Gerardo Parra spent the season playing for the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Friday, Parra literally had the best mail day ever. Waiting for him at his Florida home was his Washington Nationals’ World Series ring.
“😍🗣finally with me🦈😍,” Parra wrote on Instagram.
Over the offseason, World Series Champion and former Nationals outfielder, Gerardo Parra, signed with the Yomiuri Giants – a professional baseball team based in Tokyo, Japan. The Giants play in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Central League.
Friday, the Giants finally played their first game of the 2020 NPB season after the coronavirus pandemic delayed its start for nearly three months (March 20).
Despite no fans being in the ballpark, the Giants still played players’ walkup songs. And when Parra (number 88) came up to the plate, “Baby Shark” blared over the Tokyo Dome loudspeakers.
Gerardo Parra was one of the heart-and-soul members of the Washington Nationals and his walkup song of Baby Shark helped define the culture of the 2019 World Series-winning team.
On Sunday, the Nationals revealed the design of their championship rings. The interior arbor featured a shark holding the Commissioner’s Trophy in honor of Parra. Baby Shark “took over Nationals Park every time Parra stepped to the plate,” the team wrote in a release announcing the rings.
“I’m completely overwhelmed about the honor the Washington Nationals organization gave me in our World Champions ring we earned last season,” Parra wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “I cannot say thanks enough to the organization and, of course, our fans, because you were the ones that made the Baby Shark song our anthem.”
The Washington Nationals’ World Series champion team reunited on Zoom to re-watch Game Seven of the World Series, Tuesday night. Hosted by MASN’s Dan Kolko and Nats’ first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, the players tuned in from their homes around the world and hung out live to benefit Zimmerman’s newly created charity, Pros For Heroes. By the end of the night, the Nats had raised over $200,000 for charity.
The Nats’ Zoom reunion was was unfiltered, fun, and honest. It was as if we were a fly on the wall of a private clubhouse party and we were hearing all the juicy parts.
From making fun of the Astros’ cheating to Brian Dozier ripping off his shirt (again), these were the best moments.
The Washington Nationals’ home opener is set for April 2 against the New York Mets, and it’s slated to be a huge event for fans in attendance, who will get to see the raising of the first championship banner in Nats franchise history.
While several faces that made up the Nationals World Series-winning roster will not be returning for the 2020 season, Gerardo Parra has expressed his desire to make the trip from Japan for the home opener to throw out the first pitch.
“I want to throw the first pitch,” Parra said to NBC Sports Washington in an exclusive interview. “I’m working, but it’s not in my hands. I want to talk to the Japan team, but like I say, I don’t want to say no because you never know.”
By Donya Abramo 3 years ago
Gerardo Parra was only a part-time player, but he had an oversized role with the Washington Nationals during their championship season. The Venezuelan outfielder is widely credited for turning the Nationals’ season around with his walkup song, the viral children’s tune Baby Shark.
Friday, Parra commemorated the Nationals’ World Series-wining season in the most permanent way possible. The two-time gold glover got a Nationals’ championship tattoo inked on his left forearm.
And it’ll make you want to chomp with both of your arms.
By Ian Oland 3 years ago
The Washington Nationals signed Gerardo Parra in May. The fun-loving Parra was only meant to be a reserve outfielder but, by the end of the year, he became an indispensable part of the World Series-winning team.
From his red-tinted Bubly Sparkling Water sunglasses to his Baby Shark walkup song, Parra gave this already ridiculous Nationals team an identity. After every hit, players would do a baby shark chomp that the Nats bench would mimic back. During the World Series, Parra hung a plush Baby Shark toy from the dugout steps for good luck. And at the very end of the Nationals Championship Rally, Parra stuffed a blue Daddy Shark stuffed animal into the Commissioner’s Trophy and held it high in the air in celebration.
Now there’s a Parra Baby Shark bobblehead and WHOOSH! sorry, that sound you just heard is me buying one because this is one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen.
The Stanley Cup Dress Lady became the World Series Dress Lady during the MLB playoffs. And after the Nats won the World Series, Nationals’ fan Kora Findler had an epic celebration. Once she finished pumping her fists and running around her backyard, Kora officially etched Washington Nationals onto the base of her dress skirt – a day the longtime fan will remember forever.
“I felt like history was made,” Kora said. “It was a life-changing, unbelievable moment to experience and my two sons were able to stay up and experience it too. I woke up the next day and thought it was a dream. And when I realized it wasn’t, it was everything all over again.”
Sunday, Kora attended the Capitals-Flames game in her World Series trophy dress. The Nationals were in attendance and in a partying mood. When they noticed the Human Commissioner’s Trophy in the stands, they invited her into their private suite.
The Washington Nationals went to the Washington Capitals game last night. The World Series champions, in the presence of such great partiers, let go of their inhibitions and the game became a wild house party. There was drinking, there was celebrating, and there was lots of half nudity.
So obviously, the best way to end the night was to let these players out on the ice, which is slippery, and let them play a dangerous sport that is new and foreign to them.
The Nationals played hockey, you guys.
By Ian Oland 4 years ago
