Notes and quotes from Ryan Zimmerman’s recent MLB Network appearance and the Nats’ 20th anniversary celebration…
“From our first game at RFK, to Ryan Zimmerman’s walk-off to open Nationals Park, and of course [the] 2019 World Series, the last 20 years have been filled with so many amazing and memorable moments,” Mark D. Lerner, Managing Principal Owner of Washington’s Nationals, said in a press release kicking off the 20th anniversary celebration of the franchise’s history in the nation’s capital.
“The club has been has growing into what it is today. And while the players, the ballpark and even the logo have changed, our fans have remained constant, which is why we’re so excited to put them at the forefront of our 20th Anniversary celebration. We look forward to hearing their stories and to making many more with the next generation of our players and fans.”
Photo by Mitchell Layton/MLB Photos via Getty Images
While the Nationals are preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first season in D.C. in 2005, Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman, said in an MLB Network interview last week he thinks it was with the opening of Nationals Park in 2008 that the ballclub finally became relevant.
“I’ve always said getting a new stadium I think was the first in relevance for the Nationals’ franchise,” Zimmerman explained to hosts Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds. “RFK is a stadium that has a lot of history in D.C. and people loved it, but a baseball team needs to have their own stadium, it needs to be their identity, their home field, where their fans come, and I think even the area around it, the Navy Yard, has blossomed and grown so much over the last 20 years.
“Having that stadium and opening that stadium for that year was really the first year in my opinion of the organization, and we had some lean years at the beginning, but for a good decade there we were either in the playoffs or in the playoff hunt and it was a fun time for the fans and obviously for the players.”
While they started to establish their own identity a few seasons in, Zimmerman said he has been happy to see the team begin to embrace the franchise history in Montreal over the years.
“I think a lot of the guys I played with at the beginning of my career played in Montreal for a few years and talked about how much they loved the city,” he said.
Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
“At the beginning, I think the Nationals were trying to create their own identity and there was kind of that divide between the Expos and the Nationals and as time has gone on and I think this is a good thing we’ve sort of embraced the history of Montreal as well.”
Some of the players who made the move played an important role in the future All-Star and World Series champion’s career.
“At the very beginning, in the first year or two I had guys like Brian Schneider and Nick Johnson, and Royce Clayton helped me out at ton,” Zimmerman said, helping him adjust to the majors and learn how to be a professional and play the game the right way.
The veteran influence, Zimmerman said is something the current club could use, with a lot of young, talented players establishing themselves in the majors. But the former third and first baseman in D.C. likes what he sees on the roster right now.
“It’s been so much fun to be around and watch and get to know these young kids and I can truly say it’s fun to root for them because they are all good kids and they want to play the game the right way, they want to work hard, they want to get better. It’s funny, every single one you just showed [reacting to a video featuring CJ Abrams and James Wood, etc.] besides Dylan [Crews] is from that [Juan] Soto trade [with the Padres] that everyone freaked out about. So that turned out okay.”
Abrams, Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, and Jarlin Susana (and, yes, Luke Voit). It has turned out okay so far.
“I think they’re fun to watch,” of the current roster, “… and it takes me back up when I first started and I was just talking — I needed some veteran guys to help lead the way and teach me how to do things correctly, and I don’t make these decisions, but obviously I think we’re in need of some people like that.”
Zimmerman isn’t playing GM, but he is echoing what GM and President of Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez have said recently.
“If we can go out and get one or two impact guys— I mean, it’s a tough division, I’m not saying anything crazy, but it’s going to be fun to watch.”