Ryan Zimmerman emerged from the dugout ahead of his teammates in the top of the eighth inning of Sunday’s season-ending 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, then turned as Josh Bell stopped him and tapped him on the shoulder just short of the first-base line.
Zimmerman embraced Bell near the first base line at Nationals Park, shook his teammate’s hand, exchanged hugs with more teammates heading out to take their positions, then stepped back to take in the moment.
Almost 34,000 fans were on their feet, the Nationals’ bench had emptied, and the entire Red Sox team had emerged from the opposing dugout to salute him, showing him the admiration he’s earned over 16 seasons of playing major league baseball for the Washington Nationals.