HOFer Al Lopez got his start with Washington at 1925’s spring training

Al Lopez, the longtime catcher and Hall of Fame manager, got his first chance to handle major league pitchers with Clark Griffith’s Washington Senators in 1925. Lopez was just 16 when the defending World Series champs hired him as a batting-practice catcher during spring training in Tampa, where Lopez was born and raised. My 1963 … Continue reading HOFer Al Lopez got his start with Washington at 1925’s spring training

July 6-7, 2018: Mark Reynolds tops a walk-off homer with a career game

Veteran slugger Mark Reynolds platooned with Matt Adams at first base for the 2018 Nationals when Ryan Zimmerman was hurt, appearing in 86 games overall and hitting .248 with 13 home runs. On Friday night, July 6, in Washington, Reynolds hit a pinch-hit, walk-off homer, to beat the Miami Marlins, 3-2. The next night, however, … Continue reading July 6-7, 2018: Mark Reynolds tops a walk-off homer with a career game

Darold Knowles: all-star closer for the expansion Nats

Lefty Darold Knowles holds a record that can’t be broken, having appeared in all seven games of the 1973 World Series with the Athletics, but his best years came as the premier reliever for the expansion Senators from 1967 to 1970. Knowles was acquired from the Phillies on November 30, 1966, for fading outfielder Don … Continue reading Darold Knowles: all-star closer for the expansion Nats