Forgotten Washington Senators of the 1950s ©DiamondsintheDusk.com “Washington: First in war, first in peace, and still last in the American League.” Baseball Hall of Fame sports writer Charley Dryden (right) coins the above utterance during the 1904 season, when the Washington Senators finished 38-113 and a distant 55 1/2 games behind the American League pennant-winning Boston Americans. For its first 11 years of existence, the luckless franchise in the nation’s capital does its best to live up (or down) to Dryden’s cynicism by finishing last, or second to last, in all but two of those 11 years. Even Washington’s entry into the ill-fated United States Baseball League in 1912, finishes in fifth place with a 6-7 record before the league ceases opera- tion in June. Forty years later, Washington’s “Boys of Summer” once again do themselves proud. From 1950 to 1959, the Senators finish as high as fifth only three times and seventh or eighth (in an eight-team league) six times, while going through three managers. Where in my previous “Forgotten” article, Pittsburgh’s 1960 World Championship team clearly had its genesis from some of the bad Corsair teams of the 1950s, Minnesota’s American League championship team in 1965, does not derive itself from the previous Forgotten Senators of the 1950s decade. Only five players (albeit five good players) - Bob Allison, Jim Kaat, Harmon Killebrew, Camilo Pas- Bob Usher, 1957 cual and Zoilo Versalles - played for the original Senators’ franchise. In regards to the Forgotten Sena- Jesse Levan, 1954-55 Carlos Paula, 1954-56 tors’ first team, I selected one player for each of the eight field positions José Valdivielso, Roy Dietzel, 1954 and a eight-man pitching staff. 1955-56; 1959-60 As with so many players of this era, characters of all types abound, in- Elmer Singleton, 1950 cluding too-youthful youths, aging Alton Brown, 1951 veterans and out-right cheaters. Bill Currie, 1955 Juan Delis, 1955 Bunky Stewart, 1952-56 Fred Taylor, 1950-52 Jesse Levan ran the 100-yard dash Webbo Clarke, 1955 in 10 seconds flat, hit 216 home Hall Griggs, 1956-1959 runs and won two batting titles in Vito Valentinetti, 1958-59 the minor leagues, but in 1959 he Tom McAvoy, 1959 is banned from the game for life for conspiring to fix games in the Southern Association. Shortstop George Genovese plays in only three games before asking to be Frank Sacka, 1951,1953 sent back down to the minors dur- ing his rookie season. His request is granted and he never plays in the major leagues again. Page 1 of 9: Forgotten Senators of the 1950s [2 of 10]: The Managers Seldom-used catcher Len Okrie was a naval intelligence officer during World War II . Carlos Paula is a strong-armed outfielder fa- mous for throwing to the wrong base more often than not. Mike Guerra is a 38-year-old light-hitting catcher brought in during 1951 to act as interpreter between manager Bucky Harris and the team’s growing Cuban population. First baseman Fred Taylor is later known as Bucky Harris Chuck Dressen Cookie Lavagetto Harris earns the nickname Despite his 5-foot-6 stature, Lavagetto succeeds Dressen the head basketball coach of Ohio State’s “The Boy Wonder” when as Dressen plays quarterback as the Senators manager 20 national championship team in 1960. a first-year manager, he di- for three seasons in the games into the 1957 season rects the Senators to their NFL with Decatur (1920) and is 51-83 the remainder Catcher Steve Korcheck was the 1953 South- first pennant and World Se- and Racine (1922-1923). In of the season. He manages ern Conference Player of the Year and an ries title in 1924 at the age three seasons with the Sen- the team through its transi- of 27. He wins 2,158 games ators (1955-1957), Dressen tion to Minnesota. Lavag- All-American in football. Yo-Yo Davalillo was in 29 seasons as a manager is 116-212 (.354). In 16 etto was 270-385 (.412) in a Venezuelan Army vet and by one account, and is elected to the Hall of seasons overall, he is 1,009- six years at the helm of the spent three days in the Miami airport be- Fame in 1975. 973 (.509). Senators and Twins. cause no one could understand his requests for assistance. Second baseman Roy Dietzel had the misfortune of breaking his leg in three con- secutive seasons while lefty Tom McAvoy’s promising career is derailed when he breaks his throwing arm twice within six months. Bonus Baby outfielder Jerry Schoonmaker has his budding career come to a sudden end after three seasons when a sliver of metal injures his left eye, forcing his retirement at the age of 25. Angel Scull appears on a 1954 Topps baseball card despite never having spent a day in the major leagues. Roy Hawes is on a 1955 Bowman card, four years after playing three games with the Senators in 1951. Jerry Synder’s 1957 Topps card is actually adorned with a photo of teammate catcher Ed Fitzgerald. Cuban pitcher Webbo Clarke has a special family rub Year by Year down mixture, consisting of moonshine and camphor. Hard-throwing Bob Wiesler leads three minor leagues Year Record Standing Manager in strikeouts, but once he gets to major leagues he is 1950 ........ 67-87-1 ...... 5th of 8 .................Bucky Harris unable to throw strikes, effectively ending his once- 1951 ........ 62-92-0 ...... 7th of 8 .................Bucky Harris promising career at the age 1952 ........ 78-76-3 ...... 5th of 8 .................Bucky Harris of 27. It is said that pitcher Griffith Stadium 1953 ........ 76-76-0 ...... 5th of 8 .................Bucky Harris Vito Valentinetti had the 1954 ........ 66-88-1 ...... 6th of 8 .................Bucky Harris most Italian name in base- 1955 ......53-101-0 ...... 8th of 8 ............Chuck Dressen ball annals. 1956 ........ 59-95-1 ...... 7th of 8 ............Chuck Dressen 1957 ........ 55-99-0 ...... 8th of 8 ....Dressen/Lavagetto And, of course, we have a 1958 ........ 61-93-2 ...... 8th of 8 ...... Cookie Lavagetto pitcher named “Bunky.” 1959 ........ 63-91-0 ...... 8th of 8 ...... Cookie Lavagetto On the following pages are the forgotten Senators of the 1950s: Joe Albanese Alton Brown Bud Byerly Bob Chakales Prior to playing for an Army team In an effort to bring some sort of The 27-year-old Asheville, North during World War II, Brown had stability to a battered pitching staff, Carolina, right-hander, along with never played organized baseball at Senators’ manager Charlie Dressen Johnny Groth and Clint Courtney, is any level. Signed by the Senators, brings up 35-year-old Bud Byerly acquired by the Senators on June Brown pitches for three seasons at from Louisville where he is 2-2 7, 1955, for outfielder Jim Busby. In Joe Albanese’s pro career spans the lowest level of the minors. With with a 1.47 ERA. “At least Byerly parts of three seasons in the nation’s eight seasons, including one brief the Roanoke Rapids Jays of the D- has some control and know-how,” capital, Chakales is 6-8 with a 4.58 six-game trial with the Washington level Coastal Plain League in 1950, Dressen says in disgust with the oth- ERA and four saves. A good hitting Senators in 1958. The right-hander Brown is 28-11 and the league MVP. ers. Back in the majors after a four- pitcher with a .271 career batting yields three runs on eight hits and He makes the opening day roster year hiatus, Byerly responds with a average, Chakales homers off of two walks in six innings and allows in 1951 and is 0-0 with a 9.26 ERA 2-4 mark in 1956 with a 2.96 ERA in Chicago’s Bob Cain in his fifth major one home run to Ted Lepico. over 11 2/3 innings. 25 relief appearances. league at bat. Webbo Clarke Bill Currie Yo-Yo Davalillo Juan Delis Vibert “Webbo” Clarke makes seven Pompeyo “Yo-Yo” Davalillo is hitting A .284 hitter in seven minor league mound appearances over a 21-day .305 with the Charlotte Hornets in 1953, seasons, the Cuban-born Delis hits period in September of 1955. The when he is brought up to the Senators .189 with three doubles and one tri- 27-year-old Panamanian fashions a on July 30, replacing regular shortstop ple in 54 games with the Senators in 4.64 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. It is ru- Following a 16-win season with Chat- Pete Runnels, whose recent “jittery” 1955. In his first major league start mored that Clark had a special fam- tanooga the previous season, the play prompts his move to second base. against Detroit on April 30, he col- ily “rub down mixture,” consisting 28-year-old right-hander makes the In his first three starts, the 5-foot-3, lects three hits in four at bats with of moonshine and camphor. Wary Senators’ opening day roster in 1955. 149-pound Venezuelan is 7-for-12 a double, triple and a RBI. After the of flying, Clarke tells the Charlotte Currie is 0-0 with a 12.46 ERA in three (.583) with a double and seven runs season, which ends on a 6-for-61 News in 1956, that he can’t see good games before being out-righted back scored. A Venezuelan Army vet, Dava- streak that lowers his average from because years earlier a woman in to Chattanooga on May 5.