The Fredericksburg Nationals will be playing their home opener in a brand new “state of the art” facility on April 23.

Pretty exciting. Pro baseball featuring future Washington Nationals in a brand new stadium right here in our home town.

But what about the other 295 days? And just what is “state of the art?”

Fredericksburg at large councilman Matt Kelly clarifies that this is not just your grandfather’s stadium but a multi-use facility.

“New stadiums can’t be just tied to baseball. They need to host corporate and indoor events, family events. Some people have had weddings at ballparks,” says Kelly.

And not only has FredNats ownership signed a long term agreement with the city they have “leased the neighbor Fredericksburg Expo Center from the Silver Companies and hired the Oak View Group  Facilities, “ to handle the booking of non-baseball events at both locations,” Kelly said.

Oak View Group Facilities “is a leader in providing live content and operating entertainment and sports facilities,” according to a FredNats press release.

Celebrate Virginia Live concert previously held at nearby Marks and Harrison Amphitheatre will move to the stadium, says Kelly.

“Added seating and lighting “ will be an advantage over Marks and Harrison.

“Oak View Group and the Silber Family are coordinating plans for a concert series in the ballpark with performances beginning in May,” reads a statement in the press release.

Kelly adds that the model of this facility is a “unique one,” in that normally a locality builds a stadium and then leases it to an entity.

In  this case, the team owns the stadium and will lease it to the city for $1 million per year, the city being its “prime tenant.” The city will then host events to garner revenues. By doing so, the city does not “add to its debt service,” says Kelly.

He also added that the stadium will be a model for other venues for “years to come.”

On April 23 the home season of the Fredericksburg Nationals begins in earnest. The following month a reported concert series will begin.

One could say that Fredericksburg’s newest star will soon be on full display.

As for the Celebrate Virginia Live concert series, “as far as we know there are no plans for any 2020 events on the former Celebrate Virginia Live Afterhours land,” said Fredericksburg City spokeswoman Sonja Cantu.

An upbeat attitude was evident at the First Annual FredNats Hot Stove Banquet, held Sunday at the Fredericksburg Expo Center in Fredericksburg.

“It’s hot stove tonight!” said Geoff Lassiter, Carolina League president.

“Hot stove,”’ explained Lassiter, is what baseball fans do during the offseason. They talk baseball. It’s symbolic, he said, of friends sitting around a hot stove and having a conversation.
He offered congratulations to the Silber family, which owns the Minor League team, and to the fans for the arrival of the team in Fredericksburg. He referred to the team and the coming stadium as “incredible,” adding that Fredericksburg was “the right community for minor league baseball. This is what the national pastime all about.”

A healthy round of applause ensued.

The stadium, currently under construction next door to the Expo Center, will seat 5,000 and include such features as a scoreboard, field, and luxury suites.

Art Silber said that approximately 900 season tickets had been sold thus far, which was “mind-boggling,” he added.

The evening program listed a few highlights of our inaugural season” as follows:

• Fireworks every Friday
• Mascot Bobblehead Giveaway
• Military and first responder Monday
• Themed jersey auctions
• Fredericksburg replica trolley giveaway
• July 4 extravaganza
• Stadium replica giveaway
• Nickelodeon weekend
• Celebrity guest appearances
• Giveaways every Sunday

Special event nights will be common, too.

“We’re trying to make championship players”

General Manager Nick Hall, decked out in red-themed Washington Nationals pants and tie, suggested that they might hold an “unoriginal night” in response to some flak the team took for not being “original” in their promotional planning. The team name, colors, logo, and jerseys mirror those of the Washington Nationals, of which the FredNats are a Class-A Advanced affiliate.

He recounted a game in which the team word “Bad News Bears” jerseys.

Team manager Tripp Keister, staring his seventh season as team skipper, said such ideas don’t always work out.

He said that it was an especially bad night in which the team committed six errors among other misdeeds.

Keister emphasized the team’s commitment to the development of talent.

In response to Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Greenlaw’s hope of “ten winning seasons,” he said that he wanted to win not just every game but “every inning.”

“But that won’t happen,” he continued.

He gave a scenario in which he might order current Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto to bunt with one out with two men on, which might draw a questionable comment from the stands.

He stated that teams play a shift on Soto, pulling their infielders to the right side of the diamond, making a perfect opportunity to bunt.

In another scenario, he said he may leave a pitcher in when he is not having a good night just to give him a chance to play through adversity.

“We’d rather have them make a mistake here and not in D.C…We’re not just trying to make big-league players, we’re trying to make championship players,” he said.

In regards to the 2020 Fredericksburg Nationals players, he said, “I can’t promise you they’ll always play well, but they will play hard.”

“It’s been an extraordinary ride”

Mark Scialabba, Washington Nationals Assistant General Manager of Player Development, recounted several Nats prospects developed at some time at Potomac, the team’s name when it was still in Woodbridge, including current prospect Carter Kieboom, Danny Espinosa, Michael A. Taylor, Wilmer Difo, Adrian Sanchez, Juan Soto, and Anthony Rendon. All have played or are playing on the major league level.

Team owner Art Silber cited Albert Pujols, Pudge Rodriquez, Bryce Harper, and Barry Bonds, all former major-league MVPs, who had planned at one time for the Franchise, in Bonds’ case going back to 1985 was a Prince William Pirate.

Silber said “It’s been an extraordinary ride,” said owner and Chairman Art Silber of his 30-year tenure with the team. Since becoming owner, he once served as a part-time first base coach.

He grew up about half a block away from Ebbets Field, the former Brooklyn Dodgers home stadium, he said. He saw Jackie Robinson make his debut there and has been his hero since.

He recalled Robinson as a gentle person, but fierce on the field.

A silent auction was held to raise money to benefit local organizations Fredericksburg Area Museum, Friends of the Rappahannock, Brisben Center, Germanna Community College, Micah Fredericksburg Area Youth Development Foundation, and Micah Find a Home Here. General Manager Nick Hall reported that a signed jersey from Juan Soto went for $1,000.

He also presented Keister with the first issued “FredNats” jersey then asked for it back and promptly auctioned it off. Minutes later it sold for $550.

Professional baseball begins right here in Fredericksburg in 87 days. A brand new start for this Carolina League team in a brand new stadium. Pretty exciting, in this writer’s (and baseball fan’s) opinion.

“We will be playing ball April 23,” in the yet to be completed stadium, said Paige Honaker, team marketing coordinator. “And I expect the opening day to be a sold-out stadium.”

The baseball team struck out in a deal with Prince William County, its former home, to build a new stadium at Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center in Woodbridge. The team later inked a deal with Fredericksburg in November 2018 for a new $35 million stadium in the city.