M
BY DEBBIE EMERY
W
ith the MLB All-Star Game heading to Nationals Park on
July 17, there’s never been a more exciting time for baseball
fans in Washington, D.C.
And with Ryan Zimmerman having been drafted by the
Washington Nationals in 2005 — the same year the team
began calling our nation’s capital home — there’s no player
more synonymous with the Nationals.
Now playing under new manager, Dave Martinez, and new
hitting coach, Kevin Long, Zimmerman is coming off one of
the best seasons of his career and is ready to have another
statement year with hopes of returning to the All-Star game in
his home city.
The 33-year-old, who transitioned from third baseman to first
baseman in 2015, had a healthy off-season with no surgeries or
rehab, allowing him to simply focus on the job in hand when
the 2018 season began in late March.
Even with many of his teammates battling injuries last season,
the Nationals still won 97 out of 162 games, marking the
second-best record in their history.
SUMMER 2018
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
5 FLYWASHINGTON.COM