WASHINGTON — Navy Yard businesses are preparing for life with less baseball this season.
The Nationals were supposed to have their first game at Nationals Park on April 4th against the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Tuesday that would not happen as scheduled since league owners and the Major League Baseball Players Association remain in a labor dispute.
The two sides had until Tuesday to come to an agreement, before a lockout would lead to the cancellation of games for the 2022 MLB season.
Manfred said the first two series of the season, for all teams, have now been canceled.
“We want an agreement with the players association as quickly as possible,” he said.
The Nationals will now miss at least two games in DC. The earliest Nationals fans could see the team play in the District is April 7th.
Christopher Smith works as a bartender at Basebowl DC, a ramen and grill bar, less than a block away from the Nationals Park.
He said staff is disappointed at what has happened, but they’re hopeful for a resolution soon. He said, on game days, Basebowl sometimes will serve over 200 customers.
“We depend on the MLB and everything that they’re doing to make sure that we thrive as an organization,” Smith said.
Tap 99, a self-pour bar, opened across the street from Nationals Park in August.
Tap 99 Social Media Marketing Director Andy Hopkins said the business had been looking forward to experiencing its first opening day at its original scheduled time.
However, he added the businesses is trying not to get too down over what happened with the MLB.
Hopkins said with all the things to do now in Navy Yard, the bar expects to weather the storm of a delayed season.
“Definitely, we kind of pride ourselves in being the neighborhood spot in the Navy Yard, but we’re certainly looking forward to baseball being back,” he said.