World Series champion Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement on Feb. 15 after 16 years with the Nationals. As a result of spending his entire career in D.C., Zimmerman is one of the faces of D.C. sports.
During the 2019 World Series, Zimmerman hit .208, including 5 home runs. Zimmerman played a critical role in the Nationals’ World Series win. Zimmerman hit the first World Series home run in Nationals’ history. The home run was hit off of four-time all-star Gerrit Cole’s 97mph fastball, making Zimmerman’s run a monumental moment in the National’s franchise.
The Nationals drafted Zimmerman as their first pick during the 2005 draft. As a two-time all-star, two-time silver slugger, a golden glove recipient and a career batting average of .277, Zimmerman had 16 monumental years with the Nationals.
Zimmerman made an official statement via Twitter announcing his retirement.
“Ryan's numbers and accomplishments speak for themselves, but the way he led by example and was respected not only in our clubhouse but around the game,” Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said in a statement. “That is what I will remember most about his career.”
Off the field, Zimmerman founded the ziMS Foundation, which is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects the central nervous system. Zimmerman’s mother was diagnosed with MS in 1995.
“My family has given me the support to fulfill my dreams. The Washington Nationals have given me the opportunity to play the game that I love at the highest level in our nation’s capital,” Zimmerman said on his website. “I am thrilled to have launched a foundation that I hope can make a real impact in the life of my family as well as many others afflicted by MS.”
Since its founding, the ziMS Foundation has raised more than $3,500,000.
After 16 years in D.C., Zimmerman’s legacy will live on through the ziMS Foundation and, of course, the 2019 World Series.
