WASHINGTON, D.C. — Baseball fans are no strangers to hyperbole in October. Every big moment is the greatest ever, every misstep a catastrophe. But in the aftermath of Mike Stanley’s improbable grand slam to eliminate the 110-win Montreal Expos, Senators fans have turned their awe into action—with a petition to immortalize the moment in bronze and granite.
Yes, really.
As of this morning, over 18,000 fans have digitally signed a petition calling for a monument to be built on the National Mall in honor of Mike Stanley’s game-breaking swing in Game 5 of the Division Series. The proposal, which began circulating late Sunday night on fan forums and social media, has become a symbol of both protest and pride—a response to the front office’s decision to float Stanley on the trade market mid-series, and a celebration of the veteran catcher’s clutch performance.
The petition was originally drafted by local fan and self-proclaimed “franchise historian” Daniel H., who included the following in the text submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission (and later posted to Change.org):
PETITION EXCERPT:
“To the United States Congress, the National Park Service, and all reasonable baseball-loving citizens:
We, the undersigned, do hereby call for the immediate commission, funding, and construction of a permanent monument to catcher Mike Stanley on the National Mall, to honor his heroic grand slam on October 1, 1995, which secured the Washington Senators’ place in the United League Championship Series.
Let the statue be life-sized (or larger), preferably with Stanley mid-swing, bat extended, eyes locked on destiny. The base shall be inscribed with the following words:
‘They put him on the trade block. He put them in the next round.’
This is not merely a tribute to a home run. This is a declaration of resilience, of clutch under pressure, and of poetic justice.
Washington has monuments for wars, for presidents, for ideas. It’s time we had one for a grand slam.”**
Stanley, for his part, declined to comment directly on the petition but smiled when asked about it postgame:
“I’m just trying to help us win ballgames. I’ll leave the monuments to the historians.”
Still, the groundswell of support speaks to something real. For a franchise that openly questioned its own commitment mid-series—posting Stanley on the trade block to shed salary—his thunderous swing was more than a game-changer. It was a rebuke. A reminder that players still write history, even when front offices lose the plot.
Fan Reactions to the Petition
“You laugh now, but when tourists are taking selfies with Stanley’s bronze cleats 20 years from now, we’ll all remember where we were.”
— @CapitalBaseballFan
“That swing deserves more than a highlight reel. It deserves real estate.”
— Joey R., petition co-signer
“The front office said we weren’t competing. Stanley competed. Build the statue.”
— Melinda K., DBL subreddit mod
Whether or not the monument ever makes it to the Mall (spoiler: it won’t), the petition captures something undeniable: Mike Stanley became a folk hero in the span of one swing. In a town used to monuments, he’s now a living one.
And at least for this October, Washington has its statue story.