I n April 2005 big-league baseball was back in the nation’s capital for the first time in 34 years After the 1960 season and then again after the 1971 season major league teams left Washington DC They went to Minnesota and Texas respectively and became the Twins and the Rangers Washington did not have a baseball team from 1972 to 2004 In 2005 however the Montreal Expos moved to Washington and became the Washington Nationals Baseball had to Washington returned The Nationals were not expected to be very good in their first season in Wash ington The team had traded away many of its best players during its final years in Mon treal In fact Major League Baseball MLB had planned to remove the Expos in 2001 MLB owned the team when it moved to Washington and oper ated it on a small budget When Livan Hernandez helped the Nationals start quickly in 2005 the Livan Hernandez helped the Nationals start quickly in 2005 the franchise’s first year in Washington But the team struggled late in the franchise’s first year in Washington But the team struggled late in the season and did not make the playoffs season and did not make the playoffs BASEBALL RETURNS TO WASHINGTON 5
the Nationals started the 2005 season they played with a ros ter made up largely of castoffs and a few rising young players The team still gave its new city a thrill though The Nationals had the sec ond-best record in the National League NL after the first half ff Fiin iing a Home Finding a Home Finding a Home MLB announced fter the 2004 MLB announced after the 2004 MLB announced after the 2004 season that the Montreal Expos season that the Montreal Expos would move to Washington and would move to Washington and become the Nationals The team become the Nationals The team become the Nationals The team began to operate its offices in n began to operate its offices in a trailer outside RFK Stadium in a trailer outside RFK Stadium in a trailer outside RFK Stadium in Washington However the move Washington However the move nearly fell apart when city council nearly fell apart when city council nearly fell apart when city council members in Washington changed members in Washington changed members in Washington changed the plan to pay for a new stadium the plan to pay for a new stadium The team shut down its offices and The team shut down its offices and announced that it would consider announced that it would consider announced that it would consider looking for a new city in which to looking for a new city in which to play In December 2004 though the play In December 2004 though the city council approved a plan to pay city council approved a plan to pay city council approved a plan to pay for the stadium The Nationals were for the stadium The Nationals were set to begin their first season in DC set to begin their first season in DC set to begin their first season in DC f of the season Pitcher Livan Hernandez right fielder Jose Guillen and first baseman Nick Johnson were among the players who lifted the team Washington led the NL East Division by 2 1 2 games at the All-Star break It looked as if the Nationals had a chance to become the first Washington team to make the postseason since 1933 They also had a chance to become the first team in franchise history to reach the playoffs since 1981 That year the Expos came up a game short of making the World Series In the second half of the season however the Nationals collapsed They started the year 50 31 but finished it 31 50 In the process they lost the divi sion lead and a chance to win the wild-card playoff spot In Washington’s Jose Guillen runs the bases in 2005 Guillen’s strong play was one of the reasons the Nationals finished a surprising 81 81 that year 6 WASHINGTON NATIONALS
