To some of you it may seem like yesterday when a young Ryan Zimmerman played in his first game as a Nat, back on September 1, 2005. But in fact Zimmerman has played in 997 games for the Nationals. Ever since that first game Zimmerman has been the face of the franchise.
The 28 year-old Zimmerman will play in his 1,000th game for the Nats this Friday evening when the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals meet each other for the first time in the 2013 season.
During his 997 games with the Nats Zimmerman has been known as the Nats’ Mr. Clutch. The Nats’ 3rd baseman has hit 8 walk-off home runs during his career. Two of the 8 walk-off homers were grand slams. Here is more information about Zimmerman’s walk-off heroics that I wrote about in a story I wrote in 2011 titled Ryan Zimmerman is Nats’ Mr. Clutch.
Of the eight career walk-off home runs Zimmerman has hit, six were hit off of division rivals, three against the Florida Marlins, two – his last two – against the Philadelphia Phillies and one against the Atlanta Braves.
It is simply amazing when you start to break down the numbers. Of the 21 home runs Zimmerman hit in RFK Stadium, three were walk-offs. The third baseman didn’t waste any time putting his mark on the Nats’ new ballpark. In the inaugural game at Nationals Park on March 30, 2008, a sellout crowd of 39,389 witnessed Zimmerman’s first walk-off home run in the new ballpark.
With two outs in the ninth inning Zimmerman crushed a line-drive, walk-off home run off of the Braves’ pitcher, Peter Moyland. The home run gave the Nats a 3-2 victory over the Braves. Since that cool evening in March, Zimmerman has hit four more walk-off home runs at Nationals Park.
I believe a lot of baseball fans across the country are starting to realize what Nats fans have known for six-plus seasons: that Zimmerman, the two-time Silver Slugger recipient, is one of baseball’s premier clutch hitters. If you don’t believe it, maybe these numbers will make you change your mind. Currently, Zimmerman has hit 125 career home runs, eight being walk-off home runs. Below is a list of the eight players that have hit 600 or more career home runs, with their homer totals and, in parentheses, their walk-offs.
Hank Aaron, 755 (9)
Barry Bonds, 762 (10)
Babe Ruth, 714 (12)
Willie Mays, 660 (6)
Ken Griffey Jr., 630 (5)
Alex Rodriguez, 626 (9)
Sammy Sosa, 609 (10)
Jim Thome, 601 (12)
With Zimmerman being only 26, there is real good chance he will challenge the following five Hall of Famers – and one future Hall of Famer – that are tied with 12 walk-off home runs: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Fox, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome.
With Zimmerman being only 26, there is real good chance he will challenge the following five Hall of Famers – and one future Hall of Famer – that are tied with 12 walk-off home runs: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Fox, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome.
Here are some more of Zimmerman’s achievements during his first 1,000 games.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- 8/5/2007
- 8/22/2011
- 7/23/2012
SILVER SLUGGER
- 2009: Washington
- 2010: Washington
RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE
- 2009: Washington
ALL-STAR
- 2009: Washington
D.C. Baseball All-Time Hitting Records
Top 25 | Top 25 | Top 25 | ||||||
Rank | Number of years played in Washington | Years | Rank | Number of games played for Washington | Games | Rank | Number of At Bats | AB |
1 | Walter Johnson | 21 | 1 | Sam Rice | 2,307 | 1 | Sam Rice | 8,934 |
2 | Sam Rice | 19 | 2 | Joe Judge | 2,084 | 2 | Joe Judge | 7,663 |
3 | Ossie Bluege | 18 | 3 | Clyde Milan | 1,982 | 3 | Clyde Milan | 7,359 |
4 | Joe Judge | 18 | 4 | Ossie Bluege | 1,867 | 4 | Mickey Vernon | 6,930 |
5 | Buddy Myer | 16 | 5 | Mickey Vernon | 1,805 | 5 | Ossie Bluege | 6,440 |
6 | Clyde Milan | 16 | 6 | Eddie Yost | 1,690 | 6 | Buddy Myer | 6,033 |
7 | Mickey Vernon | 14 | 7 | Buddy Myer | 1,643 | 7 | Eddie Yost | 6,011 |
8 | Eddie Yost | 14 | 8 | George McBride | 1,458 | 8 | Buddy Lewis | 5,261 |
9 | George McBride | 13 | 9 | Howie Shanks | 1,396 | 9 | Goose Goslin | 5,140 |
10 | Cecil Travis | 12 | 10 | Goose Goslin | 1,361 | 10 | Cecil Travis | 4,914 |
11 | Goose Goslin | 12 | 11 | Buddy Lewis | 1,349 | 11 | Howie Shanks | 4,887 |
12 | Al Evans | 11 | 12 | Cecil Travis | 1,328 | 12 | George McBride | 4,833 |
13 | Walt Masterson | 11 | 13 | Bucky Harris | 1,252 | 13 | Bucky Harris | 4,717 |
14 | Buddy Lewis | 11 | 14 | Joe Kuhel | 1,205 | 14 | Joe Kuhel | 4,638 |
15 | Howie Shanks | 11 | 15 | Ed Brinkman | 1,142 | 15 | George Case | 4,532 |
16 | Nick Altrock | 11 | 16 | Eddie Foster | 1,121 | 16 | Eddie Foster | 4,418 |
17 | Joe Kuhel | 11 | 17 | George Case | 1,108 | 17 | Ryan Zimmerman | 3,861 |
18 | Firpo Marberry | 11 | 18 | Frank Howard | 1,077 | 18 | Ed Brinkman | 3,845 |
19 | Ed Brinkman | 10 | 19 | Sam West | 993 | 19 | Frank Howard | 3,833 |
20 | Camilo Pascual | 10 | 20 | Ryan Zimmerman | 990 | 20 | Joe Cronin | 3,582 |
21 | Patsy Gharrity | 10 | 21 | Joe Cronin | 940 | 21 | Pete Runnels | 3,356 |
22 | Bucky Harris | 10 | 22 | Joe Cronin | 940 | 22 | Deacon McGuire | 3,327 |
23 | Sam West | 10 | 23 | Walter Johnson | 933 | 23 | Sam West | 3,316 |
24 | Sherry Robertson | 10 | 24 | Pete Runnels | 921 | 24 | Heinie Manush | 3,290 |
25 | Sid Hudson | 10 | 25 | Muddy Ruel | 903 | 25 | Roy Sievers | 3,159 |
George Case | 10 | |||||||
Top 25 | Top 25 | Top 25 | ||||||
Rank | Number of Hits | Hits | Rank | Number of Doubles | 2B | Rank | Number of Triples | 3B |
1 | Sam Rice | 2,889 | 1 | Sam Rice | 479 | 1 | Sam Rice | 183 |
2 | Joe Judge | 2,291 | 2 | Joe Judge | 421 | 2 | Joe Judge | 157 |
3 | Clyde Milan | 2,100 | 3 | Mickey Vernon | 391 | 3 | Goose Goslin | 125 |
4 | Mickey Vernon | 1,993 | 4 | Buddy Myer | 305 | 4 | Buddy Myer | 113 |
5 | Buddy Myer | 1,828 | 5 | Goose Goslin | 289 | 5 | Mickey Vernon | 108 |
6 | Ossie Bluege | 1,751 | 6 | Eddie Yost | 282 | 6 | Clyde Milan | 105 |
7 | Goose Goslin | 1,659 | 7 | Ossie Bluege | 276 | 7 | Kip Selbach | 95 |
8 | Buddy Lewis | 1,563 | 8 | Cecil Travis | 265 | 8 | Buddy Lewis | 93 |
9 | Cecil Travis | 1,544 | 9 | Joe Kuhel | 250 | 9 | Howie Shanks | 87 |
10 | Eddie Yost | 1,521 | 10 | Ryan Zimmerman | 250 | 10 | Cecil Travis | 78 |
11 | Joe Kuhel | 1,338 | 11 | Buddy Lewis | 249 | 11 | Joe Kuhel | 77 |
12 | George Case | 1,306 | 12 | Joe Cronin | 242 | 12 | Joe Cronin | 72 |
13 | Bucky Harris | 1,295 | 13 | Clyde Milan | 240 | 13 | Heinie Manush | 70 |
14 | Howie Shanks | 1,232 | 14 | Bucky Harris | 223 | 14 | Ossie Bluege | 67 |
15 | Eddie Foster | 1,177 | 15 | Heinie Manush | 215 | 15 | Sam West | 65 |
16 | Ryan Zimmerman | 1,110 | 16 | George Case | 210 | 16 | Bucky Harris | 64 |
17 | Joe Cronin | 1,090 | 17 | Sam West | 187 | 17 | Eddie Foster | 59 |
18 | Heinie Manush | 1,078 | 18 | Howie Shanks | 173 | 18 | John Stone | 55 |
19 | Frank Howard | 1,071 | 19 | Deacon McGuire | 161 | 19 | Eddie Yost | 53 |
20 | George McBride | 1,068 | 20 | Stan Spence | 153 | 20 | Stan Spence | 49 |
21 | Deacon McGuire | 990 | 21 | Frank Howard | 146 | 21 | Chick Gandil | 48 |
22 | Sam West | 984 | 22 | Eddie Foster | 145 | 22 | Charlie Abbey | 46 |
23 | Pete Runnels | 921 | 23 | Kip Selbach | 143 | 23 | Deacon McGuire | 45 |
24 | Kip Selbach | 919 | 24 | Roy Sievers | 135 | 24 | George McBride | 43 |
25 | Ed Brinkman | 868 | 25 | George McBride | 127 | 25 | Gil Coan | 42 |
Pete Runnels | 42 | |||||||
Top 25 | Top 25 | Top 25 | ||||||
Rank | Number of Home Runs | HR | Rank | Number of Total Bases | TB | Rank | Number of Stolen Bases | SB |
1 | Frank Howard | 237 | 1 | Sam Rice | 3,833 | 1 | Clyde Milan | 495 |
2 | Roy Sievers | 184 | 2 | Joe Judge | 3,239 | 2 | Sam Rice | 346 |
3 | Ryan Zimmerman | 153 | 3 | Mickey Vernon | 2,963 | 3 | George Case | 321 |
4 | Jim Lemon | 144 | 4 | Clyde Milan | 2,601 | 4 | Dummy Hoy | 225 |
5 | Goose Goslin | 127 | 5 | Goose Goslin | 2,579 | 5 | Joe Judge | 210 |
6 | Mickey Vernon | 121 | 6 | Buddy Myer | 2,464 | 6 | Kip Selbach | 201 |
7 | Eddie Yost | 101 | 7 | Ossie Bluege | 2,290 | 7 | Howie Shanks | 177 |
8 | Don Lock | 99 | 8 | Eddie Yost | 2,212 | 8 | Bucky Harris | 166 |
9 | Jim King | 89 | 9 | Buddy Lewis | 2,211 | 9 | Eddie Foster | 166 |
10 | Ken McMullen | 86 | 10 | Cecil Travis | 2,046 | 10 | Danny Moeller | 163 |
11 | Harmon Killebrew | 84 | 11 | Frank Howard | 1,968 | 11 | Ossie Bluege | 140 |
12 | Adam Dunn | 76 | 12 | Joe Kuhel | 1,910 | 12 | Mickey Vernon | 125 |
13 | Mike Epstein | 73 | 13 | Ryan Zimmerman | 1,849 | 13 | Ed Cartwright | 118 |
14 | Joe Judge | 71 | 14 | Bucky Harris | 1,673 | 14 | Buddy Myer | 117 |
15 | Buddy Lewis | 71 | 15 | George Case | 1,654 | 15 | Goose Goslin | 116 |
16 | Mike Morse | 67 | 16 | Howie Shanks | 1,642 | 16 | George McBride | 116 |
17 | Stan Spence | 66 | 17 | Joe Cronin | 1,629 | 17 | John Anderson | 98 |
18 | Joe Kuhel | 56 | 18 | Heinie Manush | 1,574 | 18 | Jake Stahl | 96 |
19 | Joe Cronin | 51 | 19 | Roy Sievers | 1,568 | 19 | Charlie Abbey | 93 |
20 | Chuck Hinton | 49 | 20 | Eddie Foster | 1,458 | 20 | Chick Gandil | 93 |
21 | Nick Johnson | 49 | 21 | Sam West | 1,391 | 21 | Chuck Hinton | 92 |
22 | Heinie Manush | 47 | 22 | Kip Selbach | 1,339 | 22 | Paul Radford | 91 |
23 | Ian Desmond | 47 | 23 | Deacon McGuire | 1,337 | 23 | Tommy Dowd | 88 |
24 | Alfonso Soriano | 46 | 24 | Jim Lemon | 1,330 | 24 | Ray Morgan | 87 |
25 | Bob Allison | 45 | 25 | Stan Spence | 1,301 | 25 | Jim Donnelly | 87 |
D.C. Baseball Single-Season Hitting Records
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