Aug 30
By Jeff Stuart It was fifty odd years ago today Gil Hodges taught the gang to play. The legendary Dodger great Gil Hodges, acquired from the New York Mets in return for outfielder Jim Piersall, took over the helm of the Senators just 40 games into the 1963 Season. While the club lost a franchise …
Aug 09
By Jeff StuartDon Zimmer was there to witness so much baseball history and is indelibly linked to it. He was one of the last two players alive to have played with Jackie Robinson. He was on the 1955 Dodgers World Series Championship team. “When Yogi hit the ball down the left-field line,” said Zimmer with …
Aug 09
By Jeff Stuart When Albie Pearson won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1958 and Bob Allison followed suit in 1959, Washington became the first American League team to have players win the award in back to back years. It was not until 30 years later that another AL team accomplished the feat. Jose …
Aug 06
By Jeff StuartOn June 24, 1970 two of Yankee Steve Hamilton‘s “Folly Floater” pitches retired Cleveland’s Tony Horton, a very good hitter, at the Bronx in New York to end the top of the 9th. That earned him a place in baseball history. The Yankees trailed the Indians badly and had no chance of beating …
Aug 05
Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1957, lefthander Claude Osteen was traded to Washington for Dave Sisler in November 1961.In November 1963, Gil Hodges told Ben Olan of the Associated Press that he had high hopes for the 24 year-old Osteen. “He has all the tools to be a 15-game winner for us,” Hodges said. …
Aug 05
By Jeff StuartIt is not surprising that Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who had a reputation for being hardnosed, noticed the young catcher Clint Courtney when he managed the Beaumont Roughnecks, a Yankees AA Farm Team in the Texas League in 1950.Clint Though he was an All-State Basketball player in High School, Clint was short …
Jul 22
By Jeff StuartBaseball players are notoriously superstitious. But on July 2, 1960, at Griffith Stadium, the Senators promotional staff implored their fans to be. It was “Beat Mudcat” day at the Stadium. There were 2000 rabbits’ feet and 2000 “Beat Mudcat” buttons given out before the game to the crowd of 11,331. A group of …
Jul 20
By Jeff Stuart Dick Bosman could pitch. Consider for a minute that he finished with the lowest ERA, 2.19. in the American League in 1969. Am achievement under appreciated in Washington and elsewhere I think. Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar of the Orioles finished 2nd and third respectively. Cuellar won the Cy Young based on …
Jul 18
By Jeff StuartOn Dec 10, 1952, the Washington Senators traded Cuban Mike Fornieles to the Chicago White Sox for Chuck Stobbs, a 23 year old who broke in with the Red Sox at the age of 17 and already had 40 big league wins.”He doesn’t overpower anybody with his speed,” said manager Bucky Harris.”But he …
Jul 14
By Jeff StuartIn the 1950s, two of the most interesting Washington Senators, Dick Hyde and Ted Abernethy reintroduced submarine pitching to baseball. They were not the first. Russ Christopher of the Indians threw that way in the early 40’s and before that there were Carl Mays and Elden Auker. Pittsburgh’s Kent Tekulve and Kansas City’s …
