April 10
1967 Opening Day – 44,382 fans see Mel Stottlemeyer of the New York Yankees toss a 2 hit shutout as the Senators lose the opener 8-0. Pete Richert is tagged with the loss for Washington.
Mickey Mantle plays 1st base for the first time in his career. Bill Robinson and Elston Howard homer for the Yankees. Washington’s only 2 hits are singles by Fred Valentine and Cap Peterson.
Opening Day box score, April 10th, 1967
Senators Birthdays
Clifford Douglas Blankenship B Apr. 10, 1880 D Apr. 26, 1956
Cliff Blankenship
1st baseman/catcher Cliff Blankenship began his short major league career with the Cincinnati Reds in 1905. Blankenship would hit .196 in 19 games for the Reds.
Out of the major leagues in 1906, Blankenship would make it into a grand total of 76 games with the Senators in 1907 and 1909.
He’d play in 37 games in 1907, hitting .225 in 102 AB. With the Senators in 1909, Blankenship would appear in 39 games, hitting .250 in 60 AB but would make his last major league appearance in mid-August.
Cliff Blankenship career record
William Clifton Bolton B Apr. 10, 1907 D Apr. 21, 1979
Cliff Bolton, another catcher, began his 7 year major league career with the Senators in April of 1931. Appearing in 23 games, Bolton would hit .256 in 43 AB.
Out of the majors in 1932, Bolton would return with the Senators in 1933, hitting .410 in 33 games. He’d hit .270 in 1934.
1935 would be the only season where Bolton would play in over 100 games, making it into 110 contests with Washington, hitting .304.
He’d hit .291 in 86 games in 1936. Bolton would be sold to the Detroit Tigers in 1937 where he’d play in 27 games.
Bolton would be out of the majors again until 1941 when he’d play in 14 games for the Senators.
Bolton made it into 2 games of the 1933 World Series as the Senators lost to the New York Giants in 5 games.
Charles Thomas Pick B Apr. 12, 1888 D Jun. 26, 1954
Infielder Charlie Pick played briefly with the Washington Senators in 1914 and 1915. He’d hit .391 in 10 games for the Senators in 1914 but would only make it in only 3 games in 1915.
Pick would be on the roster of the Philadelphia A’s in 1916 where he’d play in 121 games hitting .241.
Out of the majors in 1917, Pick would turn up with the Chicago Cubs in 1918 where he’d play in 29 games, hitting .326. He’d make it into all 6 games of the 1918 World Series with the Cubs, hitting .389 in series play as the Cubs lost to the Boston Red Sox.
Pick would appear in 75 games for the Cubs in 1919 before being traded to the Boston Braves in early August. Pick would finish the 1919 season with the Braves, appearing in 34 games.
1920 would prove to be Pick’s last season. Playing again for the Braves, he’d hit .274 in 95 games, his last major league appearance coming in mid-August.
Roger Francis Wolff B Apr. 10, 1911 D Mar. 23, 1994
Another late bloomer, pitcher Roger Wolff would make his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics in late September of 1941 as a 30 year old rookie.
Making his way into 2 games, Wolff would post an 0-2 record with a 3.18 ERA.
He’d go 12-15 with the A’s in 1942 and 10-15 in 1943.
After the 1943 season, Wolff was traded to the Washington Senators for our ol’ buddy Bobo Newsom.
In Washington, Wolff got off to a rough start in 1944, going 4-15 with a 4.99 ERA. However he will rebound in 1945 when he raised his record to 20-10 while lowering his ERA to 2.12.
Wolff would pitch for one more season in Washington in 1945. While his ERA was a respectable 2.58, his record dropped to 5-8.
Traded to the Cleveland Indians for George Case before the start of the 1947 season, Wolff appeared in just 7 games for the Indians when he was sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates in mid-June.
Wolff would finish the 1947 season, and his career, appearing in 13 games, posting a 1-4 record with an 8.70 ERA when he made his last major league appearance in late August.
