Washington Nationals & "Take Back The Park" Initiative

No matter where the Nationals have played, nobody has ever seemed to care. In their last game in Montreal, they could only get 31,995 people to send them off to Washington (Olympic Stadium's capacity is 43,739). 


That group of almost 32 thousand happened to be the season high, a year where they averaged 9,356 people. Nine thousand three hundred and fifty six. The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs averaged 9,249 last year. The Expos could have handed out tickets for free, and nobody would have showed up. 


They thought all of that could change with a move to Washington. New places, a few new faces, and they'd be in good shape. After one season in Washington, just as in Montreal, you couldn't find anyone that cared. Attendance went from 11th best in the MLB to 21st, and DC was already tired of baseball. 


As the Nationals continued to bottom feed, the Phillies were putting together the start of a dynasty. 


Every game the Phillies played in Washington, you could always find 15-20 thousand Phillies fans cheering as loud as they possibly could. It's no surprise Nationals Park was given the nickname "Citizens Bank Park South". 


This year, the Nationals organization decided they had enough of looking like a AA baseball team. They traded for Gio Gonzalez, signed Edwin Jackson, and Stephen Strasburg will be returning from Tommy John surgery.


In their own mind, the Nationals are on top of the world. 


So on top of the world, they have launched the "Take Back The Park" initiative. The Nationals want to encourage local Nats fans to by tickets to the May 4-6 series versus the Phillies before they go on sale to the public. In other words: they want to kick out as many Phillies fans as they possibly can. 


Phillies fans, the ones who put a few people in the seats? Yeah, they're not allowed anymore. The ones who spend $4 for a hot dog? Nope, they're out just for the fact their Phillies fans. Apparently the revenue generated from Phillies games simply is not good enough.


If the Nationals want to expose empty seats in their ballpark, so be it. However, do not try it at the expense of Phillies fans, who drive 3 hours just to see a ball game.


The Nationals have forgotten something very important: if people barely cared about the team when they first arrived in DC, then they never will. You want to "Take Back The Park"? Awesome. Just do not be surprised when you still find 15-20 thousand cheering Phillies fans.