April 8
1963 The expansion Senators, enroute to a worst ever record of 56-106, lose their home opener to the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 3-1. Steve Barber gets the win for Baltimore, with Stu Miller being credited with the save. Don Rudolph is charged with the loss for Washington. Baltimore gets home runs from Jim Gentile and Boog Powell. Washington’s only run is scored by the highly forgettable Bobo Osborne. (See October 12th birthdays.)
Senators Birthdays
Francis Joseph (Shag) Shaughnessy B Apr. 8, 1883 D May 15, 1969
A One Game Wonder with the Senators, Shag Shaugnessy played right field on April 17, 1905, going hitless in 3 AB.
Shaughnessy would return to the majors for 8 games with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908, his last appearance coming in mid-June.
“Shag” Shaughnessy career record
Emanuel Carr Smith B Apr. 8, 1901 D Apr. 14, 1989
Carr Smith
Senators Short Timer Carr Smith would play in 10 games for the Senators, 5 in 1923, the other 5 in 1924.
Debuting with Washington in late September of ’23, Smith would play the outfield and would go 1 for 9 at the plate.
Smith would go 2 for 10 in 1924, his last major league appearance coming in early June.
Clarence Francis (Pop) Foster B Apr. 8, 1878 D Apr. 16, 1944
Pop Foster began his brief major league journey way back in 1898 when he began play with the New York Giants in mid-September. Primarily an outfielder, Foster hit .268 in his first brief stint.
Back with the Giants in 1899, he’d hit .296 in 84 games. Foster would only make it into 31 games with the Giants in 1900, when he’d hit .262 in limited action.
Joining the Washington Senators in the inaugural season of the American League, Foster would appear in 103 games with the Senators, hitting .278. Released by the Senators in early September, Foster would be signed the same day by the Chicago White Sox. He’d finish the season, and his major league career, playing in 12 games for Chicago, his last big league game coming in late September.
