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 most notable of those are José Guillén, Ramón Ortiz, Alfonso Soriano, and José Vidro. The Nationals signed few major league free agents. Their most experienced free agent signing was Dmitri Young. Luis Ayala, Alex Escobar, Cristian Guzmán, Nick Johnson, Michael O'Connor and John Patterson are expected to return from season-ending injuries.
After losing four starters from the prior year, the Nationals invited an extraordinary 36 pitchers to spring training. By year's end, the team would become the first team in modern baseball with no pitcher in double figures with wins or losses.
The season was notable for it being the Nationals final year at RFK Stadium and for Dmitri Young winning Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award, marking the team's first annual award since moving to D.C. The Nationals finished 73-89, 16 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and fourth in the NL East. This was their only season in Washington prior to 2011 that the Nationals did not finish last in their division.

Offseason

On December 18, 2006, the Nationals traded José Vidro and cash to the Seattle Mariners for Emiliano Fruto and Chris Snelling.

Advertising and marketing

The 2007 season saw the Nationals′ first strategic marketing campaign since Lerner Enterprises purchased the team. It emphasized the upcoming opening of Nationals Park planned for 2008. The marketing slogan for the 2007 season was "Pledge Your Allegiance," a reference to the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States encouraging Nationals fans to show their loyalty to the team.

Spring training

The Nationals held their 2007 spring training in Viera, Florida, with home games played at Space Coast Stadium. They invited Danny Ardoin to spring training, but he did not make the team; they traded him to the Houston Astros for minor-leaguer Wade Robinson on March 26, 2007.

Regular season

April

On Opening Day, the Nationals lost their starting shortstop and center fielder for five weeks. At the end of April, one of their starters, Jerome Williams hurt his ankle while batting and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

May

Hitting coach Mitchell Page left his post with the team in May due to a relapse of alcoholism.
In the space of just 10 days in May, Shawn Hill, John Patterson, and Jason Bergmann went on the disabled list. Jerome Williams returned, pitched one game, and went back on the DL with a shoulder injury. The Washington Post wrote: "Almost everything that could sink a team's attitude has befallen the Nats. They started the year 1-8, then they lost eight in a row to drop to 9-25."
They pressed journeymen Mike Bacsik, Micah Bowie and Jason Simontacchi, along with rookie reliever Levale Speigner into the starting rotation, amidst predictions that the 2007 Nationals might equal the 1962 Mets' record of futility, 120 losses in one season.
After the team lost 8 straight games to sink to 9-25, the Nats won 11 of 15, mostly with patchwork starting pitching and timely hitting. and the return of Cristian Guzmán, who was hitting.343 by the end of May.

June

In June, the Nationals have been led by key hits by Dmitri Young, Cristian Guzmán and the power hitting of Ryan Zimmerman. But towards the end of the month, Guzman, hitting.329, was injured and lost for the season, and, following the injury, the Nationals lost 9 of their next 11 games.

July

Dmitri Young, hitting.339 and slugging.512, was selected as the lone Nationals' representative in the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Despite rumors that the Nationals were seeking to trade Ronnie Belliard, Chad Cordero, Jon Rauch and Young, the Nationals did not make any major trades before the non-waiver trade deadline.

Season standings

National League East

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day lineup

Notable transactions

The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place on June 7 and 8. With their first pick - the sixth pick overall - the Nationals selected pitcher Ross Detwiler. Other notable players the Nationals selected were pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, left fielder-third baseman Jake Smolinski, third baseman Steven Souza, Jr., catcher Derek Norris, and pitcher Pat McCoy.

Roster

Attendance

The Nationals drew 1,943,812 fans at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in 2007, placing them 14th in attendance for the season among the 16 National League teams.

Game log

Player stats

Batting

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
Complete offensive statistics are available
PosPlayerGABRH2B3BHRRBIAVGSB
C1294083396211654.2350
1B136460571473811374.3200
2B147511571483511158.2903
SS15460370148256950.24524
3B162653991744352491.2664
LF144470571284311570.2723
CF1183253986184021.26523
RF161587841563511674.2662
RF118197244661216.2340
C79180214490425.2440
SS46174315766214.3282
CF103162243262622.1983
LF37133243940822.2932
IF73102142570210.2452
1B80101102630216.2570
LF24496101117.2040
UT1654172003.1300
OF1528041001.1430
OF1526570025.2690
SS1519310000.0530
OF518251002.2781
P3148180003.1670
P2237250000.1350
P1626220000.0770
P2929131001.1030
P1528121002.0710
P1319110000.0530
P1214342103.2860
P613121001.1540
P3011010001.0910
P710000000.0000
P67010000.1430
P194000000.0000
P284000000.0000
P883000000.0000
P851000000.0000
P262000000.0000
P372000000.0000
P761000000.0000
P611000000.0000
P30000000-0
P10000000-0
P130000000-0
P140000000-0
P140000000-0
P440000000-0
P550000000-0
Totals1625520673141530931123646.25669

Pitching

Note: Pos = Position; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
Complete pitching statistics are available
PosPlayerWLERAGGSSVIPRERBBK
SP794.6331310167.096867494
SP585.1129200118.073672945
SP664.4521210115.159574286
SP453.421616097.142372565
SP363.641515084.035343847
SP676.371313070.253502342
CL333.367603775.031282962
RP463.68850393.039384264
RP843.61880487.137352171
RP513.82610166.030282743
RP114.54550033.217171818
434.55308057.130292742
536.001211051.035343843
233.18370045.119161543
223.19440142.116151228
238.78196040.039392319
224.76282039.222211327
224.1566034.217161710
157.4777031.126262215
015.93260030.12120926
057.2066030.026241815
025.74140015.2111089
111.88140014.133212
006.7513005.14473
0118.003001.02211
000.001001.00001
Totals73894.58162162461446.2783736580931

Team leaders

Qualifying players only.

Batting

StatPlayerTotal
Avg.Dmitri Young.320
HRRyan Zimmerman24
RBIRyan Zimmerman110
RRyan Zimmerman91
HRyan Zimmerman174
SBFelipe López24

Pitching

StatPlayerTotal
WJon Rauch8
LMatt Chico9
ERAMatt Chico4.63
SOMatt Chico94
SVChad Cordero37
IPMatt Chico167.0

Awards and honors

All-Stars

The 2007 Nationals became the first team in modern baseball to trail 4-0 in each of their first six games. as well as the first to not score during the first three innings of each of their first ten games.
The 2007 Nationals also set the National League record for not scoring a run in the first inning of their first 22 games.
On August 7, 2007, in a game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park, Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik gave up career home run number 756 to Barry Bonds, who broke a 33-year-old record previously held by Hank Aaron.

Farm system