Nationals: Breaking Ground

District officials kicked off construction of the Washington Nationals new ballpark along the Anacostia River Thursday with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site.

The groundbreaking came just a day after Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced his decision to award the team to a group led by Bethesda real estate developer Ted Lerner. It begins a rush to build the 41,000-seat stadium, which bears a $611 million public-funded price tag, in time for the 2008 season.