Washington DC Baseball

[GeoPoto]

Player #87C: Herold D. "Muddy" Ruel. Catcher with the Washington Senators in 1923-1930. 1,242 hits and 61 stolen bases in 19 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. He debuted with the St. Louis Browns in 1915. He was the Yankees catcher in 1920 when Ray Chapman was hit and killed by a Carl Mays fastball. He scored the tying run in regulation and then the winning run in the 12th inning of game seven in the 1924 WS. His best season was 1923 with Washington as he posted a .394 OBP with 54 RBI's and 63 runs scored in 528 plate appearances. His final season as a player was 1934 with the Chicago White Sox. He was manager of the St. Louis Browns in 1947. He was GM of the Detroit Tigers in 1954-1956.

Ruel's SABR biography: From playing in the schoolyards and sandlots of St. Louis to scoring the winning run in Game Seven of the World Series; from wearing the “tools of ignorance” to holding the title of general manager; from to being a short, skinny, 19-year-old rookie to being special assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball, Muddy Ruel wore many hats in the game of baseball. Ruel, in fact, spent almost his entire life connected to the game in some fashion. And though his name is one that is probably not that familiar to many younger fans of the game, at one time, “Muddy” essentially was a household name. . . .

. . . In 1923 Ruel began his first season with the Washington Senators during the Senators’ finest period. In 136 games for the Nats, Ruel batted .316 with 54 RBI and 24 doubles. His fielding percentage was .980 in 133 games behind the plate.

Connie Mack, the elder statesman of the Philadelphia Athletics and himself a former big-league catcher, paid high praise to Ruel’s ability behind the plate in 1923. Mack said, “Ruel is the best catcher in either major league this year. . . . He has handled his pitchers in fine style and has been a terror at the bat. . . . he is tireless, the type of catcher that makes every player on his club perk up. Ruel . . . is easily the best catcher of the year in every department of play.”

Ruel was essentially the everyday catcher for the back-to-back pennant-winning Senators in 1924 and 1925, appearing in 149 games in 1924 and 127 games in 1925.

In the 1924 World Series, the Senators met the mighty New York Giants. Despite going hitless in every at bat in the series until Game Seven, Muddy Ruel caught every game of the series. Bucky Harris, the young player/manager of the Senators, liked his chances with Ruel behind the plate despite Ruel’s poor performance at the plate. Harris’ faith in Ruel’s ability paid big dividends when Ruel eventually scored the winning run that gave the Senators their one and only World Series title.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #108B: Allan E. "Rubberarm" Russell. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1923-1925. 70 wins and 42 saves in 11 MLB seasons. He also pitched for the New York Yankees (1915-1919) and the Boston Red Sox (1919-1922). For his MLB career, in 345 appearances, he posted a 3.52 earned run average with 603 strikeouts. Russell played on the 1924 World Series champion Senators, making one appearance in the World Series, giving up one run over three innings of work. He was a spitball pitcher who was allowed to throw the pitch after it was banned following the 1920 season. He was one of 17 pitchers exempt from the rule change. His brother Lefty Russell also played Major League Baseball.

We go back to Russell's SABR biography for the less-than-stellar end to his MLB career: In 1924 Russell ranked second in saves in the league with eight. In addition he won five games in relief. However, by now his teammate Fred Marberry was emerging as the leading relief pitcher of the decade, and Russell’s appearances became less frequent. Together the two relievers won or saved 39 of Washington’s 92 wins that season as the club won its first American League pennant. Russell made one appearance in the 1924 World Series, relieving in the fourth inning with his team trailing 3-2. He got Hank Gowdy to fly out; then New York Giants pitcher Rosy Ryan came to the plate. With the count two balls and one strike, Ryan hit a home run into the upper tier of the right-field stands, the first homer ever hit in a World Series by a National League hurler. Russell pitched three innings, giving up four hits and two runs, one of which was unearned.

The Senators captured the flag again in 1925, but Russell did not appear in the World Series that year. His final major-league game came on September 19. He did not go out in a blaze of glory. Relieving Tom Zachary in the fourth inning with his team trailing 7-0, Russell pitched one scoreless inning and was blasted in the next, giving up a total of eight hits in 1 2/3 innings. Win Ballou, who relieved Russell, fared little better, being roughed up for nine hits in the remainder of the game. All told, the three Washington pitchers gave up 26 hits and 17 runs, while their mates collected only one hit off Ted Lyons in a 17-0 loss. The sole hit came by Bobby Veach with two out in the ninth inning. After the game, Veach went to the visitors clubhouse and apologized to Lyons for depriving him of what would have been the American League’s first no-hit game in more than two years.

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[ValKehl]

"Rubberarm" Russell and Babe Ruth (who was one year younger) were both born in Baltimore, and both pitched for the Baltimore Orioles in 1914. The two were teammates again with the Red Sox for a half of a season in 1919. Few cards of Russell were issued during his playing career - see pics of his V100 and Diaz Cigs cards in post #340 of this thread. I'd love to obtain a nicer example of this card:

[GeoPoto]

Player #114: Henry L. "Hank" Severeid. Catcher with the Washington Senators in 1925-1926. 1,245 hits and 17 home runs in 15 MLB seasons. He played Major League Baseball from 1911 to 1926, most notably as a member of the St. Louis Browns, where he was known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era and a capable handler of pitching staffs. His career OBP was .342. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 1911-1913. He finished up with the New York Yankees in 1926.

Severeid's SABR biography: Hank Severeid caught for four major-league teams between 1911 and 1926, appearing in 1,390 games, and for almost a dozen minor-league clubs before and after the majors. A tough, durable backstop, he caught in at least 100 games a season for eight of his ten years with the St. Louis Browns, one of the exceptions being 1918, when he was in the US Army overseas during World War I. His career major-league batting average was a healthy .289, and he was known for his fielding skills and his ability to guide a pitcher over rough spots. . . .

. . . In 1917 Severeid attained a distinction never matched (as of 2010) when he caught no-hit games on consecutive days. On May 5 Ernie Koob no-hit the Chicago White Sox, 1-0. The next day, in the second game of a double-header, also against Chicago, Severeid caught Bob Groom’s no-hitter, a 3-0 gem. . . .

. . . Severeid’s workload – and batting eye – improved as he got older. From 1921, when he was 30 years old, through 1925 his batting average was over .300. In 1924 he finished sixth in the American League Most Valuable Player balloting (in those days conducted by the league teams rather than the baseball writers), logging 432 at-bats in 137 games, batting .308 and getting on base at a .362 clip. The next year Severeid was displaced as the first-string catcher by Leo Dixon and on June 18 he was traded to the Washington Senators for pitcher George Mogridge and catcher Pinky Hargrave. By then 34 years old, Severeid became the backup to catcher Muddy Ruel. He hit .355 in 50 games for the Senators after chalking up a .367 mark in 34 games for the Browns. That season the Senators won the American League pennant, and Severeid got into his first World Series. In Game Six, he started in place of Muddy Ruel and went 1-for-3 in a 3-2 Senators loss to the Pirates. (The Pirates won the Series the next day.)

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[GeoPoto]

Val: Thanks for showing the Russel(l) card -- I meant to comment regarding the position description labeling Rubberarm as a "Utility Man". I suppose, either it was an uninformed mistake, or in the day, referred to a pitcher who wasn't a starter.

[GeoPoto]

Player #115: Louis Everett "Deacon" Scott. Shortstop with the Washington Senators in 1925. 1,455 hits and 20 home runs in 13 MLB seasons. 4-time World Series champion. He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. He debuted with Boston in 1914-1921. He last played with the Cincinnati Reds in 1926. He held the MLB record for consecutive games played until it was broken by Lou Gehrig. He led AL shortstops in fielding percentage for seven straight years but had a career OBP of .281.

Scott's SABR biography takes us through his long playing streak: Shortstop Lewis Everett “Deacon” Scott was the steady infield leader of championship Red Sox and Yankee teams of the 1910s and 1920s. Beginning June 20, 1916, and ending May 6, 1925, he played in 1,307 consecutive games, which was the major league record until Lou Gehrig and then Cal Ripken broke it. Not only was Scott an accomplished ballplayer, but he also wrote a children’s book and became a skilled bowler. Although he was never seriously considered for baseball’s Hall of Fame, Scott was considered to be the finest shortstop of his time. . . .

. . . Early in 1921 spring training, Scott (playing for the Red Sox) suffered a charley horse injury that lingered throughout the spring training schedule. However, the injury did not stop his streak, which reached 700 on May 17, in a game during which he made a phenomenal force out by diving face first into second base. Stating a goal of attaining the 1,000 mark, he played in number 800 on September 2. Still esteemed by fans and press alike, Scott continued to be praised for his consistency in the field and at bat. It was strongly felt that his record for consecutive games was unbeatable. . . .

. . . During spring training in 1922 (after being traded to New York), the Yankees announced that Babe Ruth would become the captain of the Yankees, replacing the traded Peckinpaugh. However, because of an incident the previous season, Ruth was suspended until May. It was suggested that perhaps Scott, having been the captain of his Red Sox team, might be appointed captain until Ruth’s return. It is easy to see why Scott would be considered for this honor, for beyond his stellar play on the field, he also was adept at many hobbies, including auction bridge, whist, poker, fishing, and bowling. Scott became the captain of the Yankees, serving in that role until he left the club in 1925.

Although Scott’s first game as a Yankee was a loss, his consecutive games streak continued. The great sportswriter Grantland Rice remarked: “After Everett Scott is dead we expect to see his ghost out there playing short through force of habit. No such shallow barrier as the grave will ever check the Deacon’s tireless pace.”

After Scott played in his 900th consecutive game, the Washington Post referred to him as the “iron man” and also mentioned his ability as a “great money player”, citing his penchant for performing strong when much is at stake. However, the streak almost came to an end on September 14 when, after visiting his home in Indiana, he caught a train to Chicago to meet up with his teammates there. The train blew out a cylinder head along the way, and Scott was forced to take a car, another train, and then a taxi to arrive at the ballpark late. He entered the game in the seventh inning, enough to count for a game to continue his string of 972 games. That year, Scott was again the American League’s leader in fielding at shortstop.

. . . Scott persevered despite his injury (he sprained his ankle in a pre-season game) and, on May 2, 1923, at Washington’s Griffith Stadium, he participated in his 1,000th consecutive game. To mark the occasion, he was presented with a solid gold medal in a pregame ceremony in which he was praised by Secretary of the Navy Edwin C. Denby as “the greatest ballplayer in point of service and achievement that ever trod the diamonds of America, the home of baseball.” Despite his accomplishment, it was reported that, although Scott held the major league record, a minor leaguer named Perry Lipe had participated in 1,127 consecutive games.

. . . At (the 1924) season’s end, the Yankees had finished two games behind the Washington Senators and Huggins strongly hinted that he needed a new shortstop for the following season. It was suggested that Scott had an “obsession” with his streak and by playing every day was not exercising common sense. For years, he had taken to wrapping his legs in bandages in order to compensate for various injuries. Scott performed well, however; his .250 average in 1924 was a notch above his .246 of the previous year, and his 64 RBIs a career high. His number of putouts and assists was significantly larger, and his fielding percentage improved. . . .

. . . Despite reports that he would not play on Opening Day (1925) because of a pulled muscle, Scott continued his streak. But criticism of his “obsession” continued, and, finally, on May 5, 1925, the streak ended when Paul “Pee Wee” Wanninger started in Scott’s place. At first, it was reported that Scott was “not feeling well”, but later it was reported that he had been sat down because of a shakeup in the Yankee lineup.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #116: Paul V. Zahniser. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1923-1924. 25 wins and 1 save in 5 MLB seasons. His best season was his first as he posted a 9-10 record and a 3.86 ERA in 177 innings pitched. After Washington he pitched less effectively for the Boston Red Sox in 1925-1926 and then briefly for the Cincinnati Reds in 1929. Babe Ruth eventually wrote that Zahniser was "tipping" his pitches in Boston, which contributed to his ineffectiveness.

Zahniser's SABR biography covers his time with Washington: As it happens, Zahniser was called up and had his big-league debut on April 18, 1923 (in relief for Washington in a lost game that was already out of reach) . . . .

. . . By season’s end, he had appeared in 33 games (21 starts) and had an ERA of 3.86 (marginally better than the Senators’ team ERA of 3.98) with a record of 9-10.

Some were amused by the combination of pitcher Zahniser and manager Bush, making the connection to the Anheuser-Busch brewery. “What a kick we have!” crowed baseball comedian and Senators coach Nick Altrock.

The Washington Post didn’t expect the 1924 Senators to be any better than the 1923 team, which finished in fourth place with a losing 75-78 record. That the Senators would win the pennant and then the World Series over the New York Giants was not in the cards, as the Post saw things on the first day of April. The paper’s sports editor, N. W. Baxter, felt that the pitching staff would show a “33 1/3 percent improvement” but that there was little hope for betterment in other areas. In spring training, he said that Zahniser “is no better this year than he was last, nor does he appear to be any worse.” As it happens, he wasn’t as good, but Walter Johnson and Tom Zachary were much better, and George Mogridge held his own, benefitting from a little more run support than in 1923. Zahniser’s ERA declined to 4.40 (from 3.86) and his won/loss record was 5-7. His problems were largely with control. . . .

. . . President Calvin Coolidge celebrated the winning of the pennant on October 1, along with much of Washington who joined in a parade for the players. Zahniser was on the postseason roster but was not called upon to pitch in any of the seven games, two of which went to 12 innings (Game One and Game Seven).

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