Baseball clubhouse to get upgrade

Woodbridge, Va. –– Prince William officials have allocated money to pay for a portion of a $210,000 renovation of the Potomac National’s clubhouse.

In a vote Tuesday night, supervisors approved $70,000 for renovations to the locker rooms, restrooms and coaching offices at G. Richard Pfitzner baseball stadium in Woodbridge.

The team’s owner, Art Silber, and the Prince William Park Authority are expected to split the remaining two-thirds costs at $70,000 each.

The renovations were mandated by the the Washington Nationals, the major-league team associated with the Potomac Nationals, after they threatened to put a stop to games played at the stadium this upcoming season.

“When we heard the threat that there was the possibility that we may not be able to play ball at the stadium, we knew then it was pretty significant,” said Silber.

The planned renovation is really an addition to the clubhouse that was built along with the rest of the stadium in 1984.

New toilets will be added (where there is only one now), as well as new shower heads adding to the four there now (not all of which work because the whirlpool used to treat injured players now sits partially sits in the showers), and new office space and training room space.

In the letter from the Washington Nationals, the field itself was stated to have some of the worst playing conditions in Minor League Baseball’s Carolina League.

Silber said out of the 160 minor league ball parks, Pfitzner ranks as one of the 10 worst.

The upgrades should be completed in mid to late May, and games will take place during the renovation process.

The Potomac National’s are currently looking at other places in Prince William County to build a new stadium, because that’s where the team’s fan base is, said Silber.