In the early years of Nationals baseball, Chad Cordero was a fixture in the closer role. The Chief as he was known had a fun personality, and gave the Nats some elite play during their infancy. In particular, his 2005 season was something magical.
That season, he led the league with 47 saves. He also posted a 1.82 ERA with a sub-1 WHIP. That year, he racked up the accolades, with an all-star appearance, a top 5 Cy Young finish, and even finished 14th in MVP voting. Along with that production, the 23 year old Cordero had a charismatic presence that captivated the new Nationals fans.