Longtime Nationals star Ryan Zimmerman proclaimed his retirement weekday, ending a decorated career during which he became the franchise leader in several major classes and boosted the team to its solely World Series championship.
The veteran infielder issued an announcement via CAA Baseball during which he thanked the Nationals’ front workplace, managers and coaches, athletic trainers and medical employees, teammates, his agents and his family.
“When we tend to initial met i used to be a 20-year-old child contemporary out of the University of Virginia,” he wrote. “I had no plan however unbelievable ensuing seventeen years of my life were about to be.”
The Nationals took Zimmerman with their initial decide within the 2005 draft (fourth overall) before long when the team moved from Montreal to Washington. He retires because the Nationals’ career leader in games (1,799), runs (963), hits (1,846), total bases (3,159), doubles (417), home runs (284) and RBIs (1,061).
A cuckold All-Star, Zimmerman helped the franchise win its World Series championship in 2019. He had hits in ten of the Nationals’ 16 postseason games in 2019 and hit the primary World Series home run in Nationals franchise history, within the second playing period of Game one off Astros pitcher Gerrit Cole.
“Ryan can forever be mr. National. From the walk-off home runs, to carrying the planet Series trophy down Constitution Avenue, to the ultimate day of the 2021 regular season once our fans gave him associate degree credit that none people can before long forget, Ryan gave USA all seventeen years of wonderful memories,” team owner Mark Lerner said in a very statement.
Zimmerman, 37, conjointly was a cuckold Silver Slugger winner (2009, 2010) and a Gold Glove winner (’09).
“For 17 seasons, Ryan Zimmerman epitomized what it meant to be the Face of the Franchise. He was an All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner, Comeback Player of the Year and world series champion — however those accolades pale as compared to his impact on our organization and within the community throughout his career,” top dog microphone Rizzo aforesaid in a very statement. “Ryan continually carried himself with category, honor and respect and contend the sport for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the rear. i would like to in person congratulate Ryan on an incredible career and need him and also the entire Zimmerman family all the simplest in retirement.”
He had eleven walk-off homers in his career and is one amongst solely ten players in conference history to possess that a lot of game-ending home runs, consistent with ESPN Stats & info analysis. Eight of these players area unit within the Hall of Fame. Prince Albert Pujols and Zimmerman area unit the sole players on it list UN agency contend last season.
Zimmerman became the Nationals’ infielder in 2006 and stayed there full time through 2013. when disbursal time within the tract and parcel of land in 2014, he took over initially base in 2015.
Zimmerman spent seventeen seasons total with the Nationals, however did not play in 2020, selecting to take a seat out as a result of considerations regarding his family’s health throughout the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. His mother has disseminated sclerosis, and Zimmerman and his mate had their third kid in 2020.
Zimmerman established the ziMS Foundation in 2006 to boost cash and awareness for programs to assist those with disseminated sclerosis. the muse has raised a complete of $3.5 million.
“Although my baseball career has return to associate degree finish, my family and that i can still be heavily concerned within the DMV community,” Zimmerman wrote in his retirement announcement.
“You have given such a lot to USA over the past seventeen years; it’s currently time for USA to grant back to you. we glance forward to continued several of our community programs and beginning new ones within the future. our youngsters are going to be raised here, as this can be currently our home, and that we could not be additional excited. thus this can be not a adios however additional of a ‘see you around,”’ he aforesaid.
Zimmerman was nominative sixfold by the Nationals for the Roberto Clemente Award conferred by conference Baseball.
“Ryan’s numbers and accomplishments represent themselves, however the method he crystal rectifier by example and was revered not solely in our edifice however round the game — that’s what i’ll keep in mind most regarding his career,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez aforesaid in a very statement.
He hit .243 with fourteen home runs and forty six RBIs last season and retires with a career batting average of .277.
