August 20
1912 – Walter Johnson and Jay Cashion give Washington fans plenty of cheer in a twinbill. In the opener, the Big Train sets the AL record with his 15th consecutive win, a 4-2 victory over Cleveland. Johnson is upstaged in the second game by Cashion, who fashions a 2-0, 6 inning, no-hitter. The only Cleveland baserunners against Cashion come on 2 errors by SS George McBride. The second game is called due to Cleveland having to catch a train to Boston.
1925 – In Cleveland, Tom Zachary and Firpo Marberry slam the door on the Indians in a 1-0, 12 inning win for the 
Nationals. The win moves Washington back on top of the AL to stay.
1945 – The Senators blank the Tribe in a doubleheader in Cleveland. Marino Pieretti whitewashes Cleveland in game one, 7-0, while Alex Carrasquel has the honors in game two, 6-0. The two victories put the Sens 1.5 games back of front running Detroit.
1946 – An army clocking device, a prelude to the radar gun, times Bob Feller‘s fastball at 98.6 mph in a pre-game exhibition that draws 30,051 at Griffith. In the real game, Feller, thanks to 4 Cleveland errors, is edged by Nats knuckleballer Mickey Haefner, 5-4.
1957 – Following a 5-4 victory in Comiskey in the first of two, the Senators are no-hit by Chicago righty Bob Keegan in the nitecap, 6-0. Keegan, a 35 year old former All Star, walks 2 and strikes out 1. Keegan’s opposing number, Chuck Stobbs, falls to 6-16, getting pounded for 12 hits and 6 runs in 5 innings of work.
1963 – The Nats are nearly victims of another no-hitter, this time to Moe Drabowsky of the A’s. Don Blasingame‘s 4th inning single is Washington’s lone safety in a 9-0 A’s rout in game one. The Senators tally 5 runs in the finale, but Jerry Lumpe‘s 2-run, game ending, home run in the bottom of the 14th gives Kansas City a 7-5 victory.
Senators Birthdays
Edgar Jewel Crowley B Aug. 20, 1906 D Apr. 14, 1970
Senators Short Timer Ed Crowley appeared in just 2 games with the 1928 Senators, going 0-1 at the plate and committing 1 error while playing 3rd base.
Earl Harrist B Aug. 20, 1919 D Sep. 7, 1998
Pitcher Earl Harrist was signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1938 but didn’t make his major league debut until 1945. Pitching in 14 games, he’d post a 2-4 record with a 3.61 ERA.
Harrist wouldn’t play in the majors in 1946 but would be drafted by the Chicago White Sox after the 1946 season.
Returning to the majors in 1948 with the White Sox, Harrist would only pitch in 11 games for Chicago before being traded in early June to the Washington Senators for Marino Pieretti.
He’d pitch in 23 games for the Senators, posting a 3-3 record with a 4.60 ERA.
Harrist would be purchased by the New York Yankees in mid-September of 1948, would spend some time with Oakland of the Pacific Coast League and be brought back to the majors in 1952 when he appeared in 36 games for the St. Louis Browns.
After the 1952 season, he’d be purchased again, this time by the White Sox, for his second stint in Chicago. However, he’d be released after just 7 games in Chicago and picked up by the Detroit Tigers, where he’d pitch in 8 more games, last appearing in the majors in June of 1953.
Harrist would remain in the Tigers organization though and in August of 1954 he’d be traded to Seattle of the PCL where his trail runs cold.
Edward Charles Hovlik B Aug. 20, 1891 D Mar. 19, 1955
No relation to August 16th birthday boy Joe Hovlik that I can determine, Ed Hovlik is another Senators Short Timer whose time with the team spanned 2 seasons. Debuting with Washington in mid-July of 1918, Ed Hovlik would pitch in 8 games, posting a 2-1 record with a superb 1.29 ERA.
Back for a second season in 1919, Hovlik would pitch in less than 6 innings over the course of 3 games. His ERA would balloon to 12.71 and he’d depart the Senators, and the major leagues, in early May.
Lewis Oscar (Bull) Smith B Aug. 20, 1880 D May 1, 1928
Bull Smith played in only 15 games in his major league career, appearing with 3 different teams over the span of 8 years.
Smith would first show up on a major league roster in late August of 1904 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he’d play 13 of those 15 games, hitting .143 while patrolling the outfield.
After that less than stellar performance, Smith wouldn’t return to the majors until 1906, when he’d play in 1 game for the Chicago Cubs, going hitless in 1 plate appearance.
If you’ve done the math thus far, you know that Smith appeared in 1 more game, this time for the 1911 Senators where he wouldn’t even make a plate appearance. Smith bulled his way out of the majors after that last game with Washington.
