August 22
1905 – The Nationals will take a win anyway they can. At Detroit, umpire John Sheridan awards a forfeit win to the Nationals when Detroit refuses to begin play after an argument. Washington is leading in the 11th, 2-1, when Sheridan awards the forfeit.
1915 – Seeing their 9 game win streak fall by the wayside, the Tigers are defeated by the Nats and Walter Johnson, 8-1, in game one. The Nats achieve a rare feat in the top of the 2nd when they score a run with no official at bats. Chick Gandil and Merito Acosta walk, a sacrifice bunt by Buff Williams moves Gandil and Acosta into scoring position, and a George McBride sac fly plates Gandil. Detroit earns a split of the twinbill, 1-0, in the finale.
1918 – Sens 3B Eddie Foster 4-for-4 day bolts Washington past the Tribe, 7-1. The Nats do all their scoring in the bottom of the 1st, chasing starter Jim Bagby from the box. Jim Shaw grunts his way to another win.
1925 – After being shutout yesterday, the league leading Nats erupt for 20 runs in a 20-5 destruction at Detroit. The Big Train walks 7 over 5.1 innings, but collects 2 hits, one of which is a home run. Bengal pitchers donate to the Washington cause by surrendering 19 hits and issuing 10 bases on balls.
1927 – The Tigers sweep two over the Senators in Motown, 4-2 and 7-3. Harry Heilmann and Marty McNanus each homer in the 4th inning of game two off an increasingly ineffective Walter Johnson. It is the first time in Barney’s stellar career that he has given up 2 home runs in the same inning and, also, the last homers he allows in his career. Johnson absorbs his final loss. With the sweep, the rampaging Cats (13 consecutive wins) overtake Washington for 2nd place.
1928 Ossie Bluege‘s 2-run single in the home 1st off the White Sox’s Ed Walsh is all she wrote in a 2-0 Senators victory. Bump Hadley gobbles up the shutout.
1933 – The good times had to come to an end sometime. Washington, riding high on a 13 game win streak, fall, 10-8, at Detroit on a 2-run, 9th inning home run from rookie Hank Greenberg. Despite the defeat, the front running Senators are still ahead by a comfortable margin of 7.5 games.
1936 – Three consecutive home runs from Red Kress, Joe Kuhel and Carl Reynolds in the 4th sparks Washington to a 12-8 win in the opener at Shibe Park. The A’s Gordon Rhodes takes the loss, as the Nats collect 20 hits. Philadelphia comes back to take game two, 7-6.
1961 – In loss number 4 of a 14 game losing streak, Boston’s Jackie Jensen‘s bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 11th sinks the stumbling Senators, 3-2. Bennie Daniels goes the distance for Washington in taking the defeat.
1970 – In the Twin Cities, Frank Howard and Harmon Killebrew trade home runs in regulation time, as the Sens and Twins head to extra innings, tied at 4. In the 10th, Howard trumps Killebrew with a game winning home run, Hondo’s 35th, for a 5-4 Washington victory.
1971 – The DC Armory Board, overseers of RFK Stadium, offers Washington owner Bob Short a compromise that would save the “financially strapped” owner $125,000 a year. In short, the proposal would allow Short to receive all food and beverage profits during the baseball season. But the proposal would not give Short parking revenues or forgive the $178,407.66 Short owed in back rent on RFK. Short replied, “It’s a step in the right direction, but kind of late. If I can’t use it this season (1971), it won’t help much.” Translation: “I’m moving the team to Texas.” (Information courtesy of James R. Hartley’s excellent book “Washington’s Expansion Senators”.)
Senators Birthdays
The stork is relegated to bench duty today as there were no future Senators players ever born on August 22nd in any year.
