This Date in Washington Senators History

May 8

1912 – Walter Johnson‘s five game win streak is snapped with a 7-6 defeat at the hand of the White Sox in

Walter Johnson

Walter Johnson

Washington.

1914 – May 8 must not have been a good day for the “Big Train” in his career. On this date in 1914, Johnson comes on in relief against the A’s and gives up 6 runs in 3 innings in a game that ends in a 9-9 tie. The “Big Train” throws the only beanball of his career at Frank “Home Run” Baker, who is a career .385 hitter against Johnson until this game. After this game, Baker would only hit .207 off Johnson for the rest of his career.

1937 – Bobo Newsome hits the only homer of his career off Detroit’s Schoolboy Rowe. The Senators win 8-3 at Detroit.

1948 – After suffering 3 straight shutouts, the Senators finally score but still lose to Cleveland 6-1 in Washington. The highlight of this game is Cleveland’s Larry Doby‘s 408 foot, 3 run, inside the park HR which hits the loudspeakers in CF. The ball is declared by the umpire as in play as it bounces back onto the field.

1971 -The Senators trade 1B Mike Epstein and P Darold Knowles to Oakland for 1B Don Mincher, P Paul Linblad, C Frank Fernandez and cash. For Mincher, he would become one of 9 players to have played for both the original and expansion Senators.