I am still reeling from yesterday’s announcement that Ryan Zimmerman has decided to retire after 17 years. I knew it was coming at some point in the near future, but I figured he’d give it another year with the addition of the universal DH or at least wait until after the lockout was over. I really want to say something profound or at the very least poignant and heartfelt, but I am struggling to find the words. So instead of waiting weeks for the news to really process and find the right words, here is my best attempt at thanking Ryan Zimmerman for changing my life.

“There’s not a team that I would have wanted to do with more than these guys. Like Mr. Lerner said, it was worth the wait. The fans, we grew up together. I came here when I was 20 years old, right out of college. You guys hadn’t had baseball in a long time. You were learning how to be fans again. I got guys that come up to me now that are 30 years old and say that I’ve been their favorite player since they were a little kid.” -Ryan Zimmerman in his speech during World Series parade

Zim is the reason that I became a Nationals fan. I was a die-hard UVA sports fan in the early 2000s and 3 days after the ‘Hoos were eliminated by Evansville in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, the newly-relocated Washington Nationals drafted Ryan Zimmerman #4 overall. At the time I was a rising junior in high school and a tepid Orioles fan. I’d only been following baseball for about two years. In 2005, the Orioles had gotten out to a hot start, but I just couldn’t quite fall in love with them, as exciting as Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts were. When Zim became the first National draftee, I had a reason to begin following the Nationals, a plucky team over exceeding expectations. By the time he debuted on September 1st, 2005, I was exclusively watching the Washington Nationals. By the end of that month, in which he hit .397 in 62 plate appearances, I was smitten. I was a Washington Nationals fan for life.

“And smokes one to left centerfield, his first major league hit! Zimmerman into second base with a double. And the crowd rising to their feet to cheer this rookie…” -Broadcast call on Zim’s first MLB hit on 9/2/2005 vs the Phillies

I went to my first Nationals game at RFK in 2006 and purchased my first shirsey, which I still have. I witnessed Alfonso Soriano hit two home runs in a loss to the Mets and even got lost driving in DC before illegally jumping a median to find my way back to the highway. In 2008 I was a freshman in college watching ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when the Nationals hosted the Braves to kick off the MLB Season. It was the inaugural game at Nats Park and the score was tied 2-2 when our hero stepped up. When his walk-off home run cleared the fence (I remember thinking it was a double off the bat), I jumped off my bed and ran down the halls of my dorm whooping and hollering- much to the consternation of my dormmates.

“Belted, deep left center… the ball game is over! Ryan Zimmerman has delivered… the happy ending for the Nationals in the first game of their beautiful new ballpark. Ryan Zimmerman with a game-ending home run!” -Jon Miller’s call on Zim’s 2008 Walk-off vs the Braves on Opening Night at Nats Park

I remember telling anyone who would listed in my college dining hall in the September of 2009 that the future was bright for the Nats despite being the worst team in baseball. We’d just drafted Stephen Strasburg the previous June, and we’d just won the Bryce Harper sweepstakes for the following draft. But above all, we had Ryan Zimmerman, the 2009 Silver Slugger and Gold Glove at third base. We had our captain and reinforcements were on the way. The highlight of that season was Zim’s 30-game hitting streak, which is still a Nationals record.

“And here he is in a 29-game hitting streak… 30, make it 30… And that’s the 14th time he has extended the streak in his first at-bat. Yeah, some guys look like an out, [but] he just looks like a hit.” -Broadcast call on Zim extended his hitting streak on 5/12/2009 vs the Giants.

Ryan Zimmerman continued to carry the team through the 2010 season, hitting .307 and cementing himself as Mr. Walkoff with his 5th and 6th game-ending home runs. 2011 was his first injury plagued year, but the time to carry the team on his shoulders by himself was coming to an end. Employee #11 was still the face of the franchise, but Strasburg was about to return from Tommy John and Bryce Harper was waiting in the wings Jayson Werth and Adam LaRoche arrived in free agency, and it looked like the Nats were right on the cusp of a winning team.

“Zimmerman… centerfield! How far? It is goneee! Zimmerman does it again!” -Broadcast call on Ryan Zimmerman’s sixth walk-off homer on 7/31/2010 vs Phillies

Ryan Zimmerman continued to produce as the Washington Nationals finally arrived in the playoff picture for 2012 and 2013 (the Nats ultimately failed to make playoffs in 2013), hitting over .275 with 25 homers in each season. But 2014 is when his career began to decline as a shoulder injury ended his time at third base, and plantar fasciitis became a recurring ailment for the rest of his career. He’d play no more than a 115 games in each of the next three seasons. His career appeared to be on the decline.

“Zimmerman to right field… into the corner and gone! It’s a homer! Mr. Walk-off with his 10th career, game ending home run!”-Broadcast calls on Ryan Zimmerman’s 10th walk-off homer on 5/19/2015 vs Yankees

But Ryan Zimmerman had other ideas in 2017 and that was the Year of the Ryanaissance. Zim put up career numbers at first base, hitting .303 with 36 home runs to lead the Nats to yet another NL East Title. Unfortunately they’d fall short in the playoffs again, and Zim would never again truly be a full-time starter due to injury. But we were blessed with special playoff moments in 2019, weren’t we? Zim’s bloop single started the rally vs Josh Hader in the Wild Card Game. His three-run blast in Game 4 of the NLDS vs the Dodgers helped force the now legendary Game 5. And of course, he hit the first World Series home run in franchise history.

“Dealt with plantar fasciitis earlier in the year and here’s one into center! Back at the wall and it is gone! Zimmerman tees off here in the second inning, it’s a 2-1 ballgame and that was blasted…” -Broadcast call on Ryan Zimmerman’s home run in Game 1 of the 2019 World Series vs the Astros

I grew up with Ryan Zimmerman as a National. Some of my darkest days came while being a Nats fan and he and the team was always there to provide me with a distraction from life’s greater problems. He saved me from being an Orioles fan. He’s the reason I got to not only witness 2019, but attend the 2019 World Series. Earlier that same year, I was given the chance by @DistrictDingers to attend Zim’s charity event and mingle with him and most of the team, which was one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do. I cannot express how much watching Ryan Zimmerman over the years has meant to me. Obviously it’s the end of an era for the Nats but it also feels like the end of an era for me personally. Whatever the future holds for the Nats and myself, I know my enjoyment of life was vastly improved by watching Zim and the Nats. And for that I thank him.