Mark Hornbaker

Author's posts

Willingham’s Two Grand Slams

July 27, 2009 Josh “The Hammer” Willingham accomplished a very rare feat when he became only the 13th player in major league baseball history to hit two grand slams in one game. Willingham’s first grand slam came off of the Brewers’ starting pitcher Jeff Suppan in the fifth inning. The second grand slam occurred only …

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Veterans Day Special – Remembering Cecil Travis

Cecil Travis was a star baseball player for the Washington Senators in the 1930’s and early 1940′s. On May 16, 1933 the 19 year-old Travis made his debut for the Senators. The young man from Riverdale, GA wasted no time in showing off his batting skills as he goes 5 for 7 against the Cleveland …

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Veterans Day Special – Wounded Veteran gets a Try Out

March 15, 1945 College Park, MD – Bert Shepard, a one legged veteran of World War II, tries out as a pitcher for the Washington Senators. The Senators owner Clark Griffith was so impressed with Shepard that he hired him as the team’s pitching coach. During the 1945 spring training Shepard with his artificial leg …

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Veterans Day Special – Negro League Baseball in D.C. during WWII

From 1939 to 1945 the Homestead Grays played a lot of their home game at Griffith Stadium when the Washington Senators were out of town. The Grays drew some very large crowds when the team played at Griffith Stadium. The local fans wanted to see the Grays’ exciting brand of baseball. With stars like Josh …

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The Beginning of the Griffith Era

October 30, 1911 After meeting with the Washington Senators board of directors, Clark Griffith is named manager of the Washington Senators baseball club. It is also announced that Clark Griffith became the largest stockholder of the club when he purchased 10% of the club’s stock. The Senators’ new skipper will have his hands full as …

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The Ladies Day Riot of 1897

Washington Senators Ladies Day that was held on September 13, 1897. The Washington Senators invited the ladies to attend the Washington Senators game against the Cincinnati Red Stockings for free. The Senators wanted to give the ladies a chance to come out and learn a little bit about the fundamentals of the game and then …

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Tom Cheney – 21 Strikeouts in 16 Innings

September 12, 1962 – Baltimore, MD With little fanfare pitcher Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators  strikeouts a major league record twenty-one Baltimore Orioles on route to his 2-1 victory in the 16-inning contest. In front of only 4,098 fans at Memorial stadium in Baltimore, the Senators and the Orioles were tied 1-1 until Bud …

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Connie Mack’s Major League Debut

Cornelius Mack, also known as Connie Mack (catcher) made his major league debut on September 11, 1886 as a member of the Washington Nationals. The Nationals didn’t sign the 23-year old Mack because they needed a catcher. They signed Connie Mack to a contract because they needed a pitcher.In the summer of 1886 Washington Nationals …

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Gabby’s Monumental Catch

August 21, 1908 To settle a bet between two gentlemen, Washington Senators catcher Charles “Gabby” Street agreed to try to catch a baseball dropped from the Washington Monument, attempting to replicate the feat achieved by Chicago Colts catcher Pops Schriver on August 24, 1894. On the morning of August 21, 1908 Gabby set up a …

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Walter Johnson’s D.C. Debut

It was 115 years ago — August 2, 1907 — The Senatorspitcher Walter Johnson made his big-league debut in D.C., kicking off a thirty-year baseball career and leaving a lasting imprint on the game. The Washington Senators, with a record of 28-59-2 ties, started the rookie Johnson against the Detroit Tigers, then 29 games ahead …

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