# The Fancestor: Fans of the Washington Nationals II

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/the-fancestor-washington-nationals-ii/
- Published: 2026-11-04T12:00:00-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

In this episode of The Fancestor podcast, guest Jenn Rubenstein shares her history
as a Washington Nationals fan, starting from the team’s move to Washington, D.C.
She reflects on key franchise milestones, including major player debuts, the 2019
World Series title, and player advocacy for inclusion.

The Fancestor explores baseball fandom by interviewing supporters from all thirty
Major League Baseball teams. These conversations examine how fans connect with their
clubs, endure challenging seasons, and maintain lifelong loyalty.

### The Fancestor: Fans of the Washington Nationals II

[[

Jenn Rubenstein joins the show to discuss Washington Nationals fandom. Jenn shared
how she became a fan on September 29th, 2004, the day the Montreal Expos were announced
to be moved to Washington D.C., and attended the team’s first season at RFK Stadium
before moving away to Boston for graduate school.

Jenn and Aaron discussed memorable moments including Steven Strasburg’s debut in
2010, [Bryce Harper](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harpebr03.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-11-04_br)‘
s controversial arrival in 2012, and the 2019 World Series championship run in which
Jenn attended every home game and playoff watch party (save for one!). She also 
addresses the lost 2020 season and the importance of inclusion thru the lens of 
rooting for [Sean Doolittle](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/doolise01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-11-04_br)
and his wife Eireann Dolan.

The Fancestor is a podcast about that will speak to 30 fans from 30 Major League
Baseball teams to determine exactly why we are fans. Through interesting conversations,
it strives to understand and explain fandom: how we became fans, the moments that
tested our fandom and why – at the end of the day – we are still fans.

Follow Aaron at:
[Blogspot](https://thatbootlegguy.blogspot.com/) | [X/Twitter](https://x.com/ThatBootlegGuy)
| [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5Cqg7OH5Rw5IAnreGSsukw)

_The Fancestor is not a Nyrdcast Podcast, but a friend of the website; do him a 
favor by subscribing, rating, and reviewing the podcast._

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