Nationals first-ever – For the first time in Washington Nationals history, about 25 fathers are joining players and traveling staff on a major-league road trip to Tampa Bay—complete with charter flights, a five-star hotel, and early access at Tropicana Field for this Father’s Day we
On Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park, the laughs came easy. Fathers and sons stood close together, adult beverages in hand, sharing a bond that felt familiar even before the weekend’s schedule fully kicked in.
Dave Irvin, Joey Lord and Tom Parker were three of the fathers in from out of state, soaking up the moment before Major League routines begin—this time, with their dads inside the machinery instead of waiting outside it.
“We speak the same language,” Lord said. It’s a baseball dialect, he added, one the dads plan to share all weekend as the Nationals travel to Tampa Bay for what the team is calling its first-ever fathers trip.
For the first time in team history. Washington Nationals players and traveling staff members are permitted to bring their dad on a big-league road trip. The access. according to a team spokesperson. is the kind typically reserved for those already embedded in The Show: charter flights. a five-star hotel. and behind-the-scenes opportunities built into the itinerary.
Parker said the idea landed in his inbox weeks ago. When he saw the agenda, he didn’t believe it at first.
“When I saw the agenda, I was like, ‘Is this for real? Are you serious?!’” Parker said. His son, Mitchell, is now in his third big-league season.
About 25 fathers made the trip, many meeting for the first time. The day off in Tampa is part of the release valve—Thursday includes a group dinner, time at the pool, and for many, a round of golf.
Then comes the baseball part: the dads will be in attendance for all three games at Tropicana Field this weekend, with early field access and a chance to play catch with their sons on a big-league field.
Lord called the weekend rewarding in a way he said doesn’t need explanation. His son Brad has emerged as the Nationals’ most valuable reliever.
“Just seeing him play is rewarding enough,” Lord said. “To come do this for a Father’s Day weekend is even more special.”
The team spokesperson said the fathers trip has been in the works for years, with Nationals Executive Director of Player and Family Relations Shawn Bertani taking charge, along with Director of Team Travel Kenny Diaz.
For Foster Griffin, it’s the type of insight that doesn’t happen during a regular season. Griffin, a starting pitcher, said it’s “cool for the dads to be able to get a bit of insight on what we do day in and day out.” His father, Fred, came in from Orlando.
“When I was younger, I got to go to work with him and it’s pretty cool to see it on the opposite side and have him come to work with us and see what we do and live our life a little bit,” Griffin said.
Not all family schedules align neatly with the calendar. Dave Irvin traveled from Minnesota even though his son Jake is still working his way back from a shoulder injury.
Irvin said he had already mapped out the rotation weeks ago—then, in true “father-of-a-pitcher form,” figured Jake would have pitched on Father’s Day. The injury will keep Jake sidelined, but the weekend’s excitement hasn’t faded.
Irvin still leaned into the emotional payoff. Jake said that for families who grow up around baseball, the bond is special—something every player with his dad present remembers.
“Every single guy that has their dad here. that was a special bond growing up with the game of baseball. ” Jake said. “We’ve done a great job creating a family atmosphere this year and I think getting to know each other away from the ballpark a little bit more. there’s no better way to do it than with actual family.”.
The injury changes what Jake can do this weekend, but it doesn’t take away what Jake’s father expects to feel. Dave described the ordinary shape of fatherhood in baseball: as kids move from youth fields to higher levels, dads can become more distant—more fan than participant.
“But this weekend,” he said, “that changes for a few days. I’m so excited to again be a part of the group, and be a part of the fraternity, and experience what Jake experiences.”
When he came to the ballpark Wednesday, Dave said he was overwhelmed by a mix of joy and pride that comes with seeing your son make a career out of the thing you both loved.
For the players, the weekend is also a kind of return on all those early sacrifices. Gus Varland, a Nationals reliever, said his father, Wade, traveled from Minnesota and arrived “beyond pumped.”
“We didn’t have much growing up but my parents gave us everything they could. It means the world to have my dad be able to experience this. He is beyond pumped,” Varland said.
The trip’s big lesson, for everyone involved, may be simple: there’s life beyond the ballpark for a Major League player, and for a few days this Father’s Day, those dads get to see it firsthand—close enough to feel the rhythm, not just watch from the stands.
Washington Nationals fathers trip Tampa Bay Tropicana Field MLB Father’s Day players and dads