SABR Digital Library: A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators

A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators

A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf

Associate Editors: Len Levin, Bill Nowlin, and Carl Riechers
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

ISBN (paperback): 978-1-9701-5949-3, $24.95
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-9701-5948-6, $9.99
8.5″ x 11″, 317 pages

A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators revives memories and the history of Griffith Stadium through detailed summaries of more than 70 games played there, as well as insightful essays. The ballpark’s rich and storied history of Negro League baseball is included, too.

Griffith Stadium was the home of the American League charter member Washington Senators from 1911 through 1960 and the identically named expansion team in 1961. Situated in the middle of a bustling residential neighborhood with tree-lined streets on what is now the site of the Howard University Hospital, Griffith Stadium was known for its cavernous dimensions, a unique outfield notch in center field with a conspicuously large tree behind the wall, cozy quarters, and something no ballpark or stadium in the US had: a presidential box. For more than 50 years, presidents traveled from the White House two miles northeast to Griffith Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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Below: Find memorable game stories and essays from SABR’s A Palace in the Nation’s Capital: Griffith Stadium, Home of the Washington Senators

SABR Biography

Griffith Stadium played host to three pennant-winning teams by the Washington Nationals in the American League and 10 by the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Griffith Stadium played host to three pennant-winning teams by the Washington Nationals in the American League and 10 by the Homestead Grays of the Negro National League. (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library)

Click here to read more about Griffith Stadium at the SABR BioProject


Game Recaps

April 10, 1961: Washington Senators defeated in first game of expansion era

April 12, 1911: Senators’ victory inaugurates not-yet-completely-built Griffith Stadium

April 13, 1926: Big Train takes a long journey to defeat Connie Mack’s Athletics

April 17, 1953: Mickey Mantle hits a mythic blast at Griffith Stadium

April 18, 1960: Camilo Pascual sets Opening Day record with 15 strikeouts

April 27, 1926: Washington’s Walter Johnson records his 400th win in major leagues

August 12, 1911: Roy Hartzell hits two homers in one game at Senators’ new stadium

August 20, 1912: Doubleheader Dandy: Walter Johnson wins AL-record 15th straight game; Carl Cashion hurls 6-inning no-hitter

August 25, 1924: Walter Johnson tosses rain-shortened, 7-inning no-hitter

August 27, 1961: Rocky Colavito homers four times in Tigers’ doubleheader sweep of Senators

August 3, 1957: Roy Sievers blasts Senators to win at end of long, hot afternoon

August 31, 1956: Jim Lemon becomes first Senator to hit 3 homers in a game at Griffith Stadium 

August 5, 1929: Nationals supply fireworks in record-setting game in Washington

August 8, 1931: Bobby Burke throws only Senators no-hitter at Griffith Stadium

August 9, 1921: Whistling Dixie in the nation’s capital: Browns’ Davis goes all 19 innings for ironman victory

July 10, 1926: Senators explode for 12 runs in eighth inning

July 10, 1956: The Kid, The Man, the Say Hey Kid, and the Commerce Comet shine at All-Star Game

July 12, 1932: Senators erase 7-run deficit thanks to 8 White Sox errors

July 12, 1938: Sloppy Cleveland defense overshadows Odell Hale’s cycle against Senators

July 13, 1924: Surprising slugfest between Senators, Cleveland ends in near-riot

July 22, 1932: Mickey Cochrane’s cycle paces A’s over Senators    

July 25, 1911: Tigers get best of Senators in grand opening of Griffith Stadium

July 25, 1932: Lights at Griffith Stadium: Negro League Washington Pilots host city’s first night game  

July 7, 1937: Yankees lead way to fourth American League victory in five All-Star Games

June 26, 1928: Red Barnes becomes first Senator to hit two home runs in cavernous Griffith Stadium  

May 12, 1959: Harmon Killebrew’s 2 homers, 5 RBIs crush Tigers

May 12, 1961: Boston’s Bill Monbouquette whiffs 17 Senators

May 14, 1914: White Sox’s Jim Scott tosses no-hitter through 9 innings, but loses in 10th

May 14, 1920: As a reliever, Walter Johnson wins 300th game with arm and bat

May 15, 1918: Walter Johnson and Lefty Williams spar for 18 innings

May 16, 1933: Senators collect 27 hits to win extra-inning thriller over Cleveland

May 19, 1918: Senators’ first Sunday game draws record crowd in Washington

May 23, 1924: Walter Johnson throws a gem in 1-hitter over White Sox

May 28, 1941: George Selkirk’s grand slam wins for Yankees in first night game at Griffith Stadium

May 7, 1921: Bob Meusel hits for the cycle as Ruth wallops longest home run ever at Griffith Stadium

October 10, 1924: Big Train finally wins the biggest one of all

October 10, 1925: Senators’ Sam Rice makes dazzling catch to preserve victory in Game 3 — or did he?

October 11, 1925: Walter Johnson tosses shutout in Game 4 to put Senators on cusp of second straight title

October 12, 1925: Bucs’ offense wakes up as Aldridge gives Pirates hope in Game 5

October 2, 1960: Original Senators play last game at Griffith Stadium without realizing it

October 4, 1924: Giants’ Art Nehf outduels Washington’s Walter Johnson in World Series opener

October 5, 1924: Senators blow 9th-inning lead but recover to even World Series at one game apiece

October 5, 1933: Earl Whitehill whitewashes Giants, Buddy Myer is mighty in World Series win

October 6, 1933: King Carl Hubbell hurls 11-inning gem to put Giants on verge of title

October 7, 1933: Mel Ott’s 10th-inning homer gives Giants a World Series championship

October 9, 1924: Roger Peckinpaugh leads Senators in Game 6 to force winner-take-all finale against Giants

September 1, 1935: Bobo Newsom outlasts Lefty Grove in 14-inning duel at Griffith Stadium

September 10, 1950: Joe DiMaggio homers three times at Washington’s Griffith Stadium

September 11, 1925: Walter Johnson wins 20th game of season for 12th and final time

September 12, 1917: Trench warfare, Deadball style, as Senators and Red Sox tie after 16 innings

September 12, 1953: Bob Porterfield wins 20th game of season for Senators

September 14, 1947: Rookie Vic Wertz cycles Tigers to ‘mayhem’ victory in Washington

September 18, 1945: ‘Cinderella’ Cleveland Buckeyes win Game 3 with shutout of Grays

September 18, 1945: Senators stay alive in topsy-turvy home finale

September 2, 1940: Rookie sensation Sid Hudson outduels Lefty Grove in marathon thriller

September 2, 1954: Roy Sievers knocks in 7 as Senators rout Tigers

September 21, 1933: A pennant for Ladies’ Day: Washington Senators clinch first place in American League

September 21, 1943: Powerful Grays, upstart Black Barons take center stage at Griffith Stadium

September 21, 1961: A farewell with few mourners: Senators lose to Twins in final baseball game at Griffith Stadium

September 22, 1925: Stanley Coveleski wins 20th game and secures AL ERA title

September 24, 1943: Cool Papa Bell wins Game 3 for Grays in 10th inning

September 24, 1944: Homestead Grays repeat as Negro League World Series champions

September 25, 1932: General Crowder in command for 15th straight victory

September 29, 1913: Walter Johnson completes 11th shutout of season and 36th victory

September 29, 1915: Rip Williams delivers career performance during Senators’ slugfest

September 5, 1913: Walter Johnson spins a shutout for 30th win of season

September 5, 1959: Jim Lemon aids Senators’ 14-2 rout of Red Sox

September 6, 1954: Carlos Paula integrates the Washington Senators

September 8, 1942: ‘A violent batting war’: Senators rally to beat Red Sox behind Jake Early, John Sullivan

September 8, 1942: Satchel Paige, Monarchs shut out powerful Homestead Grays lineup in Game 1


Contributors: Luis A. Blandon, Thomas J. Brown Jr., Ken Carrano, Alan Cohen, Richard Cuicchi, Paul E. Doutrich, Dan Fields, Jeff Findley, James Forr, Brian Frank, Gordon J. Gattie, Clark Griffith, Lou Hernandez, Paul Hofmann, Mike Huber, Jimmy Keenan, Timothy Kearns, Thomas E. Kern, Ben Klein, Kevin Larkin, Bob LeMoine, Len Levin, Mike Lynch, Bill Nowlin, Chris Rainey, Carl Riechers, Joel Rippel, C. Paul Rogers III, Gary Sarnoff, John Schleppi, Steven D. Schmitt, Doug Schoppert, Tom Schott, Paul Scimonelli, Doug Skipper, John Sokora, Mark S. Sternman, Stew Thornley, Joseph Wancho, Gregory H. Wolf, Jack Zerby, and Don Zminda.

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