by Aj Brady

Created on: July 30, 2008

When the American League (AL) became a major league in 1901, the new league placed a team in Washington D.C., a city that had been ditched by the National League (NL) a year earlier. The new Washington club, like the old one, would be called the "Senators".

The Senators' early day were mired in consecutive losing streaks. In the 1904 season, the Senators lost 113 games, so the following season the owners, searching for a new beginning, changed the team's nickname to the "Nationals". However, the "Senators" name remained so popular that the powers-that-be soon reverted back to the original nickname.

The name change did little to reverse the on-field fortunes of the club. Not only did they continue losing a lot, their ballpark also burned down in 1911.

The year 1912 would prove huge in the whole history of the ball club. Firstly, the new stadium, "National Park" was completed, featuring many modern features. Secondly, a new manager was named in Clark Griffith, a man whose influence would loom large on the club for many years to come.

Griffith's first season in charge saw Washington improve markedly, finishing the season with the team's first winning record of 91-61, a record good enough to see Washington finish second behind the Boston Red Sox. The following year saw Washington again finish second, this time behind the Philadelphia Athletics.

But by 1916, the Senators had once again reverted back to their dismal, losing ways. Soon after Griffith, fed up with the owners' thriftiness, decided to buy a controlling interest in the team. In 1921, he decided to stand down as manager to concentrate on being team president.

On the back of a talented line-up in season 1924, the Senators captured their first AL pennant, two games ahead of Babe Ruth's Yankees. The Senators were the decided underdogs in the World Series, facing the more experienced New York Giants. Despite dropping the first two games of the series, the Senators were able to tie it up at 3-3 and force a seventh game. In a remarkable game that went to 12 innings, the Senators scored a major upset, downing the Giants and taking the club's first World Series title.

The Senators again won the AL pennant in 1925, but lost the World Series to Pittsburgh. After dropping off the pace later in the decade, the Senators returned to contention in 1930.

The Senators' success at this time was slightly short-lived, before the team had a stand-out season in 1933, posting a 99-53 win-loss record and easily taking the AL pennant

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>