Most commented posts
- Zimmerman at Aberdeen — 2 comments
- Ed Delahanty Where are You? Part 2 — 1 comments
- The Dummy Hoy Story — 1 comments
- The First Nationals — 1 comments
- The World Champion 1880 Washington Nationals, The Players — 1 comments
Kevin Flynn
Author's posts
Jun 11
The Plot to Rule the World
In December 1900 the story broke about a plan to create a “Baseball Trust” that would control all of professional baseball and in time all other sports. The proposed “Baseball Trust” was created by John T Brush[1] and supported by Andrew Freedman[2] and Arthur Soden.[3] A large corporation was to be formed in New Jersey, …
Jun 08
Boston’s number one fan
Washington’s major league baseball club heads to Boston for a baseball series. It is fitting that we take time to remember and acknowledge one of the biggest Boston baseball fans, Arthur General “Hi-Hi” Dixwell. From the 1890s and many years thereafter he was well known to baseball supporters not only in Boston but around the …
May 25
The Dummy Hoy Story
The Player Hoy was born in Houcktown, Ohio in 1862. He played his first professional season with Oshkosh in 1886 in the Northwestern League. He returned with Oshkosh and in 1887 batted a sparkling .367 in 115 games. A left handed batter who threw with his right hand, Hoy was listed at 5-06 and 160 …
May 22
The Bob Larner Story – One of the best known newspaper men in the District
Robert Martin “Bob” Larner 25 October 1877, the baseball season is nearly over and the Creightons[1] the so-called “Greens” take on the Georgetown College nine in a 8 to 4 win.[2] “For the victors Howard Wall and “Bob” Larner led the batting, and Tucker and McKenna accepted every chance which offered to throw a man …
May 17
What’s in a name?
Baseball in the District, if you ask many fans it would begin and end with Walter Johnson, prior of course to the arrival of Harper and Strasburg. Oh they might throw in a couple of “No-Win’s” and “Tail-Enders” but Johnson, Harper and Strasburg are the focal points. Sad in a way because the District has …
May 14
Here a fan there a fan everywhere a fan
The 1878 baseball season opens with a 13 to 1 victory by the National Baseball Club over the visiting Baltimore “Cracks.” About six hundred people paid the entrance fee required, and the house tops, fences and trees in the vicinity are filled with spectators, who greet every good play with loud and impartial applause. The …
May 08
Washington baseball fans go after O’Day
On August 20, 1895 the Cleveland Spiders defeat the Washington Senators 8-7. This game features two well known players. Win Mercer in the box and Hank O’Day behind the plate, each at the start of their respective careers. Win Mercer is in his second season. At 21, with 17 wins in his rookie season, he …
May 06
Buckmania
Buck Freeman’s return to the District in 1898 created a wave of Buckmania. The bleachers were quickly renamed Bucksville and fans were in awe of his long home runs. On 12 October 1899 in a 9-7 loss to New York Buck Freeman hits his 25th and last home run of the season. In doing so …
May 02
A League of Their Own
The 1992 film, Hollywood’s homage to the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, although the league was at first called the All American Girls Softball League which better described the play for the initial season. The movie, a mix of fact and fiction and remains one of the better baseball movies. If we turn back …
Apr 24
Atherton from Penn State
Washington has seen many unique players, none more so than the talented Atherton. Charles Morgan Herbert Atherton, a natural athlete, excelled on the fotball and baseball teams at Penn State.[1] In 1894 in a football game against Oberlin, Atherton booted a 20-yard place kick goal from the field, giving his team a 9-6 come-from-behind. Prior to this, …
