Washington Senators (1961–1971)
Former baseball team in Washington / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Washington Senators baseball team was one of the American League's first expansion franchises. The club was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1961 to replace the recently departed Washington Senators who moved to Minnesota as the Minnesota Twins. Following the 1971 season, the team relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth, where they were renamed the Texas Rangers.
Washington Senators | |
---|---|
Information | |
League | American League (1961–1971) East Division (1969–1971) |
Ballpark | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (1962–1971) |
Established | 1961 |
Folded | 1971 (relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth and became the Texas Rangers) |
Former ballparks | Griffith Stadium (1961) |
Colors | Red, blue, white |
Ownership | Bob Short (1969–1971) James Lemon (1963–1968) James Johnston (1963–1967) Elwood Richard Quesada (1961–1962) |
Manager | Ted Williams (1969–1971) Jim Lemon (1968) Gil Hodges (1963–1967) Eddie Yost (1963) Mickey Vernon (1961–1963) |
General Manager | George Selkirk (1963–1968) Ed Doherty (1961–1962) |
The 11-year tenure in Washington, D.C. saw the team plagued with poor performances, and were the definition of futility, losing an average of 94 games a season. The team's struggles led to a twist on a joke about the old Senators: "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League." Their only winning season was in 1969 when Hall of Famer Ted Williams managed the club to an 86–76 record, placing fourth in the AL East.[1]
The team played their inaugural season at old Griffith Stadium, then moved to the new District of Columbia Stadium in 1962 under a ten-year lease.