In April of 1889, the Washington Nationals were preparing to open the season at home against the Philadelphia Quakers.
The Washington Critic editorialized about the fortunes of the local team:
“As is proper, the National Capital has a club competing for the pennant, which indicates championship in the national game, but unfortunately, this club has never yet succeeded in winning the coveted emblem. The ‘Senators,’ as a facetious country has dubbed out baseball players, are engaged usually in a desperate struggle to keep from taking place near the tail end of the league at the tail end of the season, and if the Goddess of Liberty on the dome of the Capitol has any local pride she must weep at what she has seen happen in the park a few blocks north of her. She has observed the home club walloped all over the grounds and has been humiliated beyond endurance.”
The Nationals had been members of the National League for three underachieving season; 28-92 in 1886 (eighth place), 46-76 in 1887 (seventh place), and 48-86 in 1888 (eighth place). John Morrill would open the 1889 season as the team’s fifth manager:
John Morrill
“There is a prospect of better baseball fortunes for Washington in the season opening today. There are, up to date at least, no dissensions in the club, and a stalwart and resolute group are prepared to do battle for the pennant. They may not win the trophy, but it is tolerably certain that they will give a good account of themselves, and that when ‘Senators’ are referred to in terms of opprobrium , reference will be had to those belonging to that club ‘where wealth accumulates and men decay,’ rather than to our baseball team.”
There would be no “prospect of better baseball fortunes’ for Washington. The Nationals lost the opener to Philadelphia, then lost seven more. In July, John Morrill, who had led the team to a 13-38 record and was hitting .185, was replaced as manager and released. Arthur Irwin did better (but only slightly better) at the helm. The team went 28-45 the rest of the way, finishing in eighth place with a 41-83 record. The team disbanded at the end of the season.
Arthur Irwin
4 Responses to “Hope Springs Eternal”