Table of Content

  • The 1945 A.L. pennant race

    March 26, 2019: Even as the war in Europe was nearing its end, major league rosters in 1945 were stocked with players too old for the draft – or the big leagues, under normal circumstances – or otherwise medical unfit.  The St. Louis Browns of 1944 had reached the World Series for the first time… Read more

  • The reunion of the 1969 Senators

    March 21, 2019: On Sunday morning, Nov. 8, 1998, in suburban Chantilly, Va., Tom Holster and members of the Washington Baseball Historical Society sponsored a reunion of the 1969 Senators team. The star of the event was the ’69 team’s rookie manager, Ted Williams. His health weakened by several strokes, the 80-year-old Williams still was… Read more

  • When D.C. nearly got the Padres

    February 19, 2019: As soon as it became clear in September 1971 that the Senators would move to Texas, a committee appointed by D.C. Mayor Walter Washington was dispatched to San Diego to talk to the majority owner of the expansion Padres, C. Arnholt Smith. The Padres were about to finish last in the National… Read more

  • The expansion Nats’ struggles to reach .500

    February 3, 2019: Prior to the sudden improvement under Ted Williams in 1969, the expansion Washington Senators rarely reached the .500 mark beyond the early days of the season. Even the ’69 team struggled to win more games than it lost until a September surge. On July 30, the ’69 Senators’ record stood at 53-54… Read more

  • Two All-Star game slights

    January 19, 2019: The rules for the annual MLB All-Star games require that every team, no matter how bad, must have a representative. The expansion Nats were no worse than many bad teams over the years, but Washington’s lone “All-Star” twice was given short shrift. Dick Donovan was an obvious and deserving pick in 1961,… Read more

  • Sept. 27, 1940: Red Sox rout Nats, 24-4, at Fenway Park

    January 1, 2019: As the 1940 season was ending, three Senators’ pitchers combined on Sept. 27 to surrender the most runs allowed in an American League game that year. The potent Red Sox lineup of 1940 hadn’t been enough to overcome weak pitching. In between four second-place finishes (1938-39 and 1941-42), the Sox were mired… Read more