The Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

' 2008 season

2008 Major League Baseball season

The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25, 2008 in Tokyo, Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome 6–5 in the first game of a two-game series, and ended on September 30 with the host Chicago White Sox defeating the...

was the 4th season for the franchise in the District of Columbia, and the 40th since the original team was started in Montreal

Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...

, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, in . It also marked the first season the Nationals played at Nationals Park.

March

The Nationals opened the 2008 MLB season by hosting the Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

 in a nationally-televised night game on March 30, 2008. It was the first professional regular-season game to be played at the Nationals' new facility Nationals Park. President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 threw the ceremonial first pitch to Nationals' manager Manny Acta

Manny Acta

Manuel Elias Acta is a Major League Baseball manager for the Cleveland Indians. He is the former manager of the Washington Nationals . In the Dominican Winter League, he managed the Tigres del Licey from 2002–2004, including leading them to victory at the 2003 Caribbean Series...

, and Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Wallace Zimmerman is a Major League Baseball third baseman with the Washington Nationals. A 6-foot 3-inch player from the University of Virginia and Kellam High School, Zimmerman has been a member of the Nationals since his debut on September 1, 2005...

 hit a two-out, walk-off home run

Walk-off home run

In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...

 in the bottom of the ninth inning to mark an exciting beginning to the 2008 season. The Nationals also blew out the Phillies 11-6.

April

The Nationals clinched the series against the Phillies, winning 1-0. However, the Nationals struggled after a promising 3-0 start, losing 16 of their next 19 games to start off 6-16. They improved for the rest of the month, earning splits at Atlanta and at home against the Mets, and winning series against the Braves and the Pirates. Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 celebrated Mass

Mass (liturgy)

"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...

 at Nationals Park in front of 47,000 people on April 17.

May

The Nats started May winning 3 of the first 4 games of the month, earning them a 14-18 record, but lost 2 of 3 at Houston and were swept by the Florida Marlins at home. Then they took 3 of 4 against the struggling Mets at Shea Stadium

Shea Stadium

William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...

, but in the first Beltway Series of 2008 they were nipped by the Orioles at Baltimore and lost two of three against the high-powered Phillies' offense. They split a series two games apiece against the Brewers and lost a series to the Padres. The Nats then beat up on the Diamondbacks in the first game of a series.

September

The team finished 59-102, the worst record in Major League Baseball. Six of the team's coaches were dismissed the day before the final game (a loss to the 2008 World Series

2008 World Series

The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...

 champion Philadelphia Phillies); only manager Manny Acta and pitching coach Randy St. Clair were retained.

Roster

2008 Washington Nationals
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders Outfielders		Manager Coaches (bullpen) (bench) (hitting) (first base) (pitching) (third base)

Game log

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4. Michael Burgess, OF

5. Jack McGeary, LHP

6. Josh Smoker, LHP

7. Jordan Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann

Jordan Zimmermann is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals. He was the Nationals' best prospect going into the 2009 MLB season, according to Baseball America.-Professional career:...

, RHP

8. Justin Maxwell

Justin Maxwell

Justin Adam Maxwell is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees organization.-Early years:...

, OF

9. Colton Willems, RHP

10. John Lannan

John Lannan

John Edward Lannan is a left-handed starting pitcher in the Washington Nationals organization....

, LHP (not really a prospect since he's with the major league club now)

11. Jake Smolinski, OF

12. Tyler Clippard

Tyler Clippard

Tyler Lee Clippard is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals.-New York Yankees:Clippard was drafted in the 9th round of the 2003 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees out of J. W. Mitchell High School...

, RHP

13. Adam Carr, RHP

14. Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond

Ian M. Desmond is a shortstop for the Washington Nationals . He was selected by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft and signed on June 16....

, SS

15. Garrett Mock

Garrett Mock

Garrett Lee Mock is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. A graduate of Houston's North Shore Senior High School, Mock attended the University of Houston where he played as part of the Houston Cougars baseball team...

, RHP

16. Stephen King

Stephen King

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...

, SS

17. Esmailyn Gonzalez, SS

18. Shairon Martis

Shairon Martis

Shairon B. Martis is a Dutch-Antillean professional baseball pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. He pitched for The Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic...

, RHP

19. Brad Peacock

Brad Peacock

Bradley Peacock is a pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball .-Professional career:Peacock attended Palm Beach Central High School, where he played third base. Peacock requested that his coach try him at pitcher, and he threw eight innings in high school prior to pitching in...

, RHP

20. Kory Casto

Kory Casto

Kory C. Casto is a former Major League Baseball player. Casto began his career with the Washington Nationals. He made his Major League debut April 3, , in a game against the Florida Marlins...

, OF/3B