The Nationals Notebook describes how a contingent of team officials are visiting Houston, Denver, and Los Angeles during the Nats' road trip "in an effort to see more ballparks, from which the team might glean ideas for how to run game operations -- promotions and in-game entertainment -- at the Nationals' new stadium, which will open next spring." Quoting owner Mark Lerner: " 'Just walking around down here, there are reminders of things you don't want to forget,' Lerner said. 'There's in-game stuff, music and all that kind of stuff. But everything from the window where they give out uniforms to [game-day] personnel, to looking at their time-clock system. You learn something every place you go.' " It also confirms the WBJ story from Friday that concessionaire Centerplate has been hired to manage the food service at the new ballpark.

As for this week's ballpark construction update, "The last of the major cranes have left the center of the site, so workers can now concentrate on building the actual playing field. On the main concourse level, there is now a glass storefront at one of the main, high-end restaurants in the park. Drywall framing for the visitors' clubhouse has started. And the new intersection of South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue, approaching the South Capitol Street bridge, is also developing, with new curbs, gutters, asphalt, street lights and traffic lines in place."