Apr 10

The Expansion Senators Debut

President Kennedy throws out first ball at the opening day of the 1961 baseball season, Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
President Kennedy throws out first ball at the opening day of the 1961 baseball season, Griffith Stadium, Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

On April 10, 1961- Before the Washington Senators and the Chicago White Sox opening day game the crowd of 26,725 watched President John F. Kennedy throw out ceremonial first pitch at Griffith Stadium.

The Senators’ starting pitcher Dick Donovan ended the top of the 1st inning by getting Minnie Minoso to line into a double play to end the inning. The young Senators did not waste any time to please the hometown fans as lead-off hitter Coot Veal got a single off of Early Wynn. Coot Veal‘s single was the first hit by a member of the Senators team. Two batters later Marty Keough singled to left field and Veal went to 2nd base. After Dale Long struck-out Gene Woodling hit a triple into the gap between center field and right field, Veal came in to score the first run for the new Senators and Keough scored the second run as the Washington Senators took a 2-0 lead. The first inning would end with the Senators leading 2-0 in front of the large cheerful crowd.

In the top of the 2nd inning long time Senator star Roy Sievers now playing for the White Sox blasted a solo home run to make the score 2-1 Senators. In the bottom of the 2nd inning the Senators answered back when Pete Daley scored on a sac-fly by Billy Klaus. The White Sox removed Wynn after he gave up 3 runs and 5 hits in only two innings.

The White Sox will follow up with another run in the top of the 3rd inning to pull within one run of the Senators. After three scoreless innings the White Sox scored the tying run in the top of the 7th inning after Jim Landis scored on a Senators error. The White Sox scored their fourth run in the top of 8th inning when Roy Sievers sac- fly knocked in Minoso for the winning run. Dick Donovan pitched all nine innings and got the loss for the Washington Senators and White Sox relief pitcher Frank Baumann recorded the win.

Chicago White Sox 4, Washington Senators 3

Game Played on Monday, April 10, 1961 (D) at Griffith Stadium

CHI A    0  1  1    0  0  0    1  1  0  -   4  6  0 
WAS A    2  1  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   3  9  4
Chicago White Sox            AB   R   H RBI     BB  SO      PO   A
Aparicio ss                   3   0   2   1      1   0       1   5
Fox 2b                        4   0   0   0      0   0       3   2
Minoso lf                     3   1   0   0      0   0       3   0
Sievers 1b                    2   1   1   2      1   0      12   1
Martin 3b                     4   0   0   0      0   0       1   4
Smith rf                      4   0   1   0      0   1       0   0
Landis cf                     4   1   1   0      0   1       3   0
Lollar c                      4   0   0   0      0   1       4   2
Wynn p                        0   0   0   0      0   0       0   0
  Robinson ph                 1   1   1   0      0   0       0   0
  Kemmerer p                  1   0   0   0      0   0       0   0
  Torgeson ph                 1   0   0   0      0   0       0   0
  Baumann p                   0   0   0   0      0   0       0   1
Totals                       31   4   6   3      2   3      27  15
BATTING - 
2B: Smith (1,off Donovan); Robinson (1,off Donovan); Aparicio (1,off Donovan).
3B: Landis (1,off Donovan).
HR: Sievers (1,2nd inning off Donovan 0 on 0 out).
SF: Sievers (1,off Donovan).
HBP: Minoso (1,by Donovan).
Team LOB: 4.
BASERUNNING - 
SB: Minoso (1,2nd base off Donovan/Daley).
CS: Smith (1,3rd base by Donovan/Daley); Aparicio (1,3rd base by Donovan/Daley).
Washington Senators          AB   R   H  RBI     BB  SO       PO A
Veal ss                       4   1   2   0       0   0       1   3
Klaus 3b                      3   0   0   1       0   1       4   3
Keough rf                     4   1   3   0       0   0       1   0
Long 1b                       4   0   0   0       0   1       7   2
Woodling lf                   4   0   1   2       0   0       2   0
Tasby cf                      4   0   1   0       0   1       6   0
O'Connell 2b                  4   0   2   0       0   0       2   1
  Mahoney pr                  0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Daley c                       3   1   0   0       0   0       3   2
  Stevens ph                  1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Donovan p                     2   0   0   0       1   1       1   2
  Bright ph                   1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       34   3   9   3       1   4      27  13
FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Veal-O'Connell.
E: Long 2 (2), Tasby (1), Daley (1).
BATTING - 
2B: Tasby (1,off Kemmerer).
3B: Woodling (1,off Wynn).
SF: Klaus (1,off Wynn).
Team LOB: 6.
PITCHING
Chicago White Sox            IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP
Wynn                          2     5   3   3   1   1   0  12
Kemmerer                      4     2   0   0   0   1   0  14
Baumann W(1-0)                3     2   0   0   0   2   0  10
Totals                        9     9   3   3   1   4   0  36
Washington Senators          IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP
Donovan L(0-1)                9     6   4   2   2   3   1  35
HBP: Donovan (1,Minoso).
Umpires: HP - Charlie Berry, 1B - Frank Umont, 2B - Bob Stewart, 3B - Joe Linsalata
Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 26,725
The Box Score used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by
Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at "www.retrosheet.org".

Mark Hornbaker