The sun slowly rises on a hot summer morning. Nats fans like Shortie Sager wake and open the curtains to what will be another hot summer day in the Nation’s Capital. Outside, despite the breaking dawn, occasional explosions of firecrackers can be heard above the hustle and bustle of life, a quick glance over at the calendar, the date is July 4th, 1903.
The Senators are in town to start a new home stand against the Cleveland Naps. Cleveland is in third place at 32-27. The Senators are in last place at 16-43. Washington Manager Tom Loftus is on the hot seat for the team’s poor play.
Ed Delahanty has been missing since the Detroit series. It has been a tumultuous year for baseball’s premier heavy hitter. In the off season while still property of the Washington Baseball Club “Big Ed” signed a contract with New York Giants. He did this because of his financial losses playing the ponies in New Orleans.[1] The contract would be voided,[2] but the decision of who would pay him, Ban Johnson it turns out, was not made until right before the season opener. Then barely a week into the season came the news that he had made plans to play with his brother in Denver.
Delahanty promised his bat would win the fans back but he is viewed by many with indifference. Fans picking up the newspaper would read only this about Ed Delahanty. “Ed Delahanty is away, no one knows where, and Bill “Boileryard” Clarke[3] is chasing his baggage, which went astray. Delahanty has now been nicknamed Loftus’ “Wandering Boy.”[4]
The first contest will be called at 10:30AM, but long before this hour there will be outside of the gate an arm of the little ones[5] waiting to be admitted into the grounds. The second game will start at 4:30PM. Washington is interested in Malachi Kittredge.[6] He has also received an offer from Jimmy McAleer[7] but the Washington offer is said to be the better of the two. This may mean that George Carey will lose his job at first.”[8]
“In the eyes of these children Washington has the one and only baseball team on the globe, and if cheering and yelling could win for the Senators tomorrow, there is no reason why they should not march triumphantly off the field with the scalps of the Westerners dangling at their belts.”[9]
“Washington returned from an inglorious Western trip. Thirteen games were played and one postponed. Two games were won and eleven lost, six of the latter being shut-outs. This makes ten shut-outs for the season. On the tour they made 19 runs to 52 by their opponents. During the first sortie the Washingtons were so badly crippled that the limit seemed reached, but on the last excursion things were still a substitute outsider on third, a catcher on first and a pitcher in right field. Other members of the team are injured, especially Jimmy Ryan, whose injured hand and wrist are quite a handicap and have affected his hitting considerably, though it is still good. A typographical temerity cut his 1902 average from .317 to .217. In my last; he has not received due credit, either going or coming.”[10]
Washington is broiling under a torrid heat wave, temperatures hit 100.
4 July Cleveland 3 Washington10 Doubleheader #1
Washington celebrates a win with the incessant cracking of fireworks sounding in the background. Rabbit Robinson’s homer caps a strong hitting performance for Washington. Happy Townsend started but was not up to the task and quickly retired; Al Orth took his place and kept the Naps off balance.[i] Umpires Bob Caruthers, Harry Mace.[11] Attendance 5,819.[12]
“Juvenile Washington has seldom been as happy as it was this morning when, through the kindness of several hundred charitably inclined persons,[13] 1,250 or more orphans and poor boys and girls attended the baseball game at American League Park.”
“Lades always receive better treatment than men,” and that held good this morning. The little girls were given excellent seats in the center of the grandstand.
“After all of them had been seated the good things began to come the kid’s way. A large box-like Punch and Judy apparatus was placed in the field in such a position as to be plainly seen by the boys in the bleachers and the girls in the grandstand. John Hume Davis, assisted by Mr. Arrington, than gave the ludicrous and pleasing Punch and Judy exhibition, while the juveniles watched every move wiT. Keen interest.”
“Another pleasing exhibition in which Happy Hooligan,[14] his friend the cop, and several other comic artist creations figured was given by Mr. Davis and his assistant. This was “stunning,” in the vernacular of the young ‘uns. There were still other things in order for them. Just previous to the game, and while it was in progress, attendants passed among the children and distributed packages of popcorn, bags of peanuts, and as many glasses of ice cold lemonade as they could comfortably store away.”
“From the outset of the contest the youngsters rooted hard and faithfully for the Legislators and it is due mostly to their efforts and a little playing on the part of the team that Washington won. Loftus signalized his return from the West by presenting the worst patched up team yet seen in Washington. Bill Coughlin is on the bench nursing a bum thumb. The fierce heat had no terrors for the fans, about 4,500 of whom were present.”
“Washington score in the first inning thanks in part to Kip Selbach’s steal of second, this causes Nap Lajoie to get tossed.[15] There was a brief delay because of Umpire Bob Caruthers[16] inability to find a policeman.”
“Absentees and the hospital list s alarmingly increasing made it necessary for Manager Loftus to present a team which on paper somewhat resembled a crazy quilt; bit on the field-well! We can spare Delahanty a few days longer anyhow.”[17]
Over 3,000 fans braved the elements and made their way out to the ball park for the afternoon game. A bank of dark clouds that had been gathering since noon opened up by 3PM, at 330PM a leather-lunged youth, through the aid of a megaphone, announced that the game had been called off and a doubleheader would be played tomorrow. First game at 2:30PM
[1] He was flat broke and owed the Washington baseball club roughly his year’s salary and had a wife and child to support.
[2] This is another story
[3] Washington’s 34 year old 1b/C
[4] Washington Times
[5] Orphans and other unfortunate children to attend the game. EL Phillips, the publisher of the new and improved handy score card; will give each one of them who is able to read one of the cards as they enter the grounds.
[6][6] Catcher
[7] Manager St; Louis Browns
[8] Washington Times
[9] Washington Times
[10] Sporting Life
[11] Mace pitched for Washington in 1891.
[12] Line-up, Moran-SS, Selbach-Lf, Ryan-Cf, Lee-Rf, Carey-1b, Martin-3b, Robinson-2b, Drill-C, Townsend-P
[13] The tickets were purchased from the proceeds of a subscription started by Mr. RM Larner, the well known newspaper man and baseball writer. Sporting Life
[14] Well known comic strip character
[15] “Bob Caruthers ordered the Cleveland captain from the field and a Lajoie didn’t see fit to obey this command Caruthers appealed to Loftus. Tom told him it was not his pudding and didn’t care to “butt in,” or words to that effect. Then after several policeman found they had business elsewhere when Caruthers called upon them, “Big Reddy” O’Dea volunteered his services, but when Lajoie saw the light of battle flash from Red’s eye he decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and he sauntered jauntily across the field to the club house porch, from which he viewed the battle from afar.”
[16] Bad day for Caruthers. He was said to go crazy with the heat and was led from the field in the fourth inning. Taking his place is Harry Mace, the pitcher. He is said to have done well behind the plate. Also mentioned as crazy was Selbach stealing three bases.
[17] Washington Times
[i] Sporting Life’s take on the game. “Big Gene” Wright and “Happy” Townsend were the pitchers. The latter allowed three bases on balls, but no hit or runs, in two innings. For the locals, Kip Selbaeh walked in the first and stole second after two were out. Nap Lajoie kicked rambunctiously on the decision, though it looked all right, and Lee followed with a hit which scored the run. At the end of the inning Larry renewed his protest in such sulphurous terms that he was ejected from the game, and is now looking for a “billet doux”[i] from Ban Johnson. With two down the second, Charlie Moran contributed one of those timely drives, and Drill chased Robinson home; Ryan’s double scored Moran and Selbach, who had promenaded again, and the game looked safe 5 to 0. Wright opened the third with a fine solitaire to left centre, and the visitors began to paste Townsend’s delivery to all parts of the district, two more hits and an error filling the bases, with no one out and a base on balls forcing in the second run.
Things looked bad but Al Orth took up the white man’s burden and retired the side with one run.
Only three hits and no more runs were made off Orth, while the Senators kept at it and made it 10 to 3. Drill’s catch of a foul fly off Ray’s bat when he came at full speed against the stand, gave the occupants an imitation of an earthquake, and Selbach’s great catch of Bradley’s long drive, which ended the game, was also a feature. The work of the two Georgetown Senators, Drill and Moran, was of a very feverish type.
*The Flynn’s have written two books about baseball in D.C.
