April 20
1944 –Elmer John Gedeon, an outfielder who played in 5 games with the 1939 Senators, is killed when his Army
Captain Gedeon at Boreham Airfield in England, 1944
Air Corps plane is shot down over St. Pol, France. He was the first major leaguer to be killed in WWII and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. (See April 15th birthday.)
Senators Birthday
Charles Edwin Smith B Apr. 20, 1880 D Jan. 3, 1929
Pitcher Charlie Smith began his career with the 1902 Cleveland franchise when they were known as the “Blues”. Only appearing in 3 games (where he went 2-1) he would return to the majors in 1906 with the Senators where he would stay through most of the 1909 season. He would be dealt to the Boston Red Sox near the end of the 1909 campaign and eventually finish his baseball career with the Chicago Cubs in 1914.
Smith had some rough years with the Senators, going 31-61 during his time in Washington during those early American League years when the early Senators teams set a precedent for losing.
