August 24
1913 – With the Senators ahead, 2-1, in the bottom of the 9th, two Chicago baserunners reach base off Walter Johnson. With two on and two outs, Johnson’s 13 game winning streak looks to be in peril with Eddie Collins strolling to the plate. The Big Train is up to the task and strikes out Collins for the final out, securing Washington’s 66th victory and running his own win streak to 14.
1914 – Following the Tigers 3-1 victory in the opener, both teams combine to hit 7 batters, a then ML record, in the second contest. Jim Shaw, Al Bentley, Harry Harper and Jim Stevens plunk 4 Tigers. The Tiger’s Hook Dauss answers by hitting 3 Nats. Nonetheless, the game is never in question with guest Detroit winning an 11-0 laugher to finish off the sweep.
1923 – The Nats, avenging a 22-2 loss two weeks prior to Cleveland, pour it on and gallop to a 20-8 win in Cleveland. Sam Rice scores 5 runs for Washington.
1952 – Hoping to get back in the pennant chase, the Nats best the 2nd place Tribe, 9-8, in 16 innings. Cleveland can only thank themselves for the defeat, as all 9 of Washington’s runs are unearned. Early Wynn fails to retire a single Senator batter in the bottom of the 16th, absorbing the loss in relief. On the outskirts of the race, 4th place Washington creeps to within 7.5 games back of leading New York.
1966 – Rallying for 2 runs in the bottom of the 11th, the Senators defeat Minnesota, 6-5. Ken McMullen‘s run scoring single off Twins reliever Dwight Siebler seals the come from behind victory.
1969 – The Nats take the rubber match of a 3 games series at Kansas City, routing the Royals, 10-3. The Nats erase a 3-2, 1st inning deficit by scoring 8 unanswered runs. The big blow is Bernie Allen‘s two run double in the 3rd, which puts Washington in the lead for good. Casey Cox, after a shaky 1st inning, settles in and collects the complete game victory.
Senators Birthdays
Albert Bool B Aug. 24, 1897 D Sep. 27, 1981
Al Bool began his brief major league career as a “Senators Short Timer” in 1928, when he appeared in 2 games. A catcher, Bool would go for 1 for 7 at the plate with 1 RBI.
Returning to the majors in 1930, Bool would have his most active season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing in 78 games and hitting .259.
Waived by the Pirates after the season, he’d be picked up by the Boston Braves, playing in just 49 games, his last major league appearance coming in late September of 1931.
Harold Lloyd Griggs B Aug. 24, 1928 D May 10, 2005
Hal Griggs spent his 4 year major league career in a Washington Senators uniform, from 1956 through 1959. He’d compile a collective 6-26 record with a 5.50 career ERA. Griggs’ last major league game would be in late September of 1959.
Luis Abelardo Suarez B Aug. 24, 1916 D June 5, 1991
Luis Suarez, another member of the Senators’ Cuban Connection, also gets tagged with the label of “One Game Wonder” having been served his major league cup of coffee on May 28th of 1944 when he played 3rd base and made 2 plate appearances, going hitless.
Harold Joseph Woodeshick B Aug. 24, 1932 D Jun. 14, 2009
Hal Woodeshick is 1 of 9 major leaguers to have played for both the original and expansion Senators franchises.
Originally signed by the Phillies organization in 1950 when he was 18 years old, Woodeshick would bounce around the minors, becoming property of the New York Giants and would eventually be drafted by the Detroit Tigers after the 1955 season.
Making his major league debut in late September of 1956, Woodeshick would go 0-2 for Detroit.
He wouldn’t make it back to the majors in 1957, but would be back in a big league uniform in 1958 on the roster of the Cleveland Indians.
After 1 season in Cleveland, Woodeshick would be traded to the original Senators franchise, along with Hal Naragon, for Ed Fitz Gerald.
In 1959, Woodeshick would appear in 31 games, posting a 2-4 record with a 3.69 ERA. Back in Washington for the 1960 season, Woodeshick would go 4-5 in 41 games with a 4.70 ERA in 115 innings.
After the original Senators headed northwest to Minnesota, Woodeshick was selected in the expansion draft by the “new” Senators.
Woodeshick would only pitch in 7 games for the expansion club, going 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA when he’d be traded again, this time back to Detroit in exchange for Chuck Cottier. He’d go 1-1 in 12 games for the Tigers and would be purchased at season’s end by the expansion Houston Colt 45’s.
Woodeshick would enjoy some success in Houston, pitching in 139 innings in 1962. In 1963, he’d go 11-9 for the 45’s and be selected to the National League All Star squad. In 1964, he’d lead the National League with 21 saves for a team that finished 66-96.
Traded one last time in early June of 1965, Woodeshick would end up on the roster of the St. Louis Cardinals where he’d remain through 1967.
In 1967, Woodeshick’s final season, he’d pitch in 36 games, posting a 2-1 record. He’d appear in 1 game of the ’67 World Series for the World Champion Cardinals when they defeated the Boston Red Sox 4 games to 3. Not a bad way to end a career.
