The World Needs More Kevin

Opened: April 19, 1984

Final Game: August 29, 2019

Capacity: 6,000

Affiliated with the Washington Nationals

I will get this off of my chest early, this is the worst stadium I have been to in minor league baseball. There is nothing about it that I like other than there is sometimes free beer samples from Flying Dog. The owner has been trying to get a new park built for years but the local leaders didn’t seem to want it. Everytime it seems like there was progress someone found something to complain about and the project was put on hold. That is all moot now that the team’s days here are numbered since they are moving to Fredericksburg for the 2020 season. Hallelujah!

How did I get there?

Down I-95 and then west on Virginia 234 for about 5 miles or so. There are a few breweries that have opened in the area and plenty of restaurants on the way so there is that. This may be the only advantage that this park has when compared to the new Fredericskburg location as I-95 loses a lane after 234 and traffic can stack up there which will add time to the trip. Now I will plan on getting down earlier as a Civil War buff so that may not be as much of an issue.

Ticket prices

For a general admission seat it is $11. They are one of the few teams not to charge a day-of-game fee but the seats are metal bleachers and can get uncomfortable very quickly. There is a reason that I have a seat cushion in the trunk of my car.

Finding my seat and amenities

General admission makes up most of the park. There is no shade here so on a hot day you will bake in the sun. And I have been there for days where the temperatures are 90+ and even once where it was 100+. Food is limited to the standard fare though there are a few other options down the first base line. The water fountains are warmer than the air outside. There is little in the way of relief here. The team store is air conditioned but is so small that you can’t really seek refuge in there for more than a minute.

In game experience

The faults are those of the county, which owns the stadium. The team tries really hard to make the best of a bad situation. They have the usual stable of in-game entertainment. Got a T-shirt here in the T-shirt toss once!

Getting out

Go out the same way you came in. The only good news is that it is usually night time so traffic will not be as bad, which does not mean it won’t be bad. This is DC where at 1 AM there can be heavy traffic and I don’t mean Jayson Werth doing 100 down I-66 heavy.

Wrap

I usually show up for bobblehead games and if the player is popular like Stephen Strasburg or Bryce Harper the lines can be long to get in but at least there is some shade there. Well, maybe not Harper anymore. The team draws well but they need a new park. Like in Richmond there is interest. It seems that the leaders were more concerned with a little bit of extra noise and the complaints that residents would bring than having a nice ballpark for people to watch a game in. I lived near a ballpark for a bit, it wasn’t that bad. That is all moot now with the team moved to Fredericksburg.