'Mr.National' Ryan Zimmerman Announces Retirement

After a 16-year career with the Washington Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday marked the end of an era in Washington D.C. as franchise star Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement.

The announcement came through CAA's Twitter account, Zimmerman's agent group.

Today, Ryan Zimmerman announces his retirement from the game of baseball. Thank you Ryan for all that you have done both on and off the field!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
A message from Employee No. 11 ...⁣
⁣ pic.twitter.com/BOwfsjS4Yo

— CAA Baseball (@CAA_Baseball) February 15, 2022

For the Washington Nationals, Zimmerman has been since the beginning. He was their first-ever draft pick following the Montreal Expos rebrand before 2005.

Zimmerman stayed with the Nationals through 100-loss seasons, and consecutive last-place finishes before finally reaching the World Series in 2019.

Throughout the early years, Zimmerman was a consistent force for the team due to his offensive contributions, which landed him Silver Slugger awards in 2009 and 2010.

His committed and patient nature in Washington earned him the nickname "Mr. National", which came to fruition in 2019, when he and the Nationals fan-base celebrated their first World Series victory.

"We've come a long way as an organization, as a city, and World Series champions," said Zimmerman, "Can't take it away ever, no one can take it away from you."

Zimmerman ended his time on the diamond hitting .277/.341/.475, with 284 home runs and 1061 RBI. Beyond his World Series ring and Silver Sluggers, Zimmerman was awarded a Golden Glove award in 2009 and made All-Star appearances in 2009 and 2017.

Against the Phillies, Zimmerman slashed .271/.334/.465 with 27 home runs.

In a few years, Zimmerman will be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot. His resume is an interesting case, one that will surely garner some attention. Though it's unlikely Zimmerman ends up in Cooperstown, his contributions as a community member will carry on his legacy forever.

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