Home Run Derby, which I recall seeing in repeats in the early 1960s, was a syndicated TV show originally broadcast from January to July in 1960, with half-hour segments filmed in 1959 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. The show gave MLB's top slugger's three outs each for nine innings to see which one could … Continue reading TV’s ‘Home Run Derby’ was heavy on the Senators
15 years in, here’s where the Nationals stand
June 13, 2020: The 2019 World Series victory was the triumphant culmination of the Nationals’ 15th season since Major League Baseball returned to the Nation’s Capital in 2005. In eight of those seasons, all of them in a row since 2012, the Nats have finished with a winning record, but the Washington version of the … Continue reading 15 years in, here’s where the Nationals stand
May 11, 1919: The Big Train’s 12-inning, 2-hit, shutout ends in tie
June 5, 2020: The Yankees were expecting a huge crowd at the Polo Grounds on May 11, 1919, for the first American League game to be played on a Sunday in New York. After all, the Giants had played to a full house in the same stadium the week before for the first Sunday game … Continue reading May 11, 1919: The Big Train’s 12-inning, 2-hit, shutout ends in tie
Sept. 7, 2005: Zim’s first MLB start a milestone for Dontrelle Willis
June 1, 2020: The Washington Nationals had seen their 2005 season go south after a 50-31 start kept them in first place in the N.L. East as late as July 25. About to send John Halama, a reclamation project, to face 23-year-old Dontrelle Willis on the Wednesday night after Labor Day, the Nats were five … Continue reading Sept. 7, 2005: Zim’s first MLB start a milestone for Dontrelle Willis
The unlikely story of a baseball fan from Scotland
A guy born in Glasgow, Scotland, hit a home run often called “the shot heard ‘round the world.” It sent the New York Giants to the 1951 World Series. As a Scot by birth, I would like to say that Bobby Thomson (no “P” by the way), known as the “Flying Scot,” inspired me to … Continue reading The unlikely story of a baseball fan from Scotland
How will the delayed season affect the aging Nats?
May 9, 2020: As this is written, every major leaguer healthy enough to be on the field is still awaiting that opportunity. Even if some semblance of a season ever begins, for the Nationals -- a team with several key players well into their 30s --how will this layoff affect them? Ryan Zimmerman turns 37 … Continue reading How will the delayed season affect the aging Nats?
Ray Morgan, Nats’ Deadball-era second baseman
May 1, 2020: Getting caught stealing forever links Ray Morgan to Babe Ruth and Ernie Shore. Getting out of jail—a month into a year’s sentence—when Clark Griffith showed up in court with a scouting job offer—is another reason Morgan has a place in the game’s lore. Morgan played second base for the Washington Senators in … Continue reading Ray Morgan, Nats’ Deadball-era second baseman
In 1-0 games, Walter Johnson won 38, lost 26
April 20, 2020: In his Hall-of-Fame career, Walter Johnson pitched in 64 games that ended 1-0. He won 38 of them. Johnson came in as a reliever in two of the 1-0 games (he lost both) and he didn’t complete three others. In no fewer than 10 of his 26 losses, the lone run he … Continue reading In 1-0 games, Walter Johnson won 38, lost 26
Ryan Zimmerman’s 11 walk-off home runs
April 4, 2020: When Ryan Zimmerman won the first game at Nationals Park with a walk-off home run in 2008, it was the fourth time Zim had hit a game-ending homer. His total now stands at 11, the last coming on August 22, 2018, against the Phillies. The 11 game-ending home runs tie Zimmerman for … Continue reading Ryan Zimmerman’s 11 walk-off home runs
Clyde Kluttz, veteran catcher on the last winning Griffith team
March 14, 2020: Clyde Kluttz was a backup catcher in the majors for nine seasons, the last two of them with the Washington Senators in 1951 and ’52, the last Griffith team to finish above .500. After seven years in the National League, Kluttz was sent to the minors by the Pirates after the 1948 … Continue reading Clyde Kluttz, veteran catcher on the last winning Griffith team
