Nationals' World Series ring features D.C. monuments, 'Baby Shark' nod
The Washington Nationals unveiled the design of their 2019 World Series championship ring on Sunday after players nixed a plan to hold a virtual ring presentation ceremony, an approach brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
Initially, the Nationals announced that they were going to give out the rings during a show to be broadcast on television and online. They changed course after players decided that they would rather wait and receive their new jewelry when they could reunite in person.
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The show was planned for Sunday, May 24, because of the date's significance in last year's title run. A year ago, Washington went into the day with a 19-31 record before starting a turnaround that led to the franchise's first World Series appearance and championship.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 Washington Nationals World Series Championship Ring," the Nationals wrote in a tweet accompanied by a video showcasing the ring's design specifics.
Here are some elements of the ring, which was designed by Jostens:
The cursive "W" logo features 30 rubies, representing the 30 runs Washington scored in its four World Series game victories over the Houston Astros.
Surrounding the Nationals' logo is a ring of 32 sapphires, the sum total of the team's 2019 walk-off wins (7), shutout wins (13), longest winning streak (eight games) and postseason rounds won (four).
There are an additional 108 diamonds, symbolizing the team's 105 regular-season and postseason wins, plus one for the World Series championship and two more in a nod to the franchise's history as the Montreal Expos and Washington Nationals.
There are twelve rubies on each end -- the team's total number of postseason wins -- to bookend the player's name.
The ring also depicts some of Washington D.C.'s most iconic landmarks, with the roman numerals MMVI placed within the Capitol Building to represent the year (2006) the Lerner family purchased the franchise.
The words "FIGHT FINISHED" are featured prominently in diamonds, marking a modification of the team's 2019 postseason motto, "Stay in the fight."
Appearing along the ring palm is the team's mantra: "GO 1-0 EVERY DAY."
The interior of the ring includes a symbol of a shark holding the Commissioner's Trophy in honor of outfielder Gerardo Parra's walk-up song, "Baby Shark."
Sunday's virtual design reveal was paired with a fundraiser for two food banks and was followed by a documentary about Washington's 2019 season.
www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29217059/nationals-world-series-ring-features-dc-monuments-baby-shark-nod
