Beltway Series
Encyclopedia
The Beltway Series is the name of the interleague
series played between the Washington Nationals
and the Baltimore Orioles
. The series name is taken from the two beltway highways, the Baltimore Beltway
and the Capital Beltway
, that service Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
It marked the first time the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area had two Major League Baseball franchises since the folding of the first Washington Senators franchise and the departure of the subsequent two franchises of the same name to Minnesota
to become the Twins
and the second to Texas
to become the Rangers
. The Beltway Series is expected to become a regular rivalry series in Major League Baseball
.
with the Toronto Blue Jays
), although they did play each other three times during spring training
. The March 5th, 2005 spring training game marked the first Baltimore/Washington baseball contest since Sept. 10th, 1971 when the Senators played the Orioles.
in 2006, the Nationals and Orioles played each other in Washington
on March 31 and in Baltimore on April 1. The first match up of the rivalry took place on May 19, 2006 during the 2006 regular season, the Orioles won at RFK Stadium. This marked first time in 35 years that the Orioles played a regular-season game in Washington, as they played the Washington Senators
, another team in the American League annually from 1954 to 1960. The Orioles continued that rivalry with the new Washington Senators
from 1961 to 1971.
The first Beltway Series game ever played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
was held on June 23, 2006 and was watched by 48,331 fans, one of the largest crowds at OPACY that season.
The two teams split the season series 3-3 with each team winning two games at home and one on the road.
During the 2008 regular season the teams met in Baltimore on the weekend of May 16–18. Baltimore won the first two games of the series and Washington won the final game. They met again in D.C. the weekend of June 27–29. In this series, the Nationals took two out of three games, including an exciting final game in which second baseman Ronnie Belliard hit a walkoff home run to win the game. The series attracted 115,133 fans, one of the largest series turnouts of the year at Nationals Park.
During the regular season of this year, the Orioles met the Nationals in D.C. on May 22–24. The Orioles were able to take the first two games from the Nationals, while the Nationals won the final game, allowing them to divert the sweep at home. The weekend of June 26–28 had the Nationals traveling to Baltimore to face the Orioles. The Orioles were able to take the first two games of the series, while the Nationals took the final game of the series. The Orioles won the overall series four games to two.
Former Oriole second baseman and World Series champion Davey Johnson
was announced in late June as the manager of the Nationals.
, the owner of the Orioles, opposed the move of the Montreal Expos
to Washington, D.C. on the grounds that it would harm the Orioles financially, contending that the Orioles alone had a legal right to the Baltimore-Washington market. In the four full seasons since the Expos moved to D.C. the Nationals have drawn 9,127,252 fans to the ballpark and the Orioles have drawn 8,892,951 fans to the ballpark.
The Nationals were a larger draw in 2005, the Orioles were a larger draw in 2006 (drawing exactly 100 more fans that year) and in 2007 the Orioles were a larger draw by nearly 200,000 fans. In 2008 the momentum swung back the Nationals way, with the Nationals outdrawing the Orioles by over 370,000 fans, mostly due in part to their then- new ballpark.
Interestingly, the original Washington Senators
were well-established in the Baltimore/Washington market for over fifty years before the St. Louis Browns
moved to Baltimore to become the present-day Orioles.
Instrumental in that move was the leadership of the Griffith family—then the owners of the Washington Senators.
. However, the deal was struck only days before the beginning of the 2005 season and many DC-area fans did not receive the new network for some time and were unable to watch most games. Furthermore, it has been reported that Angelos and the Orioles hold majority ownership in the network, which has led some Nationals fans to contend that the channel exhibits a bias in covering the Orioles compared to the Nationals (such as displaying the scores of Beltway Series games as "Orioles vs. Washington" as opposed to "Orioles vs. Nationals"). Furthermore, the Orioles had hand sleeve of their jersey's changed from "Baltimore" to "Orioles" in 1972 after D.C. last lost their baseball team. In the 2009 season, the Orioles will change their hand sleeve back to "Baltimore" on their away jerseys.
Note: Numbers include the Montreal Expos
and St. Louis Browns.
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
series played between 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...
and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. The series name is taken from the two beltway highways, the Baltimore Beltway
Interstate 695 (Maryland)
Interstate 695 is a -long full beltway Interstate Highway extending around Baltimore, Maryland, USA. I-695 is officially designated the McKeldin Beltway, but is colloquially referred to as either the Baltimore Beltway or 695...
and the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, that service Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It marked the first time the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area had two Major League Baseball franchises since the folding of the first Washington Senators franchise and the departure of the subsequent two franchises of the same name to Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
to become the Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
and the second to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to become the Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. The Beltway Series is expected to become a regular rivalry series in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball rivalries
Rivalries in Major League Baseball , like in other sports, have occurred between many teams and cities. Rivalries have arisen for many different reasons, the primary ones include geographic proximity, familiarity with opponents, violence, and cultural, linguistic, or national pride.Interleague...
.
2005
The teams did not meet in the Nationals' inaugural 2005 season due to the MLB schedule not having been adjusted in time to accommodate the series (that year the Nationals played their Expos-era traditional Canadian rivalry seriesPearson Cup
The Pearson Cup was an annual mid-season Major League Baseball exhibition game between former Canadian rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos. Named after former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, it was originally created to raise money for minor league baseball in Canada...
with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
), although they did play each other three times during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. The March 5th, 2005 spring training game marked the first Baltimore/Washington baseball contest since Sept. 10th, 1971 when the Senators played the Orioles.
2006
During spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 2006, the Nationals and Orioles played each other in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on March 31 and in Baltimore on April 1. The first match up of the rivalry took place on May 19, 2006 during the 2006 regular season, the Orioles won at RFK Stadium. This marked first time in 35 years that the Orioles played a regular-season game in Washington, as they played the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, another team in the American League annually from 1954 to 1960. The Orioles continued that rivalry with the new Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
from 1961 to 1971.
The first Beltway Series game ever played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
was held on June 23, 2006 and was watched by 48,331 fans, one of the largest crowds at OPACY that season.
The two teams split the season series 3-3 with each team winning two games at home and one on the road.
2007
The Orioles and Nationals played six times again in 2007, with the Nationals taking the season series 4 games to 2.2008
The Orioles and Nationals played their final exhibition game of 2008 at the new Nationals Park, the first MLB action to take place in the park. The Nationals won 3–0.During the 2008 regular season the teams met in Baltimore on the weekend of May 16–18. Baltimore won the first two games of the series and Washington won the final game. They met again in D.C. the weekend of June 27–29. In this series, the Nationals took two out of three games, including an exciting final game in which second baseman Ronnie Belliard hit a walkoff home run to win the game. The series attracted 115,133 fans, one of the largest series turnouts of the year at Nationals Park.
2009
The 2009 season featured the Orioles first ever Beltway series win.During the regular season of this year, the Orioles met the Nationals in D.C. on May 22–24. The Orioles were able to take the first two games from the Nationals, while the Nationals won the final game, allowing them to divert the sweep at home. The weekend of June 26–28 had the Nationals traveling to Baltimore to face the Orioles. The Orioles were able to take the first two games of the series, while the Nationals took the final game of the series. The Orioles won the overall series four games to two.
2010
The 2010 season featured two installments of the Beltway Series; the Nationals hosted the first (21–23 May) at Nationals Park and won 2 of the 3 games (3-5, 7-6, 4-3). The Orioles swept the Nationals at Camden Yards approximately one month later (25–27 June), winning each game on a late-inning rally (7-6, 6-5, 4-3). The Orioles won the overall series four games to two.2011
In 2011, The Nats started the series off with a jolt. They scored a franhise record 17 runs on 19 hits with 6 homeruns to beat the Orioles 17-5.Former Oriole second baseman and World Series champion Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
was announced in late June as the manager of the Nationals.
Opposition to relocation
Although this rivalry is new, many Nationals fans already feel strongly about it. Peter AngelosPeter Angelos
Peter G. Angelos , is an American trial lawyer.Angelos is also the majority owner of the Baltimore Orioles, a baseball team in the American League East Division.-Career:...
, the owner of the Orioles, opposed the move of the Montreal Expos
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...
to Washington, D.C. on the grounds that it would harm the Orioles financially, contending that the Orioles alone had a legal right to the Baltimore-Washington market. In the four full seasons since the Expos moved to D.C. the Nationals have drawn 9,127,252 fans to the ballpark and the Orioles have drawn 8,892,951 fans to the ballpark.
The Nationals were a larger draw in 2005, the Orioles were a larger draw in 2006 (drawing exactly 100 more fans that year) and in 2007 the Orioles were a larger draw by nearly 200,000 fans. In 2008 the momentum swung back the Nationals way, with the Nationals outdrawing the Orioles by over 370,000 fans, mostly due in part to their then- new ballpark.
Interestingly, the original Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
were well-established in the Baltimore/Washington market for over fifty years before the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
moved to Baltimore to become the present-day Orioles.
Instrumental in that move was the leadership of the Griffith family—then the owners of the Washington Senators.
Television rights
The dispute with Angelos over the move was resolved when the Orioles were granted the right to broadcast Nationals games on their new television network, the Mid-Atlantic Sports NetworkMid-Atlantic Sports Network
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network is a regional sports network owned by two Major League Baseball franchises—the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals -- and televises every available game of both teams, live and in high-definition...
. However, the deal was struck only days before the beginning of the 2005 season and many DC-area fans did not receive the new network for some time and were unable to watch most games. Furthermore, it has been reported that Angelos and the Orioles hold majority ownership in the network, which has led some Nationals fans to contend that the channel exhibits a bias in covering the Orioles compared to the Nationals (such as displaying the scores of Beltway Series games as "Orioles vs. Washington" as opposed to "Orioles vs. Nationals"). Furthermore, the Orioles had hand sleeve of their jersey's changed from "Baltimore" to "Orioles" in 1972 after D.C. last lost their baseball team. In the 2009 season, the Orioles will change their hand sleeve back to "Baltimore" on their away jerseys.
O!
The tradition of yelling "O!" during the line "Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave" in the Star Spangled Banner is a Baltimore Orioles tradition. Over the years it became a staple of Washington, DC area sporting events. The chant has had controversy in the past and the usage of the "O!" chant at Nationals games has reignited such controversy.Club success
| Team | World Series Titles | League Pennants | Division Titles | Wild Card Berths Wild card (sports) The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:... |
Playoff Appearances | World Series Appearances | All-time Regular Season Record | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... |
3 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 4,651–4,445 | .511 |
| 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... |
0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3,167–3,502 | .475 |
| Combined | 3 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 7 | 11,246–12,461 | .474 |
Note: Numbers include the Montreal Expos
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...
and St. Louis Browns.
Summary of results
| Orioles wins | Nationals wins | Orioles runs | Nationals runs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular season | 16 | 14 | 128 | 119 |
Beltway series results
| Year | Series Winner | Orioles W | Nationals W | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 2006 Major League Baseball season In , the Major League Baseball season ended with the National League's St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series with the lowest regular season victory total in history. The American League continued its domination at the All-Star Game by winning its fourth straight game; the A.L. has won nine... |
Tie | 3 | 3 | |
| 2007 2007 Major League Baseball season The 2007 Major League Baseball season, began on April 1 with a rematch of the 2006 National League Championship Series; the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets played the first game of the season at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, which was won by the Mets, 6–1... |
Nationals 2007 Washington Nationals season The Washington Nationals' 2007 season began with the team trying to win its first NL East title since moving to Washington. During the offseason, the team replaced manager Frank Robinson with former Montreal Expos coach Manny Acta. They lost several players through free agency and trades. The... |
2 | 4 | First Nats' Beltway Series win, Nats' last year at RFK Stadium |
| 2008 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... |
Tie | 3 | 3 | Nationals Park opens |
| 2009 2009 Major League Baseball season The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to... |
Orioles 2009 Baltimore Orioles season The Baltimore Orioles' 2009 season was the 109th season in franchise history. The Orioles finished the season last in the AL East with a record of 64-98. It was the fifth consecutive season in which the Orioles had fewer wins than in previous year.... |
4 | 2 | First Os' Beltway Series win |
| 2010 2010 Major League Baseball season The 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim... |
Orioles 2010 Baltimore Orioles season The Baltimore Orioles' 2010 season was the 110th season in franchise history.-Offseason:The Orioles made many significant roster moves prior to the 2010 season. The team parted ways with several contributors from the 2009 season including Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora who was the team's longest... |
4 | 2 | |
| 2011 2011 Major League Baseball season The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since , and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since... |
Tie | 3 | 3 | |
| Overall | Orioles (2-1-3) | 19 | 17 |