After 16 seasons, Mr. National is hanging up his spikes.
Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement on Tuesday, bringing an end to the career of player who was drafted by the Nationals in their first season in Washington, D.C., following a relocation from Montreal. Zimmerman announced his decision in a statement thanking the organization and his fans through his agency, CAA.
“When we first met I was a 20-year-old kid fresh out of the University of Virginia—the very first player ever selected by the newly created Washington Nationals in the 2005 draft," Zimmerman wrote. "I had no idea how unbelievable the next 17 years of my life were going to be.