The 1924 Washington Nationals

[welch]

Nats were back in action on Tuesday, May 13, after a couple days off. Must have been rain, because the Tigers were still in town, still with Harry Heilemann and Ty Cobb. Plus Fred Haney, manager of the 1957 World Series champion Milwaukee Braves.

George Mogridge started for the Nats, dueling Bert Cole through the 6th, when Goose Goslin tripled, driving in Sam Rice, and Mule Shirley singled in Goslin. The Tigers got the runs right back as Topper Rigney singled and got to 2nd on Rice's sixth (!) error, Haney pinch-hit for Bert Cole, and drove in Rigney. Haney reached second on a base hit and scored on John Kerr's single,

The Nats took the lead again in the 7th on a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a double. Maybe it was not good to replace Cole. Then Bucky Harris's triple drove in Mogridge -- pitchers could hit some back before the DH -- and Neimo Leibold. Mogridge drove in another run on a double in the 8th, and the Nats won it 6 - 3.

Nats are now 11 - 12, four games behind the Yankees, and a game behind Detroit.   


https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405130.shtml

[welch]

Wednesday, May 14: the season is beginning to look grim, as Walter Johnson, himself, gives up 4 ER in 4 innings, and dependable lefty starter Tom Zachary gives up another. Cleveland wins, 5 - 2. Game lasts only 7 innings -- have to check Gary Sarnoff's "Team of Destiny" to learn why. In addition to Johnson, who must be showing his age -- he's 36 -- the Nats are not hitting: Sam Rice hitting .274 and replaced by Lance Richbourg, Goose Goslin .276, Mule Shirley .286 to replace Joe Judge. Although Walter Johnson might not be able to pitch anymore, he can still hit. Went 2 for 2, raising his average to .354 with .856 OPS.

Nats are now 11 - 13, well ahead of the A's, four games behind the Yankees, and in 7th, the bottom of the rest.



https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405140.shtml

[welch]

It's Thursday, May 15, and the Nats are sinking against class opponents, with Oyster Joe Martinha losing 6 - 4. The Nats hit, today, but not enough to match the Indians five-run 8th. Martinha had a lead, but gave up a double, single, walk, single, single, and, finally, a triple. Nats got a couple runs back in the bottom half, but Muddy Ruel hit into an inning-ending double play.

Nats had a better fielding day, with no errors, for once.

Senators (my name for them) fall to 11 - 14, but still only four games behind the Yankees. And still at the bottom of the pack chasing NY, in 7th, but not so far back. The Browns only .5 back of New York, by the way.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405150.shtml

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

In today's other news, President Coolidge vetoed the Bonus Bill, stating that "Patriotism, which is bought and paid for is not patriotism." Ty Cobb's recent presence in the city seems to have deterred unrest.   

[welch]

In today's other news, President Coolidge vetoed the Bonus Bill, stating that "Patriotism, which is bought and paid for is not patriotism." Ty Cobb's recent presence in the city seems to have deterred unrest.   

"Congress overrode his veto a few days later." Wikipedia has an article about the Bonus Act:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Adjusted_Compensation_Act

Good spot, Ali!

(My dad well-remembered the Bonus Expeditionary Force...)

[welch]

From a quick check of Gary Sarnoff's "Team of Destiny", which does not mention that Coolidge vetoed the Bonus bill, but which does tell us that May 10th was "Ty Cobb Day" at Griffith Stadium (!). A Congressman from Michigan sponsored it and organized a delegation of fifty members of the House and Senate to go to the game. Congress adjourned early so they could get to the game on time. Before Cobb led off the game, they presented him with twenty-one books about great men, one for each year he had been in the majors. Cobb said that he had only played MLB for twenty years, so they too one back, promising to give it to him in the 2025 season. There was a banquet after the game, at which Walter Johnson praised Cobb as the best player in the game. Cobb said that Johnson was the greatest pitcher ever, and that no finer sportsman existed. (So much for the myth that everyone hated Ty Cobb)

Why were there no results for May 11 and 12th? Were they rained out?

Much more than rained out. A tremendous downpour "gave" Washington its worst flood since 1889. Gary tells us that rain poured across the area from Cumberland, MD and Harpers Ferry, WV, swamping the Potomac down past Washington. Houses were washed away. The river reached fourteen feet at Chain Bridge, just a few feet below the roadway, and sprayed across the walkway. After the rain stopped in DC, people took their furniture out to yards, where it was hit by another cloudburst on May 16th.

[welch]

The Griffmen played again on Saturday, May 17, hoping to "go 1 - 0" against the Cleveland Indians. Sam Rice, Goose Goslin, and Joe Judge got going, while slugging George Mogridge went 2-for-3 as he struggled to hold down the Indians for seven innings. With a 2 - 1 lead in the bottom of the 5th, Washington pushed across three runs: Mogridge stroked a Texas-league single to CF -- that large OF at The Stadium gave outfielders a choice of playing shallow and risking a drive over their head, or playing deep and giving up a hit in front of them. Sam Rice drew a walk. Bucky Harris singled on a bunt that loaded the bases. This is the sort of inning to make Davey M smile. Carr Smith was playing RF as Bucky H. kept looking for an outfielder to complement Rice and Goslin; Smith grounded out, 2B to 1b, scoring Mogridge. Rice and Bucky moved up. Then Goose Goslin "drove" a ground ball to CF, scoring Rice and Harris.

But...the Indians picked up three runs in the top of the 6th on a double and a triple. Tris Speaker, Cleveland's player-manager, called in Stan Coveleski, 34 years old and on the down-side of a Hall of Fame Career. Coveleski was so clearly washed up that he went 20 - 5 in '25, leading the AL with a 2.84 ERA for the pennant-winning Washington Senators.

In the top of the 8th, Speaker and Harris pulled a bit of PH-RP matchup right out of modern baseball. Washington's lefty starter, Mogridge, was replaced by righty Paul Zahniser, who was replaced by lefty, and rotation stalwart, Tom Zachary. Tris Speaker pinch hits George Uhle and Sumpter Clarke.

Nats 6, Indians 4.

In a very unmodern way, both teams are managed by player-managers. While Tris Speaker is 36, and has led the AL in doubles eight times -- all time doubles leader -- Bucky Harris is only 27. Bucky is in his seventh season, and has led the ASL in HBP three times. In 1924, he would lead the league with 46 sacrifice bunts.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405170.shtml

Nats 12 - 14, 4 games behind the Yankees.

[nobleisthyname]

Before Cobb led off the game, they presented him with twenty-one books about great men, one for each year he had been in the majors. Cobb said that he had only played MLB for twenty years, so they too one back, promising to give it to him in the 2025 season.

Hey that's next year! Quite a long time to make him wait for that last book.

Why were there no results for May 11 and 12th? Were they rained out?

Much more than rained out. A tremendous downpour "gave" Washington its worst flood since 1889. Gary tells us that rain poured across the area from Cumberland, MD and Harpers Ferry, WV, swamping the Potomac down past Washington. Houses were washed away. The river reached fourteen feet at Chain Bridge, just a few feet below the roadway, and sprayed across the walkway. After the rain stopped in DC, people took their furniture out to yards, where it was hit by another cloudburst on May 16th.

I remember seeing historical markers describing that flood when we visited Harpers Ferry. Cool connection to the 1924 season, though it would have sucked to live through.

[welch]

Sunday, May 18, Browns visiting Washington.  More pain, as the Browns took the Senators, 6 - 3. Browns scored four runs in the 9th to extend a 2 - 1 lead into a walloping 6 - 3 win. Nats got a couple in the bottom of the 9th, but not enough to make it close. Relief specialist Firpo Marberry, among the (long) first relievers, pitched well until the 9th. Nats' fielding was terrible: four errors, including errors by Bucky Harris, Goose Goslin, future star (and future manager) Ossie Bluege, and by Firpo himself.

It was a tie game until the top of the 7th, when Baby Doll Jacobsen (another one for the connoiseurs of 20th Century baseball nicknames) drove in Ken Williams, as the Browns took a 2 - 1 lead. If Griffith Stadium had had a retractable roof, it would have fallen in as the Nats gave up four runs on three hits and three errors. Our friend Oyster Joe Martinha came in to get the last two outs, but the SLB had a 6 - 1 lead.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405180.shtml

Nats sink to 12 - 15, five games behind the Yankees. The AL first division has split off, with St. Louis, Boston, and Detroit chasing New York, and Cleveland, Chicago, and Washington falling away. The A's are in 8th place, so far down that it reduces some of the pain of Washington's 7th place.

[welch]

Thursday, May 22: (More rain??) another game, another heartbreak. St Louis Browns win 3 - 1, after taking a 2 - 0 lead in the second. Not much hitting behind Tom Zachary, while the Browns had two doubles and two triples. Sam Rice is slumping. Bucky still searching for a RF; might have settled on Nemo Leibold, RF for the 1919 White Sox, when he was Buck Weaver's roommate. Said that Weaver never gave the slightest hint of the fix.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405220.shtml

Nats have dropped to six games back, 12 - 16.

[welch]

Friday, May 23, the Nats recovered from losing to the Browns by shutting out the White Sox. Of course, Bucky Harris had the wisdom to start Walter Johnson for one of Johnson's 110 shutouts. Chisox got all of one hit. Johnson walked one (!) and struck out fourteen (!).

Nats pecked away for a run in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th. Same Rice (who else?) got two RBIs, and Goose Goslin (that who else you would expect) add another.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405230.shtml

Washington squeezes past Chicago into 6th place, with a 13 - 16 record, six games behind the Yankees.