Despite their rough history as both the Montreal Expos and the Washington Nationals, the franchise has had some excellent players. Which of those stars make the franchise’s Mount Rushmore?
It has been a rough go for the Washington Nationals franchise. During their time as the Montreal Expos, they made the postseason once, advancing to the National League Championship Series before falling to the eventual World Series Champion Dodgers. They appeared set to return to the playoffs in 1994, as they held the best record in baseball at the time. Then, the Player’s Strike happened, ending the season.
That strike effectively ended the Expos. While the game as a whole was slow to recover, the Expos never did. A potential dynasty loaded with great young stars was broken apart due to payroll concerns. There were threats of contraction, as no one seemed to care what happened to the franchise. Montreal, and its impressive baseball history, were being left behind. It got to the point where Major League Baseball took over the franchise, the ultimate insult as the team could not find a buyer.
The other shoe eventually dropped when the Expos were moved to Washington DC. Renamed the Nationals, it was the third attempt to have a major league franchise in the nation’s capital. After bottoming out, and earning the first overall pick for two consecutive seasons, the Nationals have found respectability. A perennial contender, they have still yet to shake those postseason issues, failing to advance beyond the first round in any of their four playoff appearances.
Even though every year has ended in disappointment, there have been some great players to come through the franchise. In fact, three players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame representing the Expos. Which of these players lands on the Washington Nationals franchise Mount Rushmore?