1924 Washington Senators: No Laughing Matter

1924 Washington Senators: No Laughing Matter

1924 Washington Senators: No Laughing Matter

The original Washington Senators were perennial losers in the game of baseball for most of their existence. However, there was one year that Washington baseball fans could look back on and truly appreciate. That year was 1924 as the Senators went 92-62 in the regular season, winning the American League pennant by 2 games over the New York Yankees and 6 games over the Detroit Tigers. In head-to-head games, the Senators went 13-9 against the Yankees and 14-8-1 against the Tigers.

The biggest threat at the plate for Washington was left fielder Leon “Goose” Goslin, who batted .344 with 12 home runs and American League-leading 129 RBI’s off 199 hits, 20 doubles, 17 triples and 15 stolen bases. Right fielder Sam Rice batted .334 with 76 RBI’s off 216 hits, 39 doubles, 14 triples and 24 stolen bases. First baseman Joe Judge batted .324 with 3 home runs and 79 RBI’s off 167 hits, 38 doubles, 9 triples and 13 stolen bases. Catcher Harold “Muddy” Ruel batted .283 with 142 hits, 20 doubles and 7 stolen bases.

Third baseman Ossie Bluege batted .281 with 113 hits, 15 doubles, 4 triples and 7 stolen bases. Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh batted .272 with 142 hits, 20 doubles, 5 triples and 9 stolen bases. Second baseman Bucky Harris had 146 hits, 28 doubles, 9 triples and 20 stolen bases. Center fielder Harry “Nemo” Leibold batted .293 in 84 games and had 7 stolen bases. Outfielder Wid Matthews batted .302 in 53 games and had 10 doubles and 4 triples. Third baseman Doc Prothro batted .333 in 46 games and had 11 doubles and 5 triples.

Walter Johnson was by far one of the best pitchers in the early 1900’s. Johnson went 23-7 with 159 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA, recording 20 complete games, which all led the American League, and led all of baseball with 6 shutouts. George Mogridge went 16-11 with a 3.76 ERA, recording 13 complete games and 2 shutouts. Tom Zachary went 15-9 with a 2.75 ERA, recording 13 complete games, 1 shutout and 2 saves. Curly Ogden went 9-5 with a 2.58 ERA, recording 9 complete games and 3 shutouts. John Martina pitched 8 complete games and Paul Zahniser pitched 5 complete games and 1 shutout.

Closer Firpo Marberry recorded 15 saves and 6 complete games with a 3.09 ERA. Relief pitcher Allen Russell went 5-1 with 8 saves. Ray Speece went 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA.

The Senators played against the National League Champion New York Giants in the 1924 World Series, and the Giants won Game 1 on October 4 at Griffith Stadium by the score of 4-3. This game went deep into extra innings and both Walter Johnson and Giants pitcher Art Nehf pitched 12 innings. In the top of the 2nd inning, center fielder George “High Pockets” Kelly hit a solo home run. In the top of the 4th first baseman Bill Terry hit a solo home run. In the bottom of the 6th Sam Rice had an RBI ground-out. In the bottom of the 9th Roger Peckinpaugh had an RBI double. The Giants broke through in the top of the 12th with an RBI single by right fielder Ross Youngs and a sacrifice fly by Kelly. An RBI single by Bucky Harris in the bottom of the 12th wasn’t enough.

The Senators came back to win Game 2 on October 5 by the score of 4-3. Goose Goslin hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 1st inning while Harris hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 5th. In the top of the 7th center fielder Hack Wilson grounded into a double play to score Kelly. And then Kelly and Wilson both had RBI singles in the top of the 9th, but Peckinpaugh’s RBI double in the bottom of the 9th won it for the Senators.

The Polo Grounds in Manhattan hosted Game 3 on October 6, and the Giants beat the Senators 6-4. Giants catcher Hank Gowdy had an RBI single in the bottom of the 2nd inning, and a wild pitch during pitcher Hugh McQuillan’s at-bat scored shortstop Travis Jackson. In the bottom of the 3rd Hack Wilson grounded into a double play to score George Kelly. In the top of the 4th Senators third baseman Ralph Miller hit a sacrifice fly, and then pinch-hitting catcher Bennie Tate drew a bases loaded walk to score Joe Judge. In the bottom of the 4th pitcher Rosy Ryan hit a solo home run, In the bottom of the 6th third baseman Freddie Lindstrom had an RBI double. In the top of the 8th Senators first baseman Mule Shirley had an RBI single. In the bottom of the 8th Ryan had an RBI ground-out. In the top of the 9th Ossie Bluege drew a bases loaded walk to score Harris, but Washington fell short.

The Senators would pull out a 7-4 victory in Game 4 on October 7. In the bottom of the 1st Ross Youngs reached on an error to score Lindstrom. In the top of the 3rd Goslin crushed a 3-run home run. In the top of the 5th Sam Rice’s at-bat saw a wild pitch, which scored center fielder Earl McNeely, and then Goslin had an RBI single. In the bottom of the 6th Hack Wilson had an RBI groundout. In the top of the 8th Bluege had a 2-run single, and in the bottom of the 8th Wilson had a 2-run double. In the top of the 9th Lindstrom had an infield RBI single.

In Game 5 on October 8 the Giants won 6-2. Lindstrom had an infield RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd, and in the top of the 4th Ralph Miller had an RBI single. Pitcher Jack Bentley had hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 5th, and then Goslin hit a solo home run in the top of the 8th. Travis Jackson’s sacrifice fly and RBI singles by Hugh McQuillan and Freddie Lindstrom capped off the New York victory.

Going back to Griffith Stadium for Game 6 on October 9, the Senators won 2-1. Tom Zachary pitched a complete game, giving up 7 hits and 1 run while recording 3 strikeouts. In the top of the 1st inning George Kelly had an RBI single. Bucky Harris responded for Washington with a 2-run single in the bottom of the 5th, which would win the game.

In the deciding Game 7 on October 10, Harris started the scoring by hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th. In the top of the 6th pinch-hitting outfielder Emil “Irish” Meusel hit a sacrifice fly, then Travis Jackson reached on an error to score Kelly, and Hank Gowdy soon reached on an error to score Hack Wilson. In the bottom of the 8th Harris had a 2-run single to tie the game, and in the bottom of the 12th, Earl McNeely became the hero for Washington as he had an RBI double to give Senators fans their only World Series title.