Record 80–81 (.497) Owner(s) Lerner Enterprises | Divisional place 3rd General manager(s) Mike Rizzo | |
Manager(s) Jim Riggleman, John McLaren, Davey Johnson Local television MASN
WDCW (CW 50)
(Bob Carpenter, FP Santangelo, Ray Knight, Johnny Holliday, Dave Jageler) | ||
The Washington Nationals' 2011 season was the seventh season for the American baseball franchise of Major League Baseball in the District of Columbia and the 43rd since the original team was started in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It involved the Nationals attempting to win the National League East Division after a 69-93 season the year before.
Contents
- Offseason
- Advertising and marketing
- Spring training
- Notable transactions
- Draft
- Attendance
- Batting
- Pitching
- Team leaders
- All Stars
- References
On June 23, 2011, manager Jim Riggleman resigned after contract disputes with general manager Mike Rizzo. Riggleman resigned following a 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners which put the Nationals over .500 at the latest point in a season since 2005 and gave them their 11th win in 12 games. Riggleman compiled a 140-172 record with the Nationals after he replaced Manny Acta after the all-star break in 2009. On June 24, Davey Johnson was named the new manager. Previously, he was a senior advisor to Mike Rizzo. He began managing on June 27. Bench coach John McLaren managed the club for three games following Riggleman's resignation before Johnson was decided upon as interim manager.
The Nationals finished the 2011 season in third place in the NL East with an 80-81 record, playing only 161 games because one game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was canceled due to rain. Their third-place finish was their best finish in the standings and second-best win-loss record since they moved to Washington.
Offseason
On December 16, 2010, the Nationals traded Josh Willingham to the Oakland Athletics for Corey Brown and Henry Rodríguez. On January 19, 2011, they traded minor-leaguers Michael Burgess, Graham Hicks, and A. J. Morris to the Chicago Cubs for Tom Gorzelanny. On February 2, 2011, they traded Justin Maxwell to the New York Yankees for minor-leaguer for Adam Olbrychowski. On March 27, 2011, they traded Nyjer Morgan to the Milwaukee Brewers for minor-leaguer Cutter Dykstra and cash, and the following day they traded Alberto González to the San Diego Padres for Erik Davis.
Advertising and marketing
The Nationals′ marketing slogan for 2011 was "Expect It." According to a letter to season ticket holders signed by Nationals Chief Operating Officer Andrew Feffer explained that the slogan let Nationals fans know that the team′s rebuilding strategy "is beginning to show returns," and that "we are determined to continue to do what it takes to elevate the franchise to the next level." The letter added that "in 2010, we had a productive stable of veterans and stars in the lineup," that "we now have a solid and exciting pipeline of pitchers," and that the franchise′s "improved Minor League system is now regularly producing a steady stream of Major League talent."
Spring training
The Nationals held their 2011 spring training in Viera, Florida, with home games played at Space Coast Stadium.
Notable transactions
Draft
The 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place from June 6 to June 8. With their first pick – the sixth pick overall – the Nationals selected third baseman Anthony Rendon. Other notable players the Nationals selected were pitcher Alex Meyer (first round compensation pick, 23rd pick overall), pitcher Taylor Hill (sixth round, 187th overall), and outfielder Billy Burns (32nd round, 967th overall).
Attendance
The Nationals drew 1,940,478 fans at Nationals Park in 2011, improving over the previous season for the second straight year. It placed them 14th in attendance for the season among the 16 National League teams, also for the second consecutive year.
Batting
Table is sortable.
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases
Complete offensive statistics are available here.
Pitching
Table is sortable.
Note: Pos = Position; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
Complete pitching statistics are available here.
Team leaders
Qualifying players only.
All-Stars
Clippard threw three pitches in the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and was its winning pitcher.