Major League Baseball

An unusual ring to it: Nats opt for virtual Series ceremony

Updated Jun. 18, 2020 12:58 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals will unveil their World Series championship rings during a “virtual” ceremony shown on television and online Sunday -- an unprecedented approach brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

With the start of the Major League Baseball season on hold because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Nationals owner Mark Lerner said Tuesday night he hopes the plan to show off the team’s hardware would provide “a moment of joy in these uncertain times.”

Teams typically unveil their title rings at a home stadium packed with fans.

“We don’t know when we’ll all be together again at Nationals Park,” Lerner said during the announcement Tuesday on MASN, the local television channel the team shares with the Baltimore Orioles.

The ring ceremony will be shown on MASN, MLB Network and online.

Lerner noted that the ceremony falls on May 24, now a key date in Nationals history. A year ago, Washington went into that day of the calendar with a 19-31 record before starting a turnaround that led to the franchise’s first World Series appearance and championship.

Lerner also said that a documentary about Washington’s 2019 season, “Improbable” will be shown in two parts on Saturday and Sunday.