1933 The Senators release 1st baseman Joe Judge (See May 25th birthdays.) who will then sign on with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Judge, who spent 1915 through 1932 playing for Washington will split the 1933 season playing for both Brooklyn and the Boston Red Sox, his playing career finally coming to an end in 1934 with Boston. Judge would return to Washington as a coach with the 1945 and 1946 teams.
Senators Birthdays
William Thomas Burns B Jan. 27, 1880 D Jun. 6, 1953
Pitcher Bill Burns began his major league playing days with the Washington Senators in 1908. Appearing in 23 games his rookie season, Burns would post a 6-11 record with a stellar 1.69 ERA.
Starting the 1909 season in Washington, Burns was 1-1 in 6 games when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Altrock, Gavvy Cravath and Jiggs Donahue. Burns would finish the 1909 season in Chicago going 7-13 with a 2.04 ERA.
After just 11 game with the White Sox in 1910 Burns would be on the move again, this time sold to the Cincinnati Redswhere he’d finish the 1910 season and start 1911. Traded by the Reds to the Philadelphia Phillies in mid-July, Burns would finish the 1911 season going 6-10 for the Phils.
Burns would sign on with the Detroit Tigers for 1912, pitching in 6 games, his last major league appearance coming in late May.
Otis Edgar Clymer B Jan. 27, 1876 D Feb. 27, 1926
Outfielder and sometime 1st baseman Otis Clymer would get his start in the majors with the 1905 Pittsburgh Pirates. Playing in Pittsburgh for the 1905, 1906 and early 1907 seasons, Clymer would be sold to the Washington Senators in late June.
Finishing the 1907 season in a Senators uniform, Clymer would play in 57 games, hitting .316 with 5 doubles, 5 triples and 1 home run among his 65 hits.
Clymer would play regularly in 1908, making it in to 110 games, his most active season as a player, when he’d hit .253 for Washington. Unfortunately, Clymer’s average would drop to .193 in 1909 and he’d only play in 45 games for the Senators.
Clymer would be out of the majors until 1913 when he’d play briefly for both the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Braves, his last major league appearance coming in early August of 1913.
Nathaniel Milton Gaston B Jan. 27, 1896 D Apr. 26, 1996
Pitcher Milt Gaston spent 11 years in the majors pitching for 5 different American League teams. Only 1 of those seasons would be in a Senators uniform.
Gaston appeared on the major league scene as a 28 year old rookie with the New York Yankees in 1924. He’d post a 5-3 record, with a 4.50 ERA in 29 games.
Traded to the Browns, Gaston would spend the next 3 seasons toiling in a St. Louis uniform. He’d post a 15-14 record in 1925 with a 4.41 ERA. This would be Gaston’s last winning season as a pitcher.
After the 1927 season, Gaston would be on the move again, this time traded, along with Sam Jones, to the Washington Senators for Dick Coffman and Earl McNeely. Gaston’s only season as a Senator would see him going 6-12 in 28 games with a 5.51 ERA.
On the move once again after the 1928 campaign, Gaston would spend 1929 through 1931 in a Boston Red Sox uniform, having been traded by Washington, along with Elliott Bigelow, Grant Gillis, Hod Lisenbee and Bobby Reeves in exchange for Buddy Myer.
After 3 years in Boston, Gaston would make 1 more uniform change, being traded to the Chicago White Sox where he’d play from 1932 through 1934, ending his major league playing days with a 97-164 record and an ERA of 4.55.
John Robert Kline B Jan. 27, 1929 Still Living
Single Season Senator Bobby Kline played in 77 games in 1955, primarily as a shortstop, hitting .221 with 5 doubles among his 31 hits.
John Joseph McDonald (born “McDonnell”) B Jan. 27, 1883 D Apr. 9, 1950
One Game Wonder John McDonald pitched 6 innings on September 3rd of 1907. He’d give up 12 hits, 2 walks and 11 runs (6 earned), departing with a 9.00 ERA.
Oliver Dinwiddie Tucker B Jan. 27, 1902 D Jul. 13, 1940
Oliver Tucker would appear in 20 games with the 1927 Senators, playing the outfield and going 5 for 24 at the plate, working out to a batting average of .208.
Tucker would make a comeback with the Cleveland Indians the following season, playing in 14 games but only managing to hit .128 in his only other major league season.
John Nicholas Willhite B Jan. 27, 1941 D Dec. 14, 2008
Signed by the LA Dodgers after the 1959 season, pitcher Nick Willhite would make his first major league appearance in mid-June of 1963. Willhite would post a 2-3 record with a 3.79 ERA in his first season. Willhite would pitch in another 10 games for the Dodgers in 1964 going 2-4.
Sold to the expansion Senators, Willhite would appear in just 5 games for the Senators, pitching in 6 and 1/3 rds of an inning, his ERA rising to 7.11. Willhite would be sold back to the Dodgers in mid-May, where he’d finish the season pitching in 15 games for LA, going 2-2.
Willhite would pitch in 6 more games for the Dodgers in 1966 and finish his major league career in 1967 splitting time between the California Angels and the New York Mets.
Jan 27
This Date in Washington Senators History
