Rachel Levitin: Another memory for Nats fans, Zimmerman to cherish

Since their inception in 2005, the Nationals have gone from a cellar-dwelling team to a two-time National League East championship ballclub eager to take home baseball's top prize of a world championship.

There have been several major milestone moments along the way, including the team's first no-hitter pitched by Jordan Zimmermann in 2014 and the back-to-back No. 1 draft picks of Stephen Strasburg in 2009 and Bryce Harper in 2010 that added talent - and mainstream buzz within the American sports community - to the eventual lineup that has brought Washington to the first two playoff runs of Nationals history.

But Tuesday night's 8-6 extra-inning victory over the New York Yankees, thanks to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's 10th career walk-off home run, was a reminder of how special it is for the Nationals to take a look back at what they've accomplished in the past decade.

The Nationals continue to establish themselves as a true competitor amid the ranks of modern baseball's top teams and, in the process, have established careers that will become a part of the folklore and stories for future generations to hear. What I wonder is this: When that time comes, decades from now when today's children become grandparents, what will be the defining story of the Nationals' first decade in Washington?

There's no denying Harper will be among the names Washington baseball fans and baseball fans around the country will associate with the team's first decade and first two playoff runs. Zimmermann is a shoe-in for a conversation topic after throwing the Nats' first and only no-hitter to date. But when it comes to historically memorable players, Zimmerman continues to prove his career will be one to be remembered.

Ten career home walk-off home runs isn't something a plethora of Major League players have accomplished. As MASNsports.com's Chris Johnson pointed out last night, the list of National Leaguers with at least 10 walk-off homers is impressive. Hall of Famer Tony Perez had 12, while Hall of Famer Stan Musial had 11. Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols and all-time home run leader Barry Bonds join Zimmerman with 10 each.

That's quite the company to keep for Zimmerman. And, as the face the franchise, it's something he can cherish.

Rachel Levitin blogs about the Nationals for District Sports Page. Follow her on Twitter: @RHLevitin. She will be sharing her observations about baseball in the nation's capital as part of MASNsports.com's season-long initiative of welcoming guest bloggers to our little corner of cyberspace. All opinions expressed are those of the guest bloggers, who are not employed by MASNsports.com but are just as passionate about their baseball as our roster of writers.