November 29
Senators Birthdays
William Cleveland Currie B Nov. 29, 1928 D Oct. 30, 2013
Senators Short Timer Bill Currie traveled through the Boston/Milwaukee Braves and St. Louis Cardinals organizations before being acquired by the Washington Senators in 1954. He’d make his only major league appearances early in the 1955 season. Pitching in 3 games for the Senators he’d give up 6 runs, including 3 homers, 2 walks and 1 wild pitch, departing at the end of April with a 12.46 ERA.
Thomas James Hughes B Nov. 29, 1878 D Feb. 8, 1956
Pitcher Tom Hughes would get his start with the Chicago Orphans in 1900. Pitching for Chicago in 1900 & 1901, he’d jump to the original Baltimore Orioles before the start of the 1902 season.
Hughes would pitch in 13 games for Baltimore, going 7-5 before being purchased by the Boston Americans in July where he’d go 3-3 in 9 games.
1903 would see Hughes post a 20-7 record for Boston, his only 20 win season.
Traded to the New York Highlanders prior to the start of the 1904 season, Hughes would pitch in 19 games for New York, going 7-11, before being traded to the Senators in July, along with Barney Wolfe for Al Orth.
Hughes would find a home in Washington, pitching for the Senators through the end of his career in 1913, although he’d spend the 1910 season with Minneapolis of the American Association.
Hughes best year as a Senator would come in 1908 when he’d post a 18-15 record for Washington.
Edgar Ellsworth Leip B Nov. 29, 1910 D Nov. 24, 1983
Second baseman Ed Leip would debut with the Senators in mid-September of 1939. Playing in 9 games, he’d hit .344 in 32 AB.
Purchased by the Pitsburgh Pirates before the start of the 1940 season, Leip would make brief appearances with the Pirates in 1940, 41 and 42, playing in his last game in late April of 1942.
Saturino Orestes Armas (Minnie) Minoso B Nov. 29, 1922 D March 1, 2015
9 time All Star Minnie Minoso played in 1835 major league games over the course of a 17 year major league career. However, he’d only play 1 season for the expansion Senators at the ned of his major league career.
First appearing with the Cleveland Indians in 1949, Minoso would play in just 9 games for Cleveland.
He wouldn’t appear in the majors in 1950 but would return in 1951, playing in 8 games for the Indians before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in late April.
Minoso would hit .324 in 138 games for the White Sox his first full season and would remain on the White Sox roster through 1957, hitting over .300 in 5 of those years.
Traded back to the Indians for the 1958 season, Minoso would hit .302 in both 1958 and 1959 for Cleveland when he was traded back to the Chicago White Sox for the 1960 season. Minoso would play 2 more seasons in Chicago, being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1962 campaign.
Minoso would only play in 39 games for St. Louis in 1962.
Purchased by the expansion Senators before the start of the 1963 season, Minoso would play in 109 games for Washington, hitting .229.
Released by the Senators after the 1963 season, Minoso would be picked up again by the White Sox, playing in 30 games in 1964, hitting .226 before being released in mid-July.
Minoso would make brief appearances in 1976 and 1980 when he became the first player to appear in 5 different decades.
Minoso was an offensive threat in the prime of his career, leading the American League in hits in 1960, doubles in 1957, triples in 1951, 1954 & 1956 and stolen bases from 1951 through 1953.
Currently Minoso holds the distinction of being the oldest living player to have played in the expansion Senators/Texas Rangers organization.
Irving Arnold Noren B Nov. 29, 1924 D Nov. 15, 2019
Originally in the Brooklyn Dodger organization, outfielder and sometime 1st baseman Irv Noren got his start in the majors with the Senators in 1950. Appearing in 138 games in his rookie season, he’d hit .295 with 27 doubles, 10 triples and 14 home runs.
Noren would play in 129 games for the Senators in 1951. After playing in 12 games for Washington in 1952, Noren, along with Tom Upton was sent to the New York Yankees in exchange for Jackie Jensen, Spec Shea, Jerry Snyder and Archie Wilson.
With the Yankees through the end of the 1956 season, Noren would play in 3 World Series and be named to the 1954 All Star team.
Prior to the 1957 season, Noren would be traded to the Kansas City Athletics. He’d play for Kansas City for most of the 1957 season, being waived by KC and picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals in late August.
Noren would remain a Cardinal through May of 1959 when he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He’d be released by the Cubs in June of 1960 and signed by the organization where it all began, the Dodgers, now transplanted in Los Angeles, where he’d finish the 1960 season and his career.
