Let a Thousand Flowers Blossom
AP is reporting that the new Nationals ballpark will have cherry trees beyond the outfield fence.
President Stan W. Kasten said of the blossoming arbor, "We couldn't find another ballpark that had trees in the ballpark."
BallWonk can think of another ballpark that had trees in the outfield: Griffith Stadium. Which makes the cherry trees even more perfect than they seem at first glance. In fact, the cherry tree thing is on BW's list of things he's wanted at the new ballpark but hasn't bothered telling anyone because the bigwigs never get that sort of thing right. So perhaps now is the time to tick down the list a bit:
- State and territory flags around the ballpark.
- Sections with state names, rather than numbers.
- Signature food items and local beer from around the country at specialty stands near the corresponding seating sections.
- Alternate caps featuring the Racing Presidents, in the style of the Lake County Captains seacaptain caps.
- Walter Johnson and Josh Gibson statues out front.
- To represent the legislative process, discount pork sausages.
Now, the cynics might ask, if the Nationals are in a position to talk about their 2008 topiary, where is our damn 2007 promotional calendar? BallWonk prefers to think of it as Stan the Plan keeping his focus on the long term, where it belongs.
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I am a little more sympathetic to Clark Griffith than Zach is, but he's right---the new stadium, if it not named for a corporate sponsor---probably should not be named after him. I would not go so far as to say that the Old Fox is the reason why his nephew moved the team, but like it or not, Clark is a major reason why many African-American District residents became disenchanted with the Senators and eventually baseball itself.
(Ironically, one of the things that infuriated black baseball fans in Washington was that when Griffith FINALLY desegregated the Nats, the blacks he put on the team were from Cuba rather than America. Today, if baseball did not have black players from the Caribbean and Latin America, most teams would look as lily-white as the 50's Yankees or Red Sox.)
Maybe this could be the subject of a subsequent blog?
I'm with B-W; Walter Johnson and Josh Gibson are the only two former Washington/"Homestead" players that deserve a statue.
Regarding the cherry trees, they would have to be a mix of varieties because the Yoshinos at the tidal basin usually bloom and fade before or just around opening day.
http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/cherry-blossom-bloom.htm
How about a mini National Arboretum, with 50 trees representing each state?
Absolutely NO on any idea for anything honoring Clark Griffith.
That penny-pinching racist was the reason that the Senators stunk for so many years, why Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard played in Griffith Stadium as the Homestead Grays and why the team moved when left it in the hands of his equally racist adopted nephew, Calvin.
The statues are a great idea, I also say name the team the Grays or do something to honor the Negro League stars that played in DC as well as the great teams from 1924-1933.
But let me state this in summary: Griffith was the reason baseball stagnated in Washington, no more monuments to him.
Said it before and I'll say it again: We (Nationals fan community at large) need to get a petition going to name the new ballpark either "Clark Griffith Memorial Stadium (AKA the Griff)" or "Walter Johnson Memorial Stadium". Of course in the era of naming rights to the highest bidder it'll never happen, but at least we'll know we gave it a shot.
-HJMcK
P.S. I also think "Bucky Harris Memorial Stadium" could be in contention. And while we're discussing statues, how about appropriate recognition of Goose Goslin, San Rice, Earl McNeely, Roger Peckinpaugh (OK, all the 1924 Nats), Frank Howard, etc?