Alexandria not interested in Potomac Nationals – InsideNova
If there is any Alexandria Dukes irredentism, this news will come as a blow. The Potomac Nationals long quest for a new ballpark will not have them returning to the city of Alexandria.
Alexandria spokesman Craig Fifer wrote in an email that city staff determined that building a stadium for the Single-A club “would not be in the city’s long-term interests,” and Vice Mayor Justin Wilson confirmed that city leaders have heeded that advice and not pursued the P-Nats.
“Barring a property owner that seems enthusiastic about it and has the ability to make it happen, it’s probably not feasible for us at this time,” Wilson said in an interview. “But it was worth the exploration.”
As a city resident, I’m okay with this — a minor league team in Alexandria would have been fun, but I don’t know where they’d put it.
As previously noted, (ALEXANDRIA DUKES, POTOMAC NATIONALS AND A LITTLE IRONY) the P-nats were known as the and Dukes played at Four Mile Run Park in the late 1970s and early 1980s before moving to their current home in Prince William County. The shortcomings of Pfitzner Stadium are well established, but it’s a palace compared to the existing Four Mile Run Park, at least for a professional team.
The city is home to the Alexandria Aces, a collegiate summer baseball club, play 20 home games every summer at Frank Mann Field in Four Mile Run Park.
As for the Potomac Nationals franchise, good luck. I know that there have been many efforts to keep the team in Prince William County, but I am not familiar enough with that market to offer much insight. It’s certainly desirable for the big league Nationals to have a minor league team so close, but I haven’t gone to a game there in forever.