No raise for Hondo

Originally written on Jan. 9, 2012 After belting 36 home runs for the Senators in 1967, Frank Howard found himself spending most of the off-season negotiating a new contract with Senators’ General Manager George Selkirk. The Washington Post reported on January 9, 1968 that Senators’ GM Selkirk told Howard that he will not be receiving …

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This Date in Washington Senators History

March 5 Senators Birthdays Ramon Garcia B Mar. 5, 1924 D Dec. 25, 2001 Another member of the Cuban Connection, pitcher Ramon Garcia spent approximately 6 weeks with the 1948 Senators. Pitching in 4 games, Garcia would depart Washington with no W/L record and an ERA of 17.18. Ramon Garcia career record William Clyde (Rabbit) …

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This Date in Washington Senators History

March 4 Senators Birthdays Jose Acosta B Mar. 4, 1891 D Nov. 16, 1977 A early member of the Senators Cuban Connection, pitcher Jose Acosta would arrive in the major leagues as a 29 year old rookie. Pitching for the Senators in 1920 and 1921, Acosta would post an identical record of 5-4 in both …

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This Date in Washington Senators History

March 3 Senators Birthdays Bartholomew Joseph (Bert) Griffith B Mar. 3, 1896 D May 5, 1973 No relation to Senators owner Clark Griffith, Bert Griffith was an outfielder and occasional 1st baseman who debuted with the Brooklyn Robins in April of 1922. Playing in 106 games his rookie season, Griffith would hit .308 with 22 …

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This Date in Washington Senators History – Moe Berg’s Birthday

March 2 Senators Birthdays Orville Martin Armbrust B Mar. 2, 1905 D Oct. 2, 1967 Senators Short Timer Orville Armbrust spent 12 days on the Washington roster in September of 1934. Pitching in 3 games, Armbrust would post a 1-0 record with a 2.13 ERA. Orville Armbrust career record Morris (Moe) Berg B Mar. 2, …

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This Date in Washington Senators History

March 1 Today we note two players who finished their careers with the Washington Senators… Senators Birthdays Robert Royce Usher B Mar. 1, 1925 D Dec. 29, 2014. Signed by the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the 1943 season, outfielder Bob Usher would make it to the majors in 1946 as a 21 year old …

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This Date in Washington Senators History – Marc Filley’s bitter Cup of Coffee

February 28 Senators Birthdays Marcus Lucius Filley B Feb. 28, 1912 D Jan. 20, 1995 One Game Wonder Marc Filley would be served in the Senators Coffee Shop on April 19th, 1934. Pitching 1/3rd of an inning, Filley would be charged with 1 wild pitch, 2 hits and 1 run, departing with a 27.00 ERA. …

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This Date in Washington Senators History – Walter Johnson has Surgery

February 27 1908 In Fullerton, California, Washington Senators pitcher Walter Johnson is operated on for an infection of themastoid area behind the right ear. The doctors remove a section of the bone, and the recuperation will keep Johnson sidelined until late May. Despite his late start in the season, Johnson (See November 6th birthdays.) will …

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The Good Guys Wore White

Originally posted on 4/8/2012 During the first 66 years of the 20th Century, most major league baseball teams wore sparkling white flannel uniforms for their home games, and gray uniforms on the road. There were exceptions. For instance, the 1906-09 Washington Nationals wore dark blue uniform pants and jersey tops on the road, but aside …

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Del Unser: A Class Act

By Jeff Stuart After the Senators left Washington after the 1971 season, I had scant interest in baseball, though I made a few yearly trips up 1-95 to Memorial Stadium and tuned in at playoff time. The 1980 National League play-off series between the Phillies and Astros remains a personal favorite. It wasn’t because the …

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