The Unknown National

Tucked away on a last place squad in Washington D.C., a third baseman is batting .357 with 8 HRs and 26 RBIs. More importantly, this hot hitting infielder ends his past hitting streak to 30 games. Thes streak was the longest for a third baseman since George Brett in the 1980 season, with luminaries such as Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Cabrera failing to match the mark. With 20 HR 100 RBI power and production, as well as the ability to hit .300 consistently and steal double digit bases (11 SB in 2006), this Nationals slugger is in elite company.

Who is this? Try an infielder whose prowess with the glove prompted former Montreal/Washington manager Frank Robinson to compare the young third baseman to Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. A player who shares the Montreal/Washington franchise record for home runs by a rookie, 20 HRs, with former Expos outfielder Brad Wilkerson (2002). The player? 24 year old Ryan Zimmerman. Already the face of the Washington National franchise, Zimmerman is, at 24, already an elite third baseman along the lines of Florida's Miguel Cabrera and Atlanta's Chipper Jones.























However, Zimmerman rarely receives his due respect on the level of his aforementioned peers. Being tucked away on a last time team, from the beginning (Washington Senators), to the days in Montreal, till the present (Washington Nationals), has taken its toll on the attention around All Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Also, this does not seem subject to change anytime soon. Washington is 11-21 so far this season, the worst mark in baseball, with Zimmerman leading the team in batting average (.357) and runs scored (28).

Even as the streak ended at 30 games, the first player to mount a challenge on Joltin Joe's hallowed hit record, Ryan Zimmerman, has now garnered attention lost through the past seasons. From lost awards (Close second to Florida SS Hanley Ramirez in 2006) to the seasons wasted languishing on a last place squad with no light visible at the end of proverbial tunnel, Zimmerman's career has undoubtedly been stunted by having the unfortunate fate of toiling away for a last place team in an apathetic home market. However, the next time you see the Nationals on TV (which shouldn't be anytime soon unless you have a satellite dish the size of a swimming pool), watch #11 show off flashes of Brooks Robinson in the field while yielding a potent bat such as the likes of any third baseman in baseball.