Eighteen seasons into their existence, the Nationals can only claim one former player who was inducted to the Hall of Fame. And while Ivan Rodriguez’s Cooperstown case was rock solid, few really remember the great catcher for the two seasons he spent in D.C. at the end of his career.

It’ll be a while longer before any other former Nats are elected. Figure it’ll be at least seven years until Max Scherzer completes both his contract with the Mets and then the requisite five-year waiting period to become eligible. And if Max has anything to say about it, he has no intention of retiring in two years anyway.

It’ll take even longer before the likes of Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon end their careers. Besides, each of them still has plenty of work to do to solidify his resume, with Soto and Harper in the best position of the four at the moment and Rendon desperately needing to right his wayward ship since he left Washington for Anaheim.

So, the Nationals’ representation in Cooperstown may stay minimal for some time.

But what about honoring former players who don’t really have a Hall of Fame case but still left an indelible impact on the franchise? There’s a longer list of those players, and maybe as the Nats’ approach their third decade in town it’s time to start thinking about them more.

The tears already had been welling up in his eyes before Ryan Zimmerman stepped to the microphone to deliver his speech to an adoring crowd at Nationals Park this afternoon. From the in-person tributes from 10 former teammates, to the taped tributes from a host of others, to a surprise video narrated by family members including his mother Cheryl, to the official unveiling of his name and No. 11 all alone on the façade of the third deck along the first-base line, Zimmerman had already run through the full gamut of emotions.

“This is by far the most nervous I’ve ever felt on this field,” he said as he began his remarks.

There would be plenty more tears and moments where Zimmerman needed to compose himself during a lengthy, but heartfelt, speech in which he made a point to thank everyone who made his career possible, from his childhood in Virginia Beach to his college days in Charlottesville to his big league debut in Atlanta to his final game in D.C. last fall.

“We all pretend to be this person when you’re little,” he said during a press conference prior to the ceremony. “But nobody ever believes it’s going to happen.”

He may never have believed it, but let’s be honest: From the moment he was drafted in June 2005, plenty of others around the Nationals did. For better or worse, he was preordained for greatness as the first star of the franchise. That he actually lived up to the billing is all the more impressive.

On Saturday morning, Nationals rookie Ian Desmond visited with boys and girls in Prince George's County to participate in a baseball skills clinic. Desmond was a big hit with the kids. He taught them how to field infield grounders and they practiced throwing to various bases. They also practiced flipping short double plays. One child made a barehanded grab and fired a laser to first base. Desmond reacted by humming the theme to Sports Center and telling the youngster that he made a...

Ian Desmond will be the central star during MASN's next two broadcasts this week. He'll participate in both Wired Wednesday and Covering the Bases during this series, so be sure to tune in. On Wednesday, Desmond will wear a mic during the evening game against Detroit. On Thursday, Bob, Rob and Debbi will "cover the bases" with Desmond providing fans with insight into the shortstop's childhood, minor league career and personality. That game begins at 1 p.m. Desmond is 11-for-36 (.305)...

Every year when Ian Desmond blew out the candles on his birthday cake, he closed his eyes and wished one day he would make it to the big leagues. Drafted out of high school by the Expos in 2004, it took six years in the minors for Desmond to make his dream come true. On Thursday afternoon, Desmond talked about his baseball journey in taking questions from fans at the ESPN Zone in downtown Washington during the first Nats Q&A of the season. After the talk, Desmond signed autographs and...

Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 20th for the first ESPN Zone Q&A of the season. Nats shortstop Ian Desmond will be the first guest of the season for the hugely popular lunch-time sessions. Desmond will take questions about his impressive defensive play, the team's hot start to the season and life in the Nats' clubhouse. Doors usually open at 11 a.m. for these 12 p.m. events, but we'll have more details next week. After the Q&A, Desmond will take pictures with fans and sign...

Elijah Dukes knows a little something about hitting a home run during a Major League debut. In April of 2007, in the fifth inning of the Rays season opener, a then 23 year old Dukes took Yankees starter Carl Pavano deep in his first official at bat. Fortunately, the ball lodged itself in Yankee Stadium's center field wall and Dukes had no trouble recovering it as a keepsake. "Nothing can compare to that [experience]," Dukes said tonight after watching his 23 year old teammate accomplish...