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The Big Twenty
2019 marked the end of what’s been a spectacular, tragic, exciting and controversial two decades in the region.
At NBC Sports Washington, we gathered a panel of sportswriters, former athletes and other experts to look back on the region’s biggest sports stories with our The Big Twenty project. Agree? Disagree? Want to share your story? We’re on Twitter at @NBCSWashington.
The List
We are excited to reveal story number two in our countdown – The Nats will the World Series. Watch and read the number one story at NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.COM/THEBIGTWENTY
The Washington Nationals went from 19-31 to the best team in baseball in 2019, leaving a legacy marked by rallying, a crowd clapping to a child’s song, dugout dancing and dominant starting pitchers. The combination produced Washington’s first baseball championship since 1924.The euphoria of a championship is hard to understand. At times, it’s hard to express after the fact, but becomes more clear as time moves. Everything changes. Everyone is affected. People in the moment emerge to mingle with others riding along. Claiming seismic effects is not an exaggeration.
Juan Soto graduated from good young player to star. A year prior, he returned to the Dominican Republic where someone came up to him in a grocery store and said, “You know you look like Juan Soto?” His aunt laughed at his side. This winter, he’s stopped for photos, admiration and to be embraced.
Davey Martinez went from manager who was surely being fired the next game to a hero in DC. And that was just one of the two championships at the top of the list in today’s Top 20 – the other? Well you have to know what that is by now.
WATCH AND READ MORE AT NBCSPORTSWASHINGTON.COM/THEBIGTWENTY
