The Washington Senators were DC’s American League team from 1901 to 1971, one of the great tragic franchises in baseball history. These posts dig into Griffith Stadium, legendary players like Walter Johnson, the two teams that called themselves the Senators, and the long gap before the Nationals finally brought baseball back to DC.
Check out this rare footage of the Washington Senators during spring training in 1931 and 1934. We found these at the Moving Image Research Collection at the University of South Carolina. Watch now!
On May 15th, 1918, Walter Johnson delivered an unforgettable performance as he pitched 18 innings in one game and won against the defending World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. Read to learn more about this incredible game and how it happened!
Celebrate the 89th anniversary of the Washington Senators opening game at Griffith Stadium against the New York Yankees. Read more about the game, Walter Johnson, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth’s 1925 season!
In 1933, Washington had a baseball team in the World Series. The Washington Post refused to hire ghostwriters to cover the Series and instead ran an ad penned by their sports editor, Shirley Povich. Read the story of The Post’s clever response to ghostwriters!
The Internet Archive preserved a 1939 Washington Senators broadcast that includes the voice of Walter Johnson, the greatest pitcher in baseball history.
Here’s a cool find from YouTube. The Senators lost the World Series to the Pirates, after having won the year before. Can you tell Ghosts of DC is getting excited for the 2014 baseball season?
Griffith Stadium stood where Howard University Hospital is today. Full history: from the 1911 fire to Walter Johnson to the 1965 wrecking ball.
From Sonny Jurgensen to John Riggins to Bryce Harper, the DC sports scene has been chock-full of colorful characters. Learn the ten all-time favorite quotes from these Washington sports figures!
Check out this rare video of a home run derby from 1960 between Mickey Mantle and Harmon Killebrew. We uncovered this clip from YouTube and our research suggests it was filmed just before the team moved to Minnesota to become the Twins.
