January 2013 archive

Farewell to two old friends: Brian Schneider and Nick Johnson

Two members of the team that brought baseball back to Washington have hung up their spikes. Nick Johnson is calling it a career after 10 seasons, and Brian Schneider is retiring after 13 years in the big leagues. You may never see their names in the Ring of Stars at Nationals Park, but they are …

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Ted’s Tale

Ted Sullivan was a true renaissance man and a friend of the District. In 1890 he was the manager of the minor league Washington franchise that had no talent and no cash to acquire it. In desperation Walter Hewitt, the youthful and beleaguered proprietor of the franchise announced he would play baseball on Sunday. Oddly …

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Chuck Hinton (1934-2013): An Appreciation

Chuck Hinton was indeed, one in a million. I first met Chuck in the mid-1990s while I was writing my book on the expansion Senators. I asked him if he would allow me to interview him for the book. I was surprised and thrilled when he said, “yes.” This was one of my first “up-close …

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I hope Washington is chosen to host the 2019 All-Star game

Earlier this week it was announced that the city of Cincinnati will be the host of the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Like many Washington baseball fans I can’t wait for the nation’s capital to be chosen to host an All-Star game. With that said I actually hope D.C. is not chosen until 2019. …

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Charles Comiskey almost signs with Washington

Charles Comiskey almost signs with Washington The story about Comiskey possible signing with Washington is a great way to ponder the achievements of that baseball icon Ted Sullivan. Sullivan first notice to baseball cranks in the District would have been as a player. At the age of 33, Ted Sullivan played three games for the …

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Back where we started: Morse shipped to Seattle; AJ Cole comes home

The Nationals have completed the eagerly-anticipated Michael Morse trade, a three-team deal with the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics that will leave some of the major players with a sense of deja vu. According to The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore and other media outlets, Morse returns to his first big league organization,  Seattle, while the …

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Nats have more options with Soriano signing

The pain of  the Nationals’ bullpen collapse against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series must still be fresh in general manager Mike Rizzo’s mind. How else to explain his move to burnish a bullpen that is already stocked with right-handers with the signing of a former All-Star right-hander who has been …

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Hank O’Day Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Hank O’Day. His combined record in Washington was 41-63, although his time here was just a footnote in his long career. In his honor we present some information about his early days in Washington. It is not for mere mortals to try to understand the reasons why persons are selected, or not selected, …

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LaRoche coming back; Morse on block

Nationals General Manger Mike Rizzo has the patience to wait for what he wants, and now that patience is being rewarded with the re-signing of one of baseball’s premier first basemen and a potential trade windfall. Rizzo’s offer to Adam LaRoche hasn’t changed substantially since LaRoche became a free agent following a season in which …

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Our Top Ten popular stories in 2012

#10 – Do the Nats have the right uniforms for a championship? by Mark Hornbaker Wearing the right uniform can make all of the difference. Way back in 1915 the Washington Times posted a cartoon that claimed uniforms play a prominent part in winning championships. The 1915 Senators uniforms were not up to snuff as …

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