Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium

Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium, nicknamed "The Pfitz", is a stadium in the Coles Magisterial District of Prince William County, Virginia.[1] It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Potomac Nationals minor league baseball team who plan to move out in 2020. It was built in 1984. The stadium is near the McCoart Government Center, the offices of the Prince William County Service Authority and the Sean Connaughton Community Plaza. It holds 6,000 people.

"The Pfitz" redirects here. For other uses, see Pfitz (disambiguation).

Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium
Former namesDavis Ford Park (1984–1985)
Prince William County Stadium (1986–1995)
G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium (1996–2017)
Location7 County Complex Court
Woodbridge, Virginia 22192
Coordinates38°41′3″N 77°21′9″W
OwnerPrince William County Park Authority
OperatorPotomac Baseball LLC.
Capacity6,000
Record attendance10,789 (July 4, 2009)[1]
Field sizeLeft Field: 315
Center Field: 400
Right Field: 315
SurfacePatriot Bermuda Grass
ScoreboardDaktronics BA-2026
Construction
Broke ground1983
OpenedApril 19, 1984
Construction cost$2 million[2]
($4.92 million in 2019 dollars[3])
ArchitectHughes Group Architects[4]
Tenants
Potomac Nationals (CL) 1984–2019

Layout
The unique dugouts at Pfitzner Stadium prior to the addition of protective netting in 2018.

The fences at Pfitzner Stadium are 315 feet down the lines and 400 feet to straight-away center field. There is an electronic scoreboard in left-center field capable of displaying images as well as some video. The dugouts at the stadium are unusual in that they are located at field level, and prior to 2018 there was no fence or rail separating them from the field. However, as part of renovations completed following the 2017 season, netting was added in front of both the home and visiting dugouts.[5]

History

2011-2012 improvements

After the 2011 season, the field was redone to upgrade it to MLB specifications, as the previous field failed to meet those standards. This was done due to moving a series because of unsafe conditions.[6]

2012 fire

A one-alarm fire caused by an inside gas leak destroyed the facility's business offices on June 29, 2012. There were no fatalities or injuries. Other parts of the stadium, including the concession stands one level below the offices, were not damaged.[7] The fire put the Nationals' mascot Uncle Slam out of action for the remainder of the Carolina League season.[8]

Naming history

The stadium was originally known as Davis Ford Park before being renamed Prince William County Stadium in 1986 and then G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium in 1996.[9][10]

On May 3, 2018, the Potomac Nationals announced that as part of a sponsorship deal with Northwest Federal Credit Union, the stadium would be renamed Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. The naming rights deal also included the stadium's field tarp and bullpen picnic area.[11]

Potomac Nationals occupation

Departure of the Potomac Nationas

The Potomac Nationals, playing at Pfitzner Stadium since 1984, began seeking a better ballpark at least as early as 1998,[12] with various proposals made in 2000,[13] 2002,[14] 2005,[15] 2010,[16] 2011,[17] and 2016.[18][19][20]

In December 2016 reports emerged of a possible new Potomac Nationals stadium. Two County Supervisors said that team owner Art Silber told them Minor League Baseball is requiring the team to be out of Pfitzner Stadium by the end of the 2018 season.[21]

In June 2018, Potomac Nationals owner Art Silber announced that he had signed a letter of intent to build a new stadium in Fredericksburg, Virginia that would open in April 2020,[22] though the deal actually calls for the facility to be ready for public events by April 1, 2021.[23] The Potomac Nationals played their last regular season game at Pfitzner Stadium on August 29, 2019.[24][25]

References
  1. "Ballpark History | Potomac Nationals Pfitzner Stadium". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
  2. Bullis, Tim (July 1, 1998). "Owner Moving Cannons North". The Free Lance–Star. Fredericksburg, VA. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  3. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  4. "Addition Community Projects". Hughes Group Architects. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  5. "Potomac Nationals Announce Upgrades to Pfitzner Stadium for the 2018 Season". MiLB.com. March 28, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  6. Kerr, Byron (January 4, 2012). "Potomac Nationals Install New Grass Field at Pfitzner Stadium". Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  7. Kerr, Byron (June 29, 2012). "Potomac's Pfitzner Stadium Sustains Damage from Fire, All Employees Accounted For". Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  8. "Mascot Uncle Slam Placed on 60-Day DL". Minor League Baseball. July 6, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  9. Gignilliat, David (April 27, 2012). "All for Love of the Game". Northern Virginia Magazine. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. Anderson, Ruth (July 13, 2017). "Letter: Supervisor Ruth Anderson to vote no on P-Nats stadium deal". InsideNoVa.com. Rappahannock Media LLC. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. "P-Nats Announce Field Naming Rights Partnership with Northwest Federal Credit Union". milb.com. Potomac Nationals. May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  12. Shear, Michael D. (March 21, 1998). "Cannons Aim for Stadium in Fairfax". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  13. Eggen, Dan (November 1, 2000). "Cannons Set Sights on Fairfax". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  14. Weiss, Eric M. (July 4, 2002). "Stadium Deal to Keep Cannons in Pr. William". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  15. Campbell, Rich (February 14, 2005). "Cannons Make Name Change; New Stadium Also Will Be Built for the Potomac Nationals". The Washington Post. p. D04. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  16. Reichard, Kevin (September 27, 2010). "P-Nats, Prince William County working on new ballpark plan". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  17. Buske, Jennifer (August 1, 2011). "Aging Potomac Nationals' stadium field to get a makeover". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  18. Koma, Alex (December 14, 2016). "Potomac Nationals, Prince William County nearing stadium agreement". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  19. Koma, Alex (December 30, 2016). "New Potomac Nationals stadium construction may face hurdles". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  20. Rist, Hugh (February 16, 2016). "Potomac Nationals face 2018 deadline for new stadium". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  21. Koma, Alex (December 30, 2016). "New Potomac Nationals stadium construction may face hurdles". InsideNoVa.com. Leesburg, Virginia: Northern Virginia Media Services. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
  22. Hambrick, Greg (June 26, 2018). "Potomac Nationals announce plans for Fredericksburg stadium". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  23. Spedden, Zach (May 20, 2019). "Could Fredericksburg Ballpark Open in 2021?". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  24. Murillo, Mike (August 30, 2019). "Thanks for the memories: Potomac Nationals play last regular game in Prince William Co". WTOP-FM. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  25. "Corredor's Bomb Drives P-Nats to 5–1 Victory". MiLB.com. Potomac Nationals. August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
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