Bye Bye RFK

The last Washington Nationals game ever at RFK was played earlier today. The Nats came to DC in 2005 and RFK Stadium has been their home for the past three years. It hosted Washington Senators games until they left in 1971.

It marks the end of a lot of personal memories over the last three years. I remember going to the fifth game at RFK and sitting in my assigned seat in rightfield, unable to see the giant scoreboard, or any pop fly. It was the last time I sat there.

I remember going to a couple of magnificent John Smoltz vs John Patterson battles. I saw Roger Clemens pitch a 14-2 win and Dontrelle Willis won 12-1. I saw a certain player who left after last year hit 3 homers in one game. I've sat in the front row once when my mom got tickets and another time when it rained and no one was there. I remember sitting in centerfield while it was raining one day and a waterfall formed racing down the steps, barely missing my seat.

I remember when Ryan Zimmerman first came up in September of 2005 and even played a little shortstop (not well I might add). I remember after a Zimmerman game-winning hit, he said on television, "I'm gonna go home and take a nap." I remember watching Ross Detwiler throwing out his first pitch; it was of the ceremonial variety and it pitifully bounced before crossing the plate.

RFK wasn't the best stadium (it might be the worst) but it was ours and it was the stadium that gave the DC area major league baseball for the first time since I've been alive. In the only stadium named after a political figure, D'Angelo Jimenez had the last Nats homerun on Tuesday. I was there. The Phillies' Chase Utley had the last homer, and scored the last run in the stadium's history. Aaron Rowand had the last RBI. Brian Schneider knocked in Kearns to add a few Nats lasts. Luis Ayala got the win, Antonio Alfonseca got the loss, and Chad Cordero got the save in a game where Joel Hanrahan started for the Nats and Cole Hamels for the Phillies. The Nats won 5-3.

The Nats end their tenure at RFK with a 122-121 record.