Washington Nationals Stadium White Elephant

According to a Marc Fisher article in the Washington Post

(excerpt)

Paxten and his friends loved to wander around the mostly abandoned Nationals Park and the ruins of the entertainment complex, despite reports that coyotes had a den in the Nationals' former bullpen. The park had been neglected since Major League Baseball dissolved Washington's team in the second wave of contractions to hit the sport.

I call that a demolition special, much as were the administrative buildings that once sat on the National (West) Mall.

Beside the [Misplaced] 'Diamond' a Lump of 'Coal'

from The Washington Post, April 28, 2008

Theodore Lerner's 20 M Street office building
directly behind the St Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church

Comments to this article include a notation that the baseball team's owner's (Ted Lerner's) office building -- 20 M Street -- blocks the view of the Capitol dome from the stadium.

dlietz wrote:

After attending my first two games at Nationals Park this Fri. and Sat., I can say that I was not troubled at all by the concrete plant. What was troubling was the Lerner's office building that blocks the view of the Capitol from many of the seats. That building is your real "lump of coal" next to the diamond.

4/28/2008 10:10:48 AM

http://dcmetrocentric.com/2008/05/07/stadiums-capitol-views/#comment-1587

As I point out:

DouglasWillinger wrote:

That Lerner office building was placed directly behind the St Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, and may have been a political deal by Lerner to gain that structure's masters support for being selected to purchase the Nationals franchise in a sale that was no auction.

http://wwwsouthcapitolstreet.blogspot.com/2006/07/physical-reality-only-structure-along_22.html
http://wwwfreespeechbeneathushs.blogspot.com/2006/10/20-m-street-by-lerner-enterprises.html

4/29/2008 1:46:03 AM

By so placing his office building, Theodore Lerner blocks the sensible relocation of that church structure that would have accommodated the South Capitol Mall.

Relocated St. Vincent de Paul Church with South Capitol Mall

Papal Mass April 17, 2008

Just Days After Inaugurating the mis placed Stadium

Nats Roundup: No Joy In Natville

At 4-10, the Nationals currently possess the worst record in the National League, and are tied with the Tigers for the worst record in baseball. The season is still young, but some disconcerting trends have already developed. Ryan Zimmerman is currently batting .211, and Austin Kearns is batting .217. Not exactly the numbers you want from your three and five hitters. Tim Redding, pitcher, is hitting a surprising .200. Unfortunately, that ties him with Paul Lo Duca, Felipe Lopez, and Ronnie Belliard. It is too early to put much faith in these numbers, but the Nationals are last in the National League in team batting average, and 13th in runs scored. The changes last off season were suppose to bring offense, and that has not happened yet. Where is Everybody?

The biggest concern for this team has to be the attendance so far this season. The Nats have averaged 28,214 tickets sold after 7 home games. That puts them 20th out of 30 teams in the league. more

WMATA's 'Mass Pass' ad ended with Pope on the Aborted South Mall


Perhaps they did not like this inadvertent reminder of their role in aborting what would have been Washington, D.C.'s South Capitol Mall?

St. Vincent de Paul Church- the sole building along South Capitol Street saved by the South Capitol Mall's cancellation

Mark Tuohey of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, who sat on the Board of Trustees of Catholic University with McCarrick, and upon that of Gonzaga HS and Washington Jesuit Academy


The 2002 stadium study indicating St Vincent de Paul Church as the sole surviving building on the east side of this stretch of South Capitol StreetMajor League Baseball: the entity that insisted upon cramming this stadium along South Capitol Street, by making the specific location a condition of allowing the establishment of the Washington Nationals franchise

2008 is the last year he can throw the 1st ball as U.S. President

More on this custom of the U.S. President throwing the 1st ball:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/baseball/

Covington & Burling-
the Pennsylvania Avenue law firm that represented MLB
in this stadium desecration of the NCPC Extending the Legacy South Capitol Mall

"W" Stadium

Blogger Douglas A. Willinger Ambushed, Arrested (while carrying his Verizon cell phone)