The scene at The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches was photographed at sunrise with the lake in the foreground and the stadium in the background.
From the Palm Beach Post, “Rick Greene, the West Palm Beach building official in charge of making sure they facility is safe, said he’s “very optimistic” The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will open on time.”
“They are going for a temporary CO which allows the public or individuals to move into a building because all life safety issues have been addressed,” said Greene, the city’s director of development services. He said the Astros and Nationals last week started receiving “stocking certificates” from the city, allowing the teams to move in equipment and furniture to their respective clubhouses. This week and next week, he said, the city could start issuing “TCOs”, known as temporary certificates of occupancy, for different buildings.
Speaking of The Ballpark at the Palm Beaches, Jim Bowden on his radio show and in a subsequent Tweet claimed the Nationals were over-budget in the construction, and would need to come out of pocket for all of the cost over-runs and in turn that was causing issues with spending money on players like Matt Wieters and Greg Holland.
#Nationals still have interest in both Wieters & Holland..but they are way over budget on Spring Training Complex making decision difficult
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) January 18, 2017
That Bowden tweet led to a Bryce Harper response via a Tweet.
Matt Wieters/Greg Holland > Team Store! #NatsNatsNatswoooooo https://t.co/aXPpp5qZLR
— Bryce Harper (@bryceharper3) January 18, 2017
Newly acquired outfielder, Adam Eaton, seconded the motion set forth by Harper, and he added the Natitude hashtag. Nice touch Adam Eaton!
Hmm… I second that..✋️ #Natitude #GoNats https://t.co/cn9KSmEqX3
— Adam Eaton (@AdamSpankyEaton) January 18, 2017
The Nationals responded to Bowden’s comments through Washington Post writer Chelsea Janes.
A Nats spokesperson said this: "One has nothing to do with the other. Our ST facility budget does not impact our ability to sign players."
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) January 18, 2017
That has not stopped Jim Bowden from harping on the Nats who he believes should take that money they were going to spend on Kenley Jansen and apply that towards Greg Holland and Matt Wieters. In Bowden’s opinion, an acquisition of “Both would put [the Nationals] over the top.”
Mike Rizzo has not been seen for several weeks in public which is nothing unusual, but we are hoping to see him sooner than later in finalizing some deals. Remember this quote from the Winter Meetings last month:
“The Lerner family has never curtailed us from doing a deal that improves the ballclub,” Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said at the Winter Meetings. “And I think that’s going to continue.”
Jayson Werth who is usually out-of-sight in the off-season made some very nice comments in support of Ivan Rodriguez who was named as a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. Pudge will be the first player in the Hall-of-Fame who will have the Washington Nationals listed on his plaque.
Wilson Ramos who apprenticed under Ivan Rodriguez in 2010 and 2011 with the Nationals wrote this, “Congratulations my brother well deserved you are an immortal thanks for everything you taught me @Pudge_Rodriguez”.
tfw the caller ID says "Cooperstown" pic.twitter.com/oxAMVpqDXy
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January 18, 2017
The Nationals off-season remains rather quiet since the acquisition of Adam Eaton in the blockbuster trade with the Chicago White Sox. The scene in NatsTown may seem quiet, but it was two years ago from tomorrow that Mike Rizzo made the biggest signing in the off-season as the Nationals acquired Max Scherzer.
