Back when Jackie came to town

The Washington Times ^ | 8-7-05 | Dick Heller

[JZelle]

So the largely faceless and mostly mediocre Dodgers are in town. No big deal. Ah, but when the Boys of Summer came calling, that was a very big deal. In the late 1940s and early '50s, the Brooklyn Dodgers frequently played exhibition games against the Senators at old Griffith Stadium before the Bums girded their loins for another fierce National League pennant race and the Nats prepared for their annual struggle to avoid the American League cellar. Griffith Stadium, located at Seventh Street and Florida Avenue NW where the Howard University Hospital now stands, usually was a good place to catch a nap when the Senators were playing. Crowds of 5,000 or less were common, even though you could buy a ticket in the bleachers for 75 cents, a Briggs Pigs hot dog for 50 cents and a scorecard (with pencil stub) for a dime. On two days in April, though, this baseball dump yard bulged to and over its capacity of about 30,000. Opening Day always was a sellout, with Harry or Ike tossing out the first ball. The exhibition against the Dodgers a few days earlier usually came close. The reasons were obvious, even in that relatively unenlightened era.

[JZelle]

Back to when you could look up to ball players. I believe Jackie was a Republican too.

[raccoonradio]

>>faceless Dodgers are in town Featuring that philandering Derek Lowe...

[theDentist]

Jackie Robinson, that is.

[sharktrager]

Heaven knows he's the only pro that cheated on his wife.

[Roccus]

"....and the Nats prepared for their annual struggle to avoid the American League cellar."


Someone should inform the Washington Post that they were the Senators then, not the Nats.

[Roccus]

Post should be Times

My bad.

[raccoonradio]

Actually in the old days, the Senators were sometimes known informally as "Nats", short for "Nationals". In fact the
source below (SportsEncyclopedia.com) says the old AL
franchise actually WAS called the Nationals but the
fans preferred to call them Senators:

"Played as:Washington Nationals 1901-1955
Washington Senators 1956-1960
Minnesota Twins 1961-Present

"Name Game:
After the 1899 season, the Washington Senators of the National League folded in the 12-8 contraction, when the American League began play in 1901 Washington, not wanting to confuse fans with the previous franchise, called themselves the Nationals. However, the fans never took to the name and called them the Senators. In 1912, when Griffith was named manager, newspaper writers referred to them as the 'Grifs'. In the early 1950s the team changed logos to one incorporating 'NATIONALS' within it, after the fans continued to reject the name they were officially renamed Senators in 1956.:"

[Roccus]

Thank you for the correction. I was not aware of that. I don't remember them being called that in the 50's. My apologies to you and the Wash. Times. }:^)