WASHINGTON — As news broke that the Nationals Opening Day game was postponed due to COVID-19 contact tracing fans said they were disappointed and deflated.
“That's all I've been talking about is going to Opening Day today and last night I laid out all my clothes," season ticket holder Eloise Weidner said. "I'm dressed in my Max Scherzer jersey. I've been very excited, very excited."
Weidner said she went to the Nationals first home opener at RFK stadium in 2005 and had planned to go to Thursday’s game. She said as upsetting as it was the game wouldn’t happen, she said she was more so concerned for the sick players.
“I'm hoping that nobody is seriously ill, that was my first concern," Weidner said. "But then obviously very disappointed that the game is not happening today so yeah it's been kind of a rough hour or so."
Weidner said as a diehard fan she initially thought the announcement was an April Fool’s joke.
“Someone posted on Twitter this morning that Stephen Strasburg had torn an elbow tendon [and] was needing Tommy John surgery," she said. "I knew that was April Fool's right away right so I was assuming this was also April Fools but nope, it’s not, unfortunately.”
Bud McDonald, a diehard Nats fan, was also planning on attending Thursday’s game. He said as soon as heard the news, disappointment washed over him, especially since he said he paid top dollar for a ticket.
“With it being the first game with fans in so long and a big pitching matchup [I was excited] until I learned it was going to be postponed due to COVID issues and likely not the season opener anymore,” McDonald said.
McDonald said he had been so eager to go to this year's opening day, and paid several hundred dollars just for one ticket.
“It was about $500 a ticket for a good seat,” McDonald said.
While it's a heavy price to pay for a game that has not been rescheduled yet, both McDonald and Weidner said they will be there whenever the game is played.
I just love being there," Weidner said. "I love the atmosphere, I love the games, obviously. I just, I just love the whole ballpark experience. I love where it's located in D.C. I just love everything about it."