Do you remember a few summers ago when ESPN.com Page 2 toured all the major league ballparks and rated them? I thought I would apply the criteria that they used to our own RFK Stadium. Who knows, maybe they will make a trip to RFK like they did to Philly’s Citizens Bank Park last year. I will be curious to compare the two, should that happen.
My survey is based on five trips in April and May to the park, a stretch that included three night games and two day games.
1. Access:
Two Metro lines stop a few blocks from the stadium. There are 10,000 parking spaces and I am told driving in and out is not bad at all. Metro does get crowded after the game though, so walk out of the stadium quickly. 4.5
2. Exterior architecture:
Since RFK was the prototype for the multi-purpose stadia of the 60s and 70s, it is not much to look at. However, the sloping roof gives it some charm and distinguishes it from Three Rivers, the Vet, Atlanta-Fulton County, and Riverfront. The only circular stadium that has more character is Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis.
RFK’s position on the same axis of the Lincoln & WWII Memorials, Washington Monument, and Capitol is worth a point too. 3
3. Interior architecture:
Despite being a multipurpose stadium, RFK is surprisingly cozy. The multipurpose stadia that followed it were significantly larger and thus much more imposing and impersonal. Like so many inexplicably popular throwback jerseys, RFK’s multicolored seating level gives it a certain charm in an era of clean lines and green seats in every park. The newly painted green fences and walls are adorned with a new Ring of Stars, analog Nats clock and Nats banners keep RFK from duplicating the boring look of Riverfront or Veterans stadiums. 3
4. Ticket prices and availability:
You can show up at just about any game and get tickets for the upper deck for as low as $7. You cannot buy tickets in the lower seating area though, since those have been sold out to season ticketholders.4
5. Seat comfort:
The seats are over 40 years old and made of wood. In some areas, there is a lot of legroom though. I am probably being too charitable here. 3
6. Quality of hot dogs:
Dominic’s of New York is maker of the hot dogs and they pass my taste test. The regular “super-dog” is $4, which is pretty steep for a simple little dog. Your best bet is to find a grill cart and get the $5.50 grilled dog with hot onions & peppers. At about twice the size of the superdog, it’s practically a meal. 4
7. Quality/selection of concession-stand fare:
It is mostly the same stuff you get anywhere with nothing unique or special. The lines can be long too because the staff is terribly inefficient. Aside from the grilled dog, the $8.75 chicken fingers and fries basket is probably the best deal. Cost-wise, RFK is slightly cheaper than MCI Center. 2
8. Signature concession item:
There is none to speak of, hopefully this will be resolved next season. 2
9. Beer:
All of the standards are available. Draft macrobrews are $5, which is comparable to any number of gimmick restaurants. Plastic bottles cost $6, which is kind of surprising, I would have expected the prepackaged beer to cost less. There is a nice Foggy Bottom Brewing Co. stand/bar on the lower concourse. I saw some import stands too. 4
10. Bathrooms:
Dank, old, but functional. 2
11. Scoreboard:
It is located off the upper overhang in right-centerfield. It is nothing special, and not very visible from much of the park. The pitch speed board is inconsistent at best. 2
12. Quality of public address system:
In a good portion of the upper deck, you have no chance of understanding what is being said. This is a major shortcoming that needs to be addressed by ownership. 2
13. Fun stuff to do besides the game:
There is nothing to do besides the game, unless you consider concession lines fun. I won’t be too harsh, because this a ballpark for purists. 3
14. Price/selection of baseball souvenirs:
It’s okay. The team store is in a double wide trailer in one of the parking lots and there are stands throughout the concourses. It’s on par with the MCI Center in that regard. 3
15. Friendliness/helpfulness of usher stuff:
There are not too many of them it seems. I have not had some of the problems others have mentioned. 3
16. Trading-up factor:
This is one of RFK’s strengths, you can get in for $7 and find yourself sitting in much better seats in short order. 5
17. Knowledge of local fans:
We have not had baseball for a long time and generally know the game. The “Ohh” during the National Anthem seems to have gone away. 4
18. Seventh-inning stretch:
There is nothing unique about it in this park, though lots of people tend to sing. 3
19. Pre-and-postgame bar-and-restaurant scene:
There is none whatsoever, but that will change if/when the new park is built. 1
20. Wild card:
Baseball is back in D.C.! Proving that everything old is new again, RFK gets points for being unique in the land of Camden Yards clones. Fans on the 3rd base side can make the stands rock up and down, which adds five points itself. 10
TOTAL POINTS: 67.5
So, this puts RFK near the bottom of the list, above Toronto’s Rogers Centre nee SkyDome and below Arizona’s Bank One Ballpark. I would expect it to pick up at least 5 and as many as 15 points next year with ownership making improvements. The park has more in common with Yankee Stadium than Camden Yards in terms of feel. It serves baseball fans pretty well, but lacks the amenities that draws in the more causal fan.
For another perspective, here is the Ultimate Sports Road Trip review of RFK. On the night the USRT guys came to the game, I was unknowingly chatting with one of them, Andrew Kulyk, during BP.