In a recent tweet by our good friends over at TalkNats.com, they quote an official from the DC Mayor's Office on whether fans will be able to return to Nats Park. According to John Falcicchio · Deputy Mayor DC Gov't: “The Nationals have reached out to DC HSEMA and DC Health to begin talks about the 2021 season. Those talks are just beginning but we hope they advance expeditiously."
More and more teams are allowing fans to return to sporting events. The New York Mets released tickets to fans who purchased them via the MLB Ballpark during the week, and even the New York Rangers are allowing fans to return to Madison Square Garden.
Other sports have allowed fans to attend games in person this season. For example, the Washington Football Team allowed fans to attend football games this fall, but that was changed after an increase in the amount of COVID-19 cases emerged.
Even Washington Nationals players want to see fans again this season at Nats Park. Asked in a recent press conference Max Scherzer said: “Fans should be in the stands, 100 percent. You can do it, we’re in outdoor stadiums. Fans just need to be allowed to come in the ballpark. We can engineer a way around it. I don’t see any reason why not. So hopefully cooler heads prevail, we look at this pragmatically and we get some Nationals fans out there because trust me, as all ballplayers, we definitely miss them and we miss the atmosphere that they bring.”
Doctor Facui was recently on Buster Olney's podcast and jokingly said: "I was joking around and last thing in the world I want to do is get Max Sxherzer pissed off at me because he's such a hero to anyone who is an avid Nats' fan the way that I am."
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Washington Nationals fans have been left in the dark on what’s going on this season. The Nationals have not released any information even to their season ticket holders. Washington Nationals fans however, do have the ability to attend Spring Training Games in FL and as of today fans aren’t allowed to purchase single game tickets via the official Nationals website. The Nationals should release something with the progress or even lack of progress in determining if Nationals fans will be able to return this season.
We want to be clear here. We don't think that anything bad is happening behind the scenes, and know that this is a process of doing what's best for the players, staff and the fans. This isn't a decision that should be made overnight or without any sort of planning.
However, Fans do deserve to know that if they are going to be able to attend a game this season at Nationals Park and that all the necessary safety precautions were taken before they arrive. No matter what, fans shouldn't be left in the dark wondering what is the plan or approach to get fans back into the stadium.
Today, Mark D. Lerner, Managing Principal Owner and Vice Chairman of the Washington Nationals released a video message to Nationals fans. During the message Mr. Lerner said: "that someday soon we'll be together again at Nationals Park." So maybe there is nothing to report or tell?
For now, Fans are left guessing and just wondering when they are going to see baseball again in the district.
Here are some of the questions that we would like answers to:
1) Who is going to be making that final decision about if and how many fans will be able to return to Nats Park to experience baseball? Is it the DC Government or is DC looking for additional guidance from the Federal Government?
2) How many fans will actually be allowed back at Nats Park and how is that process going to be determined?
3) If fans aren't allowed back into Nats Park this season, what conditions need to be met for fans to be allowed back into the stadium?
4) Is the team and the city working together with Major League Baseball on this issue?
We have reached out to the Washington Nationals and the Mayor's office for comment and did not hear back.. We will update this article if something changes.