This Date in Washington Senators History – Happy Townsend not So Happy after walking 12 batters

August 1

1902 – The umpire must have had a tight strike zone. Washington right hander John “Happy” Townsend is all frowns as he walks 12 batters in a 13-0 loss at Detroit.

1912 – In the bottom of the 6th, home plate umpire Connolly fails to see that Washington C Rip Williams drops the ball and calls Ty Cobb out attempting to steal home. Cobb and the Tigers are infuriated by the missed call and leave the field in protest. Connolly confers with the other umpire and reverses his initial call, with Cobb now being called safe. In the end, Connolly’s flip flop does not matter, as the Nats win, 6-3.

1921 – Interim manager Clyde Milan has two hits and provides supreme fielding in a 1-0 victory over the Bengals in Griffith. It is the 7th straight win for the Senators, who will go on to win 11 in a row.

1959 – More bad news for the slumping Senators: Against the Go-Go White Sox, Camilo Pascual is splendid through 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit and no runs, but has to leave the game due to a sore elbow. With the Sens nursing a 1-0 margin, Dick Hyde relieves. After holding Chicago off the scoreboard in the 8th, Hyde gives up 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, as the Nats lose their 14th straight, 2-1.

1968 – In a battle between two future San Diego Padre pitching coaches, Joe Coleman and Detroit’s Pat Dobson, the Sens roast Dobson and the Tigers, 9-3, at Tiger Stadium. Dobson is chased from the box in the 4th after SS Ron Hansen pelts a grand slam. Bernie Allen and Mike Epstein both homer for Washington with a man on base, with Coleman going the distance for his 7th win.

Senators Birthdays

Edward Haughton (Slim) Love B Aug. 1, 1890 D Nov. 30, 1942

Slim Love (Sounds like the stage name for an anorexic exotic dancer) made his major league debut in September of 1913 with the Washington Senators. Pitching in 5 games, he’d finish the season with a 1-0 record and an ERA of 1.62.

However, even with that performance, Love would not return to the majors until 1916, spending 3 seasons with the New York Yankees. His most active season would be 1918 when he’d go 13-12, appearing in 38 games, pitching in over 228 innings.

Traded to the Red Sox after the 1918 season, he’d be traded again within a month, this time to the Detroit Tigers. He’d appear in 22 games in for the Tigers in 1919, going 6-4. 1920 would see him in just 1 game when Love would depart the Tigers, and the major leagues in mid-April.

“Slim” Love career record