October 23
Senator Managers
Malachi Kittridge and Patsy Donovan, 1904
Kittridge’s record as Senator manager: 1-16, .059 Pct.
Teams managed:
1904 1-16, .059 Pct., 8th place, 11 GB
Donovan’s record as Senator manager: 37-97, .296 Pct.
Teams managed:
1904 37-97, .296 Pct, 8th place, 55.5 GB
New part owner and baseball operations head Bill Dwyer appointed former Pittsburgh and Cardinal player-manager Patsy Donovan as the Senators new skipper just a week before opening day of 1904. Donovan’s arrival in D.C. was delayed as he claimed the Cardinals owed him $3,600 in back salary. Donovan would remain in St, Louis for two weeks while an arbitration board reviewed his case against the Cardinals. Veteran backstop Malachi Kittridge was named the Nats manager until Donovan was able to wrap up his hearing.
By the time Donovan arrived, Washington was already the laughingstock of baseball at 1-16. Under Kittridge, the Senators set a ML record by losing their first 13 games, a record that stood until 1988 when Baltimore dropped 21 straight. Donovan wouldn’t fare much better, with the pitiful Nats staggering home with the worse record in club history at 38-113. While every AL team posted attendance increases in 1904, fans in Washington stayed away in droves. Only 132,344 souls bothered supporting the Nats in that long, miserable summer.
Donovan was sacked following the season. Donovan would resurface as a player-manager with Brooklyn and the Red Sox until 1911. Kittridge, who harbored aspirations to be a manager before his disastrous Senators stint, had second thoughts and never managed again. More shakeup occurred in the front office when Dwyer abandoned his short career as a major league administrator.
Senators Birthdays
Bruce Raymond Barmes B Oct. 23, 1929 D January 25. 2014
Senators Short Timer Bruce Barmes was signed by Washington in 1950. He’d be on the Senators roster for 2 weeks in late September of 1953, appearing in 5 games, playing right field and going 1 for 5 at the plate.
