June 24
1914 – At Washington, the Nationals take a pair from the A’s. The Nats squeeze by the A’s, 4-3, in the opener. In the closer, Walter Johnson stops the Mackmen, 2-1.
1918 – Granted a leave from the Army for a couple of days, CF Sam Rice‘s 2 hits help the Nats to edge Philly, 2-1, at Griffith. Rice resumes his military duty for Uncle Sam following the game.
1925 – A steal of home is Lou Gehrig‘s first career stolen base in a 5-3 Yanks win in Washington.
1926 – ”Bullet” Joe Bush sees his disappointing Senator stay end when he is released. Bush had compiled an abysmal 1-8 mark as a Sen.
1955 – The visiting Tigers pounce to a 13-0 lead in the top of the 5th, when 3B Harmon Killebrew boots a grounder. In the bottom of the frame, Killebrew would bat and work a 2-2 count against Detroit southpaw Billy Hoeft. Tigers catcher Frank House tells Killebrew that Hoeft’s next offering would be a fastball. Hoeft delivered that fastball and Killebrew rocketed the ball out of the park for his first major league home run. Killebrew would later say that, of all the home runs he hit at Griffith Stadium, the home run off Hoeft was the longest he ever hit in Griffith.
1967 – Mike Epstein‘s 1st inning grand slam sets the tone, as the Nats bounce the slumping Birds in Baltimore, 8-3. Frank Howard connects for his 17th round tripper and Ken McMullen drives in 2 RBI.
Senators Birthdays
Melvin Anthony Hoderlein B Jun. 24, 1923 D May 21, 2001
Mel Hoderlein‘s 4 year major league career began in 1951 when he appeared in 9 games for the Boston Red Sox.
During the offseason, he was traded from Boston to the Chicago White Sox, along with Chuck Stobbs, for Randy Gumpert and Don Lenhardt. Before he ever appeared in a game for Chicago, he was traded again in May of 1951 to the Senators, along with Jim Busby, for Sam Mele.
Appearing in 72 games for the 1952 Senators, he played at second base and managed a .269 BA. He’d play with the Senators in 1953 & 1954. Unfortunately his batting average would drop markedly. In June of 1954, Hoderlein would be traded by the Senators to the Detroit Tigers for Johnny Pesky. He would never appear in another major league game.
Donald Ray Mincher B Jun. 24, 1938 D March 4, 2012
First baseman Don Mincher started his career in the White Sox organization in 1956. In April of 1960 he was traded, along with Earl Battey, to the Senators for Roy Seivers. Mincher would appear in 27 games for the original Senators in 1960 and head to Minnesota when the franchise relocated prior to the 1961 season. He’d remain with the Twins through 1966, appearing in the 1965 World Series.
In 1967 and 1968 he played for the California Angels, being selected to the 1967 All-Star Team.
1969 found Don selected by the Seattle Pilots in the expansion draft. He spent the 1969 season in Seattle and was the Pilots lone representative in the 1969 All-Star game.
Traded to the Oakland Athletics prior to the 1970 season, he’d play in Oakland in 1970 and appear in another 28 games with the Athletics in 1971 before he was traded to the expansion Senators, along with Frank Fernandez and Paul Lindblad, for Mike Epstein and Darold Knowles. He’d play in an even 100 games for the Senators in their last year in Washington, batting .291 with 10 home runs.
Moving to Texas with the franchise in 1972, he’d play in 61 games for the Rangers in their inaugural season before being traded one last time to the Oakland Athletics. He’s play in 47 more games for Oakland and call it a career at the end of the 1972 season.
Don has the distinction of hitting the last grand slam for the expansion Senators in an August 31st 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees. Mincher struck the blow as a pinch hitter.
As has been mentioned previously in this thread, Don is the only player to have played for both versions of the Senators and the teams they became (Minnesota Twins & Texas Rangers).
Paul Musser B Jun. 24, 1889 D Jul. 7, 1973
Paul Musser first showed up in the majors in June of 1912. That season he pitched in 7 games (20.2 innings) for the Senators, posting a 2.61 ERA with a 0-0 record.
Seven years later (1919) he showed up with the Boston Red Sox for another 5 games, where he went 0-2.
Robert Edwin Reeves B Jun. 24, 1904 D Jun. 4, 1993
Bobby Reeves got his start with the Senators in 1926, appearing in 20 games. He’d return to the Washington roster in 1927, play in over 110 games and hit .255. Primarily a shortstop who also filled in at 2nd & 3rd bases, his best year with the Senators would be 1928 when he hit .303 while playing in 102 games.
1929 through 1931 found Reeves in Boston in the employ of the Red Sox. Unfortunately his BA would slip each year he was in a Boston uniform and he’d leave the majors in 1931 after appearing in only 36 games.
