A ceremony was held before the start of the exhibition to honor the many city officials who helped bring the stadium to reality. Seen here (from left): council member Jack Evans, council chair Vincent Gray, Mayor Adrian Fenty, Nationals President Stan Kasten, and Matthew Cutts, Gregory O'Dell, and Bill Hall of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission. (link)
Stan Kasten explains to Mayor Fenty about a pesky photographer who insists on grabbing photos of him with his Blackberry. (link)
The ceremony was led by the announcers for the old Washington Senators, Phil Hochberg and Charlie Brotman. (link)
Stan Kasten thanks the crowd, the officials, and the construction workers. (link)
DC delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and members of the city council Yvette Alexander, Muriel Bowser, Mary Cheh, Phil Mendelson, Jim Graham, Carol Schwartz, Jack Evans, and Vincent Gray. Not attending were Tommy Wells, Kwame Brown, David Catania, and Marion Barry. (link)
Local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners from district 6D get their moment in the sun, both on the field and on the scoreboard. Waving to the crowd are (from left) Roger Moffatt, Rhonda Hamilton, Ron McBee, Max Skolnik, David Sobelsohn, and Robert Siegel. (link)
Mayor Fenty, with council members in the background. (link)
Mayor Fenty takes a moment to thank the real force behind bringing baseball to Washington and getting the stadium built--former mayor Anthony Williams, who did not attend the ceremony. (link)
A really big ribbon was brought out for the cutting. (link)
The ceremonial scissors, at Mayor Fenty's feet. (link)
Gray, Fenty, Kasten, Brotman, and Cutts do their work. (link)
The players and the fans are ready to get the party started. (link)