October 14
1925 No champion will be determined today. Game 7 at Pittsburgh is rained out.
1927 The 21 year ride from the Big Train comes to the end of the line. Walter Johnson announces his retirement as an active ballplayer. An AL record 802 games pitched, a ML record (until 1983) 3,509 strikeouts, 417 wins, 2nd in ML history, an AL record of 113 shutouts and the AL record of 55.2 scoreless innings pitched are just a few of Johnson’s incredible feats. All the more remarkable since Walter played on mostly bad to mediocre Senator teams.
1967 Jim Lemon is named the new manager of the Nats. Lemon, a member of the “Fearsome Foursome” along with Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison and Roy Sievers on the 1959 Senators, was a coach with Minnesota for the past two seasons. Lemon replaces Gil Hodges, who resigned to take the managerial post with the Mets.
Senators Birthdays
Charles Schlagel Becker B Oct. 14, 1890 D Jul. 30, 1928
Washington, DC native Charlie Becker would become a member of the Senators Short Timers when he appeared in a grand total of 15 games during the 1911 and 1912 seasons.
Making his pitching debut in early August of 1911, Becker would appear in 11 games that season, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.04 ERA.
Returning to the Senators roster in 1912, Becker would pitch in 4 games, finishing with no won-lost record and an even 3.00 ERA, his last appearance coming in mid-May.
Thomas Edgar Cheney B Oct. 14, 1934 D Nov. 1, 2001
Tom Cheney is probably best remembered for his 21 strikeout performance, pitching in a 2-1, 16 inning victory for the Senators over the Baltimore Orioles in September of 1962. However his journey to the major leagues began a full 10 years earlier when he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1952.
Cheney would make his major league debut with the Cardinals in April of 1957, pitching in 4 games, posting an 0-1 record with a 5.00 ERA.
Returning to the Cardinals in 1959, Cheney would pitch in 11 games, going 0-1 again, with his ERA rising to 6.94.
Plagued by wildness, Cheney would be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1960 season. Although he only pitched in 11 games for the Pirates during their World Championship year, where he’d post a 2-2 record, Cheney would appear in 3 World Series games and was so highly thought of by his Pirates team mates that he was voted a full World Series share.
After 1 game with the Pirates in 1961, Cheney was traded to the Washington Senators for Tom Sturdivant. Cheney would finish the 1961 season with a 1-3 record for the Senators, pitching in 10 games. In 1962, he’d post a 7-9 record with a 3.17 ERA and in 1963 he’d go 8-9, lowering his ERA to 2.71.
Cheney began to suffer arm miseries, and would only pitch in 15 games for the Senators in 1964, going 1-3. He’d miss the 1965 season and would return for 3 games in 1966, going 0-1 in just 5 & 1/3rds of an inning, his final game coming in early May.
An insightful, but sad, article about Cheney appeared earlier this (2008) year in the Washington Post. You can read more about Tom Cheney’s career here:
Washington Post Tom Cheney article
Melvin Allys (Bert) Gallia B Oct. 14, 1891 D Mar. 19, 1976
Making his major league debut with the 1912 Washington Senators, it would take pitcher Bert Gallia a couple of seasons to establish himself in the majors. Gallia would appear in just 2 games in 1912, pitching 2 innings. In 1913 he’d pitch in 31 games posting a 1-5 record with a 4.13 ERA. In 1914, Gallia would again be limited to appearing in just 2 games.
1915 was the year that Gallia would come into his own, pitching in 43 games and going 17-11 with a 2.29 ERA. In 1916, he’d go 17-12.
In 1917, Gallia would see his record drop to 9-13, although he’d still post a respectable 2.99 ERA. After the season, Gallia would be traded to the St. Louis Browns, along with $15,000 for Burt Shotton and Doc Lavan.
Gallia would go 8-6 for the 1918 Browns and 12-14 in 1919. 1920 would be Gallia’s last season-he’d start the year with the Browns but would pitch in just 2 games, posting an 0-1 record, when he was purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies in mid-May. Gallia would finish the 1920 season, and his major league career, with the 1920 Phillies, going 2-6.
Vance Elmer McIlree B Oct. 14, 1897 D May 6, 1959
One Game Wonder Vance McIlree was served his cup of coffee on September 13th of 1921. Pitching in 1 inning, he’d give up 1 hit and 1 run, departing the Senators, and the majors, with a 9.00 ERA.
