Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Tag Archives: Washington Senators

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Ghostly Image of Fans Waiting for 1924 Washington Senators

Fans outside Griffith Stadium on October 10th, 1924

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 »

An Older Walter Johnson Reminisces …

Baseballs autographed by six Presidents. 'Big Train's' gift to Baseball Hall of Fame. Washington, D.C., April 29. Walter Johnson's contribution to the National Baseball Museum at Cooperstown, New York, will be these six baseballs autographed by six presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. With the exception of the ones autographed by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover, the balls are those which were thrown out at opening games pitched by Johnson during his regime as star pitcher for the Washington Senators. The ball autographed by President Hoover was presented to Johnson while he was manager of the Washington team while the one with the signature of Theodore Roosevelt was a special gift to the Big Train

Here is a very different photo of the “Big Train” in April 1939. He is looking at a box of baseballs, autographed by six presidents. These are baseballs that were thrown out as the first pitch by presidents when Johnson was pitching in Washington. A pretty impressive collection, which was donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Read More »

Opening Day 1913 … Play Ball!

Screen Shot 2013-03-31 at 11.18.59 AM

First pitch for 2013 is only a few hours from now … Seriously, I am so pumped for baseball. The sting of our last game has now subsided, and I’m ready to watch our team put on a great show at Nats Park. I’m feeling good about it and it’s time to share a few old Nationals/Senators stories. Here’s one ... Read More »

Roy Sievers, Bryce Harper and Sports Illustrated

Bryce Harper Sports Illustrated cover - Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

In 1958, Roy Sievers of the Washington Nationals (i.e., Washington Senators) was one of the best sluggers in the game. The previous year, he knocked out a league-leading 42 dingers and he would follow it up in ’58 with another 38 homers. Just before opening day in 1958, Mr. Sievers graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first Washington baseball ... Read More »

D.C.’s Biggest-Ever Baseball ‘Scoop’

Ted Williams with the Senators in the spring of 1971

It was perhaps the biggest baseball ‘scoop’ in Washington, DC history: Ted Williams to return to baseball in 1969 as manager of the Washington Senators. The story behind the story is even more delicious. Russ White, a young baseball beat reporter for the third paper in town, the now-defunct Washington Daily News, landed the story exclusively, trouncing both the Post ... Read More »

Washington Senators Move to Los Angeles in 1957

Harmon Killebrew 1956 Topps baseball card

We’re a little late on this, but … this day in history (minus 12 days), 56 years ago, the Baltimore Sun reported a rumor that the Washington Senators were moving to the West Coast for the 1957 season. Washington, Sept 12 (AP)–Calvin R. Griffith, president of the Washington Senators, said today it isn’t so that the American League baseball club is all ... Read More »

Earl Whitehill: Washington’s Last Lefty 20-Game Winner

Earl Whitehill of the Washington Senators

Congratulations Gio Gonzalez! You are the first 20-game winner for Washington baseball in 59 years, when Bob Porterfield accomplished the feat. Not only that, but you are only the second left-handed pitcher ever to do this in our history. The last guy to do it was Earl Whitehill, back during FDR‘s first term, 1933. On to the playoffs! If you ... Read More »

Washington’s Last World Series

Griff8WorldSeries10-242

We are guaranteed to play postseason baseball after last night’s win over the Dodgers. Our magic number to win the National League East is down to eight games. Let’s see some #NATITUDE from GoDCers and pride in our baseball team! Along those lines, here are two great films from the last time out team was in the World Series. These ... Read More »

Buddy Lewis: All-Star Third Baseman and War Hero

Buddy Lewis

This is a tremendously obscure YouTube video, but for any baseball nuts in the GoDC community, you’ll dig this. The video features Buddy Lewis, former Washington Senator and World War II veteran. He played his entire war-interrupted career here in D.C. Buddy was originally from Gastonia, North Carolina, playing a total of 11 years here. Not only that, but he ... Read More »

A Cautionary Tale: the 1945 Senators

Dutch Leonard circa 1945

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 »

Griffith Stadium Beer Garden Opens

Griffith Rooftop boxes (griffithstadium.com)

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 »

Nationals Almost Renamed Washington Teddies

1904 Washington Senators

Nats fans, you are not going to believe this. This just might be the best obscure trivia we have uncovered about D.C. baseball. We used to have a team, the first one here called the Senators, between 1891 and 1899. They were horrible, and as a result, were contracted. The second Washington Senators arrived here in D.C. back in 1901 ... Read More »

Babe Ruth’s Final Game and Home Run as a Yankee

Babe Ruth at bat against Washington

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 »

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