By Jeff Stuart
Baseball players are notoriously superstitious. But on July 2, 1960, at Griffith Stadium, the Senators promotional staff implored their fans to be. It was “Beat Mudcat” day at the Stadium. There were 2000 rabbits’ feet and 2000 “Beat Mudcat” buttons given out before the game to the crowd of 11,331. A group of Boy Scouts did an Indian Dance on the Mound. The boys represented the Order of the Arrow Camper group, specializing in Indian Dances and customs. The “Indians” performed the “Devil Dance” with live snakes in their teeth. Really! Some fans brought voodoo dolls. There were at least a couple of black cats in evidence. Cleveland’s Jim “Mudcat” Grant, was the object of all this. The gangling Cleveland right hander had beaten the Nats 13 straight times over two and a half seasons without a loss. Note the number 13.
Grant himself was given a “Beat Mudcat” button. He got into the spirit go things, putting a strip of tape over the “beat” and changing it to “Win.” He wore the “Win Mudcat” button on his cap while warming up. The umpires made him remove it before the game.
But despite their best efforts the Nats fans failed to conjure up any runs. The Indians thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They banged out 18 hits including a 2-run homer by Bubba Phillips. Camilo Pascual yielded 12 hits and 7 runs. Tex Clevenger gave up 3 runs and Chuck Stobbs 2 More. Mudcat tossed a five hitter and the Tribe won, 11-2. This “inspired” promotion turned out to be a humiliating flop. The “baseball demons” seemed to be immune to exorcism.
In fact, some of those snakes must have bitten the Nats, because Washington played raggedly. This was by far the worst defeat of the season for the Nats. Only Julio Becquer prevented a complete rout. He hit a two run homer with two out in the ninth, salvaging some personal dignity anyway. Camilo Pascual suffered his 12th loss in 13 decisions to the Indians. There is that number 13 again. His ERA jumped from 2.80 to 3.18
It all started harmlessly enough, when the Indians scored an unearned run in the 2nd. Hank Foiles walked with one out, moved to second on Woodie Held‘s single. Grant grounded to Reno Bertoia who threw to Billy Gardner for the force of Held at 2nd. Gardner, bumped by Held, overthrew first, and Foiles scored.
The carnage erupted in earnest in the 4th. Vic Power doubled and moved up on
Tito Francona‘s bunt hit. Foiles singled to center scoring Power. Held sacrificed. Grant’s long fly brought in Francona. Johnny Temple singled in Foiles. Harvey Kuenn started Pascual’s exit with a lead-off single in the 5th. Another single by Power and a bunt hit by Francona filled the bases. Foiles blooped a single to right scoring one run. Grant singled in two more. Clevenger came in to get the side out but got his lumps in the next inning. Marty Keough singled, stole second, and scored of Kuenn’s single. Francona tripled to center, scoring Kuenn. Phillips ran for Francona Scored on Held’s sacrifice fly.
The Indians made two superfluous runs off Stobbs in the 8th. Power doubled and Phillips hit his 3rd homer of the year.
In the ninth, Dan Dobbek walked with one out and Jim Lemon fanned before Becquer’s into the leftfield seats, his 2nd of the year salvaded a little personal dignity at least.
The game was televised by ABC. Former Dodgers, Jack Buck and Carl Erskine were the broadcast team.
It is significant the Mudcat had 26 total victories over this stretch. On a pitching staff that included Jim Perry 18 game winner in 1960, Cal McLish, a 19 game winner i 1959 (Grant was 10-7) Ray Narleski and Herb Score and Don Mossi. It is inexplicable that it was Grant that tormented the Nats. Despite the Witches brew, he now had 14 wins over the Nats without a loss.
The Nats got some measure of redemption in Cleveland a few weeks later, finally beating Mudcat for the first time.
On july 17, 1960. They finally beat Grant, 3-2, in the first game of a double header, and won the second game as well, 5-3, before 15.843 paying customers. In the victory over Mudcat, Cleveland scored in the 2nd. Elmer Valo was safe on a bad throw by Aspromonte. After Gardiner fouled out, Earl Battey and Jose Valivielso singled. A passed ball scored Valo. And Battey scored as pitcher Clevenger grounded out. Johnny Temple doubled and scored on Aspromonte’s single in the 3rd and Mary Keough doubled and scored on Foiles single in the 4th to tie the game. Power opened the bottom of the 6th with a single and Keough lined to Bertoia. Held singled when Dobbek lost his pop fly in the sun. Foiles lined out to Becquer. Then the ever present Grant singled to cener. But Dobbek got to the ball quickly and threw home. Battey easily tagged out Power. But the two exchanged first words, then punches. The benches emptied. Pete Whisenant restrained Power. Cleveland players restrained Battey. After order was restored both participants were tossed. The Nats won the game in the 7th. Killebrew hit for Clevenger, the winning pitcher, and got an infield hit. Reno Bertoia singled. Pete Ramos ran for Killebrew and scored on Dobbek’s single. Kuenn bounced into a double play, Gardner to Becquer to end a threat in the ninth. Don Lee got the save.That ended the potent Jinx.
Grant’s nettlesome streak of good fortune against the Nats began innocently enough
In 1958, his rookie year Grant won his first three of his first four starts, posting an era of 1.85. He had one no decision. He had also a save in his next appearance. But he had lost two straight, posted a save and had no decision, going into his first ever start against Washington on May 22, 1958 at Cleveland. His era was 3.47. Only 2,507 fans were to witness this seemingly inconsequential even. Mudcat won 3-1
On June 15 at Washington his record going into the game was 4-3 and his era was now 4.16 but he won again,-4-3. And back in Cleveland on June 22, he blanked the Nats 1-0. Minnie Minoso‘s homer in the 6th beat Hal Griggs. Both pitched complete games. Albie Pearson had 3 hits for the Nats.
The Nats almost beat the Cat on July 16 in Washington, winning 7-6. Grant left the game trailing 3-1 after 6. But the Indians took a 6-3 lead before the Nats rallied for 4 in the bottom of the ninth to win. A two out two run homer by Roy Sievers proved to be the difference. But on July 23rd back in Cleveland he beat the Nats again, 5-3 to run his record to 7-8. He won again on Aug 24 in Washington, 9-1, for his 5th victory of the year over the Nats and final. It was his tenth and final win of the year he finished with a 10-11 mark.
In February 1959, Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Povich reported that Calvin Griffith had turned down a trade offer from Cleveland’s Frank Lane. Lane offered Woodie Held, Minnie Minoso, and Mudcat to the Senators for Roy Sievers and Pedro Ramos.
Grant finished 10-7 in 1959 but the Nats did not beat him that year either. Losing 5-0 on May 3, in Cleveland, 5-2 on May 19 in Washington, Washington Beat the Indians the next time they faced Mudcat on June 2 in Cleveland. The Nats won, 3-2, but failed to tag the Cat with the loss. Grant won again, 9-5, on June 14 in Washington, and again on July 26 in Cleveland, 4-3, on August 5 in Washington, 7-3 and August 20 in Cleveland, 6-1 to run his record to 8-5. This was getting old. 11 straight wins.
The first time the Nats faced Grant in 1960 was on May 3rd in Washington. Mudcat pitched 4 scoreless innings of relief. But Lenny Green singled home Don Mincher in the bottom of the ninth to give Kralick and the Nats a 7-6 victory. Bob Tiefenauer was the losing pitcher.
But Mudcat won twice more in Cleveland, defeating the Nats on May 24, in, 2-1, lowering his era to 1.42, and again on June 21, 5-4. That was the number 13 again. And it set the stage for Beat “Mudcat night.”
After his first loss to the Nats on July 17, Grant quietly tried to begin a new streak, winning in Washington on August 3rd, 7-4.
But on Sept 9th in Cleveland, the Nats beat him again, 8-2. So the “old” Nats actually beat Mudcat in his last start against them. But they never beat him in Washington. So much for the Black arts.
In the offseason following the 1960 season, Mudcat lived in DC with the Nats ‘catcher, Earl Battey, about to move to Minnesota.
“Earl and I are about as close friends as you can get,” said Grant. “But when I’m pitching against him I forget all about friendship.” Mudcat, a native of Lacoochie, FL, had a job at the main post office near Union Station. “There’s a fellow who hurts us all summer long and now he’s helping us out of a jam,” said Head Postmaster, Carl Beall. Asked if he would like to pitch for the New Senators, he said. “Well, I sure do like Washington,” said Grant. “And it would be something of a challenge for me. You got some pretty fair players in the draft. I figure the team is stronger than Kansas City was Last Year.”
Over three seasons, he had 29 wins 26 losses, over half his wins against the original Nats. In 1961 there were the New Nats and the old nats. On April 15 1961 the expansion Nats lost to the Cat 3-1 in Washington, his first start of the new season. The new Nats did beat him in Cleveland on May 7, 4-3.
In his first two starts against the Twins, Mudcat shut out the Twins in Mnnnesorta on May 21, 2-0, and beat them again in Cleveland on Memorial Day, 7-5.
Some things never change. “If there are two teams he can beat now,” said Povich, “he’ll be around forever.”
On June 7, back in Washington he beat the Nats, 11-0 to run his record to 7-0. Oddly, the new Nats beat Mudcat again in Cleveland on June 28, 5-2, making it 4 straight wins over him in Cleveland for Washington teams. The Senators scored in the top of the 2nd on a Dale Long homer, deep into the right field stands.The Indians scored 2 in the bottom of the 4th. Don Dillard doubled and Tito Francona singled him home. Francona later scored on a wild pitch. But the Senators matched those 2 in the top of the 6th of a Gene Woodling double, a Willie Tasby walk, and singles by Dale Long and Mary Keough. With Mudcat facing the top of the order in the seventh, O’Connell walked, Klaus reached on an error on the shortstop, O’Connell scored an unearned run on a ground out by Green. Grant was gone after 8. But Tasby singled off Bob Allen, drving home Jim King with another run in the top of the ninth. Bennie Daniels went all the way, pitching a 5 hitter for Washington. He was strong in the 9th retiring Ramon, Kirkland, and Power on a ground out, pop up, and a ground out.
The Twins finally beat him in their third attempt on July 13 in Cleveland, 9-6. There is that number 13 again. But the Twins lost to him again on July 22 in Minnesota. So neither team had beaten the cat at home yet.
He won his third of the season against the Nats on Aug 31 in Washington, 3-2, his last victory at Griffith Stadium. He remained Undefeated there.
The Twins beat him again in Cleveland in his final start of the season on Sept 17 in Cleveland, 5-3.
In 1962 the new Nats beat the Indians on May 26 in Washington, 8-6, Mudcat was the starter but got no decision in his first start at DC Stadium. 15,651 fans watched. The Senators trailed in this one, 6-2, going into the bottom half of the 5th. In that inning a 2-run single by Danny O’Connell and a 2-run triple by Chuck Cottier tied the score and ousted Grant. A Jim Persall double was the key hit in the winning rally in the bottom of the 6th. Marty Kutyna was the winner in relief of Dave Stenhouse.
The Nats beat him in Cleveland on June 23, 5-3. But Mudcat won again, 5-3, in his last start of the year in Washington, on August 12.
On May 9, 1963, a Washington Team finally “Beat Mudcat” in Washington, 6-0 behind Stenhouse. In front of a crowd of 6000.Grant went into the game with a lifetime record of 30-4 against the old and new Washington teams. More significantly, he was 11-0 at Griffith Stadium and 1-0 at D.C Stadium before this game. Stenhouse was the last Washington. It was the second straight time Stenhouse had beaten Grant.Chuck Hinton opened the 2nd with a double and took third when Grant ‘s attempt to a pick him off sailed into center. Hinton scored on a ground out when the catcher was called for obstruction.
The Nats knocked out Grant in 4th. Leppert and Cottier singled and then Brinkman homered into the Cleveland bullpen. Pete Ramos relieved Mudcat. Grant and rookie outfielder Ellis Burton overslept and missed the Indians flight out of Washington. Both were fined.
In his last start against the Nats for the Indians in Washington in 1964, Grant did not get the decision, but the Indians won. 9-6 on May 31.
He was the opening day pitcher against the Twins in 1964. The Indians lost, 7-6. But Grant was not the pitcher of record in his final start against the Twins.
In his last appearance as an Indian against the Nats in Cleveland, he lost but the Nats won, 6-3 but Grant was not the pitcher of record on June 7. After 227 career appearances for Cleveland, Grant was traded to the Twins on June 15, 1964 Twins for Lee Stange and George Banks.
He had 7 wins and 6 losses against the Twins over all. He was 3-2 at Minnesota.
In his first start as a Twin against Washington in Minnesota, he shut out the Nats, 6-0, on July 15. He beat the Nats again on Aug 31 in the Twins ball park, 2-1.
1965 the Twins won the American League pennant. Grant was 21-6. That year Grant was beating pretty much everyone. He beat the second place White Sox 4 times and the third place Orioles 4 times But even in this, his most treasured of seasons, the Cat saved a particularly special moment for Washington, winning his 20th at DC Stadium on Sept. 25, shutting out the Nats, 5-0, on a one-hitter. A double by Don Blasingame with two out in the 3rd was the only hit he gave up. The Twins had clinched the American League Division championship the day before. Grant was 3-0 against the Nats that year.
In 1966, Grant beat Washington 2 times, once at DC Stadium (May 1, 3-1). The Nats won in Cleveland against him on May 14, 5-4. The Nats beat the Tribe in Cleveland, 4-3, on August 23, behind Pete Richert and Steve Kline. But Grant was not involved in the decision. Richert and Kline both hit run scoring doubles. Frank Howard hit a two run double for the Nats. Grant picked Blasingame off third in the top of the first to limit a promising Nats rally to a single run.
It took a former Senators’ fan favorite to do it. But On April 30th 1967, the Senators finally beat Grant as a Twin in Washington, 7-3. It was their last win ever over Grant, and just their second in Washington. The Twins had traded Camilo Pascual back to the Senators in the off season. On Sunday, April 30 at DC Stadium. Pascual struck out two in the first and two more in the second with his sinking curve. He also singled to center on a 3-2 count in the 3rd. Grant walked the first two hitters in the fifth. Pascual moved them up with a text book bunt. Both scored on Bob Savarines single and two more scored when Howard doubled off the leftfield screen. That did in Mudcat. Going into the 7th pascual was pitching a two htter and had 6-0 lead. But after Allison, Versalles and Battey singled, Pacscual left to the cheers of 18555 fans. Bob Humphreys took over with a 6-2 lead and two on and no one out. He got the second out. But Rod Carew singled home another run. Two runs would have scored but Carew was out at second trying to stretch his hit to a double before Battey could cross the plate, ending the inning.
Grants, last win over the Nats , for theTwins, came about a week later in Minnesota. On May 9, 1967, the third place senators ended one of their most productive road trips in years. They had won 9 of 10 and 5 of 7 on the road. But Mudcat still had the power. The twins lead 6-0 in the 6th. The Senators started Joe Coleman. The twins scored 4 more in the third. Three batters singled, including rod carew who collected his 7th straight hit in the series and Harmon Killebrew doubled. Dick Nen doubled and scored the Nats only run on a double play ball in the 7th. The Twins won, 11-1.
Washington won on August 7 and August 9 in Minnesota. Both times in relief, Grant gave up three runs in the 7th inning of the second game but was not the pitcher of record in either game.
Mudcat’s overall record against Washington was 28-7. He was 7-2 against them with Minnesota.
On November 28, 1967 Mudcat was traded by the Twins with Zoilo Versalles to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Johnny Roseboro, Ron Perranoski, and Bob Miller. On October 14, 1968, he was selected by the Expos in the expansion draft. He was the opening day starter for the Expos. He was traded to the Cardinals June 3, 1969 for Gary Waslewski and purchased by Oakland that December.
September 14, 1970: Traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later. The Pittsburgh Pirates sent Angel Mangual to the Oakland Athletics to complete the trade.
Grant picked up his only save against the Nats on May, 1, 1970.His last appearance in Washington, in his 13th season, came on May 3, 1970, with Oakland. The Nats won, 6-4. Grant, again in relief, did not figure in the decision. His last ever appearance against Washington came as two innings of relief work in Oakland on May 12. Oakland won, 5-3. Diego Segui was the winning pitcher.
He did record one final win against the Senators on August 2, 1970. It was Game 2 of a Sunday doubleheader in Oakland. He came into a 0-0 game in the top of the 9th inning in relief of (of all people) Rollie Fingers. He held the Senators scoreless, and the A’s won the game in the bottom of the 9th on Don Mincher’s 2-out, solo homer off Horacio Pina. So he beat them the last time he faced them.
In a short stint with Oakland in August and September of 1971, Grant lost three time to Minnesota. But made three appearances against the Twins in Oakland and one in Minnesota, in relief, but got no decisions or saves.
After completing the 1971 season pitching for Pittsburgh and Oakland, Grant retired. He beat the Twins once and lost to them 3 times that last season. I guess without a team in Washington, he saw little reason to stick around. The number 14 worked for Mudcat. He had 14 straight early career wins over Washington. And he played 14 seasons.
.
