I love these old crowd shots. You can pick out some fascinating faces and some ghostly ones. This photograph is from October 10th, 1924 and the team just won the World Series, beating the New York Giants by one run in the 12th inning of game 7. Check out this guy’s face. How about these two African-American men in a ... Read More »
Beer wasn’t the only thing banned from Griffith Stadium. Rock ‘n’ roll music was not allowed either. The Washington Post wrote about Fats Domino being banned from performing at Griffith Stadium in August 1957. District Commissioners yesterday banned rock ‘n’ roll king Fats Domino’s scheduled Griffith Stadium performance next month–a decision expected to shake the area’s sideburn set to its ... Read More »
I’m not sure how to explain this one … it’s just bizarre. Thanks to Vanished Americana for this gem. That’s our good buddy and Columbia Heights resident, Nick Altrock, with his clown teammate Al Schacht. Read More »
This is a guest post by GoDCer Marty from Chevy Chase, MD. Much like the rest of us, he is nervously excited and cautiously optimistic about our team. When you read this post, you’ll know why. By any measure, this has been a dream season for the Washington Nationals. They appear almost certain to bring post-season baseball to the nation’s ... Read More »
Prohibition lasted at Griffith Stadium well past the official repeal. You may not know this, but unfortunately for Senators fans, owner Clark Griffith was a teetotaling prohibitionist. He was adamantly opposed to permitting the sale of beer in his stadium. Ugh, that sucks. Maybe that’s why the old Senators were so terrible? Well, the one good thing that came with ... Read More »
This is awesome, with a few appearances from former Mayor Anthony Williams (nice bow tie dude!). If you’re a baseball fan and a history fan, watch the whole thing. It’s an excellent history on the Homestead Grays, the Negro League baseball team that was founded in Pittsburgh and eventually closing out their existence occupying Griffith Stadium. Check out this great ... Read More »
Babe Ruth and the Yankees came to town in September of 1934 for one last hurrah. They were to play the Senators in a doubleheader on Saturday, September 29th, followed by a Sunday afternoon game. Already having lost the American League pennant to the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees would close out the 1934 season at Griffith Stadium. George Herman Ruth ... Read More »
The site of so many wonderful baseball and football memories, Griffith Stadium, had it’s life ended by the brutal swings of a wrecking ball in 1965. The hapless doormat of the American League, the Washington Senators stopped playing in there after the 1961 season, after which, the days were numbered. Howard University was looking to acquire the site for their ... Read More »
Tonight’s game against the Phillies will likely have a crowd nearly 100 times larger than the one that witnessed the old Washington team play the other old Philadelphia team (i.e., the team that one day would have Reggie Jackson, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco). The Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics were just awful. The Senators would finish the season ... Read More »
To continue our baseball themed afternoon, here’s another good one from back in the day. The Yankees were playing the Senators in a doubleheader on Saturday, July 5th, 1924. Walter Johnson pitched the opener and took the loss, giving up 10 hits and 2 runs. Washington was shutout by Herb Pennock. The second game turned out better for the hometown ... Read More »
This … picture … is … awesome. This is why I love baseball. I could almost end the post with just this picture because it’s just that amazing. The 1937 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held in Washington at Griffith Stadium. The Senators were between mediocre and lousy by then, but this was reason to celebrate because it was ... Read More »
Ghosts of DC The lost and untold history of Washington