Let’s remember some guys on the 2005 Nats!
First Pitch: 1:10 PM CT
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Radio: TIBN
Know Thine Enemy: Federal Baseball
Twenty years ago this season, the Montreal Expos were purchased by Major League Baseball—the franchise had so fully floundered that they didn’t even have an English-speaking broadcast contract—and re-branded the Washington Nationals. For the first time since 1971, our nation’s capital had a baseball squad again!
With the ‘05 Twins trying to defend their back-to-back-to-back AL Central crowns, you’d wouldn’t think I’d have much reason to care about the new Nats. Except, that is, for a younger brother whose favorite player was Cristian Guzmán—in large part for this kind of chop-the-ball-off-the-Metrodome-turf-and-see-what-happens sort of excitement…
After the ‘04 campaign, Guzman was granted free agency and decided to ship out to D.C. As such, I had sort of a live-in geiger counter on the ‘05 Nationals. Their final record—as skippered by the venerable Frank Robinson—was a right-down-the-middle 81-81, drawing 2.7 million fans to Robert F. Kennedy Stadium.
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images
How was Guzy in Nats duds: 142 G, 492 PA, .219 BA, .574 OPS, 53 OPS+. Yikes.
Photo By Jamie Squire/Getty Images
But as I looked up and down the 2005 Washington roster, I found a treasure trove…
- 37-year old Carlos Baerga
- 37-year old Vinny Castilla manning 3B every day
Photo by G. N. Lowrance/Getty Images
- Rookie Ryan Zimmerman getting his feet wet
- Jamey Carroll (future Twin) as the utility middle infielder
- Brendan Harris (future Twin) enjoying a cup of coffee in the Show
photo by Mitchell Layton / MLB Photos via Getty Images
The moundsmen are no less entertaining…
- Livan Hernandez (future Twin) leading the NL in IP (246), GS (35), H (268), BF (1,065) while being almost exactly league average (102 ERA+)
- 35-year old Hector Carrasco (former Twin) with a 200 ERA+ in 88.1 IP
Photo by: Nick Laham/Getty Images
- Luis Ayala (brief future Twin) with a 153 ERA+ in 71 IP
- Jon Rauch (memorable future Twin) with 30 solid IP
Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images
A final profoundly random memory: Chad Cordero closing games wearing the flattest-brimmed hat you can possibly imagine.
Photo by Mitchell Layton/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Alas, here in 2025 the Nationals only feature one former Twin—and he’s one we’d probably rather forget about. But who knows—maybe some of them will grace a Twins uni one day!
The way the Twins are going right now, there may be a few less Twins gracing Twins uni’s by the end of this week. Perhaps a series victory over the last-place Nats can help with that.
