For the first time since 1971, major league baseball has returned to our nation's capital. The Washington Nationals become the last major league team to hold their hope opener when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight at RFK Stadium.

President George W. Bush is set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, reviving a tradition started by William Howard Taft in 1910. The scoreboard at RFK Stadium is set to light up a large 'W' in honor of the president which will match the style of the 'W' worn on the caps of the Nationals. Richard Nixon was the last president to throw out the first ball in Washington, DC back in 1969.

The Washington Senators left our nation's capital for Arlington, Texas after the 1971 season and became the Texas Rangers. They were managed by hall of fame outfielder Ted Williams. The Senators were plagued by a lack of success on the field and a lack of attendance off the field.

Now, tonight's Nationals game is the toughest ticket in town. The team sold over 1.8 million tickets before the season even started, well above what the franchise was seeing in attendance in Montreal. There is a lot of anticipation for tonight by both the fans and the players.

We know it's going to be a long day,' pitcher Zach Day told the Associated Press. 'But everybody's excited for the day to come.'

Third basemen Vinny Castilla added, 'We expect a lot of excitement. The fans are going to show up and root for us. They've been waiting for this for a long time.'

One thing will be different. The Senators had a long tradition of losing. The old saying used to be, 'First in war, first in peace and last in the American League.' The Nationals come into tonight's hope opener in first place in the National League East with a 5-4 record.