Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals
2018 Washington Nationals season
Established in 1969
Based in Washington, D.C. since 2005
Team logoCap insignia
Major league affiliations


Current uniform
Retired numbers 42 (as Montreal Expos: 8, 10, 10, 30)
Colors
              
Name
Other nicknames
  • Nats
Ballpark
Major league titles
World Series titles (0) None
NL Pennants (0) None
East Division titles (5)
Front office
Owner(s) Ted Lerner
Manager Dave Martinez
General Manager Mike Rizzo
President of Baseball Operations Mike Rizzo

The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadium; since 2008 their home stadium has been Nationals Park on South Capitol Street in Southeast D.C., near the Anacostia River.[4]

The Nationals are the eighth major league franchise to be based in Washington, D.C., and the first since 1971. The current National League club was founded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos, part of the MLB expansion. The Expos were purchased by Major League Baseball in 2002,[5] and the team was renamed the Nationals and moved to Washington, D.C. before the 2005 season, marking the first franchise relocation in MLB since the third Washington Senators moved to Texas in 1971.

While the team initially struggled after moving to Washington, the Nationals have experienced considerable success in recent years, winning division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, although they have yet to advance out of the first round in the playoffs.[6] Two of the team's first overall picks in the MLB Draft, Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010, attracted new levels of attention to the team. At the time of his selection, Strasburg was called the "most-hyped pick in draft history," and Harper later became the youngest position player to be selected to the MLB All-Star Game.[7][8] Including their time in Montreal, the Nationals are one of two franchises, and the only one in the National League, never to have won a league pennant and played in a World Series, along with the Seattle Mariners of the American League.[9][10]

History

Early Baseball in Washington, DC

Multiple short-lived baseball franchises, including two named the Nationals, played in Washington with the National Association in the 1870s.[note 1] The first Washington Nationals team in a major league played in the American Association in 1884.[15] Another Washington Nationals team also played in the Union Association during its only season in 1884.[16] The first Washington Nationals of the National League played from 1886 to 1889.[17]

Washington Senators

The Washington Statesmen played in the American Association in 1891,[18] before jumping to the National League as the Senators the following season. The Washington Senators, who were often referred to as the Nationals,[19] played in the National League from 1892 to 1899. They were followed by another Washington Senators franchise in 1901, a charter member of the new American League, who were officially named the Washington Nationals from 1905 to 1956. The first American League Senators franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961 and became the Minnesota Twins. They were replaced that season by a second Senators franchise, who eventually moved to Arlington, Texas, after the 1971 season and became the Texas Rangers.


Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos, part of the MLB expansion, which included the Seattle Pilots (now the Milwaukee Brewers),[20] Kansas City Royals, and San Diego Padres. Based in Montreal, the Expos were the first Major League team in Canada.[21]

The majority-share owner was by Charles Bronfman, a major shareholder in Seagram. Named after the Expo 67 World's Fair, the Expos' initial home was Jarry Park. Managed by Gene Mauch, the team lost 110 games in their first season, coincidentally matching the Padres inaugural win-loss record, and continued to struggle during their first decade with sub-.500 seasons.

Starting in 1977, the team's home venue was Montreal's Olympic Stadium, built for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Two years later, the team won a franchise-high 95 games, finishing second in the National League East. The Expos began the 1980s with a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter, outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, third baseman Tim Wallach, and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson. The team won its only division championship in the strike-shortened split season of 1981, ending its season with a three games to two loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

The team spent most of the 1980s in the middle of the NL East pack, finishing in third or fourth place in eight out of nine seasons from 1982 to 1990. Buck Rodgers was hired as manager before the 1985 season and guided the Expos to a .500 or better record five times in six years, with the highlight coming in 1987, when they won 91 games. They finished third, but were just four games behind the division-winning Cardinals.

Bronfman sold the team to a consortium of owners in 1991, with Claude Brochu as the managing general partner.[22][23] Rodgers, at that time second only to Gene Mauch in number of Expos games managed, was replaced partway through the 1991 season. In May 1992, Felipe Alou, a member of the Expos organization since 1976, was promoted to manager, becoming the first Dominican-born manager in MLB history.[22] Alou would become the leader in Expos games managed, while guiding the team to winning records, including 1994, when the Expos, led by a talented group of players including Larry Walker, Moisés Alou, Marquis Grissom and Pedro Martínez, had the best record in the major leagues until the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike forced the cancellation of the remainder of the season. After the disappointment of 1994, Expos management began shedding its key players, and the team's fan support dwindled.

Brochu sold control of the team to Jeffrey Loria in 1999,[24][25] but Loria failed to close on a plan to build a new downtown ballpark, and did not reach an agreement on television and English radio broadcast contracts for the 2000 season, reducing the team's media coverage.

Proposed 2001 contraction

After the 2001 season, MLB considered revoking the team's franchise, along with either the Minnesota Twins or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[26][27] In November 2001, Major League Baseball's owners voted 28–2 to contract the league by two teams — according to various sources, the Expos and the Minnesota Twins, both of which reportedly voted against contraction.[28] Subsequently, the Boston Red Sox were sold to a partnership led by John W. Henry, owner of the Florida Marlins.[28][29] In order to clear the way for Henry's group to assume ownership of the Red Sox, Henry sold the Marlins to Loria, and MLB purchased the Expos from Loria.[28] However, the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, operator of the Metrodome, won an injunction requiring the Twins to play there in 2002.[28] Because MLB was unable to revoke the Twins franchise, it was compelled to keep both the Twins and Expos as part of the regular season schedule. In the collective bargaining agreement signed with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) in August 2002, contraction was prohibited until the end of the contract in 2006.[30] By that time, the Expos had become the Washington Nationals and the Twins had made sufficient progress towards the eventual building of a new baseball-specific stadium that contraction was no longer on the agenda.

Creation of the Washington Nationals

With contraction no longer an option for the immediate term, MLB began looking for a relocation site for the Expos. Some of the choices included Oklahoma City; Washington, D.C.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Monterrey, Mexico; Portland, Oregon; somewhere in Northern Virginia such as Arlington or Dulles; Norfolk, Virginia; Las Vegas; and Charlotte, North Carolina. Washington, D.C. and Virginia emerged as the front runners.

In both 2003 and 2004, the Expos played 22 of their home games in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium, and the remaining 59 in Montreal.

On September 29, 2004, MLB announced that the Expos would move to Washington, D.C. in 2005.[31][32]

The Expos played their final game on October 3 at Shea Stadium, losing by a score of 8–1 against the New York Mets, the same opponent that the Expos first faced at its start, 35 years earlier. On November 15, a lawsuit by the former team owners against MLB and former majority owner Jeffrey Loria was struck down by arbitrators, bringing to an end all legal actions that would impede a move. The owners of the other MLB teams approved the move to Washington in a 28–1 vote on December 3 (Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos cast the sole dissenting vote).

Washington baseball history revived

Numerous professional baseball teams have called Washington, D.C. home. The Washington Senators, a founding member of the American League (AL), played in the nation's capital from 1901 to 1960 before moving to Minnesota and becoming the Twins. The original Washington American League Base Ball Club was founded by three local businessmen: Edward J. Walsh, Benjamin Minor, and Harry Rapley. Clark Griffith was hired as manager in 1912 and became a part owner, accumulating majority shares in later years. The stadium, originally known as National Park and then American League Park, later became known as Griffith Stadium. With notable stars including Walter Johnson and Joe Cronin, the Senators won the 1924 World Series and pennants in 1925 and 1933. The franchise became more successful after moving to Minnesota for the 1961 season to be renamed the Minnesota Twins. A second Washington Senators team (1961–1971) had a winning record only once in its 11 years, although it featured slugger Frank Howard, who was inducted into the Ring of Fame at the new Nationals Park in 2016. This team was notable also because Ted Williams was manager in 1971. The expansion Senators moved to Arlington, Texas for the 1972 season and changed its name to the Texas Rangers. The city of Washington spent the next 33 years without a baseball team.

Although there was some sentiment to revive the name Senators when the Montreal Expos franchise moved to Washington in 2005, legal and political considerations factored into the choice of Nationals, a revival of the first American League franchise's official name used from 1901 to 1956.[33] Politicians and others in the District of Columbia objected to the name Senators because the District of Columbia does not have voting representation in Congress.[34] In addition, the Rangers still owned the rights to the Senators name,[35] although the Nationals were able to acquire the rights to the curly "W" logo from the Rangers.

Washington, D.C., mayor Anthony A. Williams supported the name "Washington Grays", in honor of the Negro-league team the Homestead Grays (1929–1950), which had been based in Pittsburgh, but played many of their home games in Washington. In the end, the team owners chose the name "Washington Nationals".[36]

Washington Nationals

Nationals versus the Cincinnati Reds in 2009 at Nationals Park

When Ted Lerner took over the club in mid-2006, he hired Stan Kasten as team president. Kasten was widely known as the architect of the Atlanta Braves before and during their run of 14 division titles. Kasten was also the general manager or president of many other Atlanta-area sports teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers. "The Plan", as it became known, was a long-range rebuilding and restructuring of the team from the ground up. This plan included investing in the farm system and the draft, and having a suitable team to go along with their new stadium.

In the front office, the Nationals hired the well-respected former Arizona scouting director Mike Rizzo to be the vice president of baseball operations, second in charge under then-general manager Jim Bowden.[37]

Thanks to back-to-back No. 1 picks of Stephen Strasburg (in 2009) and Bryce Harper (in 2010), and other strong moves to their farm system, the Nationals became a contending team by 2012, winning division titles in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017, but have lost in NLDS each time.[38] In April 2015, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that Nationals Park was selected by Major League Baseball to host the 2018 All Star Game.[39]

In 2016, the Nationals acquired Mets infielder Daniel Murphy, who has made the All Star Game in each of his two years as a National.[40]

On July 31, 2018, the Nationals set a scoring record with a 25-4 win over the Mets.

People of note

Managers

ManagerTenureRegular season[41]Post-season[42]Totals
WinsLossesWin %Best finishAppearancesWinsLossesWin %Series recordWinsLossesWin %
Frank Robinson2005–2006152172.46981–81, 5th (2005)—————152172.469
Manny Acta2007–2009158252.38573–89, 4th (2007)—————158252.385
Jim Riggleman2009–2011140172.44969–93, 5th (2010) [note 2]—————140172.449
John McLaren (interim)201121.667— [note 2]—————21.667
Davey Johnson2011–2013224183.55098–64, 1st (2012)201223.4000–1226186.549
Matt Williams2014–2015179145.55296–66, 1st (2014)201413.2500–1180148.549
Dusty Baker2016–2017192132.59397–65, 1st (2017)2016, 201746 .4000–2196138.587
Dave Martinez2018– present8280.50682–80, 2nd (2018)—————8280.506

Broadcasters

Current roster

Washington Nationals roster
Active roster Inactive roster Coaches/Other

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

60-day disabled list


40 active, 0 inactive

7- or 10-day disabled list
dagger Suspended list
# Personal leave
Roster and coaches updated October 10, 2018
Transactions • Depth chart

→ All MLB rosters

Baseball Hall of Famers

Washington Nationals Hall of Famers
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Montreal Expos

Gary Carter

Andre Dawson
Vladimir Guerrero

Randy Johnson
Pedro Martínez

Tony Pérez
Tim Raines

Dick Williams2

Washington Nationals

Frank Robinson1

Iván Rodríguez
  • Players and managers listed in bold are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Expos or Nationals cap insignia.
  • 1 – inducted as player; managed Expos/Nationals
  • 2 – inducted as manager, also played for Expos/Nationals or was manager

Ford C. Frick Award

Washington Nationals Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

Tom Cheek

Dave Van Horne
  • Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as broadcasters for the Expos or Nationals.

Retired numbers


Jackie
Robinson
2B
Retired 1997

During the franchise's period in Montreal, the Montreal Expos retired three numbers in honor of four players, plus Jackie Robinson's number 42 which was retired throughout all Major League Baseball in 1997.[43] Following the move to Washington, D.C., the numbers (except 42) were returned to circulation and remain in use as of 2016, although the "Team History" section of the Nationals' website continues to refer to the numbers as "retired."[43] After the Expos' departure from Montreal, the National Hockey League′s Montreal Canadiens hung a banner in Bell Centre honoring the Expos' retired numbers.

Ring of Honor

On August 10, 2010, the Nationals unveiled a "Ring of Honor"[note 3] at Nationals Park to honor National Baseball Hall of Fame members who had played "significant years" for the Washington Nationals, original Washington Senators (1901–1960), expansion Washington Senators (1961–1971), Homestead Grays, or Montreal Expos.[44][45] In late August 2016, the team dropped the criterion that an inductee be a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, also opening membership to "anyone who has made a significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C.";[45] the first inductee under the revised criteria was Frank Howard.[45]

The Nationals′ attempt to honor the Montreal-Washington franchise′s entire history in the Ring of Honor, as well as by tracking Montreal-Washington franchise records, is not without controversy; it has been criticized as "an embodiment of the team’s desire to find history before it can make much."[46] Although Nationals fans generally take little interest in the franchise′s Montreal years, some do appreciate acknowledging that the franchise has a history that predates its arrival in Washington, and former Expo Tim Raines received a warm round of applause from fans at Nationals Park at his induction ceremony on August 28, 2017, even though he had never even visited Washington, D.C., before, let alone played baseball there.[46][47] Some Montreal Expos fans express appreciation that the Nationals are honoring the Expos, and Expos players inducted into the Ring of Honor have expressed gratitude that the Nationals chose to include them, especially with no MLB team in Montreal to honor their careers.[47][48][49] However, few Nationals fans have taken an interest in franchise records, preferring to compare Nationals records with those of previous Washington MLB teams instead,[47] and a segment of Nationals fans actively opposes the inclusion of Expos history into that of the Nationals, taking the view that the Montreal years are irrelevant to Washington and that the team made a complete break with its past and started anew when it arrived in Washington, inheriting the history of the two Washington Senators teams rather than that of the Expos.[47] Similarly, Montreal Expos fans have taken little or no interest in the achievements of Nationals players, and some Expos fans strongly oppose the inclusion of former Expos in the Ring, taking the position that to do so is to co-opt the history of the Expos, which they say belongs solely in Montreal.[47]

Observers also have noted that the admission of the first Nationals player to the Ring of Honor, Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez,[46] although well-liked as a National, highlights another awkward aspect of the Ring of Honor's acceptance criteria, because Rodriguez's inclusion arose out of his admission to the National Baseball Hall of Fame based on his exploits for other teams, not out of anything he did during a 155-game, two-season stint with the Nationals at the end of his career in years in which the Nationals posted mediocre records. Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo responded that his inclusion had merit even based on his time with the Nationals, when he "taught us how to be a professional franchise."[46][50]

In a ceremony held at Nationals Park between games of a doubleheader on the evening of September 8, 2018, the Nationals inducted former outfielder Jayson Werth, who played for the Nationals from 2011 through 2017, into the Ring of Honor.[51][52] He became the first "true" National[46] – the first person based specifically on his career as a National – inducted into the Ring of Honor.[46]

The Ring of Honor includes:[44][45][53][54][55]

Washington Nationals Ring of Honor
Homestead Grays
No. Inductee Position Tenure Admitted
4Cool Papa BellCF1932, 1943–1946August 10, 2010
—Ray BrownP1932–1945
1947–1948		August 10, 2010
20Josh GibsonC1937–1946August 10, 2010
32Buck Leonard1B1934–1950August 10, 2010
—Cumberland PoseyOF/Manager/Owner
Club official		1911–1946August 10, 2010
—Jud Wilson3B1931–1932
1940–1945		August 10, 2010
Montreal Expos
No. Inductee Position Tenure Admitted
8Gary CarterC1974–1984, 1992August 10, 2010
10Andre DawsonCF1976–1986August 10, 2010
30Tim RainesLF1979–1990, 2001August 28, 2017
20Frank RobinsonManager2002–2004May 9, 2015
Washington Nationals
No. Inductee Position Tenure Admitted
20Frank RobinsonManager2005–2006May 9, 2015
7Iván "Pudge" RodríguezC2010–2011August 28, 2017
28Jayson WerthRF, LF2011-2017September 8, 2018
Washington Senators (original team, 1901–1960)
No. Inductee Position Tenure Admitted
4Joe CroninSS1928–1934August 10, 2010
8, 10, 37Rick FerrellC1937–1941
1944–1945, 1947		August 10, 2010
3, 5, 20Goose GoslinLF1921–1930
1933, 1938		August 10, 2010
—Clark GriffithP
Owner		1912–1914
1920–1955		August 10, 2010
28, 30, 35, 50Bucky Harris2B
Manager		2B: 1919–1928 
Manager: 1924–1928,
1935–1942, 1950–1954		August 10, 2010
—Walter JohnsonP1907–1927August 10, 2010
3, 12, 25Harmon Killebrew1B1954–1960August 10, 2010
2, 3Heinie ManushLF1930–1935August 10, 2010
2, 22Sam RiceRF1915–1933August 10, 2010
11, 20, 26, 44Early WynnP1939–1944
1946–1948		August 10, 2010
Washington Senators (expansion team, 1961–1971)
No. Inductee Position Tenure Admitted
—Bucky HarrisScout/Special Assistant1963–1971August 10, 2010
9, 33Frank HowardLF/1B1965–1971August 26, 2016

Attendance and fans

Attendance

Source: [56]

Season Stadium Season Total Rank in
National League		 Game
Average
2005 RFK Stadium 2,731,993 8th (of 16) 33,651
2006 RFK Stadium 2,153,056 11th (of 16) 26,582
2007 RFK Stadium 1,943,812 14th (of 16) 24,217
2008 Nationals Park 2,320,400 13th (of 16) 29,005
2009 Nationals Park 1,817,226 13th (of 16) 22,716
2010 Nationals Park 1,828,066 14th (of 16) 22,569
2011 Nationals Park 1,940,478 14th (of 16) 24,256
2012 Nationals Park 2,370,794 9th (of 16) 30,010
2013 Nationals Park 2,652,422 6th (of 15) 32,746
2014 Nationals Park 2,579,389 7th (of 15) 31,844
2015 Nationals Park 2,619,843 5th (of 15) 32,344
2016 Nationals Park 2,481,938 7th (of 15) 30,641
2017 Nationals Park 2,524,980 7th (of 15) 31,172
2018 Nationals Park 2,529,604 8th (of 15) 31,230

Prominent fans

"Rubber Chicken Man" Hugh Kaufman cheers on the Washington Nationals with baseball writer Paul Dickson. Kaufman waves a rubber chicken over the Nats' dugout to ward off bad luck, and sometimes ritually "sacrifices" them to improve team performance.

One prominent fan is "Rubber Chicken Man" Hugh Kaufman, who waves a rubber chicken over the dugout to ward off "JuJu". Local sports writers have noted that his ritual "sacrifices" of rubber chickens often precede turnarounds in the Nationals' performance.[57] Kaufman has built a following at the Stadium and in 2013 started a group called the "Secret Society of the Rubber Chicken" that now claims several Nationals players among its members.[58]

Season standings

Standings updated on September 30, 2018.

MLB
season		 Team
season		 League[59] Division[59] Regular season Postseason Awards
Finish Wins Losses Win% GB
2005 2005 NL East 5th 81 81 .500 9 — Chad Cordero—Rolaids Relief Man
2006 2006 NL East 5th 71 91 .438 26 — Alfonso Soriano—Silver Slugger
2007 2007 NL East 4th 73 89 .451 18 — Dmitri Young—Players Choice Award National League Comeback Player[60]
2008 2008 NL East 5th 59 102 .366 32½ — —
2009 2009 NL East 5th 59 103 .364 34 — Ryan Zimmerman—Gold Glove and Silver Slugger
2010 2010 NL East 5th 69 93 .426 28 — Ryan Zimmerman—Silver Slugger
2011 2011 NL East 3rd 80 81 .497 21½ — —
2012 2012 NL East 1st 98 64 .605 — Won NL East Division by 4 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Cardinals Adam LaRoche—Silver Slugger and Gold Glove
Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger
Stephen Strasburg—Silver Slugger
Bryce Harper—National League Rookie of the Year
Davey Johnson—National League Manager of the Year
2013 2013 NL East 2nd 86 76 .531 10 — Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger
2014 2014 NL East 1st 96 66 .593 — Won NL East Division by 17 games; Lost NLDS 1–3 vs. Giants Ian Desmond—Silver Slugger
Anthony Rendon—Silver Slugger
Wilson Ramos—Tony Conigliaro Award
Matt Williams—National League Manager of the Year
2015 2015 NL East 2nd 83 79 .512 7 — Bryce Harper—National League Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger, Hank Aaron Award, Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Player, Esurance MLB Awards for Best Major Leaguer and Best Everyday Player
2016 2016 NL East 1st 95 67 .586 — Won NL East Division by 8 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Dodgers Daniel Murphy—Silver Slugger and Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Player
Wilson Ramos—Silver Slugger
Max Scherzer— National League Cy Young Award, Esurance MLB Awards for Best Pitcher and Best Performance
Anthony Rendon—National League Comeback Player of the Year
2017 2017 NL East 1st 97 65 .599 — Won NL East Division by 20 games; Lost NLDS 2–3 vs. Cubs Daniel Murphy—Silver Slugger
Max Scherzer—National League Cy Young Award, Players Choice Award National League Outstanding Pitcher
Ryan Zimmerman—Players Choice Award National League Comeback Player
2018 2018 NL East 2nd 82 80 .506 8 —
2019 2019 NL East Season scheduled for March 28–September 29, 2019.

Bold denotes a playoff season, pennant or championship; italics denote an active season.

Spring training

The Nationals hold spring training in Florida, where they play their annual slate of Grapefruit League games. From 2005 through 2016, they held spring training at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, a facility that they inherited from the Expos. In 2017, the Nationals moved their spring training operations to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, a new facility they share with the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach, Florida; they played their first Grapefruit League game there on February 28, 2017. On February 16, 2018, it was renamed FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches after the Nationals and Astros signed a 12-year deal for the naming rights to the stadium that day with FITTEAM, an event brand partnership and organic products firm located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.[61]

Minor league affiliations

On September 18, 2018, the Nationals and the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League announced that they had stuck a two-year player-development deal that make Fresno the Nationals' Class AAA affiliate beginning in the 2019 season.[62]

Level Team League Location
AAA Fresno Grizzlies Pacific Coast League Fresno, California
AA Harrisburg Senators Eastern League Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Advanced A Potomac Nationals Carolina League Woodbridge, Virginia
A Hagerstown Suns South Atlantic League Hagerstown, Maryland
Short Season A Auburn Doubledays New York–Penn League Auburn, New York
Rookie GCL Nationals Gulf Coast League West Palm Beach, Florida
DSL Nationals Dominican Summer League Dominican Republic

Former affiliates

Level League Team (Seasons)
AAA American Association Indianapolis Indians (1984–1992)
Wichita Aeros (1982–1983)
Denver Bears (1976–1981)
International League Syracuse Chiefs (2009–2018)
Columbus Clippers (2007–2008)
Ottawa Lynx (1993–2002)
Memphis Blues (1974–1975)
Peninsula Whips (1972–1973)
Winnipeg Whips (1970–1971)
Buffalo Bisons (1970)
Pacific Coast League New Orleans Zephyrs (2005–2006)
Edmonton Trappers (2003–2004)
Vancouver Mounties (1969)
AA Eastern League Quebec Metros (1976–1977)
Quebec Carnavals (1971–1975)
Southern League Memphis Chicks (1978–1983)
Jacksonville Suns (1970, 1984–1990)
A California League San Jose Expos (1982)
Carolina League Kinston Expos (1974)
Florida State League Brevard County Manatees (2002–2004)
Jupiter Hammerheads (1998–2001)
West Palm Beach Expos (1969–1997)
Midwest League Clinton Lumber Kings (2001–2002)
Burlington Bees (1993–1994)
Rockford Expos (1988–1992)
Burlington Expos (1986–1987)
South Atlantic League Savannah Sand Gnats (2003–2006)
Cape Fear Crocs (1997–2000)
Delmarva Shorebirds (1996)
Albany Polecats (1992, 1995)
Sumter Flyers (1991)
Gastonia Expos (1983–1984)
Short Season A New York–Penn League Vermont Expos/Lake Monsters (1994–2010)
Jamestown Falcons/Expos (1973, 1977–1993)
Northern League Watertown Expos (1970–1971)

Nationals Dream Foundation

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation is the team's charity which is "committed to community partnerships that improve the lives of children and families across the Washington Capital Region. The foundation opened a youth baseball academy in partnership with the D.C. government,[63] and a pediatric diabetes care center at Children's National Medical Center in partnership with the Center. The foundation also provides grants to local organizations.[64]

On August 1, 2011, the foundation, in partnership with several local organizations, formally opened Miracle Field in Germantown, Maryland as part of an effort to encourage athletic activity in children with "mental and/or physical challenges."[65] According to Steven Miller of MLB.com, what sets Miracle Field apart in terms of safety is its unique design, as it "is made entirely of a cushioned synthetic turf that is five-eighths of an inch thick-- providing a safe surface for children in wheelchairs or with other handicaps." [66]

Radio and television

Mascots dressed as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln in the stands during a 2010 game against the Baltimore Orioles. They compete in the Presidents Race every mid-fourth inning of a home game.

The Nationals' flagship radio station is WJFK-FM (106.7 FM) "The Fan", which is owned by Entercom. Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are the play-by-play announcers. WJFK fronts a radio network of 19 stations serving portions of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Delaware as well as the District.

WFED (1500 AM) had been the flagship station since the 2006 season until a multi-year agreement was reached between the Nationals and WJFK before the 2011 season. WFED remains on the network as an affiliate; its 50 kilowatt clear-channel signal allows the Nationals' home-team call to be heard up and down the East Coast.[67][68]

WWZZ (104.1 FM), which carried games in the 2005 season, was the team's first flagship radio station.[69]

Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) televises all games not picked up by one of MLB's national television partners. Bob Carpenter has been the TV play-by-play announcer since 2006 and F.P. Santangelo was hired in January 2011 as color analyst.[70] Mel Proctor was the TV play-by-announcer in 2005, and former color analysts are Ron Darling (2005), Tom Paciorek (2006), Don Sutton (2007–2008), and Rob Dibble, who took over the job in 2009 and was fired in September 2010 after criticizing Stephen Strasburg for not pitching while injured. Ray Knight filled in as color analyst in September 2010 after Dibble was fired.[70] [70][71]

Previously, WDCA (channel 20) carried 76 games in the 2005 season while the newly founded MASN was still negotiating cable carriage.[72] From 2009 through 2017, MASN syndicated a package of 20 games for simulcast on an over-the-air television station in Washington. Broadcast partners under this arrangement were WDCW (channel 50) from 2009 through 2012 and CBS affiliate WUSA (channel 9) from 2013 through 2017.[73][74] MASN did not continue the syndication deal for the 2018 season.[75]

In the midst of a season in which they finished with the worst record in Major League Baseball, the Nationals′ television ratings were among the worst in the National League in July 2008[76][77] but increased during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.[78][79] Since 2012, when they began to achieve consistent success on the field, their television viewership has grown continually and dramatically. By 2016, the Nationals′ prime-time television ratings were 15th highest among the 29 U.S. MLB teams, and they rose to 12th in 2017.[80]

Rivalries

Baltimore Orioles (Beltway Series)

The Nationals have an interleague rivalry with the nearby Baltimore Orioles, which is nicknamed the Beltway Series. The teams have played two series a season – one in Baltimore and one in Washington – since 2006.

Notes

  1. ↑ They were: the Washington Olympics for 41 games in 1871-1872,[11] the Washington Nationals for 11 games in 1872,[12] the Washington Blue Legs for 39 games in 1873,[13] and a different Washington Nationals franchise for 28 games in 1875.[14]
  2. 1 2 During 2011, Riggleman and McLaren combined with Davey Johnson for an 80-81 (.497), third-place finish. Riggleman′s record in 2011 was 38–37 (.507), McLaren′s was 2–1 (.667), and Johnson′s was 40–43 (.482).
  3. ↑ The Ring of Honor should not be confused with the Washington Hall of Stars.
  1. a RFK Stadium Fast Facts

References

  1. ↑ Ladson, Bill (November 10, 2010). "Nationals unveil new jerseys in fashion show". Nationals.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2018. The MLB silhouette batter colors have changed to red white and blue.
  2. ↑ "Name Game" (PDF). 2018 Washington Nationals Media Guide. MLB Advanced Media. March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018. (Subscription required (help)). At a ceremony held Nov. 22, 2004 in the historic Main Hall at Union Station, (then) team president Tony Tavares announced the new Washington MLB franchise would be named the Washington Nationals and the color scheme would consist of red, white and blue.
  3. ↑ "2018 Washington Nationals Style Guide". Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. January 25, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ Phillips, Michael (March 29, 2008). "Nationals victorious in stadium debut". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ Fainaru, Steve (June 28, 2004). "Expos for Sale: Team Becomes Pawn of Selig". The Washington Post. p. A01. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  6. ↑ Collier, Jamal; Shiferaw, Daniel (September 10, 2017). "Nats' crown-clinching win worth the wait". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
  7. ↑ Wieberg, Steve (July 9, 2012). "Bryce Harper, Mike Trout lead young All-Star Game rosters". USA Today. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Crasnick: Starting 9 -- Bryce Harper, you're next". ESPN.com. 2010-06-02. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  9. ↑ martinstezano (August 26, 2015). "6 Things You May Not Know About the World Series". A&E Television Networks, LLC. History Channel. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ "World Series Club History". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Washington Olympics Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Washington Nationals Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". BaseballReference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Washington Blue Legs Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". BaseballReference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Washington Nationals Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". BaseballReference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Washington Nationals Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  16. ↑ "1884 Washington Nationals - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Washington Nationals Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Washington Statesmen Team History & Encyclopedia | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  19. ↑ Kelly, John (October 6, 2012). "Senators? Nationals? Nats? What's in a name?". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2018. Pre-1957, the names were often used interchangeably.
  20. ↑ "Brewers Timeline". Brewers.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Franchise Timeline". Nationals.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  22. 1 2 Montreal Expos (1996). Expos Media Guide 1996.
  23. ↑ Blair, Jeff (June 15, 1991). "Brochu group goes to bat for baseball survival here; Expos sale official as Bronfman era ends". Montreal Gazette. pp. C.1.
  24. ↑ Montreal Expos (2000). Expos Media Guide 2000.
  25. ↑ Blair, Jeff (December 10, 1999). "Expos to field better team, Loria says Ebullient new chairman vows to increase salary limit, build new ballpark for 2002 season". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail. pp. S.1.
  26. ↑ "Gwynn lost chance at .400; Expos denied playoff berth". CNN. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Labor Pains – A guide to Major League Baseball's contraction issue". infoplease.com. Retrieved September 24, 2010.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Schoenfield, David (February 5, 2002). "Still 30 teams: Contraction timeline". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 19, 2009.
  29. ↑ Mnookin, Seth (2006). Feeding the Monster. How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-8681-2.
  30. ↑ Singer, Tom (August 30, 2002). "Deal in place, games go on". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on October 4, 2002. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  31. ↑ Myles, Stephanie (September 30, 2004). "31,395 say goodbye". Montreal Gazette. pp. C1.
  32. ↑ Bloom, Barry M. (September 29, 2004). "MLB selects D.C. for Expos". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Bringing American Democracy to America's Capital". DCVote.org. May 1, 2005. Retrieved June 16, 2018. The link between baseball and the DC voting rights movement is a natural one. The decision to name the new Washington-area major league team the Nationals instead of the Senators (the name of DC's former baseball team) stems directly from the District's more than 200-year history of being denied voting rights in Congress. (Re-naming the team The Senators would have been something akin to a sick joke, given the District's disenfranchisement.)
  34. ↑ Plotkin, Mark (October 3, 2004). "The District's Senators Shouldn't Wear Cleats". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  35. ↑ "In Washington, it'll be "Let's go Nats"". USA Today. November 22, 2004.
  36. ↑ Ladson, Bill (November 22, 2004). "D.C.'s team to be the Nationals". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved April 9, 2017.
  37. ↑ Barry Svrluga (June 5, 2007). "Nationals Counting on Draft-Day Payoff". Washington Post. p. E01.
  38. ↑ "Nationals pick JUCO player first overall". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  39. ↑ Axisa, Mike. "Nationals Park to host 2018 All-Star Game". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Daniel Murphy Stats | Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  41. ↑ "Nationals Year-By-Year Results". Washington Nationals. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Postseason Results". Washington Nationals. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
  43. 1 2 "Franchise Retired Numbers". Nationals.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  44. 1 2 "Washington Nationals Pay Tribute to Hall of Famers with Ring of Honor". Washington Nationals. August 10, 2010.
  45. 1 2 3 4 Steinberg, Dan. "Senators legend Frank Howard is humbled and thrilled to enter the Nats' Ring of Honor". Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  46. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Janes, Chelsea, "On Jayson Werth night, former outfielder reminds Nationals of better days," washingtonpost.com, September 8, 2018, 10:41 p.m. EDT Retrieved September 9, 2018
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  48. ↑ "It meant a great deal to Gary Carter, Andre Dawson and Frank Robinson that the Nationals recognized them". FederalBaseball.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  49. ↑ Kerr, Byron. "Rodríguez and Raines proud of Nats Ring of Honor induction". MASNSports.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  50. ↑ Allen, Scott (August 24, 2017). "Nats Park Ring of Honor adding two new players (who combined to play 155 games in D.C.)". Retrieved September 30, 2017 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  51. ↑ Woodfork, Rob, "Werth to be added to Nats Ring of Honor," wtop.com, July 13, 2018, 3:44 a.m. EDT Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  52. ↑ Woodfork, Rob (July 13, 2018). "Werth to be added to Nats Ring of Honor". WTOP News. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  53. ↑ Anonymous, "'Bucky' Harris field no longer a dream" The Times Leader, October 21, 2007
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  58. ↑ Presidents Race Fan. "Davey Johnson calls for the sacrifice. Chicken Man delivers". LetTeddyWin.com.
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  60. ↑ Bill Ladson (October 26, 2007). "Young honored by Players Association". MLB.com. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  61. ↑ Doris, Tony, "New first name for Ballpark of the Palm Beaches: Fitteam," February 16, 2018, 3:35 p.m. EST.
  62. ↑ Warszawski, Marek, "Fresno Grizzlies become Triple-A club of Washington Nationals," fresnobee.com, September 18, 2018, 02:00 PM, Retrieved September 18, 2018
  63. ↑ "Washington Nationals to unveil Youth Baseball Academy in Southeast D.C." washingtonpost.com. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  64. ↑ "Nationals Dream Foundation". Washington Nationals. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  65. ↑ "Washington Nationals Join Civic, Community Organizations to Build Miracle Field". MLB.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  66. ↑ Miller, Steven (August 1, 2011). "Nationals unveil Miracle League Field". Nationals.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
  67. ↑ "Nats, Post Radio Nearing Deal To Air Games". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
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  71. ↑ "Rob Dibble Fired by Nationals in Wake of Stephen Strasburg Comments". AOL.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2011. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  72. ↑ "WDCA will air 76 Nats games". Washington Times. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
  73. ↑ "Nats on WUSA9 2017 Schedule". WUSA.
  74. ↑ "105 Nationals Games In HD On MASN In 2009". Nats320. 13 February 2009.
  75. ↑ Bogage, Jacob, "Nationals, Orioles games won’t air regularly on local broadcast TV," washingtonpost.com, March 29, 2018.
  76. ↑ Steinberg, Dan (July 7, 2008). "Nats: Last in the League, Last in TV Ratings". Washington Post.
  77. ↑ OURAND, JOHN (July 7, 2008). "MLB ratings down, but networks look ahead". Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets		 National League Eastern Division champions
1981 (as Montreal Expos)
2012
2014
2016, 2017		 Succeeded by
St. Louis Cardinals
Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
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