The start of the 2020 season was supposed to be a celebration for the Washington Nationals and their fans. Washington claimed their first-ever World Series last October, a coronation that was 14 years in the making since the team relocated from Montreal.
However, the coronavirus pandemic has halted that celebration, robbing Major League Baseball of their season thus far and the Nationals basking in the glory with their fans.
MLB has kicked the tires around starting their season once the pandemic begins to settle, whenever that is, without fans. Proposals have swirled around games being played in Arizona, Florida, and eventually clubs’ home ballparks without fans.
Fans whom have waited more than a decade for the moment of seeing the banner raised won’t miss anything If and when the season starts without fans. General manager Mike Rizzo confirmed during his appearance on MLB Network Radio on SirusXM, the Nationals won’t raise the World Series banner or present championship rings until fans are allowed.
āI think as far as raising the banner and the distribution of rings, weāre going to wait for our fanbase to be involved to do those types of things,ā Rizzo said. āThose are once-in-a-lifetime things to do and our fanbase is such a big factor in helping us win that thing. They earned it, they deserve to be involved in it and weāre going to wait for them to do it.ā
(h/t NBC Sports Washington)
The Nationals’ home opener was slated for Apr. 2, and there is no telling when they’ll get to play in front of their fans at Nationals Park. The fans certainly deserve to get their moment to celebrate seeing the banner raised and the rings handed out. The Nationals will hold out for their moment.
