Newly retired Zimmerman pitches in at Nationals camp

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman leaned against the batting cage next to Juan Soto and Gerardo Parra to watch live hitters. It was a scene that had taken place countless times during Spring Training, only on Wednesday morning, Zimmerman was wearing his No. 11 uniform in a different role.

The newly retired infielder returned to Nationals camp at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches as part of his personal services contract, one month after announcing the end of his 16-year playing career.

“I’ve always said, I’ll always be involved with this organization,” Zimmerman, the Nats’ first Draft pick in team history, said.

Zimmerman is eager for the opportunity to learn all aspects of baseball. He already has spoken to Minor League players -- which he described as “unbelievable” -- and he plans to get a sense of the areas that could be a potential fit for him, which includes learning about front-office operations and the possibility of exploring TV work.

“I just want to be helpful and, same thing when I was a player, just help them win games,” Zimmerman.

Zimmerman also expects to become more involved as his four children get older, noting with a laugh, “I have a lot of personal service at home right now; that’s my biggest contract right now.”

Zimmerman concluded the 2021 season pondering his baseball future. At 37 years old, he had played 1,799 games and was the Nationals’ franchise leader in statistical categories across the board. Zimmerman had left everything on the field, winning a World Series, earning two Silver Slugger Awards and All-Star selections and capturing one Gold Glove Award over his career. When it came time to make the call, he weighed his family life (which includes the recent birth of his son, Benjamin, in January), the current state of the Nats and, most significantly, how he would feel in a 17th season.

“I think the biggest part of the decision was, am I willing to put all the time that it takes to keep myself healthy, to be able to produce and put up the numbers and do my job the way that I kind of hold myself accountable for?” he said. “At the end of the day, I think that was more the tipping point of where I’m not in it at that point anymore, and just having to go through the way my body feels. It’s kind of nice to wake up and feel good every morning.”

Since he wasn’t certain if the Nats’ Oct. 3 season finale against the Red Sox would also be his playing finale, Zimmerman is glad he was able to share the moment with an emotional tribute video when he exited the game between innings. And yes, he has rewatched it.

"A few times, honestly, with some friends and things like that,” he said. “Back then, the whole thing was like, I didn’t know if that was it or if it wasn’t, and I kept going back and forth about whether I wanted anything to be done. I'm really glad that it happened the way it did. I would have really regretted [it]. Not for me, but I think for the fans and for the organization, it was a pretty cool moment."

When it comes to standout moments in his career, Zimmerman turned back the clock to March 30, 2008, for the most memorable: The Nats' first game at Nationals Park, where Zimmerman happened to pummel a walk-off home run.

“The first game in the new stadium always sticks out just because I think when we got the new stadium, that was like really the first -- we weren’t really an organization until we had our own stadium,” Zimmerman said, “... I think getting that stadium and then the way the area’s grown around the stadium, it’s given the Nationals their own identity and their own place.”

Although Zimmerman is no longer playing, the possibilities for his next steps within the organization are abundant. “Employee No. 11” has several new experiences to add to his future resume.

“It is nice to be around, to live in D.C., so I can pop in and pop out and get my baseball fix and talk the game, talk with the coaches," Zimmerman said. "Talking with the Minor League kids was unbelievable, so much fun this morning. Stuff like that, so I can get what I need out of it as far as not leaving the game, being involved in the game still without having to get my right hip worked on for 45 minutes in the morning so I don’t blow out my left oblique. I don’t miss that kind of stuff. So yeah, it feels pretty damn good, to be honest with you.”