December 14
December 14, 1948 The Washington Senators trade pitcher Early Wynn and 1st baseman James”Mickey” Vernon to the Cleveland Indians for 1st baseman Eddie Robinson and pitchers Joe Haynes and Eddie Klieman.
December 14, 1960 The “new” Washington Senators and their tag-team partner, the Los Angeles Angels take part in the first ever expansion draft selecting unprotected players from the then-eight existing American League teams.
The Senators selections:
Pitchers
Bobby Schantz (Yankees)
John Klippenstein (Indians)
Carl Mathias (Indians)
Dave Sisler (Tigers)
Pete Burnside (Tigers)
Dick Donovan (White Sox)
Ed Hobaugh (White Sox)
Hal Woodeshick (Twins)
Hector Maestri (Twins)
Rudy Hernandez (Twins)
Tom Sturdivant (Red Sox)Catchers
Pete Daley (Athletics)
Dutch Dotterer (Athletics)
Gene Green (Orioles)Infielders
Bob Johnson (Athletics)
Chet Boak (Athletics)
Dale Long (Yankees)
Bud Zipfel (Yankees)
Billy Klaus (Orioles)
Jim Mahoney (Red Sox)
Coot Veal (Tigers)
John Schaive (Twins)Outfielders
Chuck Hinton (Orioles)
Gene Woodling (Orioles)
Joe Hicks (White Sox)
Marty Keough (Indians)
Jim King (Indians)
Willie Tasby (Red Sox)Selected in the secondary phase of the minor league draft were:
Leo Burke (Orioles)
Joe McClain (Twins)
Haywood Sullivan (Red Sox)The expansion Senators would go on to a 61-100 record, finishing in a tie for 9th place with the Kansas City Athletics in their inaugural season.
Senators Birthdays
John Joseph Anderson B Dec. 14, 1873 D Jul. 23, 1949
A native of Sarpsborg, Norway, “Honest” John Anderson would debut in the Great American Game with the Brooklyn Superbas in 1894. An outfielder and sometime 1st baseman, Anderson would have some good seasons in Brooklyn, hitting .314 in 1896 and .325 in 1897.
Anderson would start the 1898 season in Brooklyn but would be sent to the old National League Washington Senators for the better part of the summer, returning to Brooklyn late in the season.
Anderson would spend the 1899 season in Brooklyn but would be out of the majors in 1900, spending the season with the Milwaukee Brewers, then of the American Association.
Drafted by the Brooklyn franchise again after the 1900 season, Anderson would jump back to the Brewers before play could resume in 1901.
The Milwaukee Brewers would join the newly formed American League in 1901 with Anderson hitting .330 in 138 games in the newly minted league.
The Brewers would move the franchise to St. Louis in 1902, playing as the Browns, with Anderson making the move with the team. He’d remain in St. Louis through 1903 and then would be traded to the New York Highlanders where he’d spend 1904 and a portion of 1905 before being waived in late May.
Selected by the American League Washington Senators, Anderson would spend the remainder of 1905, 1906 and 1907 in Washington.
Purchased by the White Sox after the 1907 season, Anderson would spend 1908 in Chicago, his last year in the major leagues.
Gregory Bryant Goossen B Dec. 14, 1945 D February 22, 2011
Greg Goossen started his career as a catcher with the New York Mets in 1965. Sparingly used, his most active season in New York would be 1968 when he’d play in 38 games, hitting .208. During the 1968 season, Goossen would be shifted to 1st base.
Purchased by the Seattle Pilots, Goossen would have his most active season in 1969 when he’d play in 52 games, hitting .309 playing 1st base and in the outfield.
Making the move to Milwaukee as the short-lived Pilots were rechristened the Brewers, Goossen would play in 21 games for Milwaukee in 1970 before being purchased by the Washington Senators in mid-July. Goossen would appear in another 21 games with the Senators playing 1st base and left field.
After the 1970 season, Goossen would be a part of the infamous trade that brought Curt Flood to Washington in exchange for Goossen, Gene Martin and Jeff Terpko, who all went to the Philadelphia Phillies. (Terpko would later be returned to the Senators.)
However, Goossen had played in his last major league game with Washington and he’d never appear in the majors again.
More on Goossen and his career after baseball in this thread: Can anyone identify this player?
Jerald Lee Schoonmaker B Dec. 14, 1933 Still Living
Jerry Schoonmaker was a “bonus baby” that like so many, did not pan out well.
Schoonmaker would play in just 50 games during the 1955 and 1957 seasons, leaving with a career record of 9 hits in 69 AB, with 1 double, 1 triple, 1 home run and 4 RBI’s.
Jerry Schoonmaker career record
Thomas Peter Whisenant B Dec. 14, 1929 D Mar. 22, 1996
How many times have we seen this? A journeyman player who spends 8 years in the majors with 7 different teams, and only 58 of his 475 games are in a Senators uniform?
Well that’s the story on outfielder Pete Whisenant who began his major league career with the 1952 Boston Braves, playing in 24 games.
Out of the majors until 1955, Whisenant would spend 1955 with the St. Louis Cardinals, 1956 as a Chicago Cub (His most active season, when he’d play in 103 games, hitting .239.) and finally settling down in Cincinnati for a couple of years, spending 1958 and 1959 with the Reds.
In 1960, Whisenant would start the season in Cincinnati but would appear in a solitary game before being purchased by the Cleveland Indians in mid-May.
Whisenant would play in just 7 games with Cleveland before he was on the move again, this time traded to the Washington Senators for Ken Aspromonte.
Whisenant would play in 58 games for Washington, hitting .226.
He’d make the move to Minnesota with the team where he’d start the 1961 season, playing in 10 games before being released in mid-May. Signed by the Reds for a second stint, Whisenant would finish the season, and his major league career, with the Reds in 1961, playing in 26 games, hitting an even .200.
