Bill Text: VA HJR165 | 2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending the Washington Nationals.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 52-24)
Status: (Passed) 2020-01-27 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ165ER) [HJR165 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR165-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball won the 2019 World Series on October 30, 2019, defeating the Houston Astros in seven games; and
WHEREAS, the last time a Major League Baseball team from Washington, D.C., won a World Series was nearly a century ago; following years without baseball in the nation's capital, multiple 100-loss seasons, and a series of painful playoff defeats, the victory was a long-awaited opportunity for fans in the capital region and throughout the Commonwealth to rejoice; and
WHEREAS, during the season, the Washington Nationals' motto was "Stay in the Fight"; after starting the year with a disappointing 19–31 record, the team nonetheless finished the regular season with 93 wins, earning a playoff berth and starting its march to the World Series; with its October triumph, the team became only the second club in Major League Baseball history to win it all after being 12 games below .500; and
WHEREAS, the relentless spirit that lifted the team into the playoffs carried them to the very end, with the Washington Nationals posting five come-from-behind wins in elimination games in the 2019 postseason, including an astounding 7th-inning comeback in Game Seven of the World Series; and
WHEREAS, as testament to the improbable and historic nature of this season, the Washington Nationals became the only club in Major League Baseball history to win three winner-take-all games in the same postseason and to win every game of a seven-game series on the road; and
WHEREAS, this remarkable accomplishment was a whole-team effort, highlighted by dominant pitching from Patrick Corbin, Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg and clutch hitting from Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Anthony Rendon, and Juan Soto; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth was well-represented on the Washington Nationals' World Series championship roster, with outstanding contributions from University of Virginia alumni Sean Doolite and Ryan Zimmerman and Old Dominion University alumnus Daniel Hudson; and
WHEREAS, the 2019 Washington Nationals will not only be remembered for the caliber of their play, but for the much-appreciated levity they brought to the game through their on-field rituals and celebrations, including dugout dances and "Baby Shark" sing-alongs; and
WHEREAS, the Washington Nationals demonstrated to young players all over the world what can be accomplished through grit and determination and gave fans a moment they will cherish for the rest of their lives; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Washington Nationals, 2019 World Series champions, on the occasion of their monumental victory; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Lerner family, principal owners of the Washington Nationals, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the team's success and its contributions to the Commonwealth.
