About 65 or so days after Livan Hernandez threw the first regular season pitch in Nationals history or about 95 or so days after Tony Armas Jr threw the first Spring Training pitch the Washington Nationals selected Ryan Zimmerman in the 2005 MLB draft. You never know exactly how it's going to go with draft picks but Ryan Zimmerman quickly showed himself to be major league ready, and foreshadowing the Nats strategy of bringing up players when they are ready not when they can squeeze an extra year out of them, he debuted the first of September that very same year. Pinch hitting for Jason Bergmann (last game 2010) trying to get a hit off of Jim Brower (last game 2007) He'd strikeout looking but that would be a rarity that first month. He'd end up with a .397 / . 419 / .569 line and generate a lot of excitement for what was to come.
What did come was a career both great and frustrating. Zimm would take a few years to develop, but when he did he was great. In 2009 and 2010 he'd put up a .299 / .375 / .518 line with Gold Glove defense and was in the argument for the best player in baseball. He'd never quite get back to this level again but one hallmark of his career was giving the Nats year after year of above average offense hitting .280-.300 with very good power and decent patience. He even got a knack for big hits late in games earning him the nickname Mr. Walk-off from fans*. For his career he's ended up with a .277 lifetime average and almost 300 home runs.
In 2008 though Zimm would hurt his shoulder and we'd get the first taste of the other hallmark of his career, injuries. Zimm would be hurt often and would miss a stupid amount of games for
someone that hung on for so long. In one stretch from 2014 to 2016 he'd
almost miss as many games (215) as play (271) and he'd only play one full
season after turning 28. A second shoulder injury in 2012 would lead to a 2013 off-season surgery
and basically end his career at third and he was no longer able to
throw the ball with any consistency or force. He'd find his way to the
OF then first to keep playing but the thing that made him one of the
best players in baseball, that sparkling defense, was now gone. Later
he'd battle plantar fasciitis that would keep him from running and limit him to PH for a while.
If one imagines what might have been, say averaging 150 games a year instead of 118, you have a player who'd have 2300+ hits instead of 1846, 350+ homers instead of 284, and 1300+ RBI instead of 1061. That's Top 100 players all time in homers and RBI and Top 150 in hits. That may not seem like much but think of the history of the game and how many players have taken the field. To be one of the 100 best offensive players of all time and play great defense? That's a Hall of Famer.
Of course you can play the what if game with anyone and "no injuries ever" is certainly a stretch, but if you figure he hits a little better not being hurt young it probably works out like so. That he had hall of fame talent is undeniable.
But more than the player on the field was what he represented off the field. He was the Nationals. He was the hope of the Nationals when the team was young. It's first 1st round draft pick and an immediate star who would drive in 100+ runs and almost win ROY at 21 in his 2nd season. He was the one of the only things to hang your hat on as the Nats bottomed out 2007-2009. The only good young everyday player when you were trying to convince yourself Jesus Flores or Lastings Milledge could join him. He was a sign of the good times to come in 2010-2011, with the career year in 2010 and the furious post-injury 2nd half in 2011. His signing that long term deal before 2012 made him the ever-present bedrock for a team that would be in the playoffs year after year from 2012-2018, as we watched some players come and go. Then finally he was the stand-in for all the long time long suffering fans during the break through title in 2019, the guy who was here, like you, for everything before.
If this is the end for Ryan Zimmerman (and you have to think it almost certainly is - I can't see him back unless the Nats make a real run at a division title next year and I can't see them trying to do that) he did everything he could for the team for a decade and a half. Taking those cortisone shots, hitting when he couldn't run, being placed wherever in the field the team could put him, signing hometown discount contracts to end his career. He is Mr. National, a player any team would want to have, and this team did.
*Does he deserve the moniker? Yes. His 11 GW home runs aren't the most ever (Thome had 13, a handful of of guys had 12) but he's the only guy with 10 or more that doesn't have 300 homers. In fact the lowest number of career homers for a guy with 10+ GW homers is 351 (Dick Allen)
10 comments:
Great remembrance. Thought he had one final grand slam in him yesterday but wasn’t to be. He’s the closest the Nats have to Cal and probably will be for a long time (if Soto sticks around he’ll probably be their Ted Williams).
There are so many great Zim moments but I think I will most fondly remember him hitting the first World Series homer in Nats history -- off of Gerrit Cole no less.
Down 2-0 in their first World Series game with Cole on the bump, the Nats looked like they might get swept. Instead the original Mr. Nat gave them life, showed Cole was beatable and gave them the winning margin. So fitting that their only good player for so many years was a key to their only title.
That homer he dunked in the flowers just over Zobrist in the '17 Division series
That sawed-off bloop single in the 8th inning off Hader in the '19 WC
Homer in game 4 vs LA that padded the lead
That diving catch vs STL
That homer off Cole in Game 1 to get them going
And so many more. A ton of huge moments.
Thanks for giving the man kudos. He isn't quite HoF but he was the stand-up player on the worst team in baseball for years --- and the quiet guy who led by not being a leader.
It's easy to forget how good his third base play was. Loved watching him at 3rd in his prime. Brooks Robinson-esque. No one expected Rendon to be good enough to replace him.
Is there a stat for streaky-ness? When he was hot, you had to drop what you were doing during his at bats.
It seems that MOST of his walk-offs came in the first half of his career (do I have that right?) and we came to expect him to be clutch. To the point that over the last 5 years of his career his failures in big situations disappointed. Or is that selective memory?
Rizzo has said that there is a place for him on the team if he wants it. After his opt-out in 2020 and the disappointment of this year, its easy to see why he doesn't want to close his career. One more good year, go out on a high note.
Perhaps last nite's final fan appreciation will help him decide to move on. I suspect his family are pushing for him to quit, to do something else. Seems they had something to do with the send off, and its kind of hard to come back after that kind of accolade.
ND- On the walk-offs, he had 7 at the end of the 2010 season, so you aren't wrong. But also he played over 40% of his career games by that point. As for his "clutchness" - that didn't really change - it bops around. He was particularly bad at it - even beyond his terrible year - in 2016 so that's why the "later on he sucked" probably sticks a little.
My take is that he and Rizzo have talked and Rizzo would take him back but Zimm is only interested in coming back if they really try in 2022, and Rizzo is interested in doing that (fill in all those places without sure things) but doesn't think the bosses are going to outlay the $ for that to happen.
I also think Rizzo sees the Lerners decision as perfectly reasonable. The kids performances and Stras' injury situation doesn't suggest they are ready to step back up to sure thing next year with a couple moves. The Braves are a good enough team to expect 90 wins. The Phillies and/or Mets are good enough to have a surprising year. The Marlins are probably going to put some money in FA (Trea Turner makes a lot of sense) and could take a step up. They need to get things right (and have the $ on hand) to keep Soto who is a HoF player who's going to enter FA young. Taking a breather for 2022, or just using the lack of Max to get one long term player and then seeing how the team shakes out, makes a lot of sense
My thoughts are that if the CBA results in a universal DH, he's back. Otherwise, he's going to enjoy his time in Great Falls and maybe take a front office position of some sort
But man he'll be sorely missed. He replaced Cal as my favorite ballplayer and it's hard to imagine another player becoming the face of the franchise like he did. Even Soto inking a longterm deal here would have trouble dethroning Mr National. I suspect #11 will be up on the concourse at Nats Park very soon
This is a great tribute piece Harper. Zim was one of Nats fans favorites, and just a plain Good Guy.
he gave us something to cheer for when the team was awful, love Zimm forever
Great piece Harper. Forget just how good Zim was especially considering how bad the Nats were. Dukes, Wily Mo Pena, Church, Milledge. So much of the Nats lineup was 1 hitter to worry about. As I recall, Austin Kearns was a key bat and barely hitting .230 during some of the early prime Zim years.
Then the team started the ugrades with Desmond, Willingham, Dunn, Soriano, LaRoche Werth etc.
I think my iconic Zim memory is watching him throw across his body to nail leader runner on a sacrifice bunt attempt.
The Nats also rode Zim really hard in his first few years and he had a long, long active game streak. I wonder if some of precautions with Stras stemmed from seeing Zim's body breakdown after he never rested when he first came up and of course pitcher vs. position player. But while everyone focuses on his injuries in his first few years he'd play every game at a tough position.
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