billy Joel has Played More Shows at Nationals Park
It is not uncommon that live show concerts are taking place at baseball stadiums. Interestingly, there are teams that previously hosted live music shows. Those teams were the following: Guardians, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, Dodgers, Rangers, Cardinals, Brewers, and many more. Concerts can vary with either a post-game event or just a stand alone performance during the off-season. But did you know that Billy Joel has played more shows at Nationals Park? And that doesn’t count singing at National Anthems or having themed nights.
Billy Joel has played a total of three shows at the Washington stadium: 2009, 2014, and 2016. Since then, Nationals Park has been the home for many concerts by the following: Taylor Swift, Green Day, Jason Aldean, Elton John, and Paul McCartney. Perhaps the biggest show in Washington D.C. was in 2009, when Joel collaborated with Elton John. In recent years, Billy Joel has performed at baseball stadiums like Camden Yards and Dodger Stadium.
7: The Washington Ballpark Almost had a Retractable Roof
Retractable roofs can provide a great atmosphere for fans and players alike. They can protect fans from heavy rains and thunderstorms. In addition, those features can help with climate control to avoid the hot heat during the summer months. So far, only eight teams play in a stadium with either a dome or a retractable roof: Rays, Astros, Rangers, Marlins, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Brewers. But believe it or not, Nationals Park almost had a retractable roof.
Following the 2013 season, team officials proposed the idea of adding a roof to their ballpark. In prior years, Nationals Park had even gone through rain delays or having games rescheduled due to inclement weather. However, the city denied the team’s proposal for two reasons. First, the roof wouldn’t fit into the overall design of Nationals Park. Next, construction would have cost approximately $300 million.
6: Nationals Park Could Have a New Stadium Name in the Near Future
In most stadiums, teams would generate profit by collaborating on a naming rights deal with a corporate sponsor. Great examples include Progressive Field, T-Mobile Park, Petco Park, Tropicana Field, Oracle Park, and many more. However, having a baseball stadium named after a team or someone is quite rare in the big leagues. The following teams do not have ballpark naming rights deals: Red Sox, Cubs, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels, Royals, and Nationals. But in the near future, there’s a chance that Nationals Park will be given a new name.
In 2016, the Washington baseball club decided to explore opportunities on a naming rights deal. At one point, the Nationals almost had such a deal in place with Exelon® (U.S. energy provider). However, that agreement never came to fruition, likely due to creative and financial differences. Fortunately, the team was still interested in pursuing a new stadium name as of 2017. Since the Nationals hosted the 2018 All-Star Game and won the 2019 World Series, it could increase the chances of a new ballpark naming rights deal.
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5: The Stanley Cup Made a Rare Appearance at Nationals Park
Whenever a local hockey team wins the Stanley Cup, they celebrate by having a parade through downtown. But sometimes, the NHL champion would visit a nearby ballpark to bring Lord Stanley and throw out the first pitch. Well, the Washington Capitals did just that in 2018. The Caps made their rare appearance at Nationals Park when the hockey club defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals.
In fact, Washington played in their first Stanley Cup Finals in 1998 (lost to Detroit Red Wings 4-0). By the way, the Caps were not the only team to bring Lord Stanley to a baseball game. In 2017, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Stanley Cup made an appearance at PNC Park when the Pens defeated the Nashville Predators in six games.
4: Blue Jays were the Home Team at Washington’s Ballpark
2020 was a year baseball fans and people in general want to forget. In March, the global pandemic forced sports leagues to suspend their seasons. Also, citizens could not eat at restaurants or have large gatherings. Most importantly, MLB was in the middle of Spring Training when the crisis hit America. Perhaps the most affected baseball team during the pandemic was the Toronto Blue Jays, who couldn’t play in Canada due to strict border protocols.
So where did the Blue Jays play their home games for 2020? During the abbreviated 60-game season, Toronto spent the majority of the year at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. But what baseball fans won’t remember is that the Blue Jays actually began the season at Nationals Park. They only spent the first homestand in the nation’s capital because Sahlen Field’s MLB-standard upgrades weren’t ready yet. Since it was 2020, no fans were allowed to attend any Blue Jays games at Nationals Park.
3: Nationals Park Has a Build-A-Bear Workshop® Stand
Nationals Park usually has a couple team stores where fans can buy souvenirs as well as game programs. Also, baseball fans can use their money to buy food from concession stands and visit the Red Porch Food & Bar in left field. But believe it or not, the Nats Stadium has a Build-A-Bear Workshop® store in the right field concourse. Opened in 2008, the one-of-a-kind shop allows children to get stuffed animals like the Screech the Eagle mascot and a Teddy Bear. However, it’s unknown if the experience is still available as of 2022.
Normally, the Build-a-Bear Workshop® stores occupy their spaces inside shopping malls across the country. The Nationals are one of the couple MLB teams to have such a store in their ballpark, joining the Phillies and Cardinals. Previously, there was a Build-A-Bear Workshop® at the then-AT&T Park in San Francisco. But in 2013, the Teddy Bear stand was turned into a social media-themed coffee store called “@Café.”
2: A Nationals Game was Suspended Due to Power Outage at the Stadium
Usually when there’s a weather delay, fans would head up to the concourses for shelter. In fact, there are some fans that might head over to the team stores to get away from the outside. Also, baseball games can get delayed due to unwanted guests like bees and fans running on the field. As for the Nats, they have a history of going through contest delays as well as game postponements. But did you know that a Nationals game was suspended due to a power outage?
During the Nationals matchup vs. Dodgers in 2015, a power outage became the ballpark’s worst enemy. The first power flicker took place in the 4th inning and Los Angeles went up 2-1. The game was delayed for 1.5 hours before play resumed briefly. Then, another outage broke loose and the contest was stopped for over 30 minutes. Following a second delay, the Nationals reclaimed the lead 3-2 before a third power outage forced the game to be suspended. The contest was made up the next day with Washington winning 5-3.
1: Nearly 1/4 of Construction Materials for Nationals Park were Recycled
Washington’s ballpark has been getting high marks for both fan experience and the overall design. For instance, Nationals Park faces the direction of Washington D.C. where fans at the top level can see the U.S. Capitol. Also, the stadium has a 360-concourse so fans can walk around the park and not miss any game action. Perhaps the most impressive part of Nationals Park is how it was built. Believe it or not, the ballpark was made of nearly ¼ of recycled products.
Nationals Park used reusable items like glass, plastic, and metal during the construction period. Of course, recycling is not the only aspect for the stadium to become a go-green venue. Nationals Park also has plumbing technology that can cut down ⅓ of water usage. Not only can a baseball stadium provide a great baseball experience, but the venue can also become a unique visit for those who want to go green.
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