By Edwin Cooney
So that no one will say I've forgotten that old observation regarding baseball in Washington, D.C., I'll offer it here: Throughout the 1950s, the city of Washington was first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League! That's how baseball fans and scribes remember Clark Griffith's 1950s Senators. That was an era when an owner could hire Latin American stars like first baseman Julio Becquer, outfielder Carlos Paula, and even good pitchers such as Camilo Pascual and Pedro Ramos and "pay them peanuts." One Washington fan told me that during the 1950s, if you drove to Griffith Stadium, it only cost you a buck extra to ensure your car would be in one piece after the final out. (Wow! What a bargain!) In 2005, the Montreal Expos became the second version of the Washington Nationals which was the name of the old National League franchise which was booted out of the senior circuit following the 1899 season. Today, when you say Nats, you don't mean gnats, those little bugs most can't tell from mosquitos. You mean first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, pitchers Max Scherzer, and Stephen Strasburg, second baseman Howie Kendrick, third baseman Anthony Rendon and left fielder Juan Soto, among others.
The Houston Astros, which the late Detroit Tiger announcer Ernie Harwell would have called "the Houstons," also possess more than their share of "superman" names as they enter their second World Series since 2017. They include names such as outfielder George Springer, first baseman Yuli Gurriel, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and especially that little but powerfully built five foot six inch second sacker Jose Altuve.
Fifty-seven hot, sticky, mosquito-biting seasons have passed since the Houston Colt .45s and the New York Mets joined the National League. When, in 1969, the “Miracle Mets" reached baseball paradise, the Colt .45s (which had by then become the Houston Astros playing in the Astrodome — which some called the eighth wonder of the world) finished the season behind the Mets who had 100 wins and 62 losses. Finally, in 2005, the "Astros" won the National League pennant, but were swept by the Chicago White Sox even though former Yankee pitchers Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens were hurling on their behalf. (Note that in 2013, the Astros joined the American League to make their games with the Texas Rangers more significant in nearby Arlington, Texas, and to create a five team structure in all three divisions of both leagues.)
The history of the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals represents the pathos and drama of baseball and its modern World Series when the Boston Americans (now known as the Red Sox) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903 in the best five out of nine games. On Friday, October 10th, 1924 (nine days after the birth of little Jimmy Carter in Americus, Georgia), Walter Johnson (by then somewhat physically diminished from when he was in his prime) came in to relieve in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the 1924 fall classic. The game was held at Griffith Stadium. In the last of the 12th inning, Giants' catcher Hank Goudy tripped over his tossed catcher's mask as he ran after Harold (Muddy) Ruel's pop foul. Ruel then doubled, after which outfielder Earl McNeely hit a ball over third baseman Fred Lindstrom's head and the winning run was scored. That was, of course, exactly ninety-five years ago. The Senators would lose the 1925 series to the Pirates and the 1933 series to the New York Giants. Names like Goose Goslin, Sam Rice, Henry (Heinie) Manush and player manager Joe Cronin would valiantly attempt to recapture 1924 but they'd only last five games against Bill Terry's, Mel Ott's and Carl Hubbell's boys from Gotham.
The Houston Astros represent the American League having defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series and Aaron Boone's and Aaron Judge's mighty Yankees 4 to 2 in a just concluded six game league championship series. At this writing the new Washington Nationals lead the Astros two games to one, but the series is far from over.
Each year's World Series not only offers its own historic drama, but invites us to recall those items of interest which emanate from the history of each team and the community it represents. Only one of these two teams will prevail. However, both squads are rich in history.
Astros fans will always remember the little outfielder Jimmy Wynn known as "The Toy Cannon." They'll never forget that Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan first wore an Astros uniform before going onto Hall of Fame stardom with the Cincinnati "Big Red Machine" of the mid 1970s. They'll always be saddened by the untimely death of pitcher Don Wilson who pitched the Astro's first no hitter against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, June 18th, 1967. They're also saddened by the stroke that ended the career of J. Rodney Richard in 1980 at the tender age of thirty. Judge Roy Hofheinz' Astrodome dream was realized in 1965 and Yankee outfielder Mickey Mantle, then a resident of Dallas, christened the Dome at the close of spring training by hitting the structure's first home run.
Washington fans have much to be proud of, too. First, there's the memory of the Great Walter Johnson who blazed his way to 417 wins between 1907 and 1927. Then there was pitcher Bobo Newsom (who called everyone else “Bobo”), the walking man Eddie Yost who was so fast running from his third base position to field bunted balls that "old Bobo” complained that "Yostie" was beating his fastball to home plate. Then there was slugger Roy Sievers who became a special friend to Vice President Nixon. (Nixon recalled that in July 1959 when he came home from his famous kitchen debate with Nikita Khrushchev, Roy Sievers was among the celebrities at the airport to greet him.) Also, there was the knowledgeable future manager outfielder Jim Lemon and, of course, the mighty Harmon Killebrew who, along with pitchers Pascual and Ramos, would abandon Washington for Minneapolis St. Paul in 1961.
Perhaps the greatest irony in the history of Washington, D.C. is little known to baseball fans! Washington is, of course, the home of national politicians, many of whom are suspected of being some of the biggest thieves in America - even though that, in fact, is questionable. However, there once temporarily resided in Washington a special brand of thief whose crime will never be repeated.
Back in 1976, John Thorn wrote a book called "A Century of Baseball Lore." In it, he told of how Washington Senators’ second baseman Germany Schaefer became the first and only player to actually steal first base. With a 1911 game tied in the bottom of the ninth and speedy outfielder Clyde Milan on third with two out, Herman (Germany) Schaefer drew a walk. He immediately stole second base, but the White Sox catcher wisely didn't throw to second so that Milan might score from third. So, Germany Schaefer promptly ran back to first using a dramatic hook slide to recapture first base. This, of course, brought the whole White Sox team storming out to protest and the umpires gathered together with the rule book, but they could find nothing in it to say Schaefer couldn't steal first base. Thus, on the very next pitch, Schaefer took off for second and, this time, the White Sox catcher did throw to second. (After all, he'd had enough of Schaefer and his antics! Just my observation!) This time, Schaefer actually beat the throw and Milan scored to end the game.
Thus, don't let anyone ever tell you that no one has ever stolen first base. Remember two realities: Germany Schaefer did live and baseball has really and truly returned to Washington, D.C.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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