Washington DC Baseball

[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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[ValKehl]

Here's the link to an interesting 2015 thread with pics started by Dave Zahniser, whose grandfather was Paul Zahniser's brother (if I correctly understand what Dave said): https://www.net54baseball.com/showth...light=zahniser

[GeoPoto]

Thanks to Val for remembering the past Zahniser activity on Net54. Very interesting.

The oldest team in the league in terms of age of personnel had bested the franchise's 1924 record by 5 1/2 games. Here was a team which inspired confidence as it headed into a second consecutive World Series. Granted, this year's National League champions, the Pittsburgh Pirates, were a tremendous offensive team; during the regular season, only one man, second baseman Eddie Moore, hit below .300 (.298).

Pittsburgh regulars Max Carey, Pie Traynor, and Kiki Cuyler were on a journey toward the Hall of Fame and were all bonafide superstars at this stage of their careers. Glenn Wright, Clyde Barnhart, and George Grantham were other deadly hitters. Until June 1925, these Pirates had gone 150 games without being shut out, a record which would remain unbroken until 1993. Like the Senators, the Pirates had finished 8 1/2 games ahead of the pack in their league.

On the Washington side, it was felt that the team's experienced pitching staff might be able to effectively neutralize the Pittsburgh attack. Pittsburgh had no one of the stature of a Coveleski or a Johnson. Coveleski, however, had a sore back going into the Series. Roger Peckinpaugh was also among the walking wounded, which was reminiscent of his crippled state during the previous October's classic. Peck had rebounded magnificently this season, hitting .294 and fielding well enough to earn his MVP award.

Hurting the most was second baseman-manager Harris, slowly recovering from a bad spike wound. Harris proclaimed that he would play, and that Walter Johnson would get the call as starter of the first game in Pittsburgh. Among pitchers in the major leagues at this time, only the Pirates' Babe Adams, the Series hero back in 1909, was older than Johnson (by 5 1/2 years at that). The only other player in the big leagues older than Johnson was Ty Cobb. Bucky Harris also announced that he planned to go with his namesake, Moon Harris, who'd hit .323 in 100 games, in the outfield, rather than with Earl McNeely, who'd hit .286 with much less power than Harris.

https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1684489574
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[GeoPoto]

The 1925 World Series got under way on a beautiful fall day, October 7, in Pittsburgh in front of nearly 42,000 fans in expansive Forbes Field. Walter Johnson had his fastball humming, something catcher Ruel attested to even before the game started. The curveball would be deadly accurate on this day as well, although by the late innings Walter would be relying almost exclusively on the fastball.

Barney did let one get away from him early and hit the second Pirate batter of the game, Max Carey, in the ribs with a hard one. Walter would bean Carey again in the ninth inning, prompting the Pittsburgh star to tell his teammate and former American League star Stuffy McInnis that Johnson, who was thought of as a control pitcher, probably didn't like him very much. Carey's presence on first base in the first inning was of no consequence. Ruel cut down the 35-year-old speed merchant -- who'd just won the N.L. base-stealing championship for the tenth time in 13 years -- as he tried to swipe second. Johnson then fanned Kiki Cuyler, a .357 hitter in this, his sophomore season.

In the top of the second, Moon Harris connected on a curveball off the bespectacled Lee Meadows, driving the ball over the low fence in right center. Johnson would not surrender the lead on this afternoon. In the fifth, the Nats padded their margin when Harris, Bluege, and Peckinpaugh singled in succession to open up the frame. After Ruel and Johnson both struck out, Sam Rice, who hit what would remain a career-high .350 during the regular season, came through with a two-run single.

Johnson allowed just five hits and a walk, surrendering a lead-off homer to Pie Traynor in the bottom of the fifth which quickly cut the lead to 3-1. the score stayed that way until the ninth, when Bluege singled in Goslin off reliever Johnny Morrison, who'd been summoned to pitch the ninth. Game 1, final score 4-1, was won thanks to a performance that had been vintage Walter Johnson. His ten strikeouts and potential for two more starts had the Nats in good shape right off the bat in Pittsburgh. Walter was ecstatic, knowing that for the first time in a World Series game, he had performed up to what he knew were his capabilities. Barney called this the game of his life, and said he could not find words to express the elation he felt.

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[ValKehl]

Not many cards of WaJo were issued in 1925. Below are a couple that I don't think have already been shown in George's captivating thread.

One of WaJo's scarcest cards is his 1925 W504 Universal Toy & Novelty Co. card, which I don't have. If any Net54er has an example of this card (BVH?), kindly let us have a look.