As a show of concern and solidarity the Washington Nationals have rescheduled their game against the Atlanta Braves as a result of the shooting which occurred during the morning hours on Monday at the Naval Sea Systems Command headquarters within blocks of Nationals Park.
The team released a statement the read as follows:
“All of us here in the Nationals organization were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic events that occurred this morning only a few blocks from Nationals Park. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. In light of the circumstances, we have decided to postpone tonight’s game against the Braves. The safety of our fans is our utmost priority. As we have throughout the day, the Nationals security personnel will continue to work closely with all levels of law enforcement to reinforce the already high level of security in place at Nationals Park and to ensure that our visitors always have a safe experience.”
The game is rescheduled for Tuesday where a day-night doubleheader will take place with the first game starting at 1:05 p.m. EST and the second game starting at 7:05 p.m. EST. While the Nationals will play two games against the Braves on Tuesday, separate admission is required for both games. Fans who were originally expected to attend Monday’s game will be able to use their tickets to attend Tuesday’s 1:05 game; however, if unable to attend that game fans have the option of attending any home game during the 2013 season or a game of any value during the 2014 season.
The general manager for the Nationals, Mike Rizzo, explained the detailed efforts that must go into the process for cancelling a game of such prominence. “There are a lot of [logistics] that go into cancelling a game for these reasons. We have to be in contact with federal authorities and the state D.C. authorities to have a coordinated effort, and then whenever you cancel a game, MLB is involved and we have to go through the correct procedures for that,” Rizzo said.
As important as baseball is to the American culture there are forces and powers that remain superior to sport. The pitcher for the Braves, Scott Downs, shared his sympathy and necessity to prioritize situations that happen in life. “Nobody is thinking about baseball. Baseball is a game. You look at the real-life perspective when things go on. That’s the last thing I want to do or any team wants to do, especially when something is going on five minutes down the road. You’ve got to tell your families how much you love them. They come to work and a tragedy like this happens. It’s hard to put into words. You just kind of got to go about your day and have their thoughts and prayers in your mind,” Scott Downs said.
[Image Via YouTube]