Introducing the 20th anniversary series by recalling iconic players and moments in Nationals history
As we head into the 20th year of Nationals baseball, we will look back at the iconic moments and players that made this franchise what it is today. With that in mind, there is no other place to start than with a moment by the franchises most iconic player, Ryan Zimmerman. Let’s rewind the clock back to March 30th, 2008, and re-live the moment when employee number 11 opened up Nationals Park.
Moving out of RFK Stadium and into Nationals Park was a statement of intent, that the Nationals were here to stay. The then state of the art stadium was a shining light to the baseball world that the games national pastime was not leaving the nations capital again. With the Nationals entering their fourth year, they were still a ways away from becoming competitive on the field, but the ballpark signaled the arrival of a young, ambitious franchise.
The face of the young franchise was none other than fresh faced third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. He was batting third in the lineup, and was already a fan at just 23 years old. In the bottom of the ninth, with two outs, Zimmerman came to the plate looking for his first hit of the night.
On a 1-0 pitch from Peter Moylan, he delivered. Zimmerman smoked a ball into left centerfield, into the red seats, above the wall that said welcome home. Charlie Slowes gave an iconic call, while Nationals park went into pandemonium. The Nationals had won their first ever game in their brand new stadium.
They would not go on to win many more games, finishing the season with a dismal 59-102 record. However, for that one night, we saw how electric baseball could be in the nations capital. The home run was a sign of brighter days, even if Nationals fans had to wait a number of years to see them.