Washington DC Baseball

[GeoPoto]

Player #149B: Montie M. Weaver. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1931-1938. 71 wins and 4 saves in 9 MLB seasons. In 1933 as Washington won the AL pennant, he posted a 10-5 record with a 3.25 ERA in 152.1 innings pitched. He finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1939.

Weaver's SABR biography goes on to describe the troubles and criticisms he endured while in Washington: Weaver started strongly in 1934 and had won nine games by mid-July. But the Nats lost 11 of his last 13 starts as they sank to seventh place, crippled by injuries to Cronin, catcher Sewell and first baseman Joe Kuhel.

The sporting press turned on Weaver. He had been portrayed as an oddball, but a respected, educated one; now his quirks were blamed for his poor performance, an 11-15 record with a 4.79 ERA. In September The Sporting News labeled him a “hypochondriac” and made the first mention of his vegetarian diet: “addicted to the spinach habit.”

The next spring Washington Star sports editor Denman Thompson wrote that he “does not resemble even remotely the well-built pitcher bought by Griffith from Baltimore five [actually four] years ago. Monte sticks to peas and carrots and passes up the starches and meats so necessary to the profession that is his. As a result, the gaunt Weaver has been unusually tardy in hitting his stride and fails to promise much improvement when warmer weather comes.” The Post reported that his weight was down to 146 pounds, from 170 when he broke in.

Other writers of the meat-and-potatoes school ridiculed Weaver. Dan Daniel of the New York World-Telegram wrote, “They tell a strange story about Weaver down in Washington… [A] disciple of a certain school of bone manipulation and starvation came to Monte and sold him the idea of taking treatments – for $500.” According to Daniel, the quack showed Monte an alarming x-ray of his sore back – actually an x-ray of a hunchback – and promised to cure him with a vegetarian diet. Months later he displayed an x-ray of Weaver’s own straight back – “a marvelous cure.” Daniel said Weaver was hooked on the diet, and his weight and his pitching declined.

“It seems you can’t throw strikes on collard greens,” the sportswriter-nutritionist concluded.

Whatever the merits of greens, peas and carrots, Weaver was hammered in his first two starts of 1935. In May he was waived by all other American League teams and sent down to Albany in the International League. Clark Griffith said he was too weak to pitch in the hot weather at the Nats’ other top farm club in Chattanooga.

[GeoPoto]

Player #153B: Earl O. Whitehill. Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1933-1936. 218 wins and 11 saves in 17 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1923-1932. His best season came as Washington won the AL pennant in 1933 as he posted a 22-8 record with an ERA of 3.33 in 270 innings pitched. He ended his career with the Chicago Cubs in 1939. His only World Series start was a complete game shutout in Game 3 of the 1933 World Series, which Washington lost in 5 games.

Whitehill's SABR biography: Earl Whitehill, one of the solid yet increasingly anonymous pitchers of the 1920s and 1930s, played 17 major league seasons and remains one of the top 100 winning pitchers of all time. A southpaw, he mixed a tantalizing curve with a fiery disposition to win 218 games for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago Cubs. . . .

. . . In Elden Auker‘s Sleeping Cars and Flannel Uniforms, the former Tiger relates a story about a time he and Whitehill played golf in Arizona during Tiger spring training. Well down the fairway, a golf ball suddenly landed close to Earl (known to have a short explosive temper), and he charged back to the tee box to “take care” of the hacker. Providentially, his fellow golfers talked him out of the quest, as later on they learned that the “assailant” was actually heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey.

[GeoPoto]

The 1936 Washington Senators won 82 games, lost 71, and finished in third place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

This club (the 1936 Senators) put forth a much more spirited effort (than the 1935 one). There was leadership from old champions Harris and Bluege. There was some slugging, provided by Kuhel and Stone. There was a newfound cohesion after the trade of Jake Powell, and plenty of team speed (the Senators led the league in triples for the sixth consecutive year) supplemented by the addition of Ben Chapman. Young players Travis and Lewis made enormous contributions, and of course there was the constant presence of the raucous Bobo Newsom.

The Senators in 1936 were a winning ballclub again, finishing with 82 wins, 11 games above .500. This was good for a tie for third place with the Chicago White Sox, but a long way from the World Series. The Nats finished an even 20 games behind the Yankees, who defeated the Giants in six games in the fall classic. The previous year's World Series hero was Goose Goslin, who had singled in the winning run in the sixth and final game with two out in the ninth. (It was during this Series, as well, that umpire Bill Klem was sharply rebuked and fined by Commissioner Kenesaw Landis for dressing Goslin down as a result of a heated on-field discussion.) This year's (World Series) hero was none other than Jake Powell, who had ten hits and batted .455. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #89I: 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.

Bluege's SABR biography helps us say farewell to Ossie: Bluege retired as a player after the 1939 season. He had played in 1,867 games with 6,440 at-bats and hit .272. He started 1,454 games at third base, fielding the position at a clip of .957.

[GeoPoto]

Player #125E: William Clifton "Cliff" Bolton. Catcher for the Washington Senators in 1931, 1933-1936, and 1941. 280 hits and 6 home runs over 7 MLB Seasons. His best season was 1935 as he posted a .399 OBP with 55 RBI's in 435 plate appearances. He also had a .500 OBP in 46 plate appearances coming off the bench in 1933 as Washington won the A.L. pennant.

In 1930, he (Bolton) hit .380 for the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association, and in 1931 he made his major league debut with the Washington Senators. Bolton spent the next few years with Washington. In 1933, he hit .410 coming off the bench; Washington won the American League pennant that season, and Bolton batted twice in the World Series. His only two years as a major league regular were 1935 and 1936.

[rcbb14]

George, wonderful thread going here. Do you happen to know anything about Cliff's nod to the "fatherly counsel of Daniel Boone"?

[GeoPoto]

I don't think I've ever heard of it. What's the context?

[GeoPoto]

Player #83L: 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.

We go to Bucky's SABR biography to hear about his managerial career: In 1934 Harris managed the Boston Red Sox, who were in full rebuilding mode under new owner Tom Yawkey, to a fourth-place finish. The next season Harris returned to Washington to lead the Senators for eight more seasons, never finishing higher than fourth. In 1943 he signed on as manager of the National League’s perennial losers, the Philadelphia Phillies. Phillies owner William D. Cox fired Harris less than two months into the season. So popular was he with his players that they threatened to strike when he was fired. (After he was fired, Harris told reporters that Cox had been placing bets on Phillies games. Cox was forced to resign and slapped with a lifetime ban from baseball.)

In 1944 and 1945 Harris served as manager and general manager for Buffalo, a Detroit Tigers affiliate, in the International League, before returning to the majors in 1947 with the Yankees. He led New York to the American League pennant and victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series, for which he received his second Manager of the Year award. In 1948 the Yankees finished third despite a 94-60 record, and Harris was fired at the end of the year.

He managed San Diego of the Pacific Coast League in 1949, before returning to manage the Senators (1950–1954) and the Tigers (1955–1956), but with little success. Harris quipped of his three stints as manager in Washington that “Only Franklin D. Roosevelt had more terms than I did in Washington.” He was remembered as a popular and knowledgeable manager who brought out the best in his players. Joe DiMaggio said, “If you can’t play for Bucky, you don’t belong in the major leagues.” Goose Goslin called him “the best manager I ever played for.”

(Note the bizarre facsimile signature on the Chicle Fine pen: It shows Bucky misspelling his own name! Presumably, a mis-informed ghost writer was responsible.)

[rcbb14]

The last sentence of his bio on the back of the WWG card...

[GeoPoto]

Ah, I see that. Means nothing to me. Figurative, obviously, as Boone died in 1820. Don't think Boone ever lived in Chattanooga, either. 1933 was Bolton's age-26 season, so he was hardly ancient arriving in MLB. You got me!

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[GeoPoto]

Player #135E: Joseph A. "Joe" Kuhel. First baseman for the Washington Senators in 1930-1937 and 1944-1946. 2,212 hits and 131 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. He had 107 RBIs in Washington's pennant-winning 1933 season, but his best season was probably 1936 as he posted an OBP of .392 with 118 RBIs and 107 runs scored in 660 plate appearances. He managed the Washington Senators in 1948-49.

Kuhel's SABR biography continued: Neither team’s fortunes were dramatically changed with the trade (just before the 1938 season), as both the Chisox and the Nats finished towards the middle of the junior circuit in the ensuing years. Kuhel enjoyed a monster year in 1940 by tying the club record of 27 home runs (set by Bonura). He also led the team in RBIs with 94 and put together the longest hitting streak of his career, 20 games from June 30 to July 20. However, on the whole his hitting diminished with the White Sox, reaching a rock-bottom .213 in 1943.

(This thread will now enjoy a brief pause. As always, thank you for your continued time and attention. Should restart ard 14 March.)

There was one person, himself an astute judge of talent, who heaped praise on Kuhel for his style of play. And that was none other than Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack. “A team composed of nine Joe Kuhels hardly would need a manager,” said Mack.“ I always use him as my No. 1 example when I give my boys their pep talks. Year after year, he goes on playing for teams which haven’t a chance to win the pennant, yet he keeps hustling as if the championship depended on every game.”

[GeoPoto]

Player #136E: Henry E. "Heinie" Manush. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1930-1935. 2,524 hits and 110 home runs in 17 MLB seasons. Had a .330 career batting average. 1934 All-Star. 1926 AL batting champion. Had more than 200 hits four times. In 1964, was inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. Debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1923. Leading batter on the 1933 Washington Senator team that won the AL pennant. First and last player to be ejected from a World Series game. Had 241 hits in 1928. Coach for the Washington Senators in 1953-1954.

Manush's SABR biography winds up: During the 1933 season, baseball held its first annual midsummer All-Star Game. Manush was not selected for the team despite his average being second in the league that season. In 1934, Manush appeared in the only All-Star Game of his career. In the first inning, he faced Hubbell for the first time since the 1933 World Series and drew a walk. Hubbell shook it off and struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Cronin in succession. . . .

. . . Heinie’s final career numbers are often overlooked, but he was one of the most dominating hitters of his time. He slapped 200 hits four times, 40 doubles five times, and finished his 2,008-game career with a .330 batting average, 2,524 hits, 491 doubles, 1,288 runs scored and 1,183 runs batted in.

. . . Manush moved to Florida and continued his competitiveness in a different sport: golf. He played just about every day until his death, which came on May 12, 1971, in Sarasota, Florida, after a long fight with cancer. The connection between Manush and Goslin continued as Goslin died three days later in New Jersey.

[GeoPoto]

Player #139E: Charles S. "Buddy" Myer. Second baseman with the Washington Senators in 1925-1927 and 1929-1941. 2,131 hits and 38 home runs in 17 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .389. 2-time All-Star. 1935 AL Batting champion. 1928 AL Stolen Base leader. His best season was 1935 for Washington as he posted a .440 OBP with 115 runs scored and 100 RBIs in 719 plate appearances. He was involved in one of baseball's most violent brawls when he was spiked and possibly racially derided by the Yankees' Ben Chapman.

We will follow Myer's SABR biography as we track his career -- Part 5: Bucky Harris returned for his second term as the Senators’ manager in 1935 and named Myer the team captain. Myer was having his usual .300 season when Harris moved him from leadoff to the third spot in the order in June. Around the same time, his friend Bill Werber of the Red Sox gave him a lighter bat. He took off on a 21-game hitting streak that boosted his average to .347, one point ahead of Cleveland left fielder Joe Vosmik for the league lead.

In the 1930s, and for decades afterward, a player’s batting average was his meal ticket. A batting championship was the pinnacle of achievement. Myer, Vosmik, and Philadelphia’s Jimmie Foxx vied for the lead down the stretch. Going into the final day, Vosmik stood at .349, Myer at .345, and Foxx at .343.

Vosmik’s name was missing from the lineup for the first game of Cleveland’s season-ending doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns. It’s not clear whether he decided to sit out to protect his lead or his manager, Steve O’Neill, made the decision. Myer calculated that he needed four hits in the last game against the Athletics to win the title. He got three in his first four at-bats: a bunt single, a single to center, and another to left. In his final plate appearance, in the eighth inning, the count ran to 3-and-2. Myer thought a walk would kill his chances. He reached for a wide pitch and fouled it off, then cracked a long double to left center. The 4-for-5 day (and 10 for his last 15) lifted his average to .349.

The news reached Cleveland late in the Indians’ first game. Vosmik hurried to the plate to pinch hit in the ninth but made an out. In the second game, he managed one single in three tries before darkness ended his season after six innings. The final averages: Myer .349026, Vosmik .348387, Foxx .345794.

By one account, Myer beat out 60 bunt hits during the season, a total impossible to verify. He was renowned as the game’s best drag bunter, who took advantage of the league’s slower first basemen. Opponents said the Washington groundskeepers sloped the foul lines inward so his bunts would stay fair, but Myer protested, “I got a lot of bunt base hits on the road, too.” He finished with 215 hits, one fewer than Vosmik, and walked 96 times for a .440 on-base percentage. He batted in 100 runs for the only time in his career. He also set a major league record (since broken) by turning 138 double plays, quite a feat for a man whose weak defense had once threatened his job. Vosmik, who led the league in hits, doubles, and triples, finished third and Myer fourth in the MVP voting.

[ValKehl]

To further honor Byddy Myer for his 1935 AL Batting Championship, here's a Myer card you don't often see, his 1934 R304 Al Demaree card:

[GeoPoto]

(Thanks for posting Val. Very nice card!)

Player #157B: Louis N. "Bobo" Newsom. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1935-1937, 1942, 1943, 1946-1947, and 1952. 211 wins and 21 saves in 20 MLB seasons. 4-time All-Star. 1947 World Series champion. 1942 AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 3.98. He debuted with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers in 1929-1930. He changed teams 16 times. Almost joined Benton as only to have pitched to Ruth and Mantle. He was known for his eccentricities. In 1940 with the Detroit Tigers, he posted a 21-5 record with a 2.83 ERA in 264 innings pitched. His last team was the Philadelphia Athletics in 1952-1953.

Deveaux addresses Bobo's 1936 season: Bobo was also in the spotlight, right where he wanted to be, when Bucky Harris selected him as his starting pitcher for the 1936 season opener against the Yankees. Always up to challenge, later in this season, with a start against the Yankees forthcoming, Newsom, unwisely, publicly vowed to find a weakness in rookie Joe Dimaggio's batting eye. Following the game, much hay was made of the fact that he had indeed uncovered something. It was obvious that DiMaggio had a penchant for doubles, having hit three of them off Bobo.

On opening day, 1936, Newsom got to exchange autographs with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. With the President, his Cabinet, the Army Band, and 31,000 faithful in the seats, Bobo may have been a little overwhelmed. He wasn't very alert when Yankees outfielder Ben Chapman bunted to the left side of the infield. Newsom made a move toward the ball, and then decided to let Ossie Bluege field it. For some unknown reason, Bobo made no attempt to get out of the way of what had to be a strong throw to nip the swift Chapman. Bluege's missile traveled all of 15 feet or so before it conked Bobo right on the coconut.

Instead of falling, the 6'3" Newsom embarked on a stagger which took him toward the presidential box before veering back toward the mound. He was steered to the bench by his teammates, and, revived with nothing more than a cold towel, proceeded to pitch a complete game 1-0 shutout. The Nats got the season off on the right foot. Newsom was a horse for Harris all year, won 17 games against 15 losses, and, with 286 innings pitched, was just 15 short of league leader Wes Farrell of Boston. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #158A: Cecil H. Travis Part 1. Infielder for the Washington Senators in 1933-1941 and 1945-1947. 1,544 hits and 27 home runs over 12 MLB seasons. 3-time All-Star. One of two to get 5 hits in first game. Led American League in hits in 1941 despite DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak and Ted Williams hitting .406. His best season was 1941 as he posted a .410 OBP with 101 RBIs in 663 plate appearances. In the Army during 1942-45, he wound up a frostbite victim in the Battle of the Bulge and a Bronze Star recipient. His return to MLB after the war surgery was not the same.

Cecil Howell Travis was a three-time All-Star who played in twelve Major League seasons between 1933 and 1947, all of them with the Washington Senators. Playing primarily as a shortstop, Travis hit .300 in eight of his first nine Major League seasons. A three-time All-Star, he had his best year in 1941, when he hit .359 (second in the American League), led both leagues in hits (218), and was named by The Sporting News as the best shortstop in baseball. After missing nearly four seasons serving in the Army during World War II, earning the Bronze Star, Travis returned to the Senators at the end of the 1945 season, but he was never able to regain his prewar all-star form.

[GeoPoto]

Player #153C: Earl O. Whitehill. Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1933-1936. 218 wins and 11 saves in 17 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1923-1932. His best season came as Washington won the AL pennant in 1933 as he posted a 22-8 record with an ERA of 3.33 in 270 innings pitched. He ended his career with the Chicago Cubs in 1939. His only World Series start was a complete game shutout in Game 3 of the 1933 World Series, which Washington lost in 5 games.

We go back to Whitehill's SABR biography: His temper notwithstanding, Whitehill had his best season was 1933, and his pitching was largely responsible for the Senators finding themselves in the World Series against the Giants. During that contest, New York enjoyed a 2-0 series lead when Whitehill took the hill for the third game. He made the most of his only World Series appearance by tossing a complete game shutout of the Giants, scattering five hits and two walks in front of 25,727 at Griffith Stadium. In doing so, he also held future Hall-of-Famers Mel Ott and Bill Terry to a collective 0-for-7 day at the plate. On the biggest stage, Earl brought his best stuff.

Whitehill played three more consistent, winning seasons for Washington, despite one aberrant game in 1935 in which he gave up ten doubles, but on December 10, 1936, he anchored a three-team trade that sent him to Cleveland. The Senators received Jack Salveson from the White Sox, while Chicago took Thornton “Lefty” Lee from the Indians.

[GeoPoto]

The 1937 Washington Senators won 73 games, lost 80, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

Deveaux takes on the 1937 season: The 1937 Washington Senators' batting lineup was bolstered by the addition of a man destined for the Hall of Fame, Al Simmons. Known as "Bucketfoot" because of his open stance and movement toward third as he took his righthanded swing, Simmons was simply one of the greatest batsmen to ever come down the pipe. Just coming up on his 35th birthday, he had enjoyed a terrific 13-112-.327 year with the Tigers in 1936, his first season in Detroit. In 1935, however, he had experienced an off year for the first time in his illustrious 12-year career. He'd been Connie Mack's all-time favorite, and the revered McGillicuddy said as much at the end of a 50-year career during which he had performed double duty as both A's owner and manager. When asked to name his all-time favorite players, the octogenarian wistfully replied that he wished he could have "nine players named Simmons."

The presence of a two-time batting champion in Washington was exciting for the fans. But which Al Simmons had Clark Griffith just spent $15,000 for? If he could replicate what he'd done last season, and if the Yankees let up, who knew! It was thought that just about every hitter in the lineup had the ability to hit .300. Pitching had been the Nats' strong suit in '36, and this continued early in '37. Unfortunately, the offense sputtered horribly, resulting in a 2-7 start. . . .

. . . The club's pitching took a step back in '37, despite the addition of the Ferrels (brothers, catcher Rick and pitcher Wes). Both were disappointments, as was Simmons, the team's other important acquisition. Coming off two straight seasons in which he'd hit over .300, Bucketfoot Al faltered to .229 in 104 games for Washington after the June trade. Wes Farrell went 11-13 the rest of the way as Harris's stopper, and was 14-19, 4.90 overall. At 29, Farrell had already passed his prime, and he would be gone from the roster before the end of the following campaign.

The staff as a whole was mediocre in '37, with no one standing out. Jimmie DeShong bloomed in the spring, winning four in a row in one stretch, but then wilted badly. Shelled repeatedly, DeShong was lucky to finish with the 14-15 record he earned while allowing nearly five runs a game. Monte "Prof" Weaver, having taken up red meat again, did have a decent comeback year with a 12-9 slate and a good 4.20 ERA (the league average was 4.62). Pete Appleton, as in the case of all of the previously mentioned Nats pitchers, was also on the decline. He never did get back to the standards of his one good year, and in this season, he did not get good support and finished 8-15. Ed Kinke had an incongruous record of 6-1 with an appalling 5.60 ERA. . . .

[steveorcutt8]

The final averages: Myer .349026, Vosmik .348387, Foxx .345794.Had a .330 career batting average. 1934 All-Star. 1926 AL batting champion. Had more than 200 hits four times. In 1964, was inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. Debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1923. Leading batter on the 1933 Washington Senator team that won the AL pennant.

[GeoPoto]

. . . Another highlight of this baseball season in Washington took place on April 30, 1937, when the Senators were mired in their early slump. They had just dropped a pair of games at Griffith Stadium to the Yankees (Cecil Travis had suffered his ankle injury in the first game), and in the final game of the series, Joe DiMaggio made his first appearance of the season. DiMaggio was already the hottest ticket in baseball. At age 22, he was coming off a 46-167-.346 sophomore year.

Enlightening as to just how good a season "Joltin' Joe" had just had is the fact that his totals for home runs, runs scored (151), and slugging percentage (.673) were figures he would never surpass in the 11 years of his golden career still ahead of him. DiMaggio had been a member of a world championship club in each of his first two years. In his first appearance of 1937, he connected for a pinch single in the seventh inning off Bobo Newsom, but Newsom won his first game of the year with a complete-game five-hitter as the Senators salvaged their only win of the three-game set.

The highly promising roster of players Clark Griffith had assembled, seemingly enhanced by the addition of the Ferrell boys and Al Simmons, was a major letdown for the old man. His ballclub dropped three places in the standings, managing only to place ahead of some of the most infamous teams in the entire history of both the Philadelphia A's and St. Louis Browns. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #159A: W. Benjamin "Ben" Chapman. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1936-1937 and 1941. 1,958 hits and 287 stolen bases in 15 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .383. 4-time All-Star. 1932 World Series champion. 4-time AL stolen base leader. He managed the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945-1948. His playing reputation was eclipsed by the role he played as manager of the Phillies, opposing Jackie Robinson's presence in MLB, including shouting racial epithets. His best season as a player was 1931 for the Yankees as he posted a .396 OBP with 61 stolen bases, 120 runs scored, and 122 RBIs in 686 plate appearances.

Deveaux outlines Chapman's brief, initial stint in Washington: The man Washington got (in a trade with the Yankees during the 1936 season) in exchange for Powell (Jake Powell, a temperamental outfielder who had alienated Griffith and the Washington fans), Ben Chapman, also had an interesting, but much longer, career in baseball. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, on Christmas Day, 1908, the 27-year-old Chapman was a converted infielder who'd been moved to the outfield so that New York could maximize the benefit from his outstanding speed and throwing arm. Chapman went on to rack up great numbers on some very good Yankees teams of the early 1930s. With the arrival of Joe DiMaggio in the spring of '36, however, he had outworn his welcome. Moving him to Washington meant the Yanks could open up centerfield for DiMaggio, who'd been playing in left. But Chapman was certainly a welcome addition in the Washington outfield, scoring an awesome 91 runs in just 97 games, and batting .332. . . .

. . . The following day (11 June 1937), Griffith pulled off a much more important coup, landing the celebrated Ferrell brothers from the Red Sox in exchange for Bobo Newsom and centerfielder Ben Chapman. Bobo was allowing nearly six runs per nine innings in 1937, and Chapman had only 12 RBIs in 35 games and his average was a puny .262. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

We stay with Deveaux regarding the acquisition of Rick Ferrell and his brother, Wes: In return (for Bobo Newsom and Ben Chapman), the Senators were getting a sibling battery the likes of which has not since been seen in the major leagues. Catcher Rick Ferrell, a .296 career hitter (Hall of Fame, 1984), still just 31, had hit .312 in '36 and was at .308 this season. He was known for his good eye at the plate and was a crackerjack receiver.

[GeoPoto]

Player #161A: Wesley C. "Wes" Ferrell. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1937-1938. 193 wins and 13 saves in 15 MLB seasons. 2-time All-Star. 1935 AL wins leader. He pitched a no-hitter in 1931. His 37 career home runs are the MLB record for a pitcher. He debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1927-1933. His erratic behavior caused concern. He last played with the Boston Braves in 1941. He is a member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. His brother Rick is a member of the MLB Hall of Fame.

Deveaux continues: The brothers were North Carolina farm boys and Rick Ferrell, one of the best catchers of his time, was the more mild-mannered of the two. Three years younger than Rick, Wes Farrell was as handy with a guitar and a banjo as with a pitchfork or a baseball. Younger than Bobo Newsom (who'd won 47 big-league games to this point), Wes Farrell had already racked up six 20-win seasons in the majors. Included were two 25-win years, in 1930 and '35, when he led the league.

Wesley Cheek Ferrell seemed to have a lot more cheek than his older brother. He was a hothead who would at times fly into rages even if he was just having a bad day at the card table. Teammate Billy Werber told of how he'd seen him stomp on an expensive watch after some setback on the field. In 1932, Wes's manager at Cleveland, Roger Peckinpaugh, fined him for refusing to come out of a ballgame. In '36, Wes had a run-in with another old Nat, Joe Cronin, his manager at Boston, who fined him for doing exactly the opposite and leaving a game without permission. Later, while managing in the minor leagues, Wes would be suspended for smacking an umpire, and on another occasion for pulling his team off the field.

Apart from the fact that he'd won 20 or more in six of eight seasons, Wes Farrell also arrived in Washington carrying the reputation of being the best-hitting pitcher in the history of baseball. His lifetime .280 average and 38 home runs are still all-time records. In one memorable contest involving the Senators in late July 1935, he slammed two homers off Bobo Newsom while pitching the Bosox to victory -- remarkably, he hit two home runs in the same game on five different occasions. A week before he had victimized Bobo, he had pinch hit for the immortal Lefty Grove in the ninth inning with two men on base and the score 6-4. The pitcher was Tommy Bridges, who had 21 wins, four shutouts, and who led the league in strikeouts that year. Wes homered, for the victory. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #135F: Joseph A. "Joe" Kuhel. First baseman for the Washington Senators in 1930-1937 and 1944-1946. 2,212 hits and 131 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. He had 107 RBIs in Washington's pennant-winning 1933 season, but his best season was probably 1936 as he posted an OBP of .392 with 118 RBIs and 107 runs scored in 660 plate appearances. He managed the Washington Senators in 1948-49.

Kuhel's SABR biography continued: One weapon that Kuhel added to his arsenal was the stolen base. Kuhel explained his strategy on the “hesitation steal”. ‘You take a fair lead off first base, three or four steps. As the pitch passes the batter, you stop momentarily, as if intending to return to the bag. You lean toward first for that split second until the ball hits the catcher’s glove-and then the moment it does, you tear for second. In other words, it’s lead, stop, lean and go!

“The catcher, having seen you stop, takes the ball convinced that you don’t intend to run. He cocks his arm for the throw back to the pitcher. The second baseman and shortstop, also seeing the ball pass the plate without your making a break, are just as likely to relax, pawing the dirt with their spikes, heads half down. By the time they all realize you’ve double-crossed them and are on your way, the catcher has to cock his arm again for the longer throw to second and he has to look to see whether the shortstop or second baseman is going to cover.” There may have been something to Kuhel’s technique, as he was among the league leaders in stolen bases in both 1941 and 1942 with 20 and 22 swipes, respectively.

On November 24, 1943, Chicago sold Kuhel back to Washington. With World War II raging, many ballplayers were starting to be drafted into the service. Kuhel, at 37 years of age, was one of the many older ballplayers who were able to extend their careers past their prime years, when Mickey Vernon, Washington’s regular first baseman, missed the 1944 and ‘45 seasons because he was called up to active duty. Kuhel was brought in to plug the hole, and he performed competently in the absence of Vernon.

[GeoPoto]

Player #139F: Charles S. "Buddy" Myer. Second baseman with the Washington Senators in 1925-1927 and 1929-1941. 2,131 hits and 38 home runs in 17 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .389. 2-time All-Star. 1935 AL Batting champion. 1928 AL Stolen Base leader. His best season was 1935 for Washington as he posted a .440 OBP with 115 runs scored and 100 RBIs in 719 plate appearances. He was involved in one of baseball's most violent brawls when he was spiked and possibly racially derided by the Yankees' Ben Chapman.

We will follow Myer's SABR biography as we track his career -- Part 6: Myer credited his big year (in 1935) —a batting average 36 points above his previous high—to giving up cigars and taking up golf. He said playing golf helped him stay in shape in the offseason and stopping smoking increased his energy, as well as pleasing Clark Griffith, an antismoking crusader. (Myer continued to chew unlit cigars.) He believed the switch from leadoff to third in the order was an advantage, because he didn’t feel the need to take as many pitches.

The batting championship earned Myer a $500 bonus from the league and a $4,500 raise from Griffith, to $14,000. As to what he was really worth, Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert offered a reported $200,000 for him. Griffith said, “Well, I sold Joe Cronin to Tom Yawkey for $250,000; Ruppert is worth twice as much as Yawkey, so I’m asking $500,000 for Myer.” New York writer Dan Daniel reported that the Yankees thought “the big army of Jewish fans of this tremendous Metropolitan area would be lured into the park by a Jewish star.” While the big dollars made good publicity, Myer stayed in Washington.

Comments on players’ ethnic backgrounds were common in a time when many American cities were full of first- and second-generation European immigrants. A player’s Irish, Italian, German, or even Bohemian (Joe Vosmik) ancestry was part of his public biography. Newspaper stories during Myer’s career routinely referred to him as a Jew. The sportswriter Fred Lieb ranked him as the second-greatest Jewish player of all time, after Hank Greenberg. (This was before Koufax.) Jewish writers such as Daniel and the Washington Post’s Shirley Povich, who covered the Senators every day, apparently never questioned his Jewishness. And Myer never denied it.

[GeoPoto]

Player #157C: Louis N. "Bobo" Newsom. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1935-1937, 1942, 1943, 1946-1947, and 1952. 211 wins and 21 saves in 20 MLB seasons. 4-time All-Star. 1947 World Series champion. 1942 AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 3.98. He debuted with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers in 1929-1930. He changed teams 16 times. Almost joined Benton as only to have pitched to Ruth and Mantle. He was known for his eccentricities. In 1940 with the Detroit Tigers, he posted a 21-5 record with a 2.83 ERA in 264 innings pitched. His last team was the Philadelphia Athletics in 1952-1953.

. . . Bobo Newsome made a habit of holding out at the beginning of many a spring and was ahead of his time in that he might be considered one of the first player reps in baseball. He had become known as the "The Voice" around St. Louis because of his willingness to tangle with management whenever he felt a teammate was being slighted. Despite the man's nature, Bucky Harris went along with Griffith's plan to purchase Bobo from the Browns on May 21, 1935. The Old Fox had decided to parlay some of his "winnings" from the sale of his nephew, and Bobo was as good a $40,000 investment as any other.

Bucky Harris, in despair over the disarray of his pitching staff, recognized that Newsom was a blowhard, and said as much, but reasoned that he could handle the headaches if the hard thrower could win Washington some games. Newsom was off to a bad 0-6 start when acquired, and he went 11-12 for the Nats to finish with a very ordinary 11-18, 4.52 slate for the season. But it didn't take him long to get attention with the Senators. In one of his first starts, Earl Averill conked the big guy on the knee with a line drive. Bobo made a show of it, delaying proceedings while he went to the bench for a while, but it wasn't until after the game that he was taken seriously. He had, after all, pitched until the end, and won. It was discovered later that his kneecap was broken.

Newsom would again show uncommon courage in 1940, while a member of the Tigers. After witnessing his son start and win the first game of the World Series, Bobo Newsom's dad died suddenly. A distraught Bobo dedicated his next game to his father and, with all of America's baseball fans except for a few Cincinnati dissenters behind him, won that one as well. Nonetheless, the Cincinnati Reds insisted on deviating from the consummate script, and handed Newsom a very tough 2-1 complete-game loss in game seven. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #162: Aloysius H "Al" Simmons, born Alois Szymanski. "Bucketfoot Al". Outfielder with the Washington Senators in 1937-1938. 2,927 hits and 307 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 3-time All-Star. 1929 and 1930 World Series champion. 2-time AL batting champion. 1929 AL RBI leader. 1953 inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. He debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1924-1932, 1940-1941, and 1944. In addition to Philadelphia, he played for 6 other MLB teams. His career OBP was .380. His best season may have been 1930 as he posted a .423 OBP with 152 runs scored and 165 RBIs in 611 plate appearances. In 1938 he was the first Washington Senator to hit 20 or more home runs in a season.

From Simmons' SABR biography: Al Simmons (Aloysius Harry Szymanski) was a premier hitter and left fielder for Connie Mack’s formidable Philadelphia Athletics from 1924 to 1932 and subsequently for other major-league clubs through 1944.

Simmons’ powerful hitting was achieved despite his unusual batting stance. A right-handed hitter and thrower, Simmons stood at the plate with his left (front) foot pointed toward third base, “in the bucket” in baseball parlance. Accordingly, he gained the nickname Bucketfoot Al, which he resented. Theoretically, he should have had difficulty in hitting outside pitches solidly. But Simmons overcame this apparent weakness by using an unusually long bat and moving his left foot closer to home plate with the approach of an outside pitch. As Simmons explained, “I’ve studied movies of myself batting. Although my left foot stabbed out toward third base, the rest of me, from the belt up, especially my wrists, arms, and shoulders, was swinging in a proper line over the plate.”

Simmons had a lifetime batting average of .334 with 2,927 base hits (including 539 doubles) and 1,828 RBIs. Despite his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1953, Simmons is not rated by all baseball experts as highly as his gaudy statistics would suggest. Bill James did rate him seventh among left fielders based upon his 375 Win Shares. But in the Seventh Edition of Total Baseball, possibly through inadvertence, Simmons was not rated among the top 100 all-time players.

Well-respected catcher and baseball observer Ralph “Cy” Perkins summed up Simmons when he spoke at Al’s Hall of Fame induction: “He had that swagger of confidence, of defiance, when he came up as a kid. He was as sensational as a rookie as he was as a star. I’ve always classed him next to Ty Cobb (Simmons’s idol) as the greatest player I ever saw. … He was what I would call the ‘perfect player’.”

[GeoPoto]

Player #155C: John T. "Rocky" Stone. Outfielder with the Washington Senators in 1934-1938. 1,391 hits and 77 home runs in 11 MLB seasons. His career OBP was .376. he debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1928-1933. His most productive season may have been 1932 with Detroit as he posted a .361 OBP with 106 runs scored and 109 RBIs in 643 plate appearances. His best season in Washington was 1936 as he posted a .421 OBP with 95 runs scored and 90 RBIs in 500 plate appearances.

We'll begin the end of Stone's MLB career here and finish it the next time he surfaces in our progression. From his SABR biography: As the Washington Senators’ 1938 spring training got underway in Orlando, Florida, no player was more anxious to get started in the warm air and brilliant sunshine than veteran outfielder John Thomas Stone.

A respected American League veteran, John Stone had enjoyed a successful campaign in 1937, posting a .330 batting average in 139 games for the Senators. But the winter that followed had been an extremely difficult time for Johnny; he spent the off-season fighting a persistent cold, coinciding with mysterious weight loss and what he called a funny feeling of weakness. Despite the hard work and long hours devoted to his usual pre-season regimen, he nonetheless got off to a poor start in 1938 and the steady play rapidly wore him down.

Johnny was hitting an uncharacteristic .192 when the team began a series against Cleveland. On May 5, 1938, facing Indians right-hander Mel Harder, the left-hand hitting Stone painfully fouled a ball off his front right foot. Limping back into the batter’s box, he settled down and drove the next pitch on a wicked line to right-center. Johnny, with his foot throbbing, raced around the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam home run.

Back on the bench, Shirley Povich wrote, “teammates jeered him pleasantly for being out of condition, and some suggested he get in shape, but the kidding stopped when startled teammates realized his desperate gasping for air was not fun and games but something much more serious than just a shortness of breath.” When he collapsed; shaken teammates realized that “Rocky” (as he was nicknamed) was ailing from something far more serious than simply being out of shape. To be continued . . .

[GeoPoto]

Player #158B: Cecil H. Travis Part 2. Infielder for the Washington Senators in 1933-1941 and 1945-1947. 1,544 hits and 27 home runs over 12 MLB seasons. 3-time All-Star. One of two to get 5 hits in first game. Led American League in hits in 1941 despite DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak and Ted Williams hitting .406. His best season was 1941 as he posted a .410 OBP with 101 RBIs in 663 plate appearances. In the Army during 1942-45, he wound up a frostbite victim in the Battle of the Bulge and a Bronze Star recipient. His return to MLB after the war surgery was not the same.

. . . In 1933, Travis was invited to spring training by the Washington Senators, Chattanooga’s parent club. After nearly making the team that spring, Travis was called up from Chattanooga to fill in for injured third baseman Ossie Bluege on May 16. Arriving at Griffith Stadium just one-half hour before game time, Travis had one of the most remarkable Major League debuts in baseball history, collecting hits in his first four at-bats and finishing the day with five hits. It was the first time since Fred Clarke’s debut in 1894 that anyone had collected five hits in his first game; no other player has since managed this feat. Travis hit .302 in limited duty for the Senators that season, and even though he was on Washington’s World Series roster, his teammates voted him a share of the team’s bonus for winning the American League pennant.

Travis won the starting third base job over Bluege in 1934. He hit his first major league home run on June 23 off the Detroit Tigers’ Vic Sorrell. Travis batted .319 in this first full season in Washington, overcoming a terrifying early season beaning by Chicago’s Thornton Lee that sidelined him for several games. (In his first game back, Travis faced Lee again and tripled on the southpaw’s first offering.)

Travis battled injuries throughout the early stages of his career, and he was dogged by criticisms that he was not the defensive player that Bluege was. The team shuffled Travis from position to position in both the infield and outfield over the next two seasons as it sought to keep his bat in the lineup. He was named the team’s full-time shortstop in 1937 and responded by playing solid defense. In 1938, he earned his first All-Star selection but did not play in the game.

[GeoPoto]

The 1938 Washington Senators won 75 games, lost 76, and finished in fifth place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

Deveaux puts the 1938 season in context: When Mel Almada, the "California Spaniard," hit only .244 in nearly 200 at bats (to start the 1938 season), Griffith engineered a deal with the Browns which brought Sammy West back to the Senators after a 5 1/2-year separation. This exchange would be the first one in a while to turn heavily in the Nats' favor. West, still a dependable centerfielder at 34, hit .302 in 92 games after coming on board. The trade was consummated on June 15, 1938, an important date on baseball's timeline. On this day, Johnny Vander Meer, a 23-year-old lefthander of the Cincinnati Reds, hurled a second consecutive no-hitter.

Vander Meer's feat remains unique in baseball history. The second of the no-hitters took place in the first night game played at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. (Cincinnati's Crosley Field had been the scene of the first night game in the big leagues, back on May 24, 1935.) Clark Griffith had said that there was no chance night baseball would ever catch on in the majors. The game, the Old Fox reasoned, was meant to be played "in the Lord's own sunshine."

It was longer still before baseball began to see another kind of light. On the same day John Vander Meer tossed his second no-hitter, Billy Leo Williams was born in Whistler, Alabama. Williams, a sweet-swinging lefthanded hitter who would make the Hall of Fame, was black. To baseball's eternal shame, it would be nearly ten more years before a black man would be allowed to participate in a major-league game.

[GeoPoto]

In the 1930s and 40s, Griffith Stadium was home not only to the Senators, but to the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. Clark Griffith therefore had occasion to reflect prophetically on the future of blacks in baseball. The Grays, who played some home games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and the rest in Washington, had a catcher who was on his way to winning the home-run and batting titles of Negro baseball in 1938 (and he would win the home-run title again in 1939). His name was Josh Gibson, and Griffith knew darn well that Gibson was hitting more home runs into the distant left-field seats than the entire white American League combined.

In March of this year, Griffith told the Washington Tribune that the time was not far off when black Americans would be playing in the big leagues. He wasn't sure, however, that the time had arrived yet. He did talk about the subject often, but never did anything about it. In 1944, he was polled by sportswriter Wendell Smith of the Pittsburgh Courier, a black newspaper, who wanted to know what Griffith thought of Commissioner Landis's statement that the major leagues were not actively excluding blacks.

[GeoPoto]

The commissioner had made the pronouncement in reply to the troublesome Leo Durocher, outspoken manager of the Dodgers, who had stated during an interview published in the Communist Daily Worker that he felt it was Landis who was really the one keeping blacks out of the majors. The Old Fox may have come across as somewhat evasive to Wendell Smith. His idea, Griffith told Smith, was that the Negro Leagues needed to continue to develop so that someday, when they were good enough, the best black players might play for a world championship against the best the big leagues could offer.

Once, Clark Griffith had reportedly called Josh Gibson and the Homestead Grays' other great hitter, Buck Leonard into his office to tell them the only reason he wasn't signing them to big-league contracts was because of the hardships they would encounter due to racial tensions. Of Gibson, the great Walter Johnson once said, "There is a catcher that any big-league club would like to buy for $200,000. I've heard of him before. His name is Josh Gibson. He can do everything. He hits that ball a mile. And he catches so easy he might as well be in a rocking chair. Throws like a rifle. Bill Dickey isn't as good a catcher. Too bad this Gibson is a colored fellow." (Washington Post, April 7, 1939.)

Clark Griffith did predict that the player who would eventually break baseball's unwritten color ban would have to be a martyr, impervious to the taunts and insults contrived to show the black man unworthy of playing with whites. In this Griffith was right, but by the time that chosen man, Jackie Robinson, came along, Josh Gibson was dead. He was just past his 35th birthday when he died of a stroke on January 20, 1947, just 85 days before Jackie Robinson graced the field among white players -- one of the greatest moments in the history of baseball and because of what it symbolized for so many, one of the greatest moments in the history of America. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #163A: Henry J. "Zeke" Bonura (pronounced like Sonora) -- Part 1. First baseman for the Washington Senators in 1938 and 1940. 1,099 hits and 119 home runs in 7 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .380. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1934. His best season was probably 1936 for the White Sox as he posted a .426 OBP with 120 runs scored and 138 RBIs in 688 plate appearances. His indifferent defense on balls hit to his right gave rise to the "Bonura Salute".

We'll let Deveaux explain Washington's 1938 acquisition: On March 18, 1938, Joe Kuhel was traded to the White Sox for the antithesis of Kuhel, a big lummox with the rhyming name of Zeke "What a physique" Bonura. A classic good-hit, no-field first baseman, the muscular Bonura (also affectionately called "Banana Nose" for obvious reasons) was a fan's delight but a manager's nightmare. He held out practically on an annual basis, and Jimmy Dykes, the White Sox pilot, was of the opinion that Bonura was the worst first baseman who had ever lived, and said so publicly.

Bonura, in actual fact a college man, was so slothful a fielder as to often make himself look ridiculous on a ballfield when he didn't have a bat in his hands. When he mysteriously led the league's first basemen in fielding in '36, Dykes was quick to discredit Bonura, pointing out that players don't get errors on balls they don't touch. What's more, Bonura wouldn't just wave at ground balls, he would give them the "Mussolini salute" with his glove. Opposing fans in particular loved this, but it is not hard to imagine what his manager thought of the behavior.

[GeoPoto]

Player #163A: Henry J. "Zeke" Bonura (pronounced like Sonora) -- Part 2. First baseman for the Washington Senators in 1938 and 1940. 1,099 hits and 119 home runs in 7 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .380. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1934. His best season was probably 1936 for the White Sox as he posted a .426 OBP with 120 runs scored and 138 RBIs in 688 plate appearances. His indifferent defense on balls hit to his right gave rise to the "Bonura Salute".

There are several versions of the following apocryphal story. Chisox manager Jimmy Dykes had decided that it would hardly be worth the trouble of changing his signals just because Bonura was now on the opposing team. Dykes told coach Bing Miller that Bonura had never been able to remember the signs when he was with Chicago anyway. As the story goes, the dreadfully slow-footed Bonura had made it to third on behalf of the Senators against his old team. At this point, Dykes began waving his scorecard to shoo away some flies which had been buzzing around him on the bench. Bonura, forgetting which side he was on, took Dykes' motions to be the steal sign, and he took off for the plate. He barged into the catcher, the ball was shaken loose, and he was in there. While this makes one hell of a good story, it indeed could not have happened in a regular-season game -- Bonura stole home only once in his seven-year big-league career, and that happened when he was a member of the White Sox. in the 15th inning of a game against the Yankees.

Zeke Bonura did bring the anticipated bat the Senators had been banking on, however, and slugged 22 homers for them in 1938. Despite a terrible start which had him hitting just .190 in mid-June, Bonura batted .289 and drove in 114 runs, which tied him for sixth best in the league with Lou Gehrig. Once again, his lack of range enabled him to lead all American League first basemen in fielding. Jimmy Dykes may have had a point when he'd said that at Chicago, Bonura let in three runs for every one that he batted in. Coupled with the resurgence of Al Simmons, who banged out 21 dingers in 1938, the Senators nearly doubled their home-run output. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

This thread will now enjoy a pause to enjoy the TEOTS in Dallas.

[GeoPoto]

Player #160B: Wesley C. "Wes" Ferrell. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1937-1938. 193 wins and 13 saves in 15 MLB seasons. 2-time All-Star. 1935 AL wins leader. He pitched a no-hitter in 1931. His 37 career home runs are the MLB record for a pitcher. He debuted with the Cleveland Indians in 1927-1933. His erratic behavior caused concern. He last played with the Boston Braves in 1941. He is a member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. His brother Rick is a member of the MLB Hall of Fame.

We'll use Wes's SABR biography to follow his time in Washington which came at the tail end of his career: Ferrell bounced back (from a disappointing 1933 season that included an attempt to become an outfielder) to enjoy three good seasons in Boston, with his brother as his battery mate in each. No longer a power pitcher, he relied on control and his knowledge of the hitters for success. He ended the 1934 season with a 14–5 record. In 1935 his record was 25–14. The following year, 1936, he won 20 and lost 15. As a result of his mound prowess, Ferrell finished second in the voting for the Baseball Writers Association of America MVP award in 1935, losing out to Hank Greenberg, and finished fifth in the balloting for the Sporting News MVP.

Nor was the Ferrell bat idle during this period, especially in clutch situations. Over the 1934–1936 seasons he averaged .303 at the plate, peaking with a .347 average, 7 home runs, and 32 RBIs in 75 games in 1935. Figures like these would be impressive for a position player, let alone a pitcher.

His temper remained volatile as well. In a game against Philadelphia on August 8, 1934, Ferrell took the mound in the bottom of the third inning with a 10–1 lead but then proceeded to give up six runs on a pair of homers. When the manager, Bucky Harris, came out to relieve him, not only did he refuse to hand over the ball; when he was finally persuaded to return to the dugout, he punched himself in the jaw with his fist and slammed his head against a concrete wall. He had to be forcibly restrained to prevent him from doing further harm to himself. During the 1936 season, Ferrell walked off the field in disgust and refused to continue pitching twice in the space of five days, angered each time by his teammates’ defensive shortcomings. On the second occasion he was fined $1,000 and suspended for several days. Ferrell’s reaction was to threaten to punch the manager, Joe Cronin, in the nose.

In 1937, Ferrell’s record fell to 14–19. After a slow start, resulting in a disappointing 3–6 record, he was traded to the Washington Senators on June 11, along with his brother Rick and outfielder Mel Almada, for pitcher Bobo Newsom and outfielder Ben Chapman. For the Senators, Ferrell managed to win an additional 11 games while losing 13. He began the 1938 season with Washington. By August 2, he had won 13 games, more than anyone else on the team, while losing only seven. Nevertheless, 10 days later, the Senators released him. His continued temperamental behavior seems to have been the chief factor underlying this decision, although the fact that he had accused the club’s owner, Clark Griffith, of being cheap cannot have helped. Two days later, on August 14, Ferrell signed with the New York Yankees, who were in need of pitching, and finished out the season with them, winning two games and losing two, compiling an overall record of 15–10 for the year.

[MikeGarcia]

.. I have this Burke Postcard of Wes Ferrell that might be rarely seen . It's postally-used and addressed to a fan in Boston , in his own hand and was mailed from Spring Training in Florida. People were better-looking in those days IMHO . Especially ballplayers.






..Great thread , thanks very much.

[GeoPoto]

(Mike: Thank you for the kind words and great images.)

Player #160B: Richard B. "Rick" Ferrell. Catcher for the Washington Senators in 1937-1941, 1944-1945, and 1947. 1,692 hits 28 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .378. 8-time All-Star. Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 1984, was inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. He debuted with the St. Louis Browns in 1929-1933. His best season may have been 1932 for the Browns as he posted a .406 OBP with 67 runs scored and 65 RBIs in 514 plate appearances. He held the record for most MLB games caught for 40 years until unseated by Carlton Fiske in 1988. First catcher to receive from staff of four K-ball pitchers for the Senators in 1944. He joined the Detroit Tigers as a coach in 1950, became general manager and vice president in 1959, and continued with the Tigers until 1992. During his tenure as a Tigers executive, they won the 1968 and 1984 World Series and AL Eastern Division titles in 1972 and 1987.

We'll use Rick's SABR biography to highlight his career and time with Washington: Hall of Fame catcher Rick Ferrell (1905-1995) caught in the American League for eighteen years (1929-45,’47) during two of America’s most challenging periods: the Great Depression and World War II. Playing for the St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Senators, his skill as a durable knuckleball catcher with a laser-accurate arm for picking off potential base-stealers was held in high regard. His .378 career on-base percentage is eighth, all-time, among 50 catchers with 3000 at-bats, according to www.sabr.org, and fourth among the thirteen major league Hall of Fame catchers, bested only by Mickey Cochrane (.419), Roger Bresnahan (.386), and Bill Dickey (.382). . . .

. . . During the 1930s, Rick became one of several major league catching stars that included Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey, Al Lopez, Ernie Lombardi, and Gabby Hartnett. On May 10, 1933, young Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey purchased Ferrell from the fiscally strapped Browns with southpaw Lloyd Brown for catcher Merv Shea plus cash estimated at between $50,000 and $100,000. From 1929-early 1933 with the Browns, Rick had hit .289 in 430 games.

With the east coast Boston Red Sox, the catcher enjoyed his best years, catching and hitting well. Two months later on July 6, 1933, Connie Mack chose Rick to catch the entire inaugural All-Star Game. The American League team, consisting of such luminaries as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, All Simmons, Charlie Gehringer, and Lefty Grove, beat the National League, 4-2. Rick was selected to a grand total of eight All-Star teams (1933-38, 1944-45; no game in 1945 because of wartime travel restrictions).

When Cleveland and his brother Wes played against Boston two weeks later on July 19, 1933, Rick homered off Wes, after which Wes homered off Boston’s Hank Johnson, marking the first time brothers on opposing teams had homered in the same game. They taunted each other about their home runs during the game and went out for a steak dinner afterwards. Rick caught a career-high 137 games in 1933. . . . (We'll pick this up when Rick next appears.)

[GeoPoto]

Player #90I: 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.

One nice touch to this year (1938) was that Clark Griffith was able to bring Leon Goslin back for one final go-round. Goslin hit only .158 in 38 games, putting the cap on an outstanding career. Quite likely the best hitter in the team's history, he finished his big-league journey with an even 500 doubles, 173 triples, 248 home runs, and a .316 batting average. Clark Griffith had a job for him the following year, and the Goose returned to his home state of New Jersey to play for the Nats' Trenton farm team, where he hit .324.

[GeoPoto]

Player #139G: Charles S. "Buddy" Myer. Second baseman with the Washington Senators in 1925-1927 and 1929-1941. 2,131 hits and 38 home runs in 17 MLB seasons. He had a career OBP of .389. 2-time All-Star. 1935 AL Batting champion. 1928 AL Stolen Base leader. His best season was 1935 for Washington as he posted a .440 OBP with 115 runs scored and 100 RBIs in 719 plate appearances. He was involved in one of baseball's most violent brawls when he was spiked and possibly racially derided by the Yankees' Ben Chapman.

We will follow Myer's SABR biography as we track his career -- Part 7: Myer had little opportunity to enjoy his (1935) batting title. In the spring of 1936, he began suffering from persistent stomach trouble. Some thought he was worried sick by his wife’s pregnancy, but other accounts say he had an ulcer. He played only 51 games before he went home in August.

He bounced back the next year to make the All-Star team for the second time. He never appeared in an All-Star Game; Detroit’s Charlie Gehringer was the AL’s premier second baseman and played every inning of the first six classics from 1933-1938.

[GeoPoto]

Player #155D: John T. "Rocky" Stone. Outfielder with the Washington Senators in 1934-1938. 1,391 hits and 77 home runs in 11 MLB seasons. His career OBP was .376. he debuted with the Detroit Tigers in 1928-1933. His most productive season may have been 1932 with Detroit as he posted a .361 OBP with 106 runs scored and 109 RBIs in 643 plate appearances. His best season in Washington was 1936 as he posted a .421 OBP with 95 runs scored and 90 RBIs in 500 plate appearances.

Back to Stone's SABR biography: . . . Early in 1938, despite his physical deterioration and lackluster play (his manager, Bucky Harris, unfairly diagnosed Stone's malady as "Tennessee hookworm", a euphemism for a lazy streak that Harris saw as common among Southern ballplayers), teammates still voted him Most Valuable Team Member for the month of May. The club was in Detroit when Johnny’s mysterious lingering ailment prompted Harris to order a hospital examination on June 19. Test results revealed a sinus infection and severe bronchial attack, initiating an order by Harris to send Stone back to Washington.

A series of tests at Georgetown Hospital revealed the Washington outfielder was suffering from tuberculosis, a highly infectious disease primarily spread through coughing and sneezing. The disease seriously affected a patient’s lungs and in an era prior to the introduction of antibiotics, tuberculosis was very difficult to treat and ultimately claimed the lives of many victims. Restoring Johnny’s body back to health would be a long and tedious process.

The Sporting News reported that, upon hearing of Stone’s diagnosis, “Clark Griffith whirred into action. Griff didn’t want his star outfielder, or members of his family, to worry about finances or how to pay for Johnny’s care. The next day, to Johnny’s hospital room was delivered his salary check for the remainder of the season. Arrangements for treatment at Saranac (New York) were also made by Mr. Griffith.”

Stone wrote to clubhouse manager Frankie Baxter, “Be sure to save my uniform. Maybe a lot of people don’t think I’ll never wear it again, but I’ll climb into it in Orlando and I think I’ll be ready.” Griffith and Harris were less optimistic. “We can’t figure much on Stone, but if he comes around he will be more than welcome.”

Reports from Saranac indicated Stone benefitted greatly from the healthy atmosphere. Doctors called him, “the best patient we ever had, with remarkable recuperative powers and he’ll beat this lung infection 100 per cent.” After hearing the story of Johnny’s inside-the-park home-run back in May, a physician shook his head and remarked: “Only a man with tremendous courage could have kept playing the way he has.”

Stone wrote to Griffith from Saranac describing how he “benefitted from the atmosphere and passed his lung tests and emerged triumphant from an operation,” adding he gained weight and looked forward to the start of spring training. . Despite speculation that Stone might return to the game in time for the 1939 season, it was further determined that although considered to be recovered, he’d risk further illness subjecting himself to the rigors of professional baseball. “Stoney” regrettably announced his retirement.

Stone and his family were residing at the tuberculosis sanatorium in Asheville, North Carolina, when plans for a day in his honor were announced. The event would be held at Griffith Stadium on September 17, 1939; fittingly, the Detroit Tigers would be in town as the visiting team. Initially, Johnny was told to bypass the rigors of the trip, but doctors later relented and allowed him to travel from North Carolina back to D.C.

A special section of the stadium was designated to accommodate Stone’s family, friends and admirers. Funds were raised to purchase a trophy and plans were made to fill a cash purse for the popular former outfielder. Proceeds from the fundraiser were expected to be sufficient enough to pay off the mortgage on the family farm back home in Tennessee.

[GeoPoto]

Player #158C: Cecil H. Travis Part 3. Infielder for the Washington Senators in 1933-1941 and 1945-1947. 1,544 hits and 27 home runs over 12 MLB seasons. 3-time All-Star. One of two to get 5 hits in first game. Led American League in hits in 1941 despite DiMaggio's 56-game hit streak and Ted Williams hitting .406. His best season was 1941 as he posted a .410 OBP with 101 RBIs in 663 plate appearances. In the Army during 1942-45, he wound up a frostbite victim in the Battle of the Bulge and a Bronze Star recipient. His return to MLB after the war surgery was not the same.

In 1939, Travis -- naturally thin at 6’1″ and 185 pounds -- suffered two bouts with the flu and lost considerable weight from his already lanky frame. He rebounded to hit .292, the first time in his professional career that he failed to break the .300 mark. That year, he participated in an all-star exhibition game in Cooperstown, New York, to celebrate the dedication of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1940, playing mostly at third base, a healthy Travis rebounded to hit .322 and earn his second All-Star selection. This time, he not only played in the game but also was in the starting lineup and led off for the American League.

As Travis emerged as a star in the league, he drew interest from other teams, especially the perennially contending Detroit Tigers. One persistent rumor had Travis going to the Tigers in exchange for either all-star Rudy York or future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg. But Washington never traded Travis, and he remained with the Senators his entire career, never playing in the postseason.

[GeoPoto]

The 1939 Washington Senators won 65 games, lost 87, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Bucky Harris and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

This was the year that possibly the best hitter of all time made his debut in the league, with the Boston Red Sox. Later in the season, on August 19, 1939, Theodore Samuel Williams smashed his first career grand slam against the Senators in an 8-6 Red Sox victory. Williams would go on in his rookie season to hit 31 homers, drive in a league-leading 145 runs, and bat .327. The league's great star, Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, would lead the junior circuit in batting with .381, which would hold as the highest average of his career. DiMag did miss five weeks of the season, though, as a result of a muscle tear in his leg sustained on Griffith Stadium's muddy outfield grass while chasing a Bobby Estalella liner on April 29.

Players of the caliber of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams may come along once in a generation, but not likely twice, as they did. While the Senators didn't have a DiMaggio or a Williams, they did unveil some future standouts of their own in 1939. On July 8, a 21-year-old first baseman made his first appearance in a box score. Mickey Vernon would remain at the position for a period spanning four decades, most of which he would spend in Washington. Vernon's debut year was relatively inauspicious, as he hit just .257 with one home run the rest of the way. By season's end, the native of Marcus Hook, Pa., had played in 76 games, and before his career ended, he would hold the major-league record for most games played at first base. Quiet, consistent, and blessed with a good deal of charisma, Vernon would win the batting title twice, lead the league in doubles three times, and hit 490 career doubles. As a fielder, he was outstanding as well, the best at his position four times, twice pacing the entire majors.

[ValKehl]

Before being called up by the Washington Senators in July of 1939, James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (my second most favorite Senators player when I was a kid in the 1950's) played in 76 games and batted .343 for the Springfield (MA) Nationals of the Eastern league, a Class A minor leage affiliate of the Senators. The earliest Vernon collectible I have is this advertising photo issued by a Springfield clothier:

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

Before being called up by the Washington Senators in July of 1939, James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (my second most favorite Senators player when I was a kid in the 1950's) played in 76 games and batted .343 for the Springfield (MA) Nationals of the Eastern league, a Class A minor leage affiliate of the Senators. The earliest Vernon collectible I have is this advertising photo issued by a Springfield clothier:

What a great piece, Val! And what a great player and man Mickey was. In 2007, Mickey and I were two of a contingent of four who threw out the first pitch on Opening Day--the White House wouldn't send anybody that year because VP Cheney got booed so roundly when he did the honors the year before. I had Mickey to myself in the "green room" for about half and hour before they called us out, and I asked him about his rookie year of 1939, when the radio broadcaster was none other than Walter Johnson. Of course, Mickey remembered that year, and Johnson, well, and it was a treat to hear stories about it from someone who was there! I got him to sign the ball I threw out, and it's one of my treasures.

[GeoPoto]

(Thanks to Val and Hank for their Vernon inputs. I wondered if Val could come up with something I couldn't -- a pre-war Vernon. Of course he could!)

On September 13, a Joe Cambria (we will introduce Joe shortly) protégé', Early "Gus" Wynn, a 19-year-old righthander from Hartford, Alabama, started on the trail to Cooperstown. Unfortunately, Wynn would not find the right fork in the road until he left Washington, but eventually he too, like Mickey Vernon, would extend his career beyond the 1950s. He managed to play long enough to earn his 300th and final win, thereby guaranteeing immortality in the Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in 1972. A scowling type on the mound, Wynn had a live fastball, but indeed never assembled the complementary pitches required for consistency until the Nats traded him to Cleveland at the end of 1948. In retrospect, that deal may well have been the worst the Senators made in their entire history, but for the time being, Wynn lost both his late-season decisions, and he would spend the better part of the next two years in the minors before resurfacing in Washington in 1941. . . .

[GeoPoto]

. . . One of baseball's most moving dramas unfolded right before the Senators in 1939. On April 30, the day after Joe DiMaggio tore up his leg at Griffith Stadium, Lou Gehrig appeared in his 2,130th consecutive game, the last one of his streak, which had begun against the Nats 14 years earlier. The Iron Horse went hitless against Joe Krakauskas, and upon making a routine play, was congratulated by Yankees pitcher Johnny Murphy. Two days later, after traveling to Detroit, Gehrig would take himself out of the lineup, suffering from unexplained sluggishness. His replacement, a rookie named Babe Dahlgren, homered and doubled and the Yanks won 22-2. (Coincidentally, pitcher Fred Hutchinson of the Tigers, later a World Series manager and well-loved figure, made his big-league debut in the same game, and it was a disaster for him. Hutchinson surrendered five walks, four hits, and eight runs in two-thirds of an inning.)

On June 20, Gehrig was diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable form of paralysis which became known as Lou Gehrig's disease. When he appeared in front of nearly 62,000 fans at Yankee Stadium for Lou Gehrig Day two weeks later, the visitors were the Washington Senators. Gehrig gave his stirring "luckiest man on earth" speech, during the course of which he reflected on the courage and support displayed by his wife and family throughout his ordeal, and the good fortune he had to be associated with some of the finest men in baseball. "I might of had a bad break," he concluded, "but I have an awful lot to live for." Less than two years later, a few days short of his 38th birthday, Lou Gehrig was dead. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

I don't have anything with the Iron Horse on it; here's a 1939 photo of Jack Dempsey signing for the Big Train):

[GeoPoto]

Player #163: Peter W. "Pete" Appleton. He was born Peter Jabionowski and was sometimes known as "Jabby". He changed his name in 1934. Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1936-1939 and 1945. 57 wins and 28 saves in 14 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Cincinnati Reds in 1927-1928. His best season was 1936 with Washington as he posted a 14-9 record with a 3.53 ERA in 201.2 innings pitched.

We will use Appleton's SABR biography to highlight his career and time in Washington: In September 1927, the Cincinnati Reds brought up a 23-year-old right-handed pitching prospect named Pete Jablonowski for a late-season look-see. Although he made a good first impression, going 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA and a shutout victory, Jablonowski struggled the following year in 31 games. In 1930-1931, however, he saw considerable service with the Cleveland Indians, posting a combined 12-11 log over two seasons of spot starting and relief work. But Jablonowski was thereafter cast adrift again, with only a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox and a single game appearance for the New York Yankees preceding his return to the minors.

Three seasons and one legal name change later, he resurfaced as Pete Appleton, notching a career-best 14 wins for the 1936 Washington Senators. For the next nine years, with time out for World War II naval service, Appleton remained in uniform, hurling his final major-league game as a 41-year-old in September 1945. The remainder of his life was likewise devoted to the game, first as a player-manager in various minor leagues and thereafter as a fulltime scout for the Senators and Minnesota Twins. By the time of his death in early 1974, Pete Appleton had spent 47 years associated with professional baseball. . . .

. . . That winter (after the 1935 season), appreciative (for Appleton's 23-9, 3.17 season helping Montreal win the International League pennant) Montreal owner-manager Frank Shaughnessy cleared the way for Pete to get another major-league shot, selling his rights to the Washington Senators for $7,500.

The 5’11” and 183 lb. veteran was now almost 32 years old. As described by Washington Post sports columnist (and soon-to-become ardent Pete Appleton booster) Shirley Povich, Appleton was a deliberate worker who did not throw hard, delivering his assortment of pitches via an over-the-top motion. But while his stuff was still adjudged no more than adequate by major-league standards, Washington brass hoped that Pete, if used judiciously, would prove a useful addition to a Senators pitching corps in serious decline from the pennant-winning performance of three seasons earlier. Alternating between the rotation and the bullpen, Appleton vindicated his acquisition, going 14-9, with 12 complete games and a creditable 3.53 ERA for the 1936 season, one that saw the Senators (82-71) post a 15-win improvement over the previous campaign. Unhappily for the DC faithful, neither the Senators nor Appleton would continue the good work, with the 1937 season seeing both the club (73-80) and the pitcher (8-15) headed in the wrong direction. The following two years, Appleton worked primarily in relief, turning in sub-par (7-9 and 5-10) logs for second division Washington teams.

In December 1939, Appleton was a throw-in in the trade that sent hard-hitting Taft Wright to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for outfielder Gee Walker.

[GeoPoto]

Player #164A: George W. Case. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1937-1945 and 1947. 1,415 hits and 349 stolen bases in 11 MLB seasons. 4-time All-Star. 6-time AL stolen base leader. Only player to ever lead MLB in stolen bases for five consecutive years (1939-1943). His best season was probably 1942 for Washington as he posted a .377 OBP with 101 runs scored and 44 stolen bases in 563 plate appearances.

We will start with Deveaux on Case and then continue on in tomorrow's introduction: On the Washington club of 1939, the revelation was second-year outfielder George Case. Indeed, Case caused a sensation throughout baseball, stealing 51 bases, the highest total in the majors since Ben Chapman's 61 eight years earlier. Case would become the greatest base stealer of his time; in the 40-year period from 1921 to 1961, no one would pilfer more bases than the 61 he would swipe in 1940. For five straight years beginning in 1939, Case would lead both major leagues in steals, a feat unprecedented in major-league history. He did incur numerous injuries while sliding, but in 1948, hobbled by pains which were bringing his career to an abrupt end at age 31, he would win a sixth league title.

[GeoPoto]

Player #165: Joseph C. "Joe" Cambria Part 1. "Papa Joe" (born Carlo Cambria) was an American professional baseball scout and executive who was a pioneer in recruiting Latin American players. From 1929 through 1940, he owned several Minor League Baseball teams, as well as the Negro league Baltimore Black Sox. He is best known, however, for his work as a scout for Major League Baseball, especially for his work in Cuba. From the mid-1930s until his death in 1962, he recruited hundreds of Cuban players for the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins. Cambria was described as the first of many scouts who searched Latin America for inexpensive recruits for their respective ball clubs.

George Washington Case's association with the Washington Senators was the product of a business relationship which had existed between Clark Griffith and a Baltimore laundryman named Joe Cambria since 1934. Originally from Messina, Italy, but brought to America around 1890 when he was just three months old, Cambria was to become the Bobo Newsom of baseball club owners. Raised in Boston, his baseball travels began in 1910 as an outfielder with Newport of the Rhode Island State League. He hung on to a career as a minor-leaguer until 1916, when he fractured his leg. Cambra nevertheless did serve in World War I and, after the war, got into the laundry business, once sponsoring a boys team on which Clark Griffith's young nephew, Calvin, played.

For ten years beginning in the late twenties, Joe Cambria furthered his career as a nomadic minor-league operator. He successively bought clubs in various leagues in outposts like Hagerstown (Blue Ridge League); Youngstown (Middle Atlantic League); Albany (International League); Harrisburg (New York-Penn. League); Salisbury, Maryland (Eastern Shore League); St. Augustine (Florida State); and Greenville (Sally League).

In 1934, Cambria ran into some difficulty in meeting his payroll. It was then that he introduced himself to Clark Griffith for the first time. Needing $1,500 to stay afloat, Cambria was able to coax the sum out of the Old Fox, who would over the years reap a return worth many times his initial investment. At first, Cambria began beating the bushes for Griffith as a scout on a part-time basis only. He had no license to spend Griff's money, so as a result, he did his bird-dogging in locales less frequented by other scouts, generally in the lower minor leagues.

[GeoPoto]

Player #165: Joseph C. "Joe" Cambria Part 2. "Papa Joe" (born Carlo Cambria) was an American professional baseball scout and executive who was a pioneer in recruiting Latin American players. From 1929 through 1940, he owned several Minor League Baseball teams, as well as the Negro league Baltimore Black Sox. He is best known, however, for his work as a scout for Major League Baseball, especially for his work in Cuba. From the mid-1930s until his death in 1962, he recruited hundreds of Cuban players for the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins. Cambria was described as the first of many scouts who searched Latin America for inexpensive recruits for their respective ball clubs.

This approach led Joe Cambria clear out of the country to explore talent in Puerto Rico, Panama, and Mexico. In 1911, he had played in Cuba and recalled having been impressed with the ability of the players and the overall quality of play. He would eventually sign a great number of Cuban players for the Washington Senators on behalf of Clark Griffith.

The first of those was Bobby Estalella, a powerful hitter who packed 185 pounds on a 5' 6" frame. Discovered by Cambria in the Havana winter league while in his early twenties. Estalella could hit the ball a long way, when he connected. Unfortunately, his fielding average at third base risked dropping to the level of his batting average. In his debut with the Senators, in 1935, he got into 15 games and hit a couple of homers. In the field, he was knocking balls down any way he could, and the Griffith Stadium fans loved him. He faded back to the minors, but nearly four years later, Estalella was brought back to spend the better part of six seasons in the big leagues. In '39, the Nats made use of him in about half their games, but only in the outfield, and he managed to hit a creditable .275 with eight homers. Estalella was not destined to ever become a star, however.