• The Continuing Attempt To Educate A Montreal Expos Fan About D.C. Baseball History:
The Washington Senators were 71-40 on August 18, 1925 when they traveled to what was known as Dunn Field from 1916-1925 when the Indians were owned by "Sunny Jim" Dunn, but before and after that period was called League Park in Cleveland, Ohio to take on the Indians with Senators' ace Walter "Big Train" Johnson on the mound against Indians' right-hander George "The Bull" Uhle. The Senators knocked Uhle out in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to go ahead 4-0 on the then-26-year-old right-handed Cleveland starter. Johnson, then 37 and coming off the Senators' first World Series title and his second MVP-worthy campaign, held the Indians scoreless through 5.0 before giving up four in what ends up a 7-4 Senators' win. Johnson goes 8.2 innings before handing the ball over to Frederick "Ferpo" Marberry, who recorded the final out and his 12th save.
Johnson, throwing to Senators' backstop Muddy Ruel, improved to (16-5) with the win, his fourth straight on the way to a (20-7) season in which the Hall of Fame starter threw 229.0 innings, 20 CG, 6 SO. In the Senators' lineup on August 18th, 1925 were second baseman Bucky Harris, who was 0 for 5, left fielder Goose Goslin, who was 1 for 3 with 3 walks, and right fielder Sam Rice, who was 0 for 5 leading off for Washington. The three Senators, (sorry, Muddy!) and Johnson are part of the new "Ring of Honor" in Nationals Park.
The Senators would go 24-15 the rest of the way in 1925 to win the American League and get Washington to its second-straight World Series, which they dropped to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games when Walter Johnson suffered his first loss in three World Series starts, giving up 15 hits and 9 ER over 8.0 innings in the final World Series start of Johnson's career.