October 13
1925 World Series
Washington at Pittsburgh, Game 6
Pirates 3 Senators 2
Series tied 3-3
Back in the Steel City for the sixth game, Sens skipper Bucky Harris finds himself in a quandary on who to select as his starter. Having used Tom Zachary in relief yesterday in a fruitless attempt to keep the Pirates from pulling away, Harris placed his rotation in disarray. With Walter Johnson being held back to pitch a possible game 7, Harris’ options are lefthander Dutch Ruether or game 3 winner Alex Ferguson. Ferguson is chosen for the task, despite rumors that Ferguson himself believes he is not up to the challenge. Opposing the not so confident Ferguson is portsider Ray Kremer.
Galloping from the gate, the Senators score 2 runs in their first 2 at bats. Goose Goslin, with one down in the 1st, sends a Kremer pitch sailing into the rightfield stands for the early lead. During the 2nd inning, the much maligned Roger Peckinpaugh doubles in Ossie Bluege for a 2-0 Nats lead.
The resilient Pirates tie it up in the 3rd. Ferguson commits one of baseball’s cardinal sins by walking leadoff man Johnny Moore. Peckinpaugh’s 5th error of the series on a bouncer from Max Carey puts Bucs at first and second. A Clyde Barnhart ground out following a Kiki Cuyler sacrifice scores Moore for Pittsburgh’s first run. The next hitter, the great Pie Traynor, laces a single up thr middle, plating Carey and creating a deadlock at 2.
Moore stings the Nats again in the 5th. Once again leading off, the 2B hits a solo home run in the temporary bleachers in left to give the Bucs a lead they would never relinquish, 3-2. The Moore round tripper is the 11th home run of this series for both squads. Meanwhile, Kremer settles down after the first two innings and allows 3 hits the rest of the way to force a game 7.
Senators Birthdays
Claude Boucher Davidson B Oct. 13, 1896 D Apr. 18, 1956
Utility man Claude Davidson would make his major league debut with the 1918 Philadelphia Athletics. First appearing in late April, Davidson would play in 31 games, going 15 for 81, a .185 BA.
In 1919, Davidson would join the ranks of “Senators Short Timers” when he’d play 2 games at 3rd base, going 3 for 7 at bat, playing in his last major league game in early September.
Philip Frank Hensiek B Oct. 13, 1901 D Feb. 21, 1972
Single Season Senator Phil Hensiek made his debut as a 33 year old rookie in mid-August of 1935. Pitching in 6 games, Hensiek would compile an 0-3 record and depart the Senators, and the major leagues, in early September with a 9.69 ERA.
Ronald Ralph Moeller B Oct. 13, 1938 D Nov. 2, 2009
Ron Moeller was dubbed “The Kid” by virtue of making his major league debut as a 17 year old in 1956. Signed by the Baltimore Orioles, Moeller would appear in 4 games at the end of the ’56 season, with 1 start and compile an 0-1 record in 8.2 innings with a 4.15 ERA.
Moeller wouldn’t return to the Orioles until 1958 when he’d appear in another 4 games with no decisions and an identical 4.15 ERA.
Drafted by the expansion Los Angeles Angels, Moeller’s next major league stint would be in 1961, when he’d pitch in 33 games going 4-8 with a 5.83 ERA.
Moeller would return to the majors with the Angels in 1963 but would only appear in 3 games with no decisions before he was sold to the expansion Senators. Moeller would pitch in 8 games for Washington, compiling a 2-0 record with a 6.29 ERA in 8 games, his last major league appearance coming in late September.
Charles Harry (Dick) Spalding B Oct. 13, 1893 D Feb. 3, 1950
Outfielder Dick Spalding debuted with the Philadelphia Philles in 1927. Playing in 115 games, Spalding would go 131 for 442 at the plate, good for a .296 BA with 16 doubles, 3 triples and 25 RBI’s.
1928 would find Spalding on the roster of the Washington Senators. In 16 games, Spalding would hit .348 but would be gone from the roster in mid-July, marking the end of his major league career.
Edward Frederick Joseph Yost B Oct. 13, 1926 D October 16, 2012
Brooklyn born Eddie Yost, known as the “Walking Man” for most of his career, was another player to make his major league debut as a 17 year old.
Signed by the Senators in 1944, Yost would see his first major league action that season, appearing in 7 games, going 2 for 14 with 1 walk.
Yost would be back in a Senators uniform in 1946 appearing in 8 games, going 2 for 25 with 5 walks.
1947 would be the year that Yost established himself as a 3rd baseman for the Senators, playing in 115 games, hitting .238 with 45 walks. Yost would appear in 110 games or more every season with the Senators from 1947 through 1958.
Traded to the Detroit Tigers after the 1958 season, along with Rocky Bridges and Neil Chrisley for Reno Bertoia, Ron Samford and Jim Delsing, Yost would have 2 productive seasons in Detroit.
Drafted by the expansion Angels, Yost would finish his career in 1962, playing in his last game in late July.
Yost represented the Washington Senators in the 1952 All Star game and led the American League in a number of catagories during his playing years including:
On base percentage in 1959 & 1960, games played in 1951, 1952 & 1954, walks in 1950, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959 & 1960, doubles in 1951, runs scored in 1959 and times on base in 1950, 1959 & 1960.
He’d end his career having played in 2109 games with 1863 hits including 337 doubles, 56 triples, 139 home runs with 683 RBI’s and 1614 walks.
On the coaching staff of the expansion Senators, Yost filled in as interim manager for 1 game after Mickey Vernon was fired in 1963. The Senators lost 9-3 to the Chicago White Sox. The next day, Gil Hodges took over the managerial reins.
