WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals virtual ring ceremony is no more, after the club released in a statement that it will cancel its planned event with its players.
According to the statement, Nationals players collectively, "decided they would prefer to receive their rings when the team could be physically reunited."
The franchise said it supports the players' decision, and will still proceed with unveiling the ring design.
While players won't get their rings Sunday evening, some players will participate in what is being called by the team "Kolko and Friend Live After Party." It will be hosted by Dan Kolko and feature Ryan Zimmerman, Howie Kendrick and Max Scherzer. The players will share their thoughts on the ring design and how they have been helping the D.C. area amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The unveiling of the ring will still take place Sunday at 7 p.m. on the social media channels for the Washington Nationals.
May 23 marks the anniversary of one of the greatest comeback stories in baseball history.
It was on that May afternoon that the Washington Nationals lost 6-4 to the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York, officially dropping their record to 19-31. It would lead to fans and media to question the direction of the team.
It was the second-worst record in the National League at the time.
The last team to start a season this bad and go on to win the World Series was the Boston “Miracle” Braves in 1914. But the Nationals turned their season around becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to win a World Series after a 19-31 start to a season.