December 3
Senators Birthdays
Joseph Christopher Cleary B Dec. 3, 1918 D Jun. 3, 2004
One Game Wonder Joe Cleary made his only appearance with the Senators on August 4th of 1945. Joe’s nickname was “Fire”, probably most appropriate after his performance against the Boston Red Sox.
In the second game of a double header, Cleary pitched 1/3rd of an inning, giving up 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 wild pitch and 7 runs, departing the Senators, and the major leagues, with a lifetime ERA of 189.19. The Senators would lose the game by a score of 15-4.
Ronald Roy Stilwell B Dec. 3, 1939 D Jan. 25, 2016
Secondbaseman/shortstop Ron Stillwell would play in a grand total of 14 games with the expansion Senators in 1961 and 1962.
First appearing in early July of 1961, Stillwell would play in 8 games, hitting .125. He’d return the next season to play in an additional 6 games, hitting .273, making his last major league appearance at the end of the 1962 season.
Henry Bennett (Bennie) Tate B Dec. 3, 1901 D Oct. 27, 1973
Catcher Bennie Tate would debut with the Washington Senators in late April of 1924. Although he only played in 21 games his first season, it was Tate’s good fortune to be on the Senators roster when they won their only World’s Championship. Tate would play in 3 games of the 1924 World Series, walking 3 times and being credited with 1 RBI.
Tate would remain in Washington through mid-June of 1930. Although sparsely used, his most active season being 1929 when he’d appear in 81 games, Tate would post some decent numbers at bat.
Traded to the Chicago White Sox, along with Garland Braxton for Art (The Great) Shires, Tate would finish the 1930 season with the White Sox. He’d remain in Chicago for the 1931 campaign, and after 4 games with the White Sox in 1932 he’d be traded again, this time to the Boston Red Sox where he’d finish the 1932 season.
Tate would be out of the majors in 1933 but would return in 1934 to play in 11 games for the Chicago Cubs, his last game coming in late July.
Frederick Rankin Taylor B Dec. 3, 1924 D Jan. 6, 2002
Another player who made brief appearances in a Senators uniform over the course of a couple of seasons, 1st baseman Fred Taylor made his major league debut with the Senators in mid-September of 1950. Taylor would make it into 6 games his first season, posting a .125 BA.
Taylor would play in another 6 games in 1951, hitting .167.
1952 would be his final year in the majors when Taylor would make it into 10 games for Washington, managing to raise his BA to .263. His last game would come in late September of 1952.
