There from the start for Nats, Zimmerman in first Series

WASHINGTON >> Bottle of beer in hand, Ryan Zimmerman stood alone in the Nationals Park home clubhouse for a few moments, taking in the scene while his teammates celebrated reaching Washington’s first World Series since 1933.

Eventually, someone threw an arm around the 35-yearold Zimmerman’s shoulders and ushered him back into the fray, where he joined others in chugging alcohol out of the NL Championship Series trophy after completing a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. Only fitting that the longtime “face of the franchise” would be right in the middle of things for the club’s biggest moment since it arrived in the nation’s capital from Montreal.

“I’ve seen him tear up a couple times, already. Just getting past the first round, and now that we’re on to the World Series,” shortstop Trea Turner said amid the frivolity Tuesday, talking about the first guy ever drafted by the Nationals in 2005 and the only player to wear their uniform in each and every one of their 15 seasons (even once when the word across the chest read “Natinals”).

“He’s put his heart and soul into this organization,” Turner said. “He sacrificed a lot. And he’s given this organization a lot. For me, that speaks a lot about him and his family. I can’t say enough nice things about him, because he’s a good person and a great ballplayer. I love watching him bat in this order and drive in runs for us and be a part of this run.”

When the Fall Classic begins next week in either Houston or New York expect Zimmerman to be in Washington’s starting lineup and manning first base.

On the long path to get there, he’s set Expos-Nationals franchise career records for hits, doubles, total bases, homers and RBIs.

He’s also been around for every high and every low.

“Me, the fans, the community — we’ve kind of grown up together. I was 20 years old when I got here,” said Zimmerman, who grew up not too far away in Virginia. “We were not very good. And the fans ... we went through those things together.”

It’s true. He’s been through all of it.

The ex-Expos’ earliest days in dilapidated RFK Stadium. The game-ending homer he hit in the first game played at the Nationals’ gleaming new stadium in 2008, one of his 11 career walk-off shots, tied for the second-most in NL history, one behind Stan Musial’s mark.

The consecutive 100-loss seasons in 2008 and 2009. The surprising surge to an NL East title in 2012. The collapse in Game 5 of that year’s NL Division Series against the Cardinals. Subsequent NLDS exits in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

“Sometimes,” said Zimmerman, who’s been texting with former Nationals teammates lately, “you’ve got to wait for good things.”