Nats’ star Ryan Zimmerman’s AP diary: Memories of day games

But not, as far as I can tell, of two Mondays:

For me, especially for day games, you can’t recreate walking through the tunnel—the sound, the sight, the feel.

For a 1 o’clock home game on a weekday — no batting practice — I usually leave my house at around 9:15, so I can get behind traffic. I drive in and get to the field by 9:45 or 10, and then I’m basically inside.

A quick breakfast, and I’m right into my routine.

Training room—anything I need to do there—and weight room. And then you’re pretty much getting ready: getting dressed for the game, hitting in the indoor batting cage underneath the stands. I also do all of my defensive daily work in those cages.

Nats’ Ryan Zimmerman’s AP diary: Is baseball that important?

Putting every team in Arizona in May? There would be so many variables and so many things that would have to be worked out that it’s hard to fathom that it would work.

One example: I get to the field at 2 o’clock to play a 7 o’clock game at night. If we’re not going to be able to have any crossover between teams, then say we’re playing Game 3 of a tripleheader at Chase Field that day—how much time do they have between games to disinfect the entire clubhouse?

Do I have a locker? Or do I just show up with my uniform on, AAU travel ball style? And then I just go right out to the field with my bag to start the game? Then you’re going to have people getting hurt.

We don’t get there at 2 o’clock for a 7 o’clock game just to get a chance to hang out with our friends. We have a whole process that we go through to prepare and get our bodies ready to play so we don’t get injured.

A commentary on the latest proposal for the season, from someone who’d be directly impacted by these proposals.

Ryan Zimmerman on electronic sign stealing: ‘It’s the greatest sin that you can do’

When the Nationals faced the Astros in the 2019 World Series, the public didn’t yet know Houston’s electronic sign-stealing scheme helped propel the club to its first championship just two years prior.

But less than two weeks after Washington beat the AL West champs in seven games and claimed a World Series title of their own, The Athletic reported that Houston had in fact been using a live camera feed to steal opposing catchers’ signs and report them back to their hitters in real time by banging on a trash can behind the dugout.

Although Houston was only found to have used the scheme in 2017 and not against Washington this past October, the Nationals changed up their signs frequently and used plastic cards to create intricate sets of signals that could be alternated from inning to inning or batter to batter.

Recently re-signed first baseman Ryan Zimmerman spoke with reporters on a conference call Tuesday just a few hours after the team made his new one-year deal official. When asked about his thoughts on the Astros scandal—one that has also stretched to Boston, where the Red Sox are being investigated for an alleged scheme they carried out in 2018—Zimmerman took a definitive stance against people within the game who use technology to steal signs.

I’d be inclined to find consorting with gamblers worse- but MLB has chosen to go all-in on that…..

He’s ‘Nat’ done yet: Virginia Beach’s Ryan Zimmerman reportedly signs one-year deal with Washington

WASHINGTON – Mr. National is not giving up his title – at least not in 2020.

In a story first reported by the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga, Virginia Beach’s Ryan Zimmerman has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. Howard Fendrich of the The Associated Press reports Zimmerman, the UVA Baseball Hall of Famer, will receive a $2 million base salary. Incentives, based upon the number of games played and plate appearances, could bring the figure to as high as $5 million. The AP reports the deal includes a full no-trade clause.

Zimmerman, who will turn 36 years-old this season, became an unrestricted free agent after the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship season.

Zimmerman holds Washington’s franchise records for hits, doubles, home runs and runs batted in. The Kellam High School product has spent his entire 15-year career with the Nationals. He’d stated, on multiple occasions, he wanted to continue playing past last season – a season that saw him win his first World Series

Sentimental of me, I suspect, but I’m inclined to think that for symbolic purposes it’s best to let Zimmerman stay with the team until he’s ready to retire.

Ryan Zimmerman trading his baseball glove for a much bigger glove today

“That was the most nervous I have ever been coming into something. I was terrified”