Washington Nationals
From SoSH
| Established: | 2005 |
| Former Team Names: | Montreal Expos (1969-2004) |
| Ballpark: | RFK Stadium Moving to Nationals Park in 2008 |
| World Series Titles: | 0 |
| Pennants: | 0 |
| Division Titles: | 1 |
| Wild Cards: | 0 |
Contents |
Franchise History
The franchise was awarded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos, Canada's first major league team. Though it had several winning years in the early 1980s and early 1990s, the team has never won a league championship. Its best record was during the strike-shortened 1994 season, and after releasing most of its star players the team steadily lost its fan base.
In 2002 Major League Baseball purchased the Expos franchise from its owners, and for the 2005 season the team was moved to Washington, DC as the Nationals. In 2006 the team was purchased from MLB by a consortium led by Ted Lerner.
Ballpark
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium has been one of Washington's best sports venues since it opened in 1961.
The stadium was originally used to house both the National Football League's Washington Redskins and Major League Baseball's Washington Senators. However, the 56,000-seat stadium has also proven ideal for concerts and other major events. The stadium currently also hosts the DC United, Washington's team in Major League Soccer.
RFK Stadium played host to the 1962 and 1969 Major League Baseball All-Star game.
The new Nationals Park, a mile south of the US Capitol building, is scheduled to open in time for Opening Day, 2008.
Hall of Famers
- Gary Carter - (2003)
Retired Numbers
- 42 - Jackie Robinson
Minor League Affiliates
| Columbus Clippers The AAA team International League | Harrisburg Senators The AA team Eastern League | ||
| Potomac Nationals Class A Advanced Carolina League | Hagerstown Suns Class A South Atlantic League | ||
| Vermont Lake Monsters Class A Short Season New York-Penn League | GCL Nationals Rookie Ball Gulf Coast League |
Quick Facts
- Uniform Colors: Red, White and Blue
- Stadium: Nationals Park (Opening March 30, 2008)
- Stadium Capacity: 41,222
- Mascot: Screech
- Other Nicknames: Often called the Nats.
- National League Pennants: (0)
- Division Titles: (1) 1981 (split season, won second half as Montreal Expos)
- World Series Titles: (0)
- Wild Card: (0)
- Local Television: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, WDCA and WTTG
- Local Radio: WTWP (Washington Post Radio) 107.7 FM and 1500 AM
- Television Broadcasters: Bob Carpenter and Don Sutton
- Radio Broadcasters: Dave Jageler
- Current ownership: Lerner family (Lerner Enterprises)
- General Manager: Jim Bowden
- Manager: Manny Acta
- Spring Training Facility: Space Coast Stadium, Viera, FL
Local Media
External Links
- Washington Nationals Official Site
- Washington Nationals - Baseball-Reference.com
