On April 13, 1926, 38-year-old Walter Johnson struck out a dozen A’s batters on Opening Day. Johnson’s performance led the Senators to a 1-0 victory in 15 innings over Philadelphia’s Eddie Rommel at Griffith Stadium in Washington.
On July 25, 1913, Carl Weilman became the first player ever recorded to strike out six times in a single game. The St. Louis Browns’ 23-year-old lefty entered the game in relief with one out in the first inning, pitching the rest of the contest. Weilman accomplished the dubious strikeout feat over the course of 15 innings at Griffith Stadium against the Senators, and the game ended in an 8-8 tie.
The first Sunday baseball game ever played in the nation’s capital took place on May 19, 1918, five days after Congress voted in favor of lifting the ban in Washington, D.C. The Washington Senators defeated the Cleveland Indians, 1-0, in twelve innings in front of 15,352 fans at Griffith Stadium.
President Warren G. Harding threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Washington Senators game held on April 13, 1921, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Washington ended up losing to the Red Sox, 6-3, making this the first time in six Opening Days contests the Senators have lost with the President of the United States throwing out the first pitch.
On April 26, 1931, with Lyn Lary as the runner on first base and two out in the inning, Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig hit a home run at Griffith Stadium. The homer cleared the centerfield fence, but then bounced back into the hands of Senators centerfielder Harry Rice. Lary, thinking the ball had been caught, returned to the dugout without ever crossing home plate. Gehrig, who had been running the bases with his head down, did not notice what happened and ended up getting called out for passing a runner on the base paths.
The incident ended up costing Gehrig the home run crown, as he and Babe Ruth finished the season tied with 46 homers a piece.
Nationals catcher Eddie Ainsmith stole three bases in one inning on June 26, 1913 in a game against the Philadelphia Athletics at Griffith Stadium in Washington. After safely reaching base on a single in the bottom of the ninth, Ainsmith proceeded to steal second, third, and home. Unfortunately, Ainsmith’s efforts didn’t make much of a difference for his team as the A’s dominated the Nats, 10-3.
