Washington DC Baseball

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

Also, thank you for giving me an opening to show a Walter card I did add recently and (I don't think) has been shown yet -- from 1910 a well-loved E-91C (a side benefit of introducing Walter's E91-C is it gives Brian another opportunity to point out that Walter is a dead-ringer for one of the Pittsburgh players):

Hi George, the A's, not Pittsburgh, but Rube always wanted to play for Washington, I just know it!

Brian

[GeoPoto]

Player #89A: Oswald L. "Ossie" Bluege. Third baseman for the Washington Senators in 1922-1939. 1,751 hits and 43 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. 1935 All-Star. 1924 World Series champion. He played his entire career in Washington. He was best known for his defense, but his best season at the plate was 1928 as he posted a .364 OBP with 78 runs scored and 75 RBIs in 588 plate appearances. He managed the Washington Senators in 1943-1947.

Deveaux explains how the Senators made another key addition in 1921: Later on in the 1921 season, with Blackie O'Rourke not hitting or fielding adequately, the eagle-eyed scout Engel went on a hunt for a shortstop. In Peoria, Illinois, he was impressed with the talents of a young 20-year-old named Ossie Bluege. But Bluege had been noticed before, and the Philadelphia Athletics had decided not to sign him after he had injured his knee while still in negotiations with them. Joe Engel's approach was a novel one -- he challenged Bluege to a race. When Bluege beat him handily, the deal was closed the very same night. Bluege, a serious type and an outstanding gloveman, would last 18 years in a Washington Senators uniform. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #90A: Leon A. "Goose" Goslin. Left fielder for the Washington Senators in 1921-1930, 1933, and 1938. 2,735 hits and 248 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. 1936 All-Star. 1924 and 1935 World Series champion. 1928 AL batting champion. 1924 AL RBI leader. 1968 inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. He drove in the game-winning, walk-off run to win the 1935 World Series for the Detroit Tigers. With Gehringer and Greenberg, was one of the Detroit "G-Men". In 1936 he had an inside-the-park HR when both outfielders (Joe DiMaggio and Myril Hoag) collided and were knocked unconscious. He had one of his best seasons for the WS-winning Washington Senators in 1924 as he posted a .421 OBP with 100 runs scored and 129 RBIs in 674 plate appearances.

Deveaux continues with the strengthening of the Senators roster: On the lookout for the left-handed slugger the Senators sorely needed, Griffith learned that the Columbia club of the Sally (South Atlantic) League was willing to part with a hard-hitting 20-year-old outfielder who just happened to hit lefty. Griffith sent Joe Engel to scout the outfielder, but nothing came of it.

While playing golf in nearby Baltimore about a month later, Griffith learned from a Baltimore Oriole stockholder that Orioles owner Jack Dunn, who had been the man who signed Babe Ruth to his first professional contract, was about to pay $5,500 for a Sally League outfielder. Griffith knew Dunn would not part with such a huge sum easily so, as the Old Fox enjoyed retelling later on, he remarked to his Baltimore golf partner at the time that "whatsisname" sure seemed to be the answer for Jack Dunn's lineup. Griffith snapped his fingers, feigning frustration at being unable to recall the player's name. He got the name -- Leon Goslin, the same player Joe Engel had scouted earlier.

Engel was on the next train to South Carolina to better Jack Dunn's offer. Goslin was reportedly hit on the head by a fly ball in the one game Engel witnessed, but he also smacked three homers. For Goslin, this would pretty well set the trend for a primarily good-hit-no-field type of career. Nicknamed "Goose" (not so much because of his name as for his frantic arm waving whenever he chased a fly ball), Goslin signed Engel's contract and would become the franchise's greatest slugger.

Here was a line-drive hitter with enough power to frequently drive the ball for home runs, as well as for numerous doubles and triples. Goslin would carve himself a niche in the Baseball Hall of Fame with a .316 career batting average and .500 slugging percentage. He would drive in 100 or more runs 11 times. It would be understating the point to say that the reported $6,000 purchase price for Goose Goslin was money well spent by Clark Griffith. This was quite a notable deal, especially in light of the fact that with Griffith, when there was money involved in a transaction -- and there often was -- it was usually going into his pocket. The Old Fox described his situation best, and he said it frequently: he never knew what morning the sheriff was going to knock on his door and tell him he was taking over. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #83B: Stanley R. "Bucky" Harris. Second baseman for the Washington Senators in 1919-1928. 1,297 hits and 167 stolen bases in 12 MLB seasons. 1924 and 1947 World Series champion. In 1975, inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. Named player-manager of the Washington Senators in 1924 at age 27. "The Boy Wonder" led Washington to World Series victory as "rookie" manger. Managed Washington Senators in 1924-1928, 1935-1942, and 1950-1954. Managed the Detroit Tigers in 1929-1933 and 1955-1956. Managed the Boston Red Sox in 1934. Managed the Philadelphia Phillies in 1943. Managed the New York Yankees in 1947-1948, including winning the 1947 world Series. Served as the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1959-1960.

Smiles presents Harris' 1921 season: Bucky stayed hot in the early going (of the 1921 season) and the scribes noticed: "Bucky Harris is being groomed as the successor to Eddie Collins as the premier second sacker in the American League. The lightning-like stride of Harris in engineering double plays has given him a new first choice among sportswriters as the new Collins. Stan is a phenom and soon may be classed with Eddie Collins and Ross Barnes as the super second basemen of all time. Leading the league in stolen bases, batting around .500, and never failing to come through with a hit or near hits when men are on and contributing sensational plays in every game, his work is astonishing the most jaded." (The Sporting News, April 28, 1921.)

An example of Bucky's Collins-like playing made it into the New York Times: "Harris dropped a drenched blanket on the crowd's hopes in the eighth inning of the game at the Polo Grounds when he made a glistening stop of Baker's hot shot off his right hand. His throw to first was wide and high, for he had no time to get set for it; but Judge came to the rescue with a neat one-handed nab. Spectacular, but very unjust." . . .

. . . Bucky didn't miss a game in '21. He led the American League in double plays by second basemen and was second in putouts and assists to the A's J1mmy Dykes. He batted .289 with a .367 on-base average, led the league in being hit by pitches again, was second in stolen bases, and scored 82 runs. Bucky started the season batting fifth. By August he was batting second regularly. (Bucky Harris by Jack Smiles.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #54J: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

Deveaux sums up Johnson's 1921 season: Erratic throughout this season, Johnson settled down and won five of his last six starts. One of those victories was a 1-0 whitewashing of the Browns in which he faced the minimum 27 batters for only the second time in his career. While the great pitcher's era of sheer dominance had come to an end, his career was by no means over. He still led the majors in strikeouts, and there were two 20-win seasons three years off in the future. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

We will now pause briefly: expected restart -- 1 January 2023.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #73B: Joseph I. "Joe" Judge. First baseman with the Washington Senators in 1915-1932. 2,352 hits and 71 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. In 1924, as Washington won the AL pennant and the World Series, he had one of his better years as he posted a .393 OBP with 71 runs scored and 79 RBIs in 593 plate appearances. He finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1933-1934. He may have been the basis for the character of Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, whose author dated Judge's daughter in the 1940's.

Judge's SABR biography begins with his role in one of Walter Johnson's great moments: On July 1, 1920, Walter Johnson was attempting to complete a feat that had thus far eluded him in his thirteen-year career. The Washington Senator hurler was one out away from pitching his first no-hitter. Johnson was pitching a great game, striking out 10 Red Sox hitters and getting six others to foul out. He was clinging to a 1-0 lead in front of a small crowd of 3,000 at Fenway Park.

Standing in his way was Boston’s right fielder, Harry Hooper. Hooper was the only Red Sox to reach base, courtesy of a fielding error by second baseman Bucky Harris. He had also struck out in a previous confrontation between the future residents of Cooperstown. But Hooper was not caught up in the moment, and ripped Johnson’s second offering down the first base line that crossed the bag and was hooking into foul territory. First baseman Joe Judge quickly moved to his left, speared the ball, stopped and made a perfect toss to Johnson covering the base. The Big Train snagged the toss bare-handed. Judge was so excited, he went into a war-dance and congratulated Johnson, who could only say “Goodness, gracious, sakes alive, wasn’t I lucky?”

Joe Judge created that kind of “luck” for pitchers his whole career with his superb defense. He was a great fielder, leading American League first baseman six times and finishing second five other years. He was not the prototypical first sacker, standing 5’8 ½”, but he was one of the game’s best. He retired with a .993 fielding percentage, a mark that stood for 30 years, but his defense was only part of the tale. The left-handed swinging Judge brought a lethal stick to the Washington lineup, hitting over .290 for 11 straight seasons beginning in 1920. Yes, Joe Judge was the complete ballplayer, and one of the best first baseman of his era, or any other.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #91A: George E. "Duffy" Lewis. Left fielder with the Washington Senators in 1921. 1,518 hits and 38 home runs in 11 MLB seasons. 3-time World Series champion. Member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. He debuted with Boston in 1910-1917. He teamed with Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper to comprise Boston's "Million-Dollar Outfield". During his tenure, the Red Sox won three World Series championships. He was so admired for his defense playing in front of the Green Monster, that the incline leading up to the wall in left field became known as "Duffy's Cliff". The incline was reduced in 1934 and eliminated in 2005. His most productive season was 1912 as he posted a .346 OBP with 109 RBIs in 664 plate appearances.

Lewis' SABR biography summarizes his time in Boston: For decades after they last played together, the Boston Red Sox’ outfield of Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker, and Harry Hooper, who toiled next to each other for six years in the Deadball Era, was often considered the greatest in baseball history. Although all three, especially Speaker, were fine hitters, their reputation was due largely to their exceptional defensive play. Lewis, the left fielder and the only one of the three not in baseball’s Hall of Fame, was long remembered for the way he played the incline at the base of Fenway Park’s left-field wall, a slope of grass that bore the name “Duffy’s Cliff.” Hooper thought Lewis was the best of the three “at making the backhand running catch at balls hit over his head.” A powerful left-handed batter, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Lewis typically batted behind Speaker in the cleanup position, and often ranked among American League leaders in home runs and runs batted in.

When Boston’s Fenway Park was built in 1912, the ten-foot embankment in deep left field was one of its most interesting trademarks. Lewis covered this ground for six years, and became its master. “I’d go out to the ballpark mornings,” he told a sportswriter, “and have somebody hit the ball again and again out to the wall. I experimented with every angle of approach up the cliff until I learned to play the slope correctly. Sometimes it would be tougher coming back down the slope than going up. With runners on base, you had to come off the cliff throwing.” The slope remained until 1933, when Fenway Park was thoroughly renovated.

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