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.

[welch]

I'm catching up, but the Nats are not. Lost to the White Sox, 10 - 0, on Sunday, May 24, in front of a good crowd of 10,000. Disappointing, too, because the Nats had taken a 2 - 0 lead into the 5th, when the "pale hose" got a run, and the Nats put the game away with four runs in the home half. But no! Chicago picked up six runs off of Joe Martinha plus another off Firpo Marberry. Might be then end of Oyster Joe. The Nats scored three runs in the bottom of the 7th, but Chicago scored another three in the top of the 8th off of Firpo.

I can't find the play-by-play, so I don't know the details. However, Goose Goslin went 3-for-5, including a double and an RBI, while Joe Judge, the sort of 1B the current Nats need, drove in four runs as he went 4-for-5 in a binge that included two triples.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405250.shtml

Nats slide a game behind Chicago into 6th place, 5.5 games back of the Yankees and the Red Sox.

[welch]

Monday, May 26, and the Nats bats are awake: bash the White Sox 8 - 2. Chicago can keep up with the slugging Senators for a half inning, but no longer.  Bucky Harris singles, and, with two out, Goose Goslin lines a double off the RF scoreboard. Bucky score. Joe Judge singles in Goose for the Nats' second run. Then Joe Judge, who was quick-thing and a quick runner, steals second. Chicago's catcher, Joe Burns, throws the ball past second, and the White Sox CF, Maurice Archdeacon, can't field the "errant" throw, so Judge scores. That's how it goes...

Except that Washington pounds out 15 hits, including four doubles by the usual guys. Goslin, Rice, Judge, and 3B Doc Prothro. They add four stolen bases, by the usual players (Goslin is not that fats): Bucky and Sam Rice, and Joe Judge snatches two. Winning pitcher is Curly Ogden. Remember Curly? He had pitched for the Philadelphia A's against the Senator early in the season. Connie Mack dumped him, and Clark Griffith, the Old Fox, snapped him up.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405260.shtml

At 14 - 17, the Nats take 5th Place, by 4%, over the White Sox, still 5.5 games behind the Yankees.

Time for a showdown with the Yankees, who will visit Griffith Stadium.

[welch]

The World Champion New York Yankees have come to town, and have been rained out. This make-up will be the first game of a double-header. The old sort of DH, two games for the price of one admission.

Bucky Harris starts Walter Johnson...who else? But with two out in the top of the second, Whitey Witt doubles in Ernie Johnson and Wait Hoyt; Joe Dugan drive in Witt, and the Nats are down by three. Even worse: Alan Russell replaces Johnson to pitch the top of the third. It is not supposed to go like this with The Big Train, even though he is 36 years old.

The Nats battle back, with George "Showboat: Fisher driving in the Nats second and third runs. Alan Russell can't stop the Yankees, as Wally Pipp -- so there really was a Wally Pipp -- starts the landslide by driving in Babe Ruth. Everett Scott (who?) hits a short fly to LF, driving in Bob Meusel and Pipp. After Russell walks Wally Schang, Bucky has seen enough. Harris replaces Russell with Firpo Marberry.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405281.shtml

Nats drop a game farther behind, but the standings for the day will not be set until after the second game.

[welch]

In the second game. the Nats bang out 11 hits to beat the mighty Yankees 6 - 1. The Yanks start their veteran, Bob Shawkey, a long-time ace with Philadelphia and with the Yankees. Washington starts their southpaw, Tom Zachary. Somebody tell Bob Carpenter that the 1924 Nats don't need a designated hitter, as Zachary goes 2-for-3. He ends the day hitting .273.

The "Griffmen" pick up two runs in the 4th, two in the 7th, and two in the 8th. Zachary scatters seven hits over the nine innings

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192405282.shtml

Nats finish the day 15 - 18, 5.5 games behind the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. They leave for an eight or nine hour train-ride to Boston. From the first-place Yankees to the first-place Red Sox.

[alanmiley]

Sorry - this was supposed to be posted on June 4:
100 years ago in Washington Senators history
Wednesday, June 4, 1924 – What a week it has been!  Fans love it when their team shows off its offensive prowess, and that joy was bestowed on Senator’s fans this week.  Coming into today’s game, since the last report (May 28), the team has won 4 of its 5 games, scoring 10, 12, 8, and 11 runs in those wins. Over that span the Senators have batted .367, led by Rice (.556), Ruel (.500), Prothro (.429), and Goslin (.391).  We should also give a nod to the pitching, especially “Curly” Ogden’s 5-hit shutout on Saturday and Tom Zachary’s 2-hitter yesterday.

It was a mixed result on the personnel front.  In subtractions, Bucky Harris injured his leg sliding into third base in the nightcap of Friday’s Memorial Day double header.  He finished the game, but by Saturday’s game he was too sore to play.  He has not returned yet and there are conflicting opinions about how long he will be out.  Meanwhile Ossie Bluege has taken over 2nd base with Doc Prothro covering 3rd.   

In additions, the Senators gave the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association George Fisher and cash in trade for Wid Matthews.  Matthews had a fiery personality and was sometimes called “Spark Plug” or “Sparky.”  He batted well as a rookie in 1923 for the Philadelphia A’s, but clashes with owner/manager Connie Mack got him sent to the minors and a clash with his manager there got him suspended.  The Senators jumped at the chance to grab him while he was in disfavor.  Denman Thompson headlined in today’s Star, “WID IS A GREAT PLAYER, BUT LACKS MENTAL POISE.”  Thompson delved into the details in a one and a half column story highlighting his hair-trigger temper.  Matthews batting skill has been well established and it has been argued that he has some exceptional outfield talent.    This defensive assessment was made in spite of the fact that, playing in 129 games, he led American League outfielders with 18 errors.

In a mixture of additions and subtractions, coaches Jack Chesboro and Ben Egan were dismissed and Alexander (Al) Schacht was hired.  Al, known as the “Clown Prince of Baseball,” took over third base coaching.*

Today’s game was 2nd  of a 4-game series in Detroit.  The Tygers are in 3rd place, a game and a half behind the Yankees.  Their lineup includes last years batting champ, Harry Heilmann, hitting .413 and player-manager Ty Cobb, hitting .364.  Today 6’7” Walter Howard “Slim” McGrew started for the first time this season.  He was a little wild, giving up 5 walks in 7 innings.  On the other hand, he gave up only 5 hits, and left with the score tied 4 – 4.  Then, in the top of the 8th, Doc Prothro doubled and, with two out, Lance Richbourg batted for McGrew.  His single brought in Prothro and the Senators had the lead.  However, with Firpo Marberry in relief, the Tygers tied it up in the bottom of the inning and the score stayed tied until the bottom of the 10th.  Then Detroit second baseman Del Pratt singled for his 3rd hit of the game.  He went to second base on a sacrifice bunt, third base on Goslin’s error, and he scored on Bob Fothergill’s pinch-hit single.

In spite of today’s loss, this has been a good week.  The Senators now have a 19-20 record and they have crept back into fourth place and the first division.

*See Gary Sarnoff’s Team of Destiny for an entertaining account of the fall and rise of Schacht, including his serious injury that resulted from his batting practice hit off Walter Johnson.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Alan- sorry for the delay in approving your first post. I didn't notice it as pending until this AM. We have lag on approving initial posts to stop bots and spam. You're post clearly is not. Nice thought and content.

Long way to say "welcome"

[welch]

Alan- sorry for the delay in approving your first post. I didn't notice it as pending until this AM. We have lag on approving initial posts to stop bots and spam. You're post clearly is not. Nice thought and content.

Long way to say "welcome"

Alan is giving us the context that I've been avoiding. I am going strictly game-by-game and play-by-play from Baseball Reference, pretending that I don't know more about the season than what we can learn from the box scores.

[alanmiley]

In response to the moderator's comment about bots, I asked chatGPT about the June 4 game.  I got back an excellently written, inspiring story that included context and details such as the crowd reaction.

The story told of Walter Johnson (wrong) beating (wrong) the Yankees (wrong), aided Goslin's clutch home run (wrong).

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

We should not let mere facts get in the way of a good story tho 

[welch]

May 30, in B0ston to face the Red Sox. If the Nats are serious, they must beat teams like Boston and New York, as well as the sluggers from Saint Louis. And, indeed, the Griffmen started with a run in the top of the 1st and ended with a ruin in the bottom of the 4th. That's "RUIN", as Boston gathered 7 runs to chase Oyster Joe Martinha. Is Martinha finished? He has not pitched well for a few weeks...

No play-by-play recorded, but it must have been ugly. By Spence held down the Red Sox for three innings, but Paul Zahniser reliably gave up a run in an inning of work. Of course, it did not matter by then.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS192405301.shtml

First game of a double-header, so let's hope the Nats can recover.

[welch]

May 30th, second game of the double-header...the Nats take revenge.

Having been clobbered in the early game, the Nats reply by beating the Red Sox 10 - 5. Washgton gets 16 hits for Walter Johnson, who wobbles into the 6th inning, when he is relieved by Fred ("Firpo") Marberry. Johnson has walked 3 and struck out only 1, giving up 7 hits. Is The Big Train hurt? Showing his age? Johnson had looked old or hurt since 2020 He had hurt his arm. He also threw his only no-hitter. Of course, Walter went 1-for-3, bashing a double.

If only the 2024 Nats had a DH who could hit like Walter Johnson...

Sam Rice went 4-for-6, lifting his average to .309, .767 OPS. The 2024 Nats could also use a guy like Rice, a "dead ball era" player who played into the 1930s.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS192405302.shtml

Nats now 16-19, holding steady in 5th place. A bout where the experts predicted.

[welch]

May 31, 1924. Cowabonga, Buffalo Bob! Clark Griffith's team demolish the Boston Red Sox, 12 - 0! Curly Ogden, that young pitcher we met on Connie Mack's A's, shuts out Boston on 5 hits, and picks up a hit himself. In fact, every one in the Washington line-up gets a hit. Sam Rice goes 4-for-5, Niemo Liebold gets 2 hits, and old Roger Pechinpaugh, the Senators 33 year old SS, goes 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs. There is no play-by-play, but the line-score says that Washington scored 5 runs in the 1st and added 2 more in the 2nd. Perhaps demoralized, Boston committed 4 errors, but the Senators scored 9 earned runs.

Boston starter George Murray lasted 1/3 of an inning, giving up 5 runs, 4 of them earned, for an ERA of 108...on only 3 hits. Young Red Ruffing, Boston rookie, pitched the last two innings. He was roughed up for 5 hits and 3 runs. In the future, Ruffing would lose 20 games two years in a row, and be traded to the Yankees. There he would pitch his way into the Hall of Fame.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS192405310.shtml

Nats in 5th place at 17-19.

[welch]

June 2, 1924, the Senators visit Shibe Park, home of the A's, for an 8 - 3 win over Connie Mack's sad team. In another base-hit extravaganza, Washington knocks out 17 hits for its 8 runs. Again, everybody hits, including Walter Johnson, who gets 2, Doc Prothro and Sam Peckinpaugh, who each get 2 hits, and Sam Rice and Nemo Leibold, also 2 hits each. Hitting star is Goose Goslin, who goes 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs.

Nats got a run in the 1st. In classic style, Sam Rice led off with a single and Leibold pushed Sam to 2B on a sac bunt. Goslin singles and Rice scores.

In the top of the 4th, Peck and Doc single, and future Washington manager Ossie Bluege drives in Peckinpaugh. Next, Walter Johnson drives in Doc Prothro on a fielder's choice. Johnson ends the day hitting .333 with 3 RBIs, and tells us, "Who needs this Designated Hitter?"

After the A's get close in the 6th, Washington puts them away with 4 runs in the 8th. In the 6th, Philadelphia pulls a double-steal, in which Al Simmons steals home. Then, in the top of the 8th, Walter Johnson singles in Doc Prothro, Sam Rice doubles in Ossie Bluege, and Goose Goslin doubles in Johnson and Rice.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHA/PHA192406020.shtml

Nats 18 - 19, in 4th place. They have caught and passed the formerly slugging St Louis Browns, and now sit 4.5 games behind the World Champion Yankees.

[welch]

June 3, 1924: on to Detroit!.

The Griffs clobbered the Tigers, 11 - 1, to edge to .500. Maybe Washington is not doomed to the second division?

Nats jump all over Detroit's Bert Cole and Syl Johnson; the game is over by the bottom of the 4th. And why are so few boys named Sylvester now? Lefty Tom Zachary starts and finishes for the Nats, evening his record at 2-2 and lowering his ERA to 2.50.

Washington began with a pair of runs in the first, as Nemo Leibold walks, advances on a groundout to 3B, and scores on Joe Judge's double. The Muddy Ruel singles in Judge. Detroit gets one back in the bottom half, as the great Harry Heilmann drives in a run on a sac fly.

That would not be enough for the Tigers. In fact, that would be all, as Tom Zachary limits them to 2 hits. Meanwhile, the Senators pound out 5 doubles and a triple. The slaughter begins in the top of the second, as Roger Peckinpaugh doubles. Doc Prothro double in Peck, and young Ossie Bluege singles in the Doc: 4 - 1. It continues with a run in the 3rd. In the 4th, Goose Goslin "slugs" a 3-run single, scoring Tom Zachary and Sam Rice from 3B and 2B, and scoring himself on a Detroit error.

In the top of the 9th, Doc Prothro's triple to RF scores Muddy Ruel and Doc Prothro. Doc is out at home trying to stretch it to an inside-the-park homer. RF Harry Heilmann  is not ready to allow that. Note that Heilmann is hitting a mere .413 at the time, with an OPS of .1211.

I wish baseball was played like this nowdays!

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET192406030.shtml

Nats at .500, take 4th place from the Browns, but still 4.5 games behind the mighty Yankees. About 3 games behind Detroit and Boston, who are neck and neck with New York.