August 21
1908 – Today marks the 113th anniversary of Gabby Street‘s famed Washington Monument catch. Two Nats fans by the names of Preston Gibson and John Biddle make a $500 wager on whether a ball that is dropped from the top of the Washington Monument can be caught on the fly. Gibson and Biddle convince Street to settle their bet. Gibson and Biddle climb to the top of the 555 foot monument with a basket of baseballs. After the first 14 balls miss Street, on the 15th attempt, Street makes his famous catch and pockets the $500. In the afternoon, Street catches Walter Johnson‘s 3-1 triumph over Detroit.
1912 – Washington part owner and team president Thomas C. Noyes passes away at age 44 after a four day illness. Nats team attorney, Ben Minor‚ succeeds Noyes as club president.
1932 – The Tribe’s Wes Ferrell becomes the first pitcher of the 20th century to win 20 or more in his first 4 
seasons with a 11-5 victory over the home Senators. The wild righthander and future National will post two more 20 plus win seasons in Boston.
1966 – Against the Angels in RFK, Frank Howard and Ken McMullen homer successively in the 3rd in a 7-4 Sens win. Nat starter Phil Ortega walks 3 and allows 2 homers, to Jim Fregosi and Bob Knoop, but manages to hang on for his 9th win. Ortega’s battery mate, Paul Casanova has a big day, going 4-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run.
1970 – RBI’s from Ed Stroud, Paul Casanova and Aurelio Rodriguez stake Casey Cox to an early 3-0 lead at Minnesota. Cox cannot stave off a Twins rally, as the Washington falls, 4-3. Light hitting Twins C Tom Tischinski‘s solo homer in the home 7th off Cox wins it for AL West leading Minnesota.
Senators Birthdays
Wallace Luther (Lou) Knerr B Aug. 21, 1921 D Mar. 23, 1980
Lou Knerr began his short major league career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1945. Pitching for the A’s in 1945 and 1946, Knerr would post records of 5-11 & 3-16 in those bleak years before the Athletics headed west.
Traded in early 1947 to the Washington Senators for George (Bingo) Binks, Knerr would join the ranks of “Single Season Senators” by pitching in just 9 innings in 6 games. He wouldn’t compile a W/L record, but would depart the Senators, and the major leagues, in early June of 1947 with an ERA of 11.00, having surrendered 17 hits and 11 runs during those 9 innings in a Senators uniform.
