Next to the apocryphal story about George Washington and the cherry tree, the most familiar tale told about the Father of Our Country involves what he threw across the Rappahannock River. It was even mentioned on the iconic Beach Boys’ album, All Summer Long, in 1964.* Unlike the essential details of young George chopping down … Continue reading Walter Johnson and George Washington →

The New York Yankees reclaimed first place in American League with a 17-0 pounding of Washington on Tuesday, July 6, 1920, at the ballpark that would become known as Griffith Stadium. What made the game more memorable, however, was what happened in the fifth inning. That's when the Yankees scored what at that time was … Continue reading July 6, 1920: Nats yield a record 14 runs in an inning →

For six years, starting in 1982, Robert F. Kennedy Stadium played host to a star-studded old-timers game that was originally called the Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. On July 19, 1982, a crowd of 29,196 attended the first of these five-inning games with the proceeds benefiting players who retired before the pension system in … Continue reading The Cracker Jack Classics and other RFK exhibitions →

For a variety of reasons, stolen-base attempts have ticked up in 2022 after several years of decline. Restrictions on the positioning of infielders could take effect next season, with the intent of producing more base hits, which could increase the importance of successful stolen-base attempts. So it’s not likely steals will ever again drop to … Continue reading Team with the fewest stolen bases in a season? The 1957 Senators →

On July 4, 1940, at Griffith Stadium, speedy Senators’ outfielder George Case had nine hits in a double-header against the Athletics, matching a major league record that still stands. In the modern era (post-1900), this record is held by six others, but was achieved the last time more than 60 years ago. Case’s 9-for-10 was … Continue reading July 4, 1940: George Case ties record for most hits in a double-header →

The Nationals, 2005 to 2022: Nationals’ fans have fond memories of the first no-hitter for the team. Jordan Zimmermann threw it at Nationals Park against the Marlins on the final day of the 2014 season. With two outs in the ninth, it took a back-to-the-plate, diving catch, by rookie outfielder Steven Sousa Jr. to preserve … Continue reading In 20th and 21st centuries, the Nats haven’t been no-hit at home →

More than half a century has passed since a player for the Washington Senators accomplished one of the rarest feats in the game: an unassisted triple play. It happened on July 30, 1968, a blowout loss for Washington during a season in which the Senators became the last American League team to finish in 10th … Continue reading Ron Hansen’s 1968 unassisted triple play →

The original Washington American League franchise finished with a winning record -- barely -- for the last time in 1952. By winning on the last day of the season, it edged Boston for fifth place with a 78-76 record. Attendance at Griffith Stadium, with the league’s smallest capacity, was just shy of 700,000, but more … Continue reading The Nats’ late-season nightmares, 1955-1960 →