Schneider and Cordero remember the day baseball returned to D.C.

The battery of closer Chad Cordero and catcher Brian Schneider was welcomed back to Nationals Park on Friday night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to World Series Game 3.

Cordero pitched for Montreal (2003-2004) and the Nationals (2005-2008), while Schneider played for the Expos (2000-2004) and Nationals (2005-2007). Cordero saved 113 games from 2005-2007, while Schneider hit 47 homers in his Expos/Nationals career.

Schneider and Cordero were touched to be honored with the privilege of throwing out the first pitch tonight.

"It's special. I know Chad feels the same way," Schneider said. "To get that call to come back here. It's not just any other game, right? It's the first time in 86 years there's been a Series here. It's special. I'm very privileged and excited to be part of it. And to be here next to Chief means a lot to me, too. I'm just ready to go back out there and feel the excitement of the crowd and to be here.

"Again, I just wanted to thank everyone who's put it together - the Nationals, and ownership, everyone. I do appreciate everything."

Cordero said when he got the call he was ready to go right then.

"It's a huge honor to be able to come back and be a part of something like this," Cordero said. "To be part of that first team in '05 that brought baseball back after so many years, and then to be able to be invited to throw out the first pitch in the World Series - and the first one, like Brian said, in 86 years - that's a pretty special honor. Not a whole lot of people can say they've had a chance to do that.

"When they gave myself a call, I told them I'd drop everything to be able to come out here. I don't want to miss this opportunity because who knows when you're going to be able to do this type of thing ever again and stuff."

Schneider said he remembered that first season at RFK Stadium in 2005 as a very special time, and understood the historical significance of that first game.

"I just remember the crowd, the atmosphere. Coming from Montreal, we didn't know what to expect, we really didn't," Schneider said. "To see it packed at such an early time, like during batting practice and just the excitement through. I remember it was a really cold night and getting that first pitch over with, I was really nervous for that first pitch.

"But that was our night. Everything seemed to work out. It clicked. Halfway through the game or maybe last, it wasn't like it was new anymore to us, it was like our home. It was where we were playing."

Cordero noticed how excited Washington, D.C., fans were to finally have their own team.

"The fans and everybody around here, the whole city made us feel right at home," Cordero said. "We instantly felt very comfortable with everything - with the move, with the stadium, with the city. Because like Brian said, you don't really know what to expect. Being in a place like Montreal, which is a great city, you only had a couple hundred fans a night. And to be able to come in to a place like this and see it sold out almost every night for those first few months, it was a pretty cool thing."

Sitting in the press conference room at Nationals Park, Schneider and Cordero wore original Nationals jerseys from when they played in D.C.

Was it hard for them to find those old jerseys?

"Yeah, it's pretty funny," Schneider said. "They asked me to bring it down. I didn't know where it would be. Somewhere. And Chief said, 'Mine are all framed and everything.' I'm going to call my Dad, see if he has one. I was like, 'That's a good idea.' I called my Dad, and he had one, too. He said, 'Dads never throw any of that stuff away.' Yeah, these are both our originals, I guess, that we had given to our dads."

Cordero was used to pitching in high-leverage situations his whole career. Would throwing out a first pitch six years after he retired be easy?

"Ever since I got that call, I've been very nervous. My hands are all sweaty and I'm just hoping I don't bounce it right now," Cordero said.

"So do I," Schneider said with a smile.

Cordero, standing at the front of the mound with the sellout crowd cheering him on, warmed up his arm and threw the pitch just a bit outside to Schneider.

Seeing duo in Nationals uniforms together again harkened back to 2005 at RFK Stadium. This time, it was before Game 3 of the World Series at Nats Park.

"You kind of had the sense that it was going to be pretty good," Cordero said thinking back to that first season. "But I don't think you really realized just how special the organization was going to be for the city."