Grand opening

By Dave Utick
Published: April 2, 2008

WASHINGTON — Bud Selig wasn’t really in a mood to reminisce Sunday night, but he couldn’t help it.

Walking around Nationals Park for the first time seemed to evoke some powerful memories for the Com-missioner of Baseball, who feels connected to
Washington in ways that few leaders of the game ever could.

He was, after all, among the owners who approved the Senators move to Texas more than three decades ago. So it was with a great sense of pride and accomplishment that he witnessed the grand opening of a new sta-dium — and a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Braves — that signified a rebirth of the national pastime in the Nation’s Capital.

“We’re back where we belong,” he said. “We’re back in a baseball cathedral.”

Selig didn’t take baseball away from Washington in 1971. But the Commissioner does feel partly responsi-ble, so playing a role in the game’s return is a significant milestone for him.

“Certainly this is a saga that seemed to go on forever,” Selig said. “Like so many things that have happened over the years, there were parts of the journey that were painful.

“I was there the night in Boston when [former commissioner] Bowie Kuhn tried to keep the team here and I was one of those people who kept voting yes [to move the team] … so I have a lot of history here and I’m really proud to be a part of this.”

Most of the 39,389 fans who joined in the celebration that followed Ryan Zimmerman’s two-out, ninth-inning home run weren’t aware of the team’s past or Selig’s part in it. All that really matters anyway is what the cathedral means to the team’s future.

On Sunday, a red carpet stretched across Half Street at the center field gate — welcoming fans in Hollywood fashion. Two American flags were unfurled across the outfield grass for the Star Spangled Banner and then President George W. Bush threw a fastball to manager Manny Acta for the ceremonial first pitch.

“This is remarkable. When I use the word cathedral I only do that when a park deserves it,” Selig said. “The park is beautiful. I haven’t seen anything, from top to bottom, that I don’t like.”

He could have been speaking for everyone.

The first “Let’s Go Nats” chant began long before the first inning. Fireworks splashed across the night sky and sirens wailed as the Nationals took the field to a thunderous ovation and Odalis Perez, the “Plan B” start-ing pitcher, threw a strike that Braves’ leadoff batter Kelly Johnson fouled off at 8:21 p.m.
Then the fun really began as Cristian Guzman’s first swing at Nationals Park made history.

A few minutes later, his feet did too.

After winning a Spring Training battle with Felipe Lopez for the starting shortstop position, Guzman lined a leadoff single into right field for the initial base hit and then scored the first run on a double by Nick John-son.

“We have a lot of young guys in the minor leagues and we brought in some guys who are pretty good ball players. Now it’s time to put everything together,” Johnson said. “We just have to go out there and let it roll.

“I say let’s go out there and show everybody what we’ve got.”

With so much to see and do at the new playground on the banks of the Anacostia River, the Nationals kept just about everyone’s attention focused on the game. Perez, who was starting in place of injured right-hander Shawn Hill, allowed one run in five terrific innings, while Johnson drove in his first run since Sept. 19, 2006 and later scored on a single to right by Austin Kearns.

The Nationals scored both of those runs in the first inning against Braves starter Tim Hudson, who beat them four times a year ago, and then relied on what could become a tremendous pitching staff — this time Saul Rivera, Ray King, Luis Ayala and Jon Rauch — and Zimmerman’s game-winning blast to wrap up
an Opening Night win.

“We’re excited about everything that’s going on over here,” Acta said. “We have some great memories of RFK but you just can’t compare it to here.”
The seats don’t bounce and sway the way they did at RFK Stadium, but there is a more intimate feeling at Nationals Park with exquisite views of the Capitol and the Washington Monument in downtown D.C. and a scoreboard that is the largest and brightest in baseball.

“It’s a great park,” center fielder Lastings Milledge said. “Fans already love it and they’re going to love the way we play the game.”

The stadium is the most striking example of how far the Nationals have journeyed since last summer.

“I want to win and I want to win sooner than what a lot of people think,” Acta said. “We’ve made a lot of strides over the last year or so. I can’t wait for the day when I come in here and everyone is expecting us to win.”

That day may not be too far in the future. Not much was expected from the Nationals when they first ar-rived from Montreal four years ago, but expectations are quickly changing.

Once the Lerner family took control of the organization from major league baseball on May 3, 2006, a re-building plan began to emerge with the primary focus, then and now, on scouting and player development. The hope was that the Nationals would take the field in a brand new stadium Sunday night with a contending team already in place.

In the National League East, that is a daunting task, but there is evidence that Washington has narrowed the gap between first and last with the arrival of young prospects such as Wily Mo Pena, Elijah Dukes and Milledge along with a surplus of pitching talent that extends all the way to the low minors.

“From top to bottom we’ve made a tremendous amount of progress. Looking at our rotation right now in Triple A, we have five guys and we could pick any of them to bring here and feel good about it,” said Acta, referring to John Lannan, Collin Balester, Garrett Mock, Mike O’Connor and Tyler Clippard. “I’m not lying when I tell you that almost every of them can be part of the future here.”

“When I first came in our minor league system wasn’t very good but we’ve done a pretty good job the last two years.”

The organization’s depth isn’t limited to the mound, either, with minor league player of the year Justin Maxwell and No. 1 prospect Chris Marrero only a year or two from reaching the majors.

But last night the Nationals opened the 2008 season — in front of a sellout crowd and a national television audience — and showed that they have the talent to compete.

“We’re going to play hard and obviously we’re shooting high,” Acta said. “We’re going to try to play above .500 baseball and the last few years have shown that if you play above .500 baseball you have a chance to get in. Once you get in, you never know.

“I’m excited about all the progress we’ve made,” Acta said. “I think our team is better. We’ll see where it takes us.”