After amassing coins from military members who threw out first pitches, Washington’s starting staff decided they needed a coin of their own.
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Cade Cavalli stood in front of his locker in the Washington Nationals’ clubhouse, showcasing the new tiered wooden display he had installed the weekend before.
He picked up the first military challenge coin. “This is from a Marine,” he said, turning the coin over in his hand, which had been given to him after he caught a first pitch earlier this season. “This is from Rap,” he added as he held up the second one, given to him by Officer William Rap, who stands guard on the field during home games.
“And this is ours,” he said proudly, turning the coin over in his hand.
Military challenge coins have been around for generations, with some accounts even dating them to the Roman Empire. Most military units have their own distinct coin, given out as identification, a status symbol or recognition for an achievement.
The “challenge” comes from a drinking game. A military member will be “challenged” to produce a coin; if you have one, the person who challenged you owes you a drink. If you don’t, then you have to pay up.
Over the last 30 years, it’s become popular for other ranks to have coins, including police units, fire departments and presidents, and for the general population to collect and trade them.
Now, the Nationals’ starting pitchers have their own, too.
On one side of the coin, “Department of Pitching” is etched on the top, with “21st pitching staff” running along the bottom and a “W” inside a home plate in the middle. On the other side, there’s a rocket with a “W” inside, the words “Aim small” and “Miss small” lining the sides of it.
“D.C. is synonymous with the military,” said starting pitcher Trevor Williams, who organized the coins’ creation. “They have our backs, and we want to be able to honor them in a small way, and that’s just the way we do it.”
Williams grew up in San Diego, a city with a large contingent of military members, so he was already familiar with the coin tradition. When he signed with the Nationals before the 2023 season, he quickly racked up a collection.
Starters, who pitch only every five days, are often tapped to catch ceremonial first pitches. With the Nationals’ proximity to multiple bases and their relationship with the military, a fair number of first pitches are from service members, who will sometimes give the pitcher a coin.
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When the pitcher returns to the dugout afterward, the other starters gather around to see the new prize. It’s become a competition to see who can collect the coolest ones, with some pitchers begging to cut the line and catch another pitch.
Williams has coins from the commanding officer of SEAL Team 5 and a Marine Corps 250th anniversary coin, which he was told was rare. He shows them off in his locker on a similar display to Cavalli’s. Brad Lord hasn’t gotten any from this season yet, but he has a collection from last season at his house. He was especially excited, he said, to receive a Space Force coin last season.
“It’s neat to see who can get what,” said Lord, who is in the bullpen now but was a starter most of last season. “We all love it.”
When it comes time to do the exchange, Lord likes to hide the Nationals’ coin in the palm of his hand and slip it over during a handshake. They are always surprised, Lord said.
“They aren’t expecting us to have a coin, and so it’s a nice little moment,” he said. “It’s nice to see them smile whenever they get it.”
When a new starter joins the team — as Foster Griffin, Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas did this year — Williams catches them up on the tradition and shows them his stash of Nationals coins. The new guys are still catching up to Williams, in his fourth year with the team. His collection is up to double digits.
There usually isn’t enough time on the field for the pitcher to hear too much from the service member before they have to take the mound. But that’s another reason they like collecting the coins. They serve as a visual representation of where people served and the sacrifices they made so that the Nationals can play baseball.
“It tells cool stories,” Williams said. “It’s cool to have and cool to show off.”
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