Our Top Ten popular stories in 2013

NUMBER 10

Speak softly and carry a Big Stick

This past February at the D.C. Baseball History Winter Meeting the first hour of the meeting was set aside for theFrank Howard attendees to introduce themselves and to share a piece of their Washington baseball memorabilia with the group. I would say half of the 50 people who attended the meeting brought in some type of D.C. baseball memorabilia to the meeting

One of the attendees, Jeff Brown, brought in a Baseball Bat order from the Washington Senators. The team ordered the bats on January 11, 1968. I did not have time to get a closer look at the at the bat order at the meeting so I asked Jeff if he could send me a copy of the confirmation of the bat order. A couple days after receiving my request Jeff sent me the player’s bat orders.

The most interesting tidbit from the order is how much larger Frank “Hondo” Howard’s bat was than the rest of his team mates. For us Senators’ fans who remember watching the Senators games from the late 1960′s remember how Frank Howard would make his baseball bat look like a tooth pick as he would swirl his bat over his head in the batters box as the pitcher on the mound would go through his wind up.

For Howard he would always let his big bat do the talking.  During the 1968 season Howard would have his most productive season of career up to that point in time.

Senators bat order 1

Washington Senators bat order 1968 – Jeff Brown

Senators bat order 2.

Washington Senators bat order – Jeff Brown

 

HOME RUNS RUNS BATTED IN
Howard (WSA) 44 Harrelson (BOS) 109
Horton (DET) 36 Howard (WSA) 106
McCovey (SFG) 36 McCovey (SFG) 105
Harrelson (BOS) 35 Santo (CHC) 98
Allen (PHI) 33 Williams (CHC) 98
Slugging % Total Bases
Howard (WSA) 0.552 Howard (WSA) 330
McCovey (SFG) 0.545 Williams (CHC) 321
Horton (DET) 0.543 Aaron (ATL) 302
Allen (PHI) 0.52 Rose (CIN) 294
Harrelson (BOS) 0.518 Alou (ATL) 290
Runs Created Extra Base Hits
Yastrzemski (BOS) 121 Howard (WSA) 75
Rose (CIN) 113 Williams (CHC) 68
Howard (WSA) 110 Brock (STL) 66
McCovey (SFG) 110 Aaron (ATL) 66
Williams (CHC) 107 Robinson (BAL) 59
Allen (PHI) 59
Banks (CHC) 59

 

NUMBER NINE

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 Nats get back A.J. Cole, one of the four players shipped to Oakland in the blockbuster deal that brought Gio Gonzalez to Washington. Oakland will also send minor league pitcher Blake Treinen and a player to be named to the Nats, while acquiring catcher John Jaso from Seattle.

Shortly after re-signing first baseman Adam LaRoche, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo acknowledged that Morse had become expendable because he had traded for speedy center fielder Denard Span, leaving no regular spot for Morse in the outfield or infield. He said at the time he was seeking controllable major league talent or prospects to restock the farm system.

It appears he got the latter in this deal, replenishing a pitching pool that was depleted with the departures of Cole, Brad Peacock an Tommy Milone in the Gonzalez deal, and Alex Meyer in the Span trade.

Cole, a 21-year-old right-hander, was the Nats’ fourth-round draft pick in 2010 and received a $2 million signing bonus. He went 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA and a 4.50 K/BB ratio in 2011 with Class-A Hagerstown. But after the trade, he struggled in Stockton, Oakland’s high-A affiliate in the offensively-oriented California League, going 0-7 with a 7.82 ERA and a 3.10 K/BB ratio, falling out of favor with the A’s. After stepping down to low-A Burlington in the Midwest League, he returned to form, going 6-3 with a 2.07 ERA and striking out 102 batters in 95 innings. His fastball is clocked in the high 90s, fitting the profile Rizzo likes to see in his pitchers.

Trienen, a 6-4, 24-year-old right-hander, is also known as a power pitcher who has hit 97 mph, according to oaklandclubhouse.com. He also pitched in Stockton last season and went 7-7 with a 4.37 ERA, walking just 23 batters in 116 innings. He pitched 27 innings the previous season in Burlington, walking just seven batters and posting a 3,67 ERA.

Of course, the man many Nats fans hated to see go was “The Beast,” Morse. Since coming to Washington in a 2009 deal for Ryan Langerhans, he has blossomed from a prospect with no set position into one of the top hitters in the National League, belting 67 homers, including 31 in 2011, when he found a home at first base filling in for the injured LaRoche. Last season, when he battled a torn lat muscle that kept him out for the first third of the season and various hand issues after returning to the lineup, he hit .291/.321..470 with 18 home runs in 102 games. His hitting has been consistent throughout his stay in Washington, never deviating much from his .294/.343/.514 average.

Morse’s defense, the one weakness that forced him out of the Washington outfield and kept him behind the Gold Glove LaRoche at first, may be a non-issue in Seattle, where he can play designated hitter.

Of course, Morse also endeared himself to fans at Nationals Park with his “Samurai Cobra Snake” warm-up swings and his walk-up music, the 1980′s syntho-pop song, “Take On Me,” which eventually got the whole park singing and trying to hit the high notes.

So what does this mean for the Nats moving forward? It looks like the team the Nats take to spring training will be the one that takes the field on opening day. Neither Drew Storn nor Tyler Clippard was packaged with Morse, so it looks more likely that both will be in the bullpen, in front of newly acquired closer Rafael Soriano, when the season opens. Zach Duke and Craig Stammen look like the long men. Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler look to fill the rotation,leaving one or two spots in the bullpen up for grabs.

The outfield looks set, with Span in center, Jayson Werth in right and Bryce Harper moving to left. The infield includes LaRoche at first, Danny Espinosa at second, Ian Desmond at short, Ryan Zimmerman at third and a catching combo of Wilson Ramos and Kurt Suzuki.

Off the bench, the Nats will have Tyler Moore, Steve Lombardozzi, Roger Bernadina and Chad Tracy, with room for another bench player if the team decided to keep only 10 pitchers.

 

NUMBER EIGHT

This Date in Washington Senators History – Ted Williams returns to baseball full-time

1969 Ted Williams returns to baseball full-time, signing a five-year contract to manage the Ted WilliamsWashington Senators.

Senators Birthdays

Joseph Anthony Foy B Feb. 21, 1943 D Oct. 12, 1989

Originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins before the start of the 1962 season, Joe Foy would be drafted by the Boston Red Sox in November of that year.

Foy would make his major league debut with the Red Sox in 1966, playing in 151 games mainly as a 3rd baseman. Foy would hit .262 for Boston in his rookie campaign.

Foy would remain a regular with the Red Sox through 1968 and would make it into 6 games of the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

After the season he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the expansion draft. Foy would play in 145 games for the Royals in their inaugural season, once again hitting .262.

After the season, Foy would be on the move again when he was traded to the New York Mets. Foy would appear in 99 games for the Mets in 1970.

Drafted by the Washington Senators in November of 1970, Foy would join the expansion Senators for their last season in Washington. Playing in 41 games, Foy would hit .234, his last game coming in late May. Foy would be released by the Senators in mid-July.

Joe Foy career record

Milton Marshall Gray B Feb. 21, 1914 D Jun. 30, 1969

Catcher Milt Gray avoids the title of One Game Wonder by virtue of having played in 2 games for the Senators on May 27th and 28th of 1937. Gray would go 0-6 at bat.

Milt Gray career record

Lloyd Eldon Hittle B Feb. 21, 1924 Still Living

Coming to the Washington Senators from Oakland of the Pacific Coast League in May of 1949, pitcher Lloyd Hittle would make his major league debut in mid-May.

Pitching in 36 games for the Senators in 1949, Hittle would post a 5-7 record with a 4.21 ERA.

Starting the 1950 season in Washington, Hittle would pitch in another 11 games going 2-4 with a 4.98 ERA.

His last major league game would come in mid-May, 1 day shy of the anniversary of his first big league game in May of 1949.

Lloyd Hittle career record

 

NUMBER SEVEN

Ryan Zimmerman’s first 1,000 games

To some of you it may seem like yesterday when a young Ryan Zimmerman played in his first game as a Nat back on September 1, 2005. But in fact Zimmerman has played in 997 games for the Nationals. Ever since that first game Zimmerman has been the face of the franchise.

The 28 year-old Zimmerman will play in his 1,000th game for the Nats this Friday evening when the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals meet each other for the first time in the 2013 season.

During his 997 games with the Nats Zimmerman has been known as the Nats’ Mr. Clutch. The Nats’ 3rd baseman has hit 8 walk-off home runs during his career. Two of the 8 walk-off homers were grand slams. Here is more information about Zimmerman’s walk-off heroics that I wrote about in a story I wrote in 2011 titled Ryan Zimmerman is Nats’ Mr. Clutch.

Of the eight career walk-off home runs Zimmerman has hit, six were hit off of division rivals, three against the ryan-zimmerman-300x200Florida Marlins, two – his last two – against the Philadelphia Phillies and one against the Atlanta Braves.

It is simply amazing when you start to break down the numbers. Of the 21 home runs Zimmerman hit in RFK Stadium, three were walk-offs. The third baseman didn’t waste any time putting his mark on the Nats’ new ballpark. In the inaugural game at Nationals Park on March 30, 2008, a sellout crowd of 39,389 witnessed Zimmerman’s first walk-off home run in the new ballpark.

With two outs in the ninth inning Zimmerman crushed a line-drive, walk-off home run off of the Braves’ pitcher, Peter Moyland. The home run gave the Nats a 3-2 victory over the Braves. Since that cool evening in March, Zimmerman has hit four more walk-off home runs at Nationals Park.

I believe a lot of baseball fans across the country are starting to realize what Nats fans have known for six-plus seasons: that Zimmerman, the two-time Silver Slugger recipient, is one of baseball’s premier clutch hitters. If you don’t believe it, maybe these numbers will make you change your mind. Currently, Zimmerman has hit 125 career home runs, eight being walk-off home runs. Below is a list of the eight players that have hit 600 or more career home runs, with their homer totals and, in parentheses, their walk-offs.

Hank Aaron, 755 (9)
Barry Bonds, 762 (10)
Babe Ruth, 714 (12)
Willie Mays, 660 (6)
Ken Griffey Jr., 630 (5)
Alex Rodriguez, 626 (9)
Sammy Sosa, 609 (10)
Jim Thome, 601 (12)

With Zimmerman being only 26, there is real good chance he will challenge the following five Hall of Famers – and one future Hall of Famer – that are tied with 12 walk-off home runs: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Fox, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome.

With Zimmerman being only 26, there is real good chance he will challenge the following five Hall of Famers – and one future Hall of Famer – that are tied with 12 walk-off home runs: Babe Ruth, Jimmie Fox, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Frank Robinson and Jim Thome.

Here are some more of Zimmerman’s achievements during his first 1,000 games.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

  • 8/5/2007
  • 8/22/2011
  • 7/23/2012

SILVER SLUGGER

  • 2009: Washington
  • 2010: Washington

RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE

  • 2009: Washington

ALL-STAR

  • 2009: Washington

D.C. Baseball All-Time Hitting Records

Top 25 Top 25 Top 25
Rank Number of years played in Washington Years Rank Number of games played for Washington Games Rank Number of At Bats AB
1 Walter Johnson 21 1 Sam Rice 2,307 1 Sam Rice 8,934
2 Sam Rice 19 2 Joe Judge 2,084 2 Joe Judge 7,663
3 Ossie Bluege 18 3 Clyde Milan 1,982 3 Clyde Milan 7,359
4 Joe Judge 18 4 Ossie Bluege 1,867 4 Mickey Vernon 6,930
5 Buddy Myer 16 5 Mickey Vernon 1,805 5 Ossie Bluege 6,440
6 Clyde Milan 16 6 Eddie Yost 1,690 6 Buddy Myer 6,033
7 Mickey Vernon 14 7 Buddy Myer 1,643 7 Eddie Yost 6,011
8 Eddie Yost 14 8 George McBride 1,458 8 Buddy Lewis 5,261
9 George McBride 13 9 Howie Shanks 1,396 9 Goose Goslin 5,140
10 Cecil Travis 12 10 Goose Goslin 1,361 10 Cecil Travis 4,914
11 Goose Goslin 12 11 Buddy Lewis 1,349 11 Howie Shanks 4,887
12 Al Evans 11 12 Cecil Travis 1,328 12 George McBride 4,833
13 Walt Masterson 11 13 Bucky Harris 1,252 13 Bucky Harris 4,717
14 Buddy Lewis 11 14 Joe Kuhel 1,205 14 Joe Kuhel 4,638
15 Howie Shanks 11 15 Ed Brinkman 1,142 15 George Case 4,532
16 Nick Altrock 11 16 Eddie Foster 1,121 16 Eddie Foster 4,418
17 Joe Kuhel 11 17 George Case 1,108 17 Ryan Zimmerman 3,861
18 Firpo Marberry 11 18 Frank Howard 1,077 18 Ed Brinkman 3,845
19 Ed Brinkman 10 19 Sam West 993 19 Frank Howard 3,833
20 Camilo Pascual 10 20 Ryan Zimmerman 990 20 Joe Cronin 3,582
21 Patsy Gharrity 10 21 Joe Cronin 940 21 Pete Runnels 3,356
22 Bucky Harris 10 22 Joe Cronin 940 22 Deacon McGuire 3,327
23 Sam West 10 23 Walter Johnson 933 23 Sam West 3,316
24 Sherry Robertson 10 24 Pete Runnels 921 24 Heinie Manush 3,290
25 Sid Hudson 10 25 Muddy Ruel 903 25 Roy Sievers 3,159
George Case 10
Top 25 Top 25 Top 25
Rank Number of Hits Hits Rank Number of Doubles 2B Rank Number of Triples 3B
1 Sam Rice 2,889 1 Sam Rice 479 1 Sam Rice 183
2 Joe Judge 2,291 2 Joe Judge 421 2 Joe Judge 157
3 Clyde Milan 2,100 3 Mickey Vernon 391 3 Goose Goslin 125
4 Mickey Vernon 1,993 4 Buddy Myer 305 4 Buddy Myer 113
5 Buddy Myer 1,828 5 Goose Goslin 289 5 Mickey Vernon 108
6 Ossie Bluege 1,751 6 Eddie Yost 282 6 Clyde Milan 105
7 Goose Goslin 1,659 7 Ossie Bluege 276 7 Kip Selbach 95
8 Buddy Lewis 1,563 8 Cecil Travis 265 8 Buddy Lewis 93
9 Cecil Travis 1,544 9 Joe Kuhel 250 9 Howie Shanks 87
10 Eddie Yost 1,521 10 Ryan Zimmerman 250 10 Cecil Travis 78
11 Joe Kuhel 1,338 11 Buddy Lewis 249 11 Joe Kuhel 77
12 George Case 1,306 12 Joe Cronin 242 12 Joe Cronin 72
13 Bucky Harris 1,295 13 Clyde Milan 240 13 Heinie Manush 70
14 Howie Shanks 1,232 14 Bucky Harris 223 14 Ossie Bluege 67
15 Eddie Foster 1,177 15 Heinie Manush 215 15 Sam West 65
16 Ryan Zimmerman 1,110 16 George Case 210 16 Bucky Harris 64
17 Joe Cronin 1,090 17 Sam West 187 17 Eddie Foster 59
18 Heinie Manush 1,078 18 Howie Shanks 173 18 John Stone 55
19 Frank Howard 1,071 19 Deacon McGuire 161 19 Eddie Yost 53
20 George McBride 1,068 20 Stan Spence 153 20 Stan Spence 49
21 Deacon McGuire 990 21 Frank Howard 146 21 Chick Gandil 48
22 Sam West 984 22 Eddie Foster 145 22 Charlie Abbey 46
23 Pete Runnels 921 23 Kip Selbach 143 23 Deacon McGuire 45
24 Kip Selbach 919 24 Roy Sievers 135 24 George McBride 43
25 Ed Brinkman 868 25 George McBride 127 25 Gil Coan 42
Pete Runnels 42
Top 25 Top 25 Top 25
Rank Number of Home Runs HR Rank Number of Total Bases TB Rank Number of Stolen Bases SB
1 Frank Howard 237 1 Sam Rice 3,833 1 Clyde Milan 495
2 Roy Sievers 184 2 Joe Judge 3,239 2 Sam Rice 346
3 Ryan Zimmerman 153 3 Mickey Vernon 2,963 3 George Case 321
4 Jim Lemon 144 4 Clyde Milan 2,601 4 Dummy Hoy 225
5 Goose Goslin 127 5 Goose Goslin 2,579 5 Joe Judge 210
6 Mickey Vernon 121 6 Buddy Myer 2,464 6 Kip Selbach 201
7 Eddie Yost 101 7 Ossie Bluege 2,290 7 Howie Shanks 177
8 Don Lock 99 8 Eddie Yost 2,212 8 Bucky Harris 166
9 Jim King 89 9 Buddy Lewis 2,211 9 Eddie Foster 166
10 Ken McMullen 86 10 Cecil Travis 2,046 10 Danny Moeller 163
11 Harmon Killebrew 84 11 Frank Howard 1,968 11 Ossie Bluege 140
12 Adam Dunn 76 12 Joe Kuhel 1,910 12 Mickey Vernon 125
13 Mike Epstein 73 13 Ryan Zimmerman 1,849 13 Ed Cartwright 118
14 Joe Judge 71 14 Bucky Harris 1,673 14 Buddy Myer 117
15 Buddy Lewis 71 15 George Case 1,654 15 Goose Goslin 116
16 Mike Morse 67 16 Howie Shanks 1,642 16 George McBride 116
17 Stan Spence 66 17 Joe Cronin 1,629 17 John Anderson 98
18 Joe Kuhel 56 18 Heinie Manush 1,574 18 Jake Stahl 96
19 Joe Cronin 51 19 Roy Sievers 1,568 19 Charlie Abbey 93
20 Chuck Hinton 49 20 Eddie Foster 1,458 20 Chick Gandil 93
21 Nick Johnson 49 21 Sam West 1,391 21 Chuck Hinton 92
22 Heinie Manush 47 22 Kip Selbach 1,339 22 Paul Radford 91
23 Ian Desmond 47 23 Deacon McGuire 1,337 23 Tommy Dowd 88
24 Alfonso Soriano 46 24 Jim Lemon 1,330 24 Ray Morgan 87
25 Bob Allison 45 25 Stan Spence 1,301 25 Jim Donnelly 87

D.C. Baseball Single-Season Hitting Records

Top 10 Single Seasons – Home Runs
Rank Name HR Year Team League
1 Frank Howard 48 1969 Senators American
2 Alfonso Soriano 46 2006 Nationals National
3 Frank Howard 44 1970 Senators American
4 Frank Howard 44 1968 Senators American
5 Harmon Killebrew 42 1959 Senators American
6 Roy Sievers 42 1957 Senators American
7 Roy Sievers 39 1958 Senators American
8 Jim Lemon 38 1960 Senators American
9 Adam Dunn 38 2009 Nationals National
10 Adam Dunn 38 2010 Nationals National
Top 10 Single Seasons – Average
Rank Name AVG Year Team League
1 Goose Goslin 0.379 1928 Senators American
2 Ed Delahanty 0.376 1902 Senators American
3 Cecil Travis 0.359 1941 Senators American
4 Goose Goslin 0.354 1926 Senators American
5 Mickey Vernon 0.353 1946 Senators American
6 Sam Rice 0.350 1925 Senators American
7 Buddy Myer 0.349 1935 Senators American
8 Sam Rice 0.349 1930 Senators American
9 Heinie Manush 0.349 1934 Senators American
10 Joe Cronin 0.346 1930 Senators American
Top 10 Single Seasons – Base Hits
Rank Name H Year name League
1 Sam Rice 227 1925 Senators American
2 Heinie Manush 221 1933 Senators American
3 Cecil Travis 218 1941 Senators American
4 Sam Rice 216 1924 Senators American
5 Sam Rice 216 1926 Senators American
6 Buddy Myer 215 1935 Senators American
7 Heinie Manush 214 1932 Senators American
8 Sam Rice 211 1920 Senators American
9 Buddy Lewis 210 1937 Senators American
10 Mickey Vernon 207 1946 Senators American
Sam Rice 207 1930 Senators American
Top 10 Single Seasons – RBI’s
Rank Name RBI’s Year name League
1 Goose Goslin 129 1924 Senators American
2 Frank Howard 126 1970 Senators American
3 Joe Cronin 126 1931 Senators American
4 Joe Cronin 126 1930 Senators American
5 Buck Freeman 122 1899 Senators National
6 Goose Goslin 120 1927 Senators American
7 Joe Cronin 118 1933 Senators American
8 Joe Kuhel 118 1936 Senators American
9 Heinie Manush 116 1932 Senators American
10 Joe Cronin 116 1932 Senators American
Top 10 Single Seasons – Stolen Bases
Rank Name SB Year Team League
1 Clyde Milan 88 1912 Senators American
2 Dummy Hoy 82 1888 Senators National
3 Clyde Milan 75 1913 Senators American
4 Sam Rice 63 1920 Senators American
5 Danny Moeller 62 1913 Senators American
6 George Case 61 1943 Senators American
7 Dummy Hoy 60 1892 Senators National
8 Clyde Milan 58 1911 Senators American
9 George Case 51 1939 Senators American
10 Ed Cartwright 50 1895 Senators National
Top 10 Single Seasons – Runs Scored
Rank Name R Year Team League
1 Joe Cronin 127 1930 Senators American
2 Buddy Lewis 122 1938 Senators American
3 Heinie Manush 121 1932 Senators American
4 Sam Rice 121 1930 Senators American
5 Buddy Myer 120 1932 Senators American
6 Sam Rice 119 1929 Senators American
7 Alfonso Soriano 119 2006 Nationals National
8 Sam Rice 117 1923 Senators American
9 Goose Goslin 116 1925 Senators American
10 Heinie Manush 115 1933 Senators American
Buddy Myer 115 1935 Senators American
Kip Selbach 115 1895 Senators National
Top 10 Single Seasons – On Base %
Rank Name OBP Year Team League
1 Buddy Myer 0.454 1938 Senators American
2 Ed Delahanty 0.453 1902 Senators American
3 Goose Goslin 0.442 1928 Senators American
4 Bill Joyce 0.442 1895 Senators National
5 Eddie Yost 0.440 1950 Senators American
6 Buddy Myer 0.440 1935 Senators American
7 Nick Johnson 0.428 2006 Nationals National
8 Goose Goslin 0.425 1926 Senators American
9 Eddie Yost 0.423 1951 Senators American
10 Joe Cronin 0.422 1930 Senators American
Goose Goslin 0.421 1924 Senators American
Top 10 Single Seasons – Total Bases
Rank Name TB Year Team League
1 Alfonso Soriano 362 2006 Nationals National
2 Frank Howard 340 1969 Senators American
3 Buck Freeman 331 1899 Senators National
4 Roy Sievers 331 1957 Senators American
5 Frank Howard 330 1968 Senators American
6 Goose Goslin 329 1925 Senators American
7 Heinie Manush 325 1932 Senators American
8 Ryan Zimmerman 320 2009 Nationals National
9 Cecil Travis 316 1941 Senators American
10 Mickey Vernon 315 1953 Senators American
Top 10 Single Seasons – Doubles
Rank Name 2B Year Team League
1 Mickey Vernon 51 1946 Senators American
2 Stan Spence 50 1946 Senators American
3 Ryan Zimmerman 47 2006 Nationals National
4 Nick Johnson 46 2006 Nationals National
5 Joe Cronin 45 1933 Senators American
6 Joe Cronin 44 1931 Senators American
7 Joe Cronin 43 1932 Senators American
8 Ed Delahanty 43 1902 Senators American
9 Sam West 43 1931 Senators American
10 Mickey Vernon 43 1953 Senators American
Tris Speaker 43 1927 Senators American
Ryan Zimmerman 43 2007 Nationals National
Ryan Church 43 2007 Nationals National
Top 10 Single Seasons – Triples
Rank Name 3B Year Team League
1 Buck Freeman 25 1899 Senators National
2 Kip Selbach 22 1895 Senators National
3 Goose Goslin 20 1925 Senators American
4 Joe Cassidy 19 1904 Senators American
5 Cecil Travis 19 1941 Senators American
6 Howie Shanks 18 1921 Senators American
7 Goose Goslin 18 1923 Senators American
8 Sam Rice 18 1923 Senators American
9 Joe Cronin 18 1932 Senators American
10 Charlie Abbey 18 1894 Senators National
John Stone 18 1935 Senators American

 

NUMBER SIX

Sid Hudson blanks Yanks 1-0 on Babe Ruth Day

by Mark Hornbaker
Declared “Babe Ruth Day” by Major League Baseball, April 27, 1947 is also a special day in Washington Senators history.

On April 27, Babe Ruth gave a speech promoting baseball as the best game in the world to the fans watching him at Yankee stadium, as well as to audiences across America.

What many don’t realize is that the Washington Senators beat the New York Yankees immediately following Babe’s famous speech. Senators’ pitcher Sid Hudson pitched a 1-0 shutout against the Yankees in front of 58,339 fans at Yankee Stadium. The 6’4″ tall Hudson went on to score the only run of the game.

 

NUMBER FIVE

The Dummy Hoy Story

The Player

Hoy was born in Houcktown, Ohio in 1862. He played his first professional season with Oshkosh in 1886 in the Northwestern League. He returned with Oshkosh and in 1887 batted a sparkling .367 in 115 games. A left handed batter who threw with his right hand, Hoy was listed at 5-06 and 160 pounds.[1]  His 1887 season was enough to draw the interest of the Washington Senators, the perennial Tail Enders of the National League.[2]

During spring training for the 1888 season it was quickly evident that Hoy was a talented athlete despite his small size. He was blessed with great speed that allowed him to play a shallow center field and a quickness on the bases that would terrorize twirlers in the box. While not a heavy hitter he is able to work the count and get on base, thus making him the ideal lead-off batter. Intelligent, valedictorian of his class, he is respected by his teammates and quickly becomes popular with the spectators.

On opening day Hoy is batting lead-off and in center field. Here are some of the press clippings for Hoy during his first two years with Washington.

A home loss, 15 to 19, to the New York Giants on 24 April puts Washington, at 1-2. The term Statesmen is being gradually replaced. Some papers begin using the term “Senators” while others use Nationals.

The District newspapers keep the headline “The Usual Defeat” set in hot type for frequent use. In 2 victories in their first 14 games the Post writes, “A pitcher, catcher and Mr. Hoy now constitute Washington’s ball club. The other six men who accompany them are put on the field for the purpose of making errors.”

5 May, a 0-10 loss in Chicago. George Van Haltren of the White Stockings dominates the Senators while Hank O’Day has the opposite effect on Chicago. Jimmy Ryan hits one of the longest drives seen in Chicago, the ball rolling to the extreme east fence. Hoy and Walt Wilmot cover a lot of territory in the outfield and play a good game.

Four days later Chicago pounds Washington by a score of 13-2. John Greenig, a 40 year old rookie makes the start for Washington. He allows 13 runs in and is released, it his only game in the majors.  In the two games in Chicago the Senators score 2 runs to the 23 by Chicago. Notice has been taken of Jimmy O’Brien’s improved play at first. O’Brien has also been able to hit high pitches so far this season. Hoy has been a real joy to watch.

25 May, Hoy has been one of the best fielding center fielders in the game and is swinging a respectable bat. He finishes his rookie season batting .274 in 136 games. He leads the team in runs, hits, walks and stolen bases. His OBP is 100 points higher than the next batter. His fielding numbers put him among the elite of the league. On a team largely devoid of talent he is a rare bright spot.[3]

September, the press reports, Hoy has been a joy to watch and one of the best hitters in the game. Walt Wilmot has lost his stroke.

Post season Hoy is recovering from an attack of pneumonia.

The Press Reacts to Hoy

  • Washington Post, 17 May 1888 – “A good hitter and a “fine outfielder”
  • Washington Post from Boston Herald 13 May – Coach John Irwin‘s signs to Hoy as “an amusing feature of a game. He makes many signs, gesticulating vigorously and keeping his fingers going like a spider’s legs in full motion”.

1889 preseason, Hoy returns for another season. The speedy fly catcher is a favorite of the fans. On the road it is said that he does not spend a nickel. Hoy was often willing to wait for his team mates to read a paper so he can do so without paying for it.

1 May Hoy receives a huge basket of flowers from his friends in town to celebrate the centennial of President Washington’s Inauguration.

7 May, Hoy has not been running the bases this year like he did last year.

15 June, Washington at 10-25 is slowly creeping up on Indianapolis. Attendance is up and so are the team’s profits. Hoy has picked up his base running and hitting.

19 June, The Senators lose on the road to Indianapolis 3-8. George Haddock is hit hard while Henry Boyle is able to keep the Washington bats quiet. Hoy throws out three Indianapolis runners at home plate. Hoy also has a single‚ two doubles‚ and a stolen base.[4]

4 September, all season long there has been talk about the player’s rebellion.  Today Washington loses to the visiting Cleveland 6 to 9. The Spiders win their third straight game. George Keefe’s effort is called “wretched.” In the first inning he allows two runs to score and then in the fourth inning he walks in three men. George Haddock takes his place and is effective until the ninth inning when he allows three runs to score. Haddock and Keefe each both walk four batters. Washington plays a good game in the field but is unable to figure out Henry Gruber.[5] Cub Stricker tires to pull the hidden ball trick on Hoy. Hoy knocked the ball out of his hand and stole a base. There was a great kick but Umpire Knight refused to send him back.

Hoy’s 1889 numbers are similar to those he posted in 1888.  The only significant difference is in the drop of stolen bases from 82 to 35.

6 December, the sale of Walt Wilmot is another loss to the franchise. He was a hard working, honest player. When not paying well he went to Walter Hewitt and said he was not doing his duty and should give way to another player. Wilmot was a great favorite in the District. Hoy has declared for the Brotherhood.

The great player’s rebellion will prove fatal for baseball in Washington.[6] Many of the Washington players, Hoy among them will end up in Buffalo with the Players Association. The stage is set for the 1892 arrival of the Wagner’s and a lost decade of baseball in the District.

Dummy Hoy

In the spring of 1888 District baseball fans see this in the paper. “Acquired, Dummy Hoy, a deaf-mute, from Oshkosh. He is considered to be the best player in the Northwest League.” Hoy was 26 years old when he arrived in the National League. Washington was a small market team and he was evidently passed over by the other League clubs.[7]

At the age of three, Hoy became deaf after an attack on meningitis.  Hoy was deaf and hence called “Dummy.” Individuals and for that matter “Deaf” players of the era were called “Dummy.”  It was a term that Hoy used to describe himself. Just like Native Americans would often times be called Chief.  Hoy it appears accepted the disability for what it was and moved on with his life. His natural talents allowed him to successfully play professional baseball at a very high level.

Upon his arrival, Hoy is said to have posted a statement to his team mates to avoid problems on the field. His voice was said to be similar to a squeak. Because of his condition the outfielders had to adapt to his behavior.[8]

Some stories about Hoy.

21 May 1888, Washington in Pittsburgh.  “Dummy Hoy was in luck during his stay in this city. The visiting Knights Templar at the Seventh Avenue Hotel kept up their hilarity for several nights, and Dummy was the only man in the Washington Club who could sleep. Dummy enjoyed the joke hugely and guyed them every day when they made their appearance, looking rather broken up from the loss of sleep. “I’ve got you,” he would say,” Pittsburgh Chronicle.

This also in 1888, “Washington bleacher fans often ask for Dummy Hoy’s team mates to sign for him to lift his cap to their applause. Hoy is evidently something of a politician of the Democratic faith, as he sports a Thurman[9] bandana, instead of the standard white cotton “wipe.””

Hoy went on to a long career in the majors and returning to play for Washington in 1892 and 1893. He batted .288 lifetime and collected 2,048 hits and held several fielding records. While you can check out his records on baseball-reference.com I suggest you take the time to read about Hoy in the wonderful book, “The Glory of Their Times.”

Husband and Father

After his playing days were over Hoy returned to his farm in Ohio where he and his wife raised a large family. During World War 1 he was a business executive supervising numerous deaf workers. He died in 1961 after a long productive life; he was nearly 100 years old. One quote that is appropriate for Hoy, “Your character will speak so loudly about you, that it overpowers what you may try to convince others in words.”

Maybe in the not too distant future an owner of the baseball team in the District will realize that there are 40 years of baseball that should be recognized. A statue of William Ellsworth “Dummy” Hoy would only be fitting. He was voted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, the recognition from Washington remains on hold.

 


[1] Listed by some at 5-04.

[2] 7th place in 1887.

[3] Walt Wilmot was only 24 and would have some good years ahead of him. Connie Mack was dependable catcher. Perry Werden had talent but lots of problems too.

[4] Line-up, Wilmot-Lf, Hoy-Cf, Wise-Rf, Myers-2b, Irwin-SS, Morril-1b, Sweeney-3b, Daly-C, Haddock-P

[5] Line-up, J Irwin-3b, Hoy-Cf, Wilmot-Lf, Wise-2b, A. Irwin-SS, Mack-C, Daly-1b,  Haddock-Rf, Keefe-P

[6] This is a story for another day, a very sad tale.

[7] Being deaf must have been the reason for the other teams taking a pass on him. I suspect Ted Sullivan who was the sometime general manager/talent scout for Washington was involved in his scouting and signing but can’t prove it.

[8] “Being totally deaf as you know and some of my teammates being unacquainted with my play, I think it is timely to bring about an understanding between myself, the left fielder, the shortstop and the second baseman and the right fielder. The main point is to avoid possible collisions with any of these four who surround me when in the field going for a fly ball. Whenever I take a fly ball I always yell I’ll take it–the same as I have been doing for many seasons, and of course the other fielders let me take it. Whenever you don’t hear me yell, it is understood I am not after the ball, and they govern themselves accordingly.” See the Hoy Biography SABR article by Ralph Berger.

[9] A reference to Senator Allen G Thurman, Grover Cleveland’s VP pick. Cleveland lost this race.

 

NUMBER FOUR

Walter Johnson’s 18-inning complete game shutout

On May 15, 1918 the Washington Senators’ pitcher Walter “Big Train” Johnson pitched a Major League Baseball record *18-inning complete game shutout, to defeat Claude “Lefty” T. Williams and the Chicago White Sox 1-0.

The fans at Griffith Stadium were treated to one of the greatest pitching duels in baseball history. After 9-innings the game was far from being over as the Big Train and Lefty found themselves in a 0-0 pitching duel. After 8 more innings the two teams were still locked up at 0-0.

In the bottom of the 18th inning the Big Train helped him-self when he registered the Senators eighth base hit off of Lefty. The single by the Big Train sent the Senators’ Eddie Ainsworth to third base. Maybe due to fatigue Lefty Williams went on to pitch a wild pitch to the next batter that allowed Ainsworth to score the winning run. This record breaking game only took 2 hours and 47 minutes to play.

Here are few things to note from this game.

* Claude Williams and Walter Johnson pitched complete games.
* There were no errors committed in the game.
* There were no substitutes during the game.

The shutout pitched by the Big Train was only one of the eight that he will pitch during the 1918 season. The Big Train went onto lead the Major League’s in the following categories in 1918.

* Wins:  23
* Strikeouts: 162
* ERA: 1.27
* Shutouts (tied):8

In 1918 the Big Train also won the American League’s and Major League’s Pitching Triple Crown. Winning the Triple Crown was nothing new to the Big Train as he won his first one in 1913. In 1924 the Big Train will record his 3rd American League Triple Crown.

* Carl Hubble tied Walter Johnson‘s 18-inning complete game shutout Major League record in 1933.

 

Washington Senators 1, Chicago White Sox 0

Day
Discrepancies

Game Played on Wednesday, May 15, 1918 (D) at Griffith Stadium

CHI A    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0 10  0
WAS A    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  1  -   1  8  0
BATTING
Chicago White Sox            AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Leibold lf                    7   0   1   0       0   1       8   0
Murphy rf                     6   0   3   0       1   0       5   0
Weaver ss                     6   0   2   0       0   0       1   4
Gandil 1b                     7   0   0   0       0   0      16   0
S. Collins cf                 7   0   0   0       0   0       9   0
Risberg 2b                    7   0   1   0       0   2       5   4
McMullin 3b                   7   0   2   0       0   1       4   4
Schalk c                      6   0   1   0       0   0       4   0
Williams p                    6   0   0   0       0   5       0   2
Totals                       59   0  10   0       1   9      52  14
BATTING - 
2B: Murphy (1); Risberg (3).
SH: Weaver (7); Schalk (3).
Team LOB: 8.
Washington Senators          AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Shotton rf                    7   0   1   0       0   0       0   0
Lavan ss                      7   0   0   0       0   0       4   6
Milan cf                      7   0   2   0       0   0       3   0
Shanks lf                     6   0   1   0       1   0      10   0
Judge 1b                      7   0   1   0       0   1      22   1
Morgan 2b                     5   0   0   0       1   1       2   6
Foster 3b                     7   0   1   0       0   0       0   3
Ainsmith c                    7   1   1   0       0   0      12   2
Johnson p                     7   0   1   0       0   1       1   1
Totals                       60   1   8   0       2   3      54  19
FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Lavan-Morgan-Judge.
PB: Ainsmith (7).
BATTING - 
HBP: Morgan (2).
Team LOB: 10.
PITCHING
Chicago White Sox            IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Williams L(5-2)              17.1   8   1   1   2   3   0  63
WP: Williams (2).
HBP: Williams (3).
Washington Senators          IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Johnson W(6-4)               18    10   0   0   1   9   0  62
Umpires: HP - George Hildebrand, 1B - Brick Owens
Time of Game: 2:50
The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by
Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org"

 

NUMBER THREE

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 underachieving season were sewn well before Opening Day:

– the trade for Denard Span forced Bryce Harper into a new outfield position and altered the chemistry and reduced the power of a line-up that came into its own last season with Jayson Werth in the leadoff position. (The trade also cost Washington a promising young pitcher).

Danny Espinosa’s refusal to get surgery to repair a torn left rotator cuff and the team’s  decision to play him regularly anyway saddled the team with a compromised ballplayer performing far below even replacement-level player quality. The Nationals should have learned from Adam LaRoche’s poor decision to try to play with a torn labrum in 2011. His and Espinosa’s statistics playing while injured are eerily similar.

LaRoche’s batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS slash line: (.172/.288/.258/.546)

Espinosa: .158/.193/.272/.465

– The decision to sign a new closer, Rafael Soriano, disrupted the roles of the incumbent bullpen members, causing an adjustment that took more than 70 games to settle.

Ryan Zimmerman’s offseason shoulder surgery, while necessary, left him a compromised player – with less range, more throwing woe, and far less hitting power.

– The excruciating, inexcusable way the team kicked away Game 5 of the NLDS left understandable psychological scars, leaving a skittish, nervous team who failed in nearly every pressure situation the season’s first two months.

While all these factors argued against the Nationals being able to repeat their best-in-baseball 98 win performance of 2012, it still left a team capable of wins in the low 90s and competing for a spot in the post-season. Unfortunately, more trauma hit in this Murphy’s Law season:

Dan Haren, his recent uptick aside, proved to be a disastrous #5 pitcher, performing at levels worse than a decent AAA player plucked from any roster in the majors.

– Injuries to Ross Detwiler and Stephen Strasburg, with no John Lannan available in Syracuse, forced the Nationals to rush not-quite-ready AA pitchers to the mound. Taylor Jordan looks passable, but he is in far over his head this season.

– Lengthy injuries to Bryce Harper (courtesy of a wall in Los Angeles and a dunderheaded decision to rush back to the field) and Wilson Ramos removed two of the team’s best hitters from the line-up, forcing bench players into action who failed as spectacularly in 2013 as they succeeded the year before.

– Nagging injuries to Jayson Werth left him off the field often enough to add to the dreadful offensive performance of the Nationals.

– Horrendous defense and baserunning have resulted in numerous big innings against the Nationals and squandered chances on the rare occasions they did rally. Twice in the past three weeks, the team has had runners on 2nd and 3rd or the bases loaded and nobody out and failed to score in tied or 1-run games that eventually ended in gut-wrenching losses.

So, now that the Nationals are back at the .500 level one game before the All-Star break (remember the years when fans would have celebrated such performance) and the trading deadline 17 days away, what should the Nationals do?

Should they buy or sell?

My opinion: It’s a no-brainer — sell?

The 2013 Nationals are too flawed to compete for the post-season. Their rotation is too thin, their hitting too weak, their bench too limited. To trade away prospects now would risk compromising what looks to be a very bright future for this franchise in what will prove to be a vain, pathetic reach for the post-season that will ultimately fail.

The farm needs more almost-ready major league quality players, not less. Now is the time to get them.

My suggestions:

– trade Span to a contending team in need of speed and defense in the outfield (St. Louis comes to mind, as does Texas). He has an affordable contract with two years left on it, so he could fetch some value.

– trade LaRoche to a team in need of left-handed power and defense (Texas is a clear need, Boston may want him as a Doug Mientkiewitcz clone)

– trade Soriano to a team in need of a closer (Boston again comes to mind and the Yankees may want him back as a set-up man).

– if anyone will take him, trade Haren. If not, just let him play out his one-year deal and show him the door.

These players might not fetch much in trades, but, depending on needs and injuries, they will yield some value, free up space for younger players to learn their craft, and provide more cash to spend on less splashy, more sensible free agents next year such as Michael Morse (for the record, I think the Morse trade was fine and a huge win for the Nationals on the strength of Ian Krol alone).

With these trades, the Nationals can put younger players back into familiar roles such as Storen and Clippard sharing closing duties and to move Bryce Harper back to centerfield. It does create holes in left field and at first base, but the Nationals have in-house possibilities for 2014 (teach Zach Walters how to play the outfield, Matt Skole at first base) as well as an always ample free agent market.

With youngsters like Robbie Ray, Nathan Karns, Jordan, Christian Garcia, and others on the way, pitching looks to be in good shape. Hitters such as Brian Goodwin and Jason Martinson are coming soon from Harrisburg as well. Baseball is a young man’s game, so start clearing the way for the youngsters now.

From the day they purchased the team, the Lerner family proclaimed they wanted a team that could win year-in and year-out, not just one season of glory followed by years of losing (see – Florida Marlins). They veered from that philosophy this season by trading a prime prospect for a guy who looks more like Nook Logan every day and by spending $40 million for free agents past their primes (Haren, Soriano, LaRoche).

It is time to get back to the core philosophy of building a sustainable winner. Write 2013 off now as a disappointment. Get younger, hungrier (and, I might add, a lot more humble) and more talented in 2014. Start planning for that day now.

Fine prospects are coming soon. More can be had by selling off limited, but useful veterans to teams desperate to make a one-year grab for glory.


Stephen J. Walker
Author: A Whole New Ballgame: The 1969 Washington Senators
Publisher: Pocol Press
www.pocolpress.com
Steve@StephenJWalker.com

 

NUMBER TWO

MASN MAKES FIRST ERROR OF THE SPRING

I realize that Peter Angelos owns the MASN cable TV network and therefore is out to shaft the Nationals any way he can. Just look at the meager rights fees the Nats have received in recent seasons, although negotiations are under way to restructure financial matters more equitably.

Having said that, let’s toss MASN a hardball question: Why in hell isn’t the station televising Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener between the Nats and Mets?

Given the Nats’ MLB-best 98-64 record and NL East championship last season and their sky’s-the-limit hopes for 2013, the game might have attracted MASN’s biggest exhibition audience ever — particularly with Stephen Strasburg on the mound. I know I would have watched.

Asked by e-mail why he and analyst F.P. Santangelo won’t be working this weekend, veteran play-by-play man Bob Carpenter replied, “[That’s] way above my pay grade.” Which means he doesn’t get it either.

The Grapefruit opener isn’t even on radio, although Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler will be doing Sunday’s game against the Marlins on 106.7-FM. The first of six telecasts from Florida won’t come until the evening of Feb. 28 against the Mets.

So I guess I’ll spend most of this weekend shivering (but hopefully not shoveling) and waiting a while longer for the first signs of spring. To quote former D.C. sportscaster Warner Wolf, a big fat Boo of the Week for MASN.

 

NUMBER ONE

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 hintonwhen he said, “yes.” This was one of my first “up-close and personal” meetings with a former major league baseball player and I began the interview with more than a slight case of nerves. Frankly, I was in awe to be sitting across from the last Washington Senators player to hit .300 and someone I cheered for during my early teens when Chuck patrolled the outfield at Griffith Stadium and the new D.C. Stadium. Chuck made me feel that no question was too trivial, and we spent what must have been the better part of an hour talking about his eleven-year career with the Senators, Indians and Angels. But there was much more to Chuck Hinton than his career as a major league baseball player.

For 28 years, Chuck was the head baseball coach at Howard University. During his career at Howard, Chuck coached such media luminaries as Gus Johnson of CBS Sports and Glenn Harris of News Channel8 in Washington. During Chuck’s tenure, Howard established records for most games won and most MEAC championships. All of the Howard championships came while Chuck was working full-time for the D.C. Department of Recreation as a Roving Leader to D.C.’s at-risk youth. As if those accomplishments weren’t enough, Chuck, Jim Hannan and Fred Valentine were the forces behind the establishment of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Thanks to the MLBPAA’s efforts, former major leaguers who previously were declared ineligible for pensions because they lacked the necessary years of major league service, are now receiving pension checks. I was in awe not only of a baseball player, but of someone who tirelessly gave of himself.

The Chuck Hinton that I had watched as a child became the Chuck Hinton of my adult life. We ran into each other several times over the years at a variety of venues from Bethesda Big Train baseball games to (of all places) Arena Stage where Tom Holster, Hank Thomas, Chuck and I served as “historical advisors” for Arena Stage’s 2005 production of “Damn Yankees.”

Chuck was a guest at two of the Washington Baseball Historical Society’s player reunions that were called “Nats Fests.” He was a frequent guest at memorabilia shows and charitable events around the D.C. area and beyond.

Whenever our paths crossed, Chuck would always greet me with a warm smile, a handshake and ask the same question: “When are you going to have another one of those reunions?”  He seemed to have the rare quality of making everyone he met feel like a good friend. On Opening Night at Nationals Park in 2008, I was on the upper concourse when I heard someone shout, “Hey Jim!” I turned around and there was Chuck, smiling, as usual. The simple fact that he would take the time to say hello to me completely blew me away. But that was Chuck Hinton.

The baseball seasons passed and the Nationals were playing poorly, but Chuck was often at the ballpark, sitting in the final row behind Section 110. I always took the time to stop by and say hello, and we would talk about the Nats and any other thing that came to mind. But during the 2012 season, every time I stopped by Section 110 to say hello, Chuck was not in his usual spot. I prayed that he wasn’t having a recurrence of health issues that had bothered him in previous years.

When Chuck decided to write his autobiography, “My Time At Bat,” in 2002, I spoke often with his daughter Kimberly who was handling the publication of the book. I offered her any help I could provide to make the process easier and offered any publicity she needed in “Nats News.” When I received an e-mail from Kimberly on Monday morning and saw the subject line, I felt an immediate sense of loss. My fears had been confirmed. Kimberly wrote that her father had passed away on Sunday, January 27.

Chuck Hinton was a kind, gentle man who made a difference in the lives of everyone he met. I know that whenever I walk past Chuck’s section at Nationals Park, I’ll still be looking for him.