July 7, 1937

President Franklin D. Roosevelt is the first President to attend an All-Star game as he is invited to throw out the first ball at Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C. The President and the rest of the sellout crowd of 31,391 at the 5th Annual All-Star game had to deal with a very hot and muggy afternoon. The game time temperature was reported to be 90 degrees.

The D.C. heat did not seem to bother the Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig who drove in four runs with a home run and a double to lead the American League to an 8-3 victory over the National League.

Dizzy Dean, the star Cardinal pitcher is not only the losing pitcher of the game he also gets his toe fractured when Earl Averill hits a ball that nails Dean in the foot. After that injury Dizzy will end up changing his pitching delivery. The change in his delivery will lead to a very bad arm injury.

The Washington Senators were represented on the American League squad by 2nd Baseman - Buddy Myer, Catcher - Rick Ferrell, and Pitcher - Wes Ferrell. What I find interesting is that the Yankees' skipper Joe McCarthy who was managing the American League did not allow any of the three Senators to make it into the game. With the American League leading the National League squad 8 to 3 after six innings you would think one of the Senator players could have made an appearance. Click here to view the box score of the 5th Annual All Star Game.

FYI: I hope you enjoy the film clip of FDR throwing out the first pitch.

      

Last summer I read Gary A. Sarnoff’s book "The Wrecking Crew of ‘33: The Washington Senators’ Last Pennant". I enjoyed learning how the ’33 Senators team was put together. Mr. Sarnoff sure did a lot of research for the book and it shows. I wanted to know more about the book so much I contacted Mr. Sarnoff to find out if we could do a Question & Answer session.

Below are some questions from History's Perspective and answers from Gary Sarnoff.

· The Wrecking Crew of ‘33

When did you first come up with the idea to write this book?

It was during the summer of 2005. One day it hit me that I wanted to share my knowledge of baseball history with others who have a passion for the great game.

Why write a book about the ’33 Senators?

This is my first book, and I wanted to write about my favorite team from yesteryear.

How many hours did you spend doing research for the book?

A lot more than I needed to. But I wanted to make sure I covered all the details.

What was the toughest challenge in writing this book?

The toughest challenge I had was looking at all my notes and deciding on what worked best for my book. It was a lot of work.

Do you have a favorite moment or time while you were writing the book?

My favorite moment was having the opportunity to interview Stevey Myer, the son of Buddy Myer- the star second baseman for the 1933 Washington Senators.

· Washington Baseball

When did you first attend your first Washington major league baseball game?

I went to spring training in Viera in 2005 and saw the Nationals play the Orioles and the Dodgers. My first regular season Washington baseball game I attended was the Nationals first game in April of 2005, at Philadelphia. I also had the pleasure to see the Nationals first home game ever played.

What was your most memorable time at a Washington baseball game?

Fathers Day, 2006, when Ryan Zimmerman homered in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Yankees.

Who are your top three all time Washington ball players? Why are they your favorites?

1) Frank Howard - He was my favorite player while growing up in Chicago. Hondo's Nestle's Quick commercial familiarized me with the star, and his mammoth home runs always left me in awe.

2) Buddy Myer - Because he worked hard, he was courageous, was a all-star, and he was a heady ballplayer. He was a key player in leading the Nats to the 1933 American League pennant.

3) Walter Johnson - For being the greatest Washington Senator of all times, and for being the greatest pitcher in baseball history. Also because he was a gentleman, and probably the nicest man to ever play the game.

· Today’s Nats

Do you think the Nationals’ are heading in the right direction?

Yes, I do. There seems to be a good attitude in the organization. They really want to win. Plus they have a few promising pitching prospects, a good core of young ballplayers, and new stadium. I believe they are up-and-coming.

Where do you think the Nationals’ have improved the most since the end of the ’09 season?

The best improvement is by going with a new general manager. I have a good feeling about this guy.

Where do you think the Nationals’ need more improvement?

The need for a winning attitude- from the top to the bottom of the organization. On the field- better pitching and fielding.

Gary, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me. I hope to see you a lot at Nationals Park this season.

No problem. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will be there. I already have my tickets on order. Let me know if you want to catch a game or two.

      

July 7, 1937

President Franklin D. Roosevelt is the first President to attend an All-Star game as he is invited throw out the first ball at Griffith Stadium in Washington D.C. The President and the rest of the sellout crowd of 31,391 at the 5th Annual All-Star game had to deal with a very hot and muggy afternoon. The game time temperature was reported to be 90 degrees.

The D.C. heat did not seem to bother the Yankees' first baseman Lou Gehrig who drove in four runs with a home run and a double to lead the American League to an 8-3 victory over the National League.

Dizzy Dean, the star Cardinal pitcher is not only the losing pitcher of the game he also gets his toe fractured when Earl Averill hits a ball that nails Dean in the foot. After that injury Dizzy will end up changing his pitching delivery. The change in his delivery will lead to a very bad arm injury.

The Washington Senators were represented on the American League squad by 2nd Baseman - Buddy Myer, Catcher - Rick Ferrell, and Pitcher - Wes Ferrell. What I find interesting is that the Yankees' skipper Joe McCarthy who was managing the American League did not allow any of the three Senators to make it into the game. With the American League leading the National League squad 8 to 3 after six innings you would think one of the Senator players could have made an appearance. Click here to view the box score of the 5th Annual All Star Game.

FYI: I hope you enjoy the film clip of FDR throwing out the first pitch.

      

Last night at Dodger Stadium 24 year-old Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 24 games as the Nationals loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-3. Zimmerman extended the streak in the top of the first inning when he singled to left field. For the night Zimmerman went 1 for 3 and scored one run and knocked in one run.

Zimmerman is only the fifth player in Washington D.C. baseball history to have a hit streak of 24 games or more. The three Washington ballplayers to have had longer hit streaks than Zimmerman are all in the Hall of Fame. They are Heinie Manush, Sam Rice, and Goose Goslin.

Player - # of Games - Year

Heinie Manush - 33 - 1933

Sam Rice - 31 - 1924

Sam Rice - 29 - 1920

Sam Rice - 28 - 1930

Heinie Manush - 26 - 1933

Goose Goslin - 25 - 1928

Ryan Zimmerman - 24 - 2009

Cecil Travis - 24 - 1941

Joe Cronin - 22 - 1932

Heinie Manush - 22 - 1932

Mickey Vernon - 22 - 1946

Eddie Fisher - 21 - 1918

Buddy Myer - 21 - 1935

Taffy Wright - 21 - 1938

Joe Cronin - 20 - 1930

George Case - 20 - 1939

Jackie Jensen - 20 - 1952

Mickey Vernon - 20 - 1953

      

Last night at Nationals Park 24 year-old Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 22 games as the Nationals beat the Houston Astros 9-4. During last night's game Zimmerman went 4 for 4 and scored three runs and knocked in two runs.

What makes Zimmerman's streak even more impressive is that he is getting even hotter at the plate. In his last seven games his batting average has climbed from .284 to .333. During those seven games Zimm's batting average is .464 and his on base average is .531.

Zimmerman is only the seventh player in Washington D.C. baseball history to have a hit streak of 22 games or more. The Nats 3rd baseman is inching closer to the Washington Senators' great Heinie Manush who in 1933 hit in 33 consecutive games.

Player - # of Games - Year

Heinie Manush - 33 - 1933

Sam Rice - 31 - 1924

Sam Rice - 29 - 1920

Sam Rice - 28 - 1930

Heinie Manush - 26 - 1933

Goose Goslin - 25 - 1928

Cecil Travis - 24 - 1941

Ryan Zimmerman - 22 - 2009

Joe Cronin - 22 - 1932

Heinie Manush - 22 - 1932

Mickey Vernon - 22 - 1946

Eddie Fisher - 21 - 1918

Buddy Myer - 21 - 1935

Taffy Wright - 21 - 1938

Joe Cronin - 20 - 1930

George Case - 20 - 1939

Jackie Jensen - 20 - 1952

Mickey Vernon - 20 - 1953

      

Yesterday at Nationals Park 24 year-old Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 21 games as the Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1. Zimmerman is only the tenth player in Washington D.C. baseball history to have a hit streak of 21 games or more.

What makes this streak even more impressive is that if you go back to last year Zimmerman has hit safely in 25 of the last 26 games that he played in.

The Nats 3rd baseman is inching closer to the Washington Senators' great Heinie Manush who in 1933 hit in 33 consecutive games.

Player - # of Games - Year

Heinie Manush - 33 - 1933

Sam Rice - 31 - 1924

Sam Rice - 29 - 1920

Sam Rice - 28 - 1930

Heinie Manush - 26 - 1933

Goose Goslin - 25 - 1928

Cecil Travis - 24 - 1941

Joe Cronin - 22 - 1932

Heinie Manush - 22 - 1932

Mickey Vernon - 22 - 1946

Ryan Zimmerman - 21 - 2009

Eddie Fisher - 21 - 1918

Buddy Myer - 21 - 1935

Taffy Wright - 21 - 1938

Joe Cronin - 20 - 1930

George Case - 20 - 1939

Jackie Jensen - 20 - 1952

Mickey Vernon - 20 - 1953

      

Last night at Nationals Park Ryan Zimmerman extended his hit streak to 20 games as the Nationals loss to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2. By extending his hit streak to 20 games Zimmerman became only the 12th player in Washington D.C. baseball history to have a hit streak of 20 games or more.

The Nats 3rd baseman still has a way to go to reach Washington Senators' great Heinie Manush who in 1933 hit in 33 consecutive games. Below is the list of Washington ball players that had a hitting streak of 20 or more games.

Player - # of Games - Year

Heinie Manush - 33 - 1933

Sam Rice - 31 - 1924

Sam Rice - 29 - 1920

Sam Rice - 28 - 1930

Heinie Manush - 26 - 1933

Goose Goslin - 25 - 1928

Cecil Travis - 24 - 1941

Joe Cronin - 22 - 1932

Heinie Manush - 22 - 1932

Mickey Vernon - 22 - 1946

Eddie Fisher - 21 - 1918

Buddy Myer - 21 - 1935

Taffy Wright - 21 - 1938

Ryan Zimmerman - 20 - 2009

Joe Cronin - 20 - 1930

George Case - 20 - 1939

Jackie Jensen - 20 - 1952

Mickey Vernon - 20 - 1953

      

Ryan Zimmerman's double in the top of the 6th inning last night in Philadelphia extended his current hit streak to 18 games. As Zimmerman's 18 game hit streak ranks first for the current Washington ball club that made the Nation's Capital their home in 2005, it still leaves him far from first of the Washington’s all time hit streak leader.

During the 1933 season Washington Senator great Heinie Manush had at least one hit in 33 consecutive games to break Sam Rice's nine year old Washington record of 31.

If Zimmerman is able to extend his current streak to 20 games he will be the 12th Washington player since 1901 and only the 3rd player since the end of World War II "1945" to have a hitting streak of 20 or more games. Below is the list of Washington ball players that had a hitting streak of 20 or more games.

Player - # of Games - Year

Heinie Manush - 33 - 1933

Sam Rice - 31 - 1924

Sam Rice - 29 - 1920

Sam Rice - 28 - 1930

Heinie Manush - 26 - 1933

Goose Goslin - 25 - 1928

Cecil Travis - 24 - 1941

Joe Cronin - 22 - 1932

Heinie Manush - 22 - 1932

Mickey Vernon - 22 - 1946

Eddie Fisher - 21 - 1918

Buddy Myer - 21 - 1935

Taffy Wright - 21 - 1938

Joe Cronin - 20 - 1930

George Case - 20 - 1939

Jackie Jensen - 20 - 1952

Mickey Vernon - 20 - 1953