Washington DC Baseball

[GeoPoto]

Player #92: Robert E. "Bobby" LaMotte. Shortstop with the Washington Senators in 1920-1922. 175 hits and 3 home runs in 5 MLB seasons. His final years were with the St. Louis Browns in 1925-1926.

Bobby LaMotte was an infielder for 21 years from 1916 to 1936, five in the Major Leagues and 19 in the minors. He served in Europe for the U.S. Army during World War I.

From 1920 through 1922 he played for the Washington Senators and from 1925 through 1926 with the St. Louis Browns. His major league career was ended by an eye injury when he was hit by a ball.

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[doug.goodman]

Signed photo with a fan of Cookie Lavagetto as a Senators coach in March 1955

[GeoPoto]

Doug: Thanks for posting. Is that LaMotte standing next to Cookie?

Player #56G: George F. "Pinch" McBride. Shortstop for the Washington Senators in 1908-1920. 1,203 hits, 7 home runs, and 133 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. Debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1901. Has the lowest batting average of any player with 5,000 MLB at-bats. Managed the Washington Senators in 1921 but was struck in the face by a line drive during batting practice and forced to retire.

. . . McBride’s appointment as manager was popular throughout the baseball world, but ill fortune scarred the ex-shortstop’s first and only season as the club’s manager. On July 27, 99 games into the 1921 season, McBride was struck above the temple by a ball thrown by outfielder Earl Smith during practice prior to a scheduled contest with the Chicago White Sox. He reportedly suffered a slight concussion and partial paralysis of the face. He was confined to his bed for almost a week and returned to the club on August 4, but continued dizziness and fainting spells hampered his efforts to lead his squad. Nevertheless, McBride guided the 1921 Senators to a fourth-place finish, with an 80-73 record, the best winning percentage achieved by the club during the 1919-1923 period. McBride continued to feel the ill effects of his injury during the off-season, and, on December 6 resigned his post as manager. Griffith offered him a job with the club as a scout, but he did not feel his health was good enough to accept the offer.

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[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by GeoPoto

Doug: Thanks for posting. Is that LaMotte standing next to Cookie?

No, it's a gentleman named Jim Armstrong. I have a bunch of signed pictures of him with players that I picked up from H&S a few years ago. He was an early autograph collector.

[GeoPoto]

Player #39J: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

Deveaux takes us through Milan's time as Washington manager: After McBride's terrible accident (manager McBride was struck in the face and partially paralyzed by a thrown ball while hitting infield practice) in August (1921), 34-year-old Clyde Milan, who batted .288 in 112 games in his player's role, took over. Milan now in his 15th year with Washington, guided the club to its 80-73 finish. . . .

(Aside to loyal readers: You may have noticed that yesterday saw an unplanned failure to post on my part. Because there is no excuse, I will simply explain that a series of entanglements with rabbit holes and confusions involved in preparing for an early morning departure conspired to distract me until I was beyond the conveniences of desk-top computing. I believe the medical term for what happened is "I forgot all about it." Oh, well . . .)

. . . They (the Nationals) fell to 69-85 (in 1922) and, after just one year at the helm, Deerfoot Milan gave up his managing job, having found the work decidedly unsatisfying. He'd been beset by stomach problems all year, brought on by nonstop worry about his sixth-place charges. In Walter Johnson's opinion, his best friend was too nice a guy, and some of the players had taken advantage of him. Milan's batting average, as an occasional insert in the lineup, had plunged from .288 to .230. He would never play again in the big leagues, although he would hit over .300 in the following two years as a player-manager in the minors. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #93A: George A. Mogridge. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1921-1925. 132 wins and 21 saves in 15 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1911-1912. His most productive season was 1921 with Washington as posted a 18-14 record with a 3.00 ERA in 288 innings pitched. He finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1926-1927. In 1917 he threw the first no-hitter in New York Yankee history. It was also the first no-hitter thrown in Fenway Park.

Deveaux points at Mogridge's importance to Washington: Clark Griffith was taking more measures (in 1921) towards building a championship-class ballclub out of his Senators. He had solid offense and defense particularly at first base with Joe Judge, at second with Bucky Harris, and in right field, where San Rice had taken over. The pitching was probably as good as the Nats had ever had, with Tom Zachary and George Mogridge complementing Walter Johnson as starters. Mogridge was a tall, friendly lefty whose past history had not foretold the consistency he would bring to Washington's pitching staff. Obtained from the Yankees in a deal involving outfielder Braggo Roth, who'd hit .291 in his one year with the Nationals, Mogridge would average 16 wins a season over the next four years. . . .

. . . Top man on the Senators' 1921 pitching staff was not Walter Johnson, but George Mogridge, who made good use of a befuddling mixture of off-speed offerings. Mogridge was the workhorse and top winner at 18-14, and Walter Johnson went 17-14 with an inflated 3.51 ERA, up considerably from 1.49 just two years earlier. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[ValKehl]

George, that is a wonderful photo of Mogridge, who was no "spring chicken" when he was obtained from the Yankees for the 1921 season - he was age 32 at the beginning of his 4 years of glory with the Senators.

I think I'm correct in stating that the only cards issued of Mogridge prior to his time with the Senators in the 1920's, were his T207 cards issued in 1912, when he was in his second year with the White Sox at age 23. Here are his four known T207 cards, and if a T207 Red Cross of Mogridge exists, I'd love to see it:

[GeoPoto]

Outstanding Mogridge T207 back run from Val. Thanks for posting!

Player #74F: Edgar C. "Sam" Rice. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1915-1933. 2,987 hits and 34 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1920 AL stolen base leader. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1963. Led the Senators to three AL pennants (1924,1925, and 1933). Best known for controversial "over the fence" catch in the 1925 World Series. He had many excellent seasons, but one of his best was 1930 as he posted a .407 OBP with 121 runs scored in 669 plate appearances. He had 63 stolen bases in 1920. He last played in 1934 with the Cleveland Indians. His early life was marred by tragedy when his wife, two daughters, parents, and two sisters were all killed by a tornado in Indiana.

Carroll explains how baseball strategies were evolving in 1921, much to the chagrin of oldtimers (a process that continues 100 years later): Though Rice's 1921 season was another success at the plate, he did see a huge drop off in one part of his game -- stolen bases. After leading the American League with sixty-three steals in 1920, Rice stole just twenty-six bases the following season, fourth in the league. . . .

. . . Base-stealing had been losing popularity even before the live-ball era made it a graver risk for a manager to risk outs on the bases. In 1911, the New York Giants had stolen 347 bases as a team. By 1920, the Giants total was down to 131. . . . By the late 1910s the Senators didn't run as often as they did before, either, but they still were running more than most teams. Clark Griffith was the reason. . . .

He was, of course, lucky enough to have Rice and Clyde Milan at his disposal. . . . Many decades later, the baseball thinker Bill James would (demonstrate that) . . . base stealing . . . Only positively influences a lineup's ability to score runs when it is successful more than seventy percent of the time. . . . Of course, in the early 1920s Clark Griffith wasn't armed with (James') formulas . . . But he believed he'd seen enough baseball to grasp when was a good time to run and when it might get a team into trouble. . . .

Baseball writers lamented the decline of base-stealing, feeling that suddenly conservative managers were extracting much of the color and excitement out of the game. . . . Rice blamed his fall-off in stolen bases to the trend of "freak deliveries." According to Rice, the deliveries themselves weren't so much responsible for the stolen base drought as their impact on the pitcher's repertoire of pitches. As they are today, curveballs were the easiest pitch to steal on . . . But in 1921, said Rice, pitchers were throwing far less curveballs, relying more on their delivery deception to throw hitters off rhythm. . . .

. . . Ultimately, most purists accepted the demise of the stolen base as a primary offensive weapon. "Under conditions such as they are at present, where pitching is indifferent and almost every batter is a potential slugger, the home run is always a possibility," one such purist wrote. "And before this imminent prospect the manager is prone to throw into the discard such relatively feeble efforts as the stolen base . . . Why should this base-runner risk getting caught at second when the next man up may knock out a two-bagger or a homer?" (Sam Rice by Jeff Carroll.)

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[Rad_Hazard]

Here my my 2 Washington cards:

[GeoPoto]

Thank you, Rad Hazard, for posting two nice OJ cards featuring Washington players.

Player #75D: Howard S. "Howie" Shanks. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1912-1922. 1,440 hits and 185 stolen bases in 14 MLB seasons. His best season was 1921 with Washington as he posted an OBP of .370 with 81 runs scored and 69 RBIs in 647 plate appearances. He finished his career with the New York Yankees in 1925.

We finish from Shanks' SABR biography and his life and death road to the big leagues: “My boy, prepare for the finish. You ain’t got more than a couple of weeks to live.” That is what a doctor told Howard Shanks in 1910. Shanks was told he had consumption (tuberculosis). He had just finished his second year of professional baseball, playing at East Liverpool, Ohio. Barney Dreyfuss of the Pittsburgh Pirates was interested in him, but Shanks only weighed 130 pounds at the time, and someone saw something that concerned them regarding his overall health. When they saw the medical report, the Pirates lost interest. For his part, Shanks went home, to prepare for death or one of the greatest comebacks of all time. He went on to play 14 seasons of major-league baseball and, though he died at the relatively young age of 51, it would be safe to agree with Shanks that “Either that doc didn’t know his business or Monaca (his hometown) is some health resort.” . . .

. . . In 1911, having survived the diagnosis, and put on about 40 pounds, he played for the second-place Youngstown Steelmen and hit .291 with nine homers in 124 games, while committing only three errors. Clearly, he was healthy. He stood 5-feet-11 and is listed as weighing 170 pounds. As early as May, he was being looked over by Jimmy McAleer. “The lad is about the best young outfielder I have seen this year…I had been tipped off some time ago to this player, and so I thought I’d go down and look him over. The lad is marvelously fast in the field and seems to know just what to do with himself. I can have him if I want him, and most likely I’ll take him, too, after a few weeks.” McAleer was unable to act right away, because Shanks was so popular with Youngstown fans that manager Bill Phillips did not want to let him go. (Washington selected him in that year's Rule 5 draft.

Note: Here we feature a putative Howie Shanks card from 1921, the W461-1 issued in his name, which actually pictures Wally Schang of the New York Yankees. Schang, thus, is the only player in the set technically featured more than once.

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[GeoPoto]

The 1922 Washington Senators won 69 games, lost 85, and finished in sixth place in the American League. They were managed by Clyde Milan and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

Smiles summarizes the early optimism surrounding Washington going into the 1922 season: . . . The Senators looked strong in March, and as Opening day approached the scribes rated them as serious contenders. "So wise a diagnostician as Babe predicts more trouble for his champions (the Yankees) from the Capital City, strange to say. Tris Speaker, manager of the Indians, and Lee Fohl of the St. Louis Browns, both of whom have high pennant hopes, figure Old Fox Griffith's club and not New York the one that must be headed in order to annex the laurel crown."

From another story that same day: "The acquisition of Peck (Peckinpaugh) just about made the ballclub. The Senators were weak at short for years. He fits in nice and pretty and the team is all ready to go. The players feel they have a good chance to win the pennant and we are inclined to string along with them."

. . . Another new attendance record was set as more than 25,000 saw the Senators open with a 6-5 win over the Yankees. The crowd was loud, animated and colorful. President Harding was seen to clap his secretary of state heartily on the back during the Senators' seventh-inning rally. The president kept a scorecard even with Walter Johnson Jr. sitting on his knee for the first three innings. The first lady wore out a pair of white gloves with her clapping. The crowd was "made up almost one-half of women in gayly decked hats and clothing, the mass took on the appearance of the spectrum. A splotch of gay red, a mass of green, somber black, grays in abundance, the peculiar mixture of colors which the flapper fan will wear to games this year all blend into a living, moving panorama of lights and shades."

Babe Ruth, under suspension for three days, walked into the stands alone in "spitter clothes to cheers and he smiled grimly as he took his seat." Ban Johnson entered later and sat next to the Babe.

(But) the spring analysis was way off. After that Opening Day win, the Senators lost eight of their next nine . . . They never recovered from that disastrous start. (Bucky Harris by Jack Smiles.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #93: Henry S. "Harry" Courtney. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1919-1922. 22 wins and 1 save in 4 MLB seasons. He finished the 1922 season with the Chicago White Sox.

Courtney also played for the Washington Senators of the American Professional Football Association in 1921. That season he signed with the football Senators for their November 20 game against a team from Clarksburg, West Virginia. However Clark Griffith, the owner of the baseball Senators, found out about Courtney moonlighting as a football player. Griffith ordered Courtney to stop playing football or risk finding himself without a job in baseball. Courtney gave up his football career and continued to focus only on baseball.

With his football career ended, Courtney pitched five times for Washington in 1922 before Griffith sold him to the Chicago White Sox in May; 1922 was to be his last big-league season.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #82C: Edward P. "Patsy" Gharrity. Catcher with the Washington Senators in 1916-1923 and 1929-1930. 513 hits and 20 home runs in 10 MLB seasons. He also played some first base and outfield. He had a career OBP of .331. His best season was 1921 as posted a .386 OBP with 55 RBIs in 455 plate appearances.

Gharrity's SABR biography: . . . In 1921 Gharrity played in 121 games, 116 of them behind the plate. Offensively it was his finest year in the majors. He posted his best single-season totals in runs scored, RBIs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, walks, batting average (.310), slugging, and on-base percentage. The Washington-St. Louis game of August 9 is known in baseball circles because Browns pitcher Dixie Davis threw all 19 innings, allowing no hits in the last 9. Not to be outdone, Gharrity caught all 19 for the Senators, who lost 8-6.

Gharrity was the number-one backstop again in 1922. He got off to a slow start at bat and was hitting only .182 on April 25. In the next six games, against Boston and Philadelphia, he went on a hitting tear, going 12-for-22, scoring 9 runs and driving in 9. The pattern continued with Gharrity enjoying hot streaks and then slumps. His defense also suffered, especially on May 11 against the Browns. He made two errors on throws, lost his confidence and held the ball in a critical situation as St. Louis won 5-3. His shoulder bothered him most of the season and in early August he was sent to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, for treatment drinking the city’s spring water. He finally returned to the starting lineup on August 22.

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[GeoPoto]

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

Deveaux describes Goslin's less-than-ideal young ways: The sensation of the (1922) spring, however, was the young slugger, Goose Goslin. His defense was still suspect at this point in his career, but he was knocking the ball around with authority against big-league pitchers. Goslin had an abundance of confidence. The previous September, when he had made his big-league debut, he had hit the ball hard off of White Sox ace Red Faber. Faber was completing a 25-win season, the third of his career with more than 20 wins up to that point, and on his way to the Hall of Fame. After Goslin scored and got back to the bench, Joe Judge remarked that he never thought he would have seen the day the Nats would have a healthy lead against Red Faber. Goslin, on the other hand, said he doubted this Faber fellow was actually any good at all.

Cockiness was already getting Goslin, who loved to live the good life, in trouble. He got fined before he ever got paid. One night, two weeks into 1922 spring training, he stayed up and won big money gambling. He went directly from the craps table to the breakfast table, only to run into his furious manager, Clyde Milan. Escorted to his room, Goslin was told to rest and that Milan would return to talk to him in an hour. When Milan showed up again, he found nothing but an open window. Nevertheless, Goslin ended up being the club's only .300 hitter, as 1922 unfolded into a poor year for the Nationals. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

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

Smiles takes us through Bucky's 1922 season: To avoid the temptation of the cage and a $1,000 fine if he gave in, Bucky left for Washington three weeks early. He spent several days golfing in the D. C. area before going south for spring training of his third major league season under his third different manager. . . .

. . . The infield with Bucky at second, Judge at first, Howard Shanks at third and Peckinpaugh at short was rated the best in the league. . . .

. . . Bucky was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in the (season) opener and the Senators were off and running to nowhere. The spring analysis was way off. After that Opening Day win, the Senators lost eight of their next nine, giving up 59 runs, an average of over six per nine innings. They never recovered from that disastrous start. . . .

. . . Surprisingly, the fielding, at least by error count, was disappointing. The Senators were second in errors in the A. L. with 199. Sam Rice led all center fielders with 21 miscues. Only one second baseman had more errors than Bucky's 30, but Bucky got to far more balls than most. He led in putouts and total chances per game with 6.4. (He was second in the league in fielding percentage to Eddie Collins.) He, Peckinpaugh and Judge all led in double plays at their position. (Bucky Harris by Jack Smiles.)

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[GeoPoto]

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

Deveaux touches on the difficult 1922 season and what Walter thought went wrong: . . . While the pitching improved marginally, the Nats were again next to last in hitting.

The keystone combo of Harris and Peckinpaugh was the main asset, setting a then major-league record for double plays with 168. On the other side of the coin, third base remained a trouble spot, and the Nats had too little power overall. They fell to 69-85 and, after just one year at the helm, Deerfoot Milan gave up his managing job, having found the work deeply unsatisfying. He'd been beset by stomach problems all year, brought on by nonstop worry about his sixth-place charges. In Walter Johnson's opinion, his best friend was too nice a guy, and some players had taken advantage of him. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

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

Now, Deveaux addresses Walter's 1922 season: Walter himself was still a key factor, more effective than he'd been the previous year, finishing at 15-16, but his 2.99 ERA was good for fifth in the league and still more than a run better than the league average. He had, however, stood at 9-3 at one point and had been particularly effective during the latter part of June. On the 28th, Barney pitched a third consecutive shutout to beat the Yanks 1-0 at Griffith Stadium. He gave up just seven singles, two to Babe Ruth. His poor finish was primarily due to the lack of offensive support he got from the sixth-place team behind him.

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[GeoPoto]

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

Judge's SABR biography has him in the middle of Washington's rise to compete for the pennant: Judge hit a career high.333 in 1920. He had five hits in a game twice, once on May 7 against New York and on May 29 versus Cleveland. He committed 10 errors that season as well, the last time he would record double-digits in that category. The 1920 season was also Griffith’s last as manager.

As the deadball era was ending, Griffith was slowly putting the pieces together for a competitive team, with Johnson, Judge and Judge’s fellow outfielder (sic) Sam Rice, as the foundation. Rice and Judge were teammates for 18 seasons in Washington, which was a record for the longest pairing of two teammates until surpassed by Detroit’s Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker (1977-1995). In 1918, Judge played a handful of games with the Baltimore Drydocks, a shipyard team he joined in keeping with the pattern for many major leaguers during World War I. Also on the team was young second baseman, Stanley “Bucky” Harris, whom Judge and scout Joe Engel recommended to Griffith. The “Old Fox” then acquired Harris in a trade with Buffalo in 1919, thus solidifying the right side of the Senator infield for many years.

In 1921 Griffith signed outfielder Goose Goslin from Columbia (SC) of the South Atlantic League for $7,000 and obtained shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh in a trade with Boston in 1922. When Ossie Bluege was signed to man the hot corner for the 1923 campaign, the Nats’ infield was being compared to Connie Mack’s famed $100,000 infield in Philadelphia. Griffith admitted that while Mack’s foursome might outhit his, he was confident that “we could outfield them in three of four positions”.

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[GeoPoto]

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

Lewis's SABR biography describes the tail end of his career: In 1920 (playing for the New York Yankees) he found himself fighting for playing time (.271 in 107 games) after the acquisition of Babe Ruth and the debut of rookie Bob Meusel. After the season Lewis was traded to the Washington Senators, for whom he hit .186 in just 27 games before being released in mid-June. . . .

. . . His finances wiped out by the stock-market crash, Lewis was a coach for the Boston Braves from 1931 to 1935, and may have been the only man to have witnessed Babe Ruth’s first home run (when he was Lewis’s Red Sox teammate in 1915) and last (when Ruth was playing out the string for the 1935 Braves).

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[GeoPoto]

Player #39K: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

We finish with Milan's SABR biography: On March 3, 1953, Clyde Milan died from a heart attack at a hospital in Orlando, Florida, two hours after collapsing in the locker room at Tinker Field. Three weeks short of his 66th birthday, he had insisted on hitting fungoes to the infielders during both the morning and afternoon workouts, despite the 80-degree heat.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #93B: George A. Mogridge. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1921 1925. 132 wins and 21 saves in 15 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1911-1912. His most productive season was 1921 with Washington as posted a 18-14 record with a 3.00 ERA in 288 innings pitched. He finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1926-1927. In 1917 he threw the first no-hitter in New York Yankee history. It was also the first no-hitter thrown in Fenway park.

Mogridge's SABR biography summarizes his career and points at some highlights in Washington: The tall, lanky, left-handed pitcher George Mogridge is best remembered today as the answer to a trivia question: Who pitched the first no-hitter in New York Yankees history? Yes, the answer is George Mogridge, on April 24, 1917, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. During his time in the major leagues from 1911 to 1927, however, Mogridge was known for more than just that one memorable pitching performance. No less an eminence than Babe Ruth, lamenting the trade that sent Mogridge from the Yankees to the Washington Senators, called him the “best left-hander in the league.” Hall of Fame center fielder Tris Speaker echoed Ruth’s sentiment: “George Mogridge is not only the best southpaw in this league, but also the best pitcher.” This “best pitcher in the league” never won more than 18 games in a season, and finished his career with a 132-133 record, but he helped the Washington Senators become pennant contenders in the 1920s and was a key figure in their World Series victory in 1924. . . .

. . . With Washington, Mogridge became the consistent winner he had never been with the Yankees. Used almost exclusively as a starter, he had a banner year in 1921, winning 18, losing 14, with a respectable 3.00 ERA. He was Washington’s top pitcher, outpointing even the great Walter Johnson, who was 17-14 with a 3.53 ERA that year. In his first start against the Yankees in the second game of a doubleheader on May 30, Mogridge outdueled the old spitballer Jack Quinn, 1-0, allowing only two hits. On July 1, also in the second game of a doubleheader, Mogridge pitched a 12-inning, three-hit shutout to best Bob Hasty and the Philadelphia A’s, 1-0. . . .

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[GeoPoto]

Player #94: George B. Morgan. Pitcher who never appeared in MLB. Played 6 seasons in the minor leagues. Had a 58-60 career record in 153 game appearances. His highest achievement was one season (1921) with AA Rochester, where he posted a 17-10 record with a 4.04 ERA in 214 innings pitched.

Not everybody makes it! Enough said.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #95A: Roger T. Peckinpaugh. Shortstop for the Washington Senators in 1922-1926. 1,876 hits and 205 stolen bases in 17 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. His best season at the plate was probably 1921 as he helped the New York Yankees reach the World Series and posted a .380 OBP with 128 runs scored and 72 RBIs in 694 plate appearances. He debuted with the Cleveland Naps in 1910 and finished his playing career with the Chicago White Sox in 1927. He managed the New York Yankees in 1914 and the Cleveland Indians in 1928-1933 and 1941.

Deveaux explains how complex (and expensive) Griffith's acquisition of Peckinpaugh was Part 1: For third base for 1922, to replace Howard Shanks, Griffith got Donie Bush, who'd been the Tigers' regular shortstop since 1909. The idea was to get Bush to spell Shanks at third and Blackie O'Rourke at short, as the dark-featured Canadian hit only .234 as the regular. Shortstop was Griffith's main concern and in the first month of 1922, he decided to make a pitch for veteran Roger Peckinpaugh, a 31-year-old who had been the best in the league at the position for years. What the bow-legged Peckinpaugh may have lacked in grace, he made up for in range and strength.

The regular Yankees shortstop since 1914, "Peck" had been traded to Boston in another sensational, money-saving deal engineered by the Red Sox's Harry Frazee on December 20, 1921. (Everett Scott, "Bullet Joe" Bush and "Sad Sam" Jones were sent to the Yankees.) Money, however, had not been the only motivation behind that particular deal. Babe Ruth disliked Yankees manager Miller Huggins, and wanted to have Peckinpaugh named manager of the New York club, for which Ruth had now completed his first season. The Yankees had obviously decided not to grant Ruth the power of deciding who his immediate superior was going to be.

In any case, Peckinpaugh became a Red Sox in name only. He'd been on their roster for all of three weeks, obviously never even suiting up for them. On January 10, 1922, he was moved to Washington by Frazee, who had been tempted to accept cash from Griffith. Frazee had thought better of that, however. He was the most unpopular man in Boston, having already expelled, in addition to Bush, Jones, and Scott, the likes of Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, and Wally Schang. Then, of course, there had been that kid called the Babe. If cash wouldn't do in an exchange for Peckinpaugh, though, Clark Griffith had no star player he could part with.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #95A: Roger T. Peckinpaugh. Shortstop for the Washington Senators in 1922-1926. 1,876 hits and 205 stolen bases in 17 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. His best season at the plate was probably 1921 as he helped the New York Yankees reach the World Series and posted a .380 OBP with 128 runs scored and 72 RBIs in 694 plate appearances. He debuted with the Cleveland Naps in 1910 and finished his playing career with the Chicago White Sox in 1927. He managed the New York Yankees in 1914 and the Cleveland Indians in 1928-1933 and 1941.

Deveaux explains how complex (and expensive) Griffith's acquisition of Peckinpaugh was Part 2: It was Griff's inside knowledge which ultimately enabled him to get Peckinpaugh for the Senators. The A's had a fine young third baseman named Joe Dugan who had begun showing decent power as a 24-year-old the previous season. But there was a problem with Dugan, for which he had earned the nickname of "Jumping Joe". He often got homesick and would jump the ballclub, without notice, to return to his hometown of Boston to visit family and friends. Now if Griffith could get Dugan from Connie Mack, he could probably turn right around and send him home for good.

Clark Griffith's complex strategy to acquire Roger Peckinpaugh succeeded, but it cost him dearly. Griffith surrendered three players, including incumbent shortstop Blackie O'Rourke, and infielder Edmund "Bing" Miller who had hit .288 with the Senators in '21, his only season in Washington. In Miller's case, Washington made a mistake. Over the next nine years, his lowest batting average as a regular in Philadelphia would be .299. But at the time of the trade, what hurt Griffith the most was the $50,000 check he ultimately had to write Frazee in order to get Peckinpaugh for his ballclub. . .

. . . The new Peckinpaugh-Harris-Judge combination would become one of the most lethal rally-killing trios in history. As Clark Griffith so succinctly put it, whenever the ball was hit in the direction of any one of these guys, everybody was out. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #96: Thomas G. "Big Tom" Phillips. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1921-1922. 8 wins in 4 MLB seasons. He debuted with the St. Louis Browns in 1915.

According to an April 12, 1929 newspaper obituary "He broke into professional baseball with Wilkes-Barre in 1914, where his work attracted Connie Mack. During his best years he was a member of the [Philadelphia] Athletics, St. Louis [Browns], Cleveland [Indians] and Washington [Senators] in the American League. He was also with Little Rock and New Orleans of the Southern Association, pitching the latter team to a pennant in 1924. In 1925 Washington sent him to Minneapolis. The Millers recently sent him to Des Moines, in the Western Association, while he was ill at home in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania. He was about 38 years of age, and had lived here nearly all of his life. His best feat was a no-hit, no-run game while with New Orleans in 1924.

Big Tom Phillips, of Phillipsburg, PA., died at the Phillipsburg state hospital after a lingering illness from diabetes.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #83B: Valentine J. "Val" Picinich. Catcher with the Washington Senators in 1918-1922. 743 hits and 26 home runs in 18 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1916-1917. His most productive season was 1928 with the Cincinnati Reds as he posted a .343 OBP with 35 RBIs in 357 plate appearances. His last season was 1933 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We go back to Picinich's SABR biography as he winds up his Washington career: . . . Senators fans knew Gharrity was the better player on offense so when Gharrity was rested in the second game of a doubleheader (in 1920) and Picinich managed to say something that caused umpire Billy Evans to eject him, the Washington fans cheered. Gharrity had an even better year in 1921, hitting .310. Picinich did, too; he caught 43 games, improving at the plate to .277.

By this time, Picinich was seen as a reliable backup catcher to Gharrity and so it was again in 1922, with Picinich sometimes entering later in games. In one instance, on July 26, it worked the other way around – Picinich was ejected from a game in the eighth, and Gharrity came in and hit a home run to win the game on the first pitch he saw in the ninth. Gharrity caught in 96 games and Picinich in 76. He hit .229, with 19 RBIs.

It was said that in his years with the Senators, he caught all but two games pitched by Walter Johnson.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #74G: Edgar C. "Sam" Rice. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1915-1933. 2,987 hits and 34 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1920 AL stolen base leader. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1963. Led the Senators to three AL pennants (1924,1925, and 1933). Best known for controversial "over the fence" catch in the 1925 World Series. He had many excellent seasons, but one of his best was 1930 as he posted a .407 OBP with 121 runs scored in 669 plate appearances. He had 63 stolen bases in 1920. He last played in 1934 with the Cleveland Indians. His early life was marred by tragedy when his wife, two daughters, parents, and two sisters were all killed by a tornado in Indiana.

Carroll takes us through Rice's 1922 season Part 1: Even early on, there were signs that Rice might not be in shape to put up the kind of season Washington fans had grown accustomed to. After spending much of the winter back home hunting in Indiana, he was a few pounds overweight when he showed up to negotiate his contract. By the time he returned again in March for spring training, Rice was still carrying a few extra pounds (to his credit, he did arrive a week before he was required).

Rice had encountered difficulty picking up ground balls to the outfield in the past, but new Washington manager Clyde Milan thought his star was a little bit too nonchalant for his taste when a ball rolled through his legs during a late March relay throw drill, singly the star out in the newspapers. . . .

. . . Rice's fielding difficulties may have been good for a little laugh during Spring training, but when the bad habit of not getting down on base hits to the outfield cost the Senators runs in the regular season, it wasn't so funny anymore. Rice made a key error on such a chance in an early-season loss to the Yankees, Washington's fifth consecutive defeat and their eighth in nine games on the young season. The Post, begging for Griffith to retain Rice just months before (as Rice and Griffith haggled over his contract), blasted him for the gaffe.

"It was none other than Sammy Rice, the outfielding star of the troupe," Senators beat writer John A. Dugan reported, "who pulled what is becoming an almost daily stunt with him of allowing a ball to roll through his legs."

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[GeoPoto]

Player #74G: Edgar C. "Sam" Rice. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1915-1933. 2,987 hits and 34 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1920 AL stolen base leader. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1963. Led the Senators to three AL pennants (1924,1925, and 1933). Best known for controversial "over the fence" catch in the 1925 World Series. He had many excellent seasons, but one of his best was 1930 as he posted a .407 OBP with 121 runs scored in 669 plate appearances. He had 63 stolen bases in 1920. He last played in 1934 with the Cleveland Indians. His early life was marred by tragedy when his wife, two daughters, parents, and two sisters were all killed by a tornado in Indiana.

Carroll takes us through Rice's 1922 season Part 2: . . . The '22 season was a struggle. Even when things went well, they were overshadowed. During a May series against the Yankees, Rice reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances, including two home runs (one inside-the-park). But even the hometown Washington Post gave top billing in the next morning's paper to Babe Ruth's temper tantrum in the game that drew a threat of suspension from the league. With the Yankees coming to town the next afternoon, the Post argued vehemently that suspensions should be outlawed in baseball because they hurt the fans who take great pains to attend ballgames (the suspension was lifted after just one game in favor of a $200 fine).

By objective standards, Rice didn't have a terrible season at the plate in 1922, but it was certainly a step backward for him. His thirty-seven doubles and thirteen triples put him among the league leaders in both categories. And a year after being forced out of the lineup for a couple of weeks with a nagging ankle sprain, Rice was back to playing in all 154 games -- plus, in a league-leading 633 at-bats, he struck out just thirteen times. Among American League regulars, only Cleveland veteran Stuffy McGinnis, with a remarkable five strikeouts in 537 at-bats, whiffed less frequently. McGinnis, a man who would finish his career with three World Series rings, 2,405 hits and a career batting average of .307, wasn't horrible company to keep. But just two years earlier, Rice had spent the summer putting his name alongside guys like Ruth, Sisler and Jackson as one of the American League's top hitters.

Rice's .295 mark wasn't bad, especially since it was a steady .295, with few prolonged slumps or hot streaks throughout the course of the 1922 season. But it wasn't close to the pace he had set the previous two years. And he was playing in a league in which Ty Cobb batted .401, yet still failed to win his thirteenth batting title. That honor went to Sisler, who hit .420. (Sam Rice by Jeff Carroll.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #97A: Earl L. "Sheriff" Smith. Outfielder/Third baseman with the Washington Senators in 1921-1922. 429 hits and 9 home runs in 7 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 1916. His most productive season was 1920 with the St. Louis Browns as he posted a .336 OBP with 55 RBIs in 378 plate appearances.

"Sheriff" Earl Smith played seven seasons in the big leagues, getting over 1,500 at-bats, mostly for the St. Louis Browns. He appeared at all three outfield positions as well as playing third base.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #98A: J. Thompson "Tom" Zachary. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1919-1925 and 1927-1928. 1924 and 1928 World Series champion. 186 wins and 23 saves in 19 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1918. In Washington's World Series-winning 1924 season, he posted a 15-9 record with a 2.75 ERA in 202.2 innings pitched. In 1949 with the New York Yankees, he went 12-0, an MLB record that still stands for most wins without a loss in one season. He also gave up Babe Ruth's 60th home run in 1927. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1936.

Zachary's SABR biography: Tom Zachary pitched in the majors from 1918 through 1936, logging 186 victories. The Guilford College star — who took part in one of the greatest collegiate pitching duels ever waged — never played a minor league game, a rare occurrence in those days. He picked up three World Series checks and was on the World Champion Senators in 1924 and Yankees in 1928. In the postseason he had a lifetime 3-0 mark with a 2.86 ERA. In his most impressive regular season, he posted a 12-0 mark with the Yankees in 1929. No major leaguer has won more without a defeat in a season. However, with all those accomplishments, he is best remembered for delivering a low, inside fastball that Babe Ruth drove into the right field seats for his 60th home run in 1927. . . .

. . . Zachary joined the Senators’ rotation in 1920 and compiled a 15-16 record with three shutouts. He led his team in wins and complete games and was second to Johnson in ERA. The following season Washington added lefty George Mogridge to the staff. The threesome of Johnson, Mogridge and Zachary would lead the team to the World Series in 1924.

The 1924 Senators sputtered early in the season and entered June under the .500 mark. They swept the Yankees in four games June 23-25 to move into first place. They faltered in early August but scratched their way back to the top and finished the season ahead of New York.

In the World Series Walter Johnson started Game 1 and fell victim to the Giants, 4-3. Zachary pitched eight strong innings in the next game but needed relief from Firpo Marberry when he tired in the ninth. Zachary had allowed two runs to tie the game when Marberry came in with two outs and fanned Travis Jackson to close the frame. The Senators pushed across a run in the bottom half for a 4-3 victory.

The game was exciting but free of disputes. It was what happened postgame that created a stir in the baseball community. The win was originally granted to Marberry and appeared that way in early box scores and in The Sporting News. After the game, noted sportswriter Frederick G. Lieb, who was chief scorer, “posted notice at press headquarters” that Zachary deserved the win based upon his strong eight innings. The decision was met with strong discussion throughout the nation’s press, but the decision stood, and Zachary was given the win. (We will pick up this account when Zachary next surfaces in our progression.)

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[GeoPoto]

The 1923 Washington Senators won 75 games, lost 78, and finished in fourth place in the American League. They were managed by Donie Bush and played home games at Griffith Stadium.

We let Smiles touch on developments in 1923: Griffith spent $100,000 on young players in the offseason and for 1923 had the largest crop of young players in camp in club history with 13. Among them were six pitchers, only two of which, Cy Warmoth and Bonnie Hollingsworth would go north. They didn't do much pitching, only 177 innings between them with a combined 10-12 record. Of the position players Pinky Hargrave stuck as a back-up catcher and Ossie Bluege took over at third base. On February 10 the final pieces of the team to come in 1924 were put in place when Griffith traded Howard Shanks, Val Picinich and Ed Goebel to the Red Sox for catcher Muddy Ruel and pitcher Allen Russell. . . .

. . . On September 21, with the Senators owning a 68-71 record and residing in fifth place, a game out of fourth and 3 1/2 out of third, Washington Post writer Frank Young wrote that Bush was out at the end of the season. "Despite the fact that President Griffith persists in denying the report that Donnie Bush would be deposed as a manager of Washington at the end of the season, . . .". Bush had his supporters who noted that even with the Senators pitching their worst in years and the team batting average ranking seventh in the league, the team was within a few games of third place. Injuries and suspensions didn't help Bush. Johnson, Mogridge, Rice, Judge, Bluege and (Harris) missed time. . . .

. . . With the exception of a seven-game losing streak in late May and early June, . . . The Senators didn't go through dramatic hot and cold stretches in 1923. They played most of the season like what they were, a .500 team. They finished the season in fourth place at 75-78.

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[ValKehl]

1923 was not an especially prolific year for baseball card issues. Here's a tough 1923 card of Sam Rice and a Canadian card of Herold "Muddy" Ruel, who became a key player for the Senators after being acquired, as George mentioned in the above post, from the Red Sox in early 2023. Ruel batted .316 in 136 games in 1923, and this was his highest batting average during his 19 year MLB career.

I just remembered I have and have added a 1923 Willard's Chocolate of Allen Russell, the other player George mentioned that the Senators acquired in 1923 from the Red Sox. Russell had one of the best years of his 11-year MLB career in 1923, with a 10-7 W-L record, a 3.03 ERA, and a Major-League-leasing 9 saves (Clark Griffith was one of the earliest to gravitate to the heavy use of relief pitchers - Russell started only 5 of the 52 games in which he appeared).

[GeoPoto]

Thanks, Val!

Player #99: William F. "Bill" Conroy. "Pep". Infielder with the Washington Senators in 1923. 8 hits in 67 plate appearances in 1 MLB season.
Bill Conroy , nicknamed "Pep", was a professional baseball player. He was an infielder for one season (1923) with the Washington Senators. For his career, he compiled a .133 batting average in 60 at-bats, with two runs batted in.

Conroy was treated for an abscess or tumor at the base of his brain, first experienced in 1922. "The ruddy faced, stockily built youngster reported to the training camp apparently in the best of health, said he felt well and showed sufficient ability in the exhibition games to earn the berth as regular at the far corner." He admitted to having headaches in spring training but was eager to play in 1923. It seems unlikely the medical condition caused his short MLB career as he eventually died at age 71.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #100: Eric G. "Swat" Erickson. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1919-1922. 34 wins and 4 saves in 7 MLB seasons. He is the only Swedish-born player in MLB history to appear in more than 1 or 2 games. He debuted with the New York Giants in 1914. His most productive season was 1920 with Washington as he posted a 12-16 record with a 3.84 ERA in 239.1 innings pitched.

Ericson's SABR biography: Between 1870 and 1920, over a million Swedes emigrated to the United States, primarily seeking greater economic opportunities. This influx produced notable second- and third-generation Swedish-American baseball stars like Charles “Swede” Risberg and Freddie Lindstrom. But only four Swedish-born players made the big leagues. Collectively they appeared in just 149 major-league games. Pitching for the Giants, Tigers, and Senators in an eight-year career (1914-22), Eric Erickson accounts for 145 of these. . . .

. . . Before the 1920 season, MLB outlawed the shine-slash-spitter Erickson had relied upon, and he was not among the 17 pitchers whose slippery repertoire was grandfathered. For whatever reason—changes in the pitching rules, or a loss of velocity—his ability to overpower hitters diminished. Before 1920 he had struck out five hitters every nine innings, an impressive Deadball Era accomplishment. In 1920 he struck out 3.3 batters every nine innings, and achieved a 12-16 record and a 3.84 ERA. . .

. . . During 1921’s spring training, Erickson began to use “a sort of half side-arm and half under-hand delivery.” The Senators climbed into fourth place with an 80-73 mark. Erickson, as the fourth starter, finished with an 8-10 mark and a 3.62 ERA. The retrospectively-calculated ERA+ of 114 he achieved that season was his career-best.

In November 1921, Griffith sought to deal Erickson to Portland for some of their young pitching talent. But the Yankees refused to let him pass through waivers. Next, he was rumored to be a piece in a three-way trade, with the Athletics and the Red Sox, which would bring Roger Peckinpaugh to Washington. Though the deal went down, Erickson was not included. Consequently, the veteran stayed with Washington in 1922, stumbling to a 4-12 record and a 4.96 ERA. . . .

. . . During his major-league days, the press commonly referred to Erickson as “Ole” or Olaf” or “the big Swede.” In Jamestown (where he grew up and lived), ever since delivering key hits at the beginning of his semipro days, he was known exclusively as “Swat.” Almost two decades after his earliest triumphs, possibly his finest baseball moment occurred on a local semipro diamond. On August 7, 1930, Bill McKechnie’s Boston Braves came to Jamestown for an exhibition game. The 38-year-old Erickson one-hit the major leaguers, allowing only a “dinky single between first and second” to pinch-hitter Lance Richbourg in the ninth inning. “Swat” accounted for all of Jamestown’s runs in their 3-0 victory, by clearing the bases with a triple in the second inning.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #82D: Edward P. "Patsy" Gharrity. Catcher with the Washington Senators in 1916-1923 and 1929-1930. 513 hits and 20 home runs in 10 MLB seasons. He also played some first base and outfield. He had a career OBP of .331. His best season was 1921 as posted a .386 OBP with 55 RBIs in 455 plate appearances.

Gharrity's SABR biography: . . . Griffith acquired catcher Muddy Ruel for the 1923 season. Gharrity split his time between catching, first base, and pinch-hitting, appearing in 93 games. He batted a career-low .207. Over the winter, Gharrity made a fateful decision. He decided to join the Midwest Industrial League and play for Beloit. Not only did they pay a baseball salary, they found a job for him in the local steel mill. Little did he know that the Senators under Bucky Harris would win the pennant in 1924 and 1925.

Griffith was angered by Ed’s decision and had him placed on the suspended list. Gharrity played in the Industrial League from 1924 to 1928. He was one of the stars of the league, which stretched from Wisconsin through Chicago to Massillon and Canton, Ohio. In 1924 he and Hippo Vaughn formed the best battery in the circuit. . . .

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[GeoPoto]

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

Smiles touches on highlights from Harris' 1923 season: On the opening day of camp Griffith named Bucky captain of the Senators. Being captain got Bucky a banner headline in the Post but not much power. It was largely a ceremonial position, but he took it to heart. "The responsibility, as I took it, was more intense study of the players and the game." . . .

. . . On September 25 Bucky helped rookie pitcher Frederick "Firpo" Marberry win his first start, 5-3, over the White Sox. Bucky knocked in three of the Senators' five runs and made a "brilliant catch of Blankenship's liner doubling up Crouse to end the game." Marberry, an obscure 24-year-old Texan, got in 11 games in 1923 and was little noticed. But in 1924 Bucky, as the Senators' manager, would use Marberry in an unprecedented way. Decades ahead of his time, Bucky turned Marberry into a closer who was as vital to the Senators' pennant and World Series triumphs as Walter Johnson. . . .

. . . Muddy Ruel led the team in batting average, hitting .316. Bucky batted .282 with 36 extra-base hits, the most of his career. Two were home runs, his first since 1921. He readily attributed his power surge to the live ball. Bucky again led second basemen in putouts with 418, 71 more than Collins; double plays with 120, 43 more than Collins; and total chances per game. Bucky and Peckinpaugh became the first shortstop-second base tandem in which both took part in 100 double plays. Peckinpaugh made 100 exactly. Babe Ruth was selected American League MVP with 64 votes. Ruel got seven votes, and Bucky received three. (Bucky Harris by Jack Smiles.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #54L: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson Part 1. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

Deveaux takes us through Waler's 1923 season: Walter Johnson hurt his left knee while striding, on May 20, in St. Louis. The incident eventually led to the dismissal of coach George Gibson. It had been Gibson's idea that the way to get the kinks out of Walter's leg was to have him chase fungoes every day. When the strategy backfired, Gibson was replaced with the old pitching great, Jack Chesbro. Chesbro wasn't around long, replaced as third-base coach before the beginning of the next season by Al Schacht, the ex-pitcher and funnyman with the hangdog look.

Schacht had called Clark Griffith on a promise the Old Fox had made three years earlier on the occasion of another Walter Johnson injury. Back on July 5, 1920, when Barney was to have started one of the games of a doubleheader at home versus the Yankees but had been unable to come out, Schacht had saved the day, as mentioned (see entry for Schacht in the 1920 portion of our thread) before a large crowd that the owner would have been loath to disappoint. When he volunteered, Griff had promised Schacht a job forever if he went out and won the crowd over, and of course, he did. There was no question that the Clown Prince of Baseball was no clown when it came to baseball know-how, and now he would be reaping his reward on the coaching lines. (We will return to this account in Part 2 of Walter's entry, but first a diversion to introduce a noteworthy MLB player despite his unfortunate role in Walter's 1923 season.)

(Quick aside: As a team collector, I am generally denied the joys of collecting hall of fame and other famous players, unless their careers included time in Washington. A key exception occurs when they are found sharing a card with a Washington player. Here we find a three-card panel with Walter Johnson and, as a bonus, the circumstantially famous, Wally Pipp.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #101: George C. "Mooney" Gibson. Catcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1905-1916 and with the New York Giants in 1917-1918. 893 hits and 15 home runs in 14 MLB seasons. 1909 World Series champion. His best season was 1909 as he posted a .326 OBP with 52 RBIs in 571 plate appearances. During the 1909 season, he caught in 134 consecutive games, which was the record until 1940 when it was broken by Ray Mueller. His 150 games caught during the 1909 season was also a record, which stood until broken by Ray Schalk in 1920. He led the 1909 National League catchers in fielding percentage, baserunners caught stealing, and in caught stealing percentage. He also caught all seven games in Pittsburgh's 1909 World Series championship. Gibson managed the Pirates in 1920-1922, the Chicago Cubs in 1925, and the Pirates again in 1932-1934. He is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gibson's SABR biography summarizes his career as a player in MLB: Over the three-year period from 1908 to 1910, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher George Gibson averaged 144 games behind the plate per season, an unheard-of figure for a catcher during the Deadball Era. “Wagner, Clarke, and Leach have been set above all others in allotting credit for Pittsburgh’s success, but there is a deep impression in many people’s minds that ‘Gibby’ was the one best bet,” wrote Alfred H. Spink in The National Game. Though he wasn’t much of a hitter, as evidenced by his lifetime .236 batting average, Gibson was generally regarded as one of the NL’s premier catchers because of his stellar defensive skills and his deadly, accurate throwing arm. When his playing days were over, the popular former backstop turned his reputation as a smart player and square shooter into a moderately successful managing career, compiling a 413-344 record in parts of seven seasons as one of the first Canadians ever to manage in the major leagues. . . .

. . . Catching veteran twirler Deacon Phillippe in his major-league debut at Cincinnati on July 2 (1905), “Hack” Gibson recorded six putouts, two assists, and one error. In The Glory of Their Times he explains how the error occurred on a throw to second base: “The first time one of the Cincinnati players got on first base, he tried to steal second. I rocked back on my heels and threw a bullet, knee high, right over the base. Both the shortstop and second baseman—Honus Wagner and Claude Ritchey—ran to cover second base, but the ball went flying into center field before either of them got near it. I figured they were trying to make me look bad, letting the throw go by, because I was a rookie. But Wagner came in, threw his arms around me, and said, ‘Just keep throwing that way, kid. It was our fault, not yours.’ What had happened was that they had gotten so used to Heinie Peitz‘s rainbows that any throw on a straight line caught them by surprise.” Although he posted back-to-back batting averages of .178 in 1905-06 and allowed 31 passed balls during the latter season, Gibson diligently studied the mental game of baseball under Fred Clarke’s tutelage and worked hard to improve his skills. Years after his retirement he credited Clarke with teaching him to play intelligent baseball and boasted that “thinking was my real specialty.”

Gibson’s greatest season was the phenomenal 1909 campaign, in which the Pirates posted a 110-42 record. That year he caught 150 regular-season games for the Corsairs, including a remarkable string of 134 consecutive games to set an NL record. “There is no doubt but that Gibson could have caught every game of the National League schedule had it been necessary for him to do so,” wrote Spink. “However, the pennant was clinched many days before the wind-up and Clarke gave Gibson the rest he so richly deserved.” He never missed a game despite “black and blue marks imprinted by 19 foul tips upon his body, a damaged hand, a bruise on his hip six inches square where a thrown bat had struck, and three spike cuts,” and he even managed to post one of his better offensive seasons: .265 with 25 doubles, nine triples, two home runs, and 52 RBI. In the midst of his streak, Gibson slugged a double for the final hit in Pittsburgh’s Exposition Park on June 29, and the next day captured the Pirates’ first hit (a single) in the new Forbes Field. On the eve of the World Series, press reports described him as “far and away the best catcher in the National League.” The London Free Press, his hometown newspaper, even credited him with the World Series success of pitcher Babe Adams: “His ability to quickly discover the weakness of the Detroit heavy hitters undoubtedly was the cause of Adams’ strength.”

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[GeoPoto]

Player #54L: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson Part 2. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

We return to Deveaux's account: Walter Johnson's early-season leg injury slowed the 35-year-old icon for most of the rest of the 1923 campaign. But then he had another strong finish, winning both ends of a doubleheader for the only time in his unbelievable career, at St. Louis on September 17. Nine days later, he won another of his 38 career 1-0 decisions over the White Sox. In the last game of the year on October 5, in the epitome of a strong end to a season, the power of the Big Train was fully in evidence. In beating the Red Sox 4-2, Walter struck out 12, the highest total for the year in the American League. Added all up, his record amounted to 17-12, 3.48, highly creditable considering the injury and slow start. He led the league in only one major category, strikeouts, with a modest 130.

While showing improvement, Washington wasn't able to quite elevate itself above .500 in 1923, winding up 75-78. The club did, however, vault itself out of the second division, where it had spent the whole season, making to fourth place with a victory over the Browns on the last day of the campaign. (In the National League, Rodgers Hornsby of the Cardinals went 3-for-5 in the last game to finish at .401, becoming the first to crash the .400 barrier in that league since Ed Delahanty had done so for the Phillies of 1899.) The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #102A: Harry L. "Nemo" Leibold. Outfielder with the Washington Senators in 1923-1925. 1,109 hits and 136 stolen bases in 13 MLB seasons. 1917 and 1924 World Series champion. He had a career OBP of .357. He debuted with the Cleveland Naps in 1913-1915. His best season statistically was 1919 with the Chicago White Sox as he posted a .404 OBP with 81 runs scored in 523 plate appearances.

Leibold's SABR biography takes us through his 1920 season: A scrappy outfielder, Nemo Leibold had a 13-year major-league career and played on four World Series teams, winning a championship with the Chicago White Sox in 1917 and another with the Washington Senators in 1924. Later a distinguished manager in the minor leagues from 1928 to 1948, Leibold is best known for passing through the Black Sox Scandal of 1919 with his reputation and honor intact. . . .

. . . For the 1913 season, Leibold joined manager Joe Birmingham’s Naps (a name honoring the team’s star player, Nap Lajoie) and was given the title of “smallest man in the league” (he was 5'6'') by Sporting Life. Teammate Jack Lelivelt began calling Leibold “Nemo” based on the popular comic strip “Little Nemo,” and the nickname stuck with Leibold for the rest of his playing career. Teaming with Shoeless Joe Jackson and Jack Graney in the outfield, Nemo took over center field by midseason and finished with a .259 batting average in 286 at-bats. “[Leibold] should be one of the best flychasers in the American League next season,” Sporting Life predicted. . . .

. . . In 1919 the White Sox got off to a fast start and won their second pennant in three seasons. Under new manager Kid Gleason, Leibold excelled, platooning in right field with Shano Collins, but seeing most of the playing time and batting .302 in 434 at-bats. His 72 walks led the team and his .404 on-base percentage trailed only Shoeless Joe Jackson among the regulars.

The White Sox were to face the Cincinnati Reds in the best-of-nine World Series. Washington Senators manager and co-owner Clark Griffith predicted that Chicago would win the Series and praised Nemo: “[Leibold is] hard to pitch to and has a good eye. If the balls are bad, he won’t take a cut at them. If they are in, he is liable to crack for two or three as he is a single.”

Playing against right-handed pitchers in the Series, Leibold went hitless in his first 13 at-bats (with two walks) before lining a single in the deciding Game Eight loss. He finished the Series with just one hit in 18 at-bats.

With rumors of a fixed World Series resonating throughout baseball in 1920, a grand jury was convened in Chicago in September to investigate the allegations. Despite the disruptions, the 1920 White Sox played well and were in first place to begin the last month of the season. “It was a reeling blow to us when the investigations proved the 1919 Series had been fixed,” Leibold recalled almost 40 years later. “We could not believe that eight of our teammates let us down.” . . .

. . . Summoned by the grand jury to testify, Leibold revealed that friends from Detroit had contacted him about a rumored fix and wanted an inside scoop, but he never wrote to them. Under oath, Leibold said, “[I told them] I was in a spot where I couldn’t advise you either way, so I just didn’t answer. That was the only thing I could do.” Leibold said he had no knowledge of a fix. “I roomed with Buck [Weaver] throughout the 1919 and 1920 season and I never had any inkling that there was anything wrong,” he said. Leibold, who suffered a broken left hand in 1920 that limited his batted average to .220, was never implicated in the scandal.

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[ValKehl]

Here's a couple of earlier cards of "Nemo" that show him with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox. George, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you only collect cards that show a player being with the Senators.

[ValKehl]

Duplicate post - sorry!

[brianp-beme]

I had trouble finding Nemo in my collection, but as is seen with this V100 Willards Chocolate card, there is a happy ending to this story.

Brian

[GeoPoto]

Thank you, Val and Brian, for augmenting the Little Nemo display. And yes, Val, I try to stick to cards et al depicting players while they were with Washington. Now to your favorite in 1923 . . .

Player #74H: Edgar C. "Sam" Rice. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1915-1933. 2,987 hits and 34 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1920 AL stolen base leader. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1963. Led the Senators to three AL pennants (1924,1925, and 1933). Best known for controversial "over the fence" catch in the 1925 World Series. He had many excellent seasons, but one of his best was 1930 as he posted a .407 OBP with 121 runs scored in 669 plate appearances. He had 63 stolen bases in 1920. He last played in 1934 with the Cleveland Indians. His early life was marred by tragedy when his wife, two daughters, parents, and two sisters were all killed by a tornado in Indiana.

Carroll takes us through the 1923 season: At the plate, Rice had a tremendous year in 1923. He batted .316, rebounding from the off year in 1922. He led the American League with eighteen triples, and he stole 20 bases, the sixth consecutive season he had reached that mark (not counting the war-shortened 1918 campaign). Rice scored 117 runs, the first time he had scored more than one hundred in a season. . . .

. . . Though it didn't keep him out very long, Rice had a frightening run-in with the right-field fence in St. Louis on July 11. He raced back on a long fly ball by Browns first baseman Dutch Schliebner. While the ball sailed over the fence, however, Rice collided with it. A nail in the fence dug a gash in his scalp and knocked him out cold. Obviously, a player who would sacrifice himself like that in a game that was already out of reach -- the Browns won 10-4 -- would likely gain the respect of his manager for his effort. Bush, however, didn't really see it that way.

In early September, Rice was suspended for insubordination. The trouble began when he and second baseman Bucky Harris argued over several short fly balls, which had been dropping between them at an unacceptable rate. Each blamed the other.

But Bush screamed at Rice in front of the entire team, and Rice, usually a picture of calm, "lost all restraint and fired both verbal barrels back at his manager," as one Senators historian put it.

Bush benched him. Griffith, for his part, was staying out of it, at least publicly. He said, "Bush is the manager of the (Senators) and the whole case rests in his hands. I do not believe, however, that Donnie will keep Sam on the bench long. These little arguments are bound to come up in baseball from time to time and the chances are that the two will straighten things out between them when the team comes back here for its long home stay, which opens with the New York Yankees Saturday.

The suspension lasted five days before Rice was finally reinstated by Bush. Though he backed his manager in the newspapers, behind closed doors there was no doubt whose side he was on in the dispute -- Rice's. Rice returned for a game against the Yankees on September 8. The fans, holding no grudge against him, gave him a "rousing welcome."

The stubborn dispute with Rice, along with the team's under whelming performance, sealed Bush's fate. After one season, he was fired. (Sam Rice by Jeff Carroll.)

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[ValKehl]

As George mentioned, Sam Rice is my favorite pre-War Senator position player. Here's a couple more 1923 Rice cards plus one of my absolute favorite Rice cards (from 1922):

[GeoPoto]

Great cards Val! Thank you.

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

Deveaux introduces the newest catcher: There was also the new catcher, Herold "Muddy" Ruel. A practicing attorney in the off seasons (in later life, he became an assistant to Commissioner Happy Chandler), Ruel had an average arm, but his quickness, ability to handle pitchers, and uncanny ability to deliver the clutch hit would become trademarks. He was obtained from the Red Sox, but earlier had been let go by the Yankees in a deal Miller Huggins later identified as the worst move he'd ever made.

Muddy Ruel was about to realize the baseball dream of his boyhood days, when he'd always made a special effort to attend games which had featured Walter Johnson at Sportsman's Park, in his hometown of St. Louis. His goal had been to someday catch the great righthander, and now he would. However, only the most hopeful of Washington fans could have fantasized at this point that among position players, Ruel was the last important piece to be added to a championship ballclub.

(We apologize for the premature introduction of Sheriff Smith's card, which defies all of our efforts to remove it. Smith and his card will be the subject of tomorrow's entry.)

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[GeoPoto]

Player #97A: Earl L. "Sheriff" Smith. Outfielder/Third baseman with the Washington Senators in 1921-1922. 429 hits and 9 home runs in 7 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Chicago Cubs in 1916. His most productive season was 1920 with the St. Louis Browns as he posted a .336 OBP with 55 RBIs in 378 plate appearances.

Smith's minor league career spanned 20 seasons, including nine years at Minneapolis. He was still hitting over .300 at age 44 in 1935. Earl also took a whirl at pitching in 1922 for Topeka, winning 20 games and losing 18.

Smith managed the Denver Bears (1932), Huntington Boosters (1933), Charleroi Tigers (1935), and Bluefield Blue-Grays (1938). He also umpired in the Middle Atlantic League in 1937.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #103: Wallace W. "Cy" Warmoth. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1922-1923. He debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1916. 8 wins with 129 innings pitched in 3 MLB seasons. In 1923 he went 7-5 for Washington with 105 innings pitched.

Wallace Walter "Cy" Warmoth pitched three years in the majors, appearing mostly with the 1923 Washington Senators for whom he went 7-5.
With the 1923 Senators, he was five years younger than teammate Walter Johnson, who went 17-12.

The following year, with Memphis in 1924, Warmoth went 20-11. Several years later, with Kansas City in 1929, the 36-year-old Warmoth went 14-4. The 1929 Blues were one of the minors' great teams, going 111-56.

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[GeoPoto]

Player #98B: J. Thompson "Tom" Zachary. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1919-1925 and 1927-1928. 1924 and 1928 World Series champion. 186 wins and 23 saves in 19 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1918. In Washington's World Series-winning 1924 season, he posted a 15-9 record with a 2.75 ERA in 202.2 innings pitched. In 1949 with the New York Yankees, he went 12-0, an MLB record that still stands for most wins without a loss in one season. He also gave up Babe Ruth's 60th home run in 1927. He finished his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1936.

Back to Zachary's SABR biography: The Senators were down three games to two when Zachary toed the rubber for Game 6 in Washington. He had the Giants batters muttering to themselves for the next two hours as he scattered seven hits. New York scored once in the first before taking the 2-1 loss. The Senators captured the title with a Game 7 win behind Walter Johnson.

The Senators brought in Stan Coveleskie and Dutch Ruether for the 1925 season, which made Mogridge the odd man out. The starting staff of Covey, Ruether, Johnson and Zachary, with relief help from Marberry, led the team to 96 wins and the league title. Zachary was the only one of the group to post a losing record, 12-15.

Seven of those losses came after August 9 and cost him a spot in the starting rotation against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. He made only one appearance in the postseason, a lackluster relief showing in Game 5. That game started the Pirate comeback of three straight wins to win the crown. . .

(We will now have a brief pause -- expected next post: 14 February.)

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[ValKehl]

Although WaJo was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1924 World Series with 4 innings of shutout relief, Tom Zachary was arguably the Senators' pitching hero of this WS. He won Games 2 and 6 (both following losses by WaJo), falling just 1/3 inning short of pitching two complete games against the hard-hitting NY Giant's lineup.