Steve Walker Walker

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1969 Spring Training -The Entire Story

Originally posted 12 years ago. “Bob Short’s Picnic Table Diplomacy” 1969 Spring Training 1969′s spring training may have been the most unique in Washington baseball history. Change abounded. The club sported a new owner, Robert E. Short, a celebrity manager, Ted Williams, and even new uniforms (the elegant navy blue pinstripes replaced by gleaming white …

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Cap Peterson Spring Training Power Display – March 15, 1969

Part 3 of a series on 1969 Washington Senators’ Spring Training Once the excitement and commotion surrounding the Senators in the winter of 1969 — Robert E. “Bob” Short purchasing the team out from under rival bidder Bob Hope, Ted Williams signing on to manage, and the players’ strike for better pension terms led by …

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The Joyful Sendoff of 1969

The Passion of Washington Baseball Fans Part 2: The Joyful Sendoff of 1969 After their triumphant return home from the late June into early July road trip that left them with a winning record, the 1969 Senators stumbled into the All-Star break with a 51-50 record. Still, all baseball marveled at the makeover Ted Williams …

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The Passion of Senators Fans in 1969: The Raucous Welcome for the Nats at Friendship Airport

(Part 1 of a 3-part series) Starved for a winner, Washington baseball fans went a little crazy when it looked like they might actually get one in 1969. Once the thrill of having Ted Williams on board as manager wore off, the team had to prove themselves in the standings. After 16 years of losing …

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1969 in Washington, D.C. – A Special, Memorable Opening Day

Fifty-Three years ago today, the baseball season began anew in Washington, as the Senators hosted the New York Yankees. A sports backwater since the 1940’s, when Slingin’ Sammy Baugh led the Redskins to championships and the 1945 Senators came up a hair short in a tight pennant race, the nation’s capital claimed the spotlight on …

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When the Stars (and so Much Else) Came to Washington

So many years have passed since the nation’s capital last hosted baseball’s All-Star game that most people have forgotten the unique, unforgettable events that took place before and during the 1969 midsummer classic as well as one of the many fiascos one Robert E. Short committed during his sad, incompetent tenure as the Washington Senators’ …

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Nationals Need to Sell, Not Buy, at Trading Deadline

After the 2012 joyride, this season, flush with foolish proclamations like Davey Johnson’s “World Series or bust” comment and media publications, notorious for their poor accuracy, proclaiming the Nationals the likely World Series winner, the 2013 baseball season in Washington has felt like one long disappointment. However, to the close observer, the seeds of an …

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DC Baseball History — Appreciation for Ed Stroud

On July 2, at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ed Stroud died at the age of 72. The cause of death was not named in this obituary on TribToday.com: http://bit.ly/OAoafl. Blessed with blazing speed, Stroud played for the Senators for most of his career, before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1971, his final …

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1969 Senators Spring Training — Bob Short Meets Texas Tom Vandergriff

1969 Washington Senators Spring Training: Bob Short Suddenly Books Two Games in Texas 5th of a 5 part series Once Frank Howard signed his contract and joined his teammates in Pompano Beach, the Washington Senators felt whole again. The club won their first game with Hondo in the line-up as the “designated pinch hitter.” Washington …

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1969 Senators Spring Training — Hondo’s Holdout

1969 Senators Spring Training — Hondo’s Holdout: Part 4 of a 5-Part Series As spring training in Pompano Beach continued, Ted Williams and his charges learned more and more about each other. Williams professed his hitting philosophy, “wait for a good pitch to hit” and being patient at the plate so walks would increase. Teddy …

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