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Sean Doolittle thanks Washington Nationals fans for their support in emotional note

By Ian Oland

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October 2, 2020 12:36 am

Sean Doolittle returned to Twitter on Thursday to post a long message thanking Washington Nationals fans for their support over the last four seasons.

Doolittle, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this fall and he may not return.

Doolittle writes:

I know the 2020 season didn’t go the way we all hoped it would, but I wanted to say thank you for all of the love and support you have given me during my time in DC. This year was especially challenging, but with the support of my teammates and our staff, I learned a lot about myself as a player and as a person that will help me for the rest of my career. As difficult as it was, I’m grateful for the experience (bumpy roads, right?). If I knew how the 2020 season would go for me when I struck a Faustian bargain to be a part of a World Championship, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

I had no idea what to expect when I got traded to the Nats in July 2017. I was so nervous. I’d been to DC a few times but my nerd ass never made it past the free museums. Little did I know that a little over 2 years later I’d ride by them on top of a double decker bus in a World Series parade. I’m well aware that I’m weird, a bit of an acquired taste – not for everyone. But you immediately welcomed my wife and me into your community. You made us feel very much at home here in the DC-Metro area.

DC will always hold a special place in our hearts. We got married here in 2017. We immersed ourselves in the District. We fell in love with the city. I’ll always appreciate the special connection I had with the fans. This year wasn’t the same without you. Getting our rings and raising the championship banner (that you helped us earn!) in an empty stadium was weird. Nats Park just didn’t have the same energy without you cheering us on.

I don’t know where this game will take us next, but I’m so grateful for the time I had with the Nationals organization and the fans here in Washington. It was a privilege to wear the curly W and play for you at Nats Park. Baseball is a small world, so I look forward to our paths crossing again soon. Thank you for everything.

✌🏻
63
2019 World Series Champions

Eireann Dolan retweeted her husband and posted his message.

Doolittle became a beloved player during his time in Washington due to his quirky personality, his activism, and his love of Star Wars.

A few tweets:

Doolittle was also a rare athlete in the sense that he regularly interacted with fans on social media and was also refreshingly honest – such as when he described his feelings about playing this season.

“Look at where other developed countries are in their response to this (pandemic),” Doolittle said. “We haven’t done any of the things that other countries have done to bring sports back. Sports are like a reward of a functioning society. And we’re just trying to bring it back, even though we’ve taken none of the steps to flatten the curve, whatever you want to say.”

Doolittle also became a big fan of the Washington Capitals and developed a friendship with Braden Holtby.

Washington landed Doolittle in a trade with the Oakland Athletics in July 2017 to shore up their bullpen. Doolittle had spent 10 years with Oakland and did not want to be traded.

The former University of Virginia warmed to the area quickly and his comfort showed on the field. Doolittle saved 75 games in 121 total appearances and posted a 3.03 ERA. Doolittle was lights out during the Nationals’ World Series run.

Doolittle did not fare well during the coronavirus shortened season as he was unable to pitch off a mound during the four-month shutdown. Doolittle struggled to re-find his velocity and ended the year injured with an oblique strain. Doolittle deactivated his Twitter account as he tried to refocus.

Two weeks ago, Doolittle told the Washington Post that he hoped to return to DC next season.

“That would be the best-case scenario,” Doolittle said to Jesse Dougherty. “It’s a little bit nerve-racking, for sure. Just going through this process, I don’t want to, like, get my hopes up or have favorites or spots, like, ‘Oh, man, I really hope this works out with this team.'”

“Doo is one of the crucial decisions to make,” Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo said after the season according to Federal Baseball. “We’ll wait for all the information and gather all our analytics and medical information and make our decisions based on that.”

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