1969 Washington Senators season

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox baseball team season The 1969 Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing fourth in the newly established American League East with a record of 86 wins and 76 losses, their first winning season in franchise history, and only in Washington.

Offseason

• January 8, 1969: John Orsino was purchased from the Senators by the New York Yankees.

Regular season

The year 1969 was a turning point in Washington sports history. The Senators named Ted Williams as manager. The Washington Redskins hired Vince Lombardi as Head Coach and he had brought a winning attitude to the nation's capital. In the same year, the nearby University of Maryland had hired Lefty Driesell to coach basketball. It marked a renaissance in sports interest in America's most transient of cities.

The hiring of Ted Williams sparked at least increased curiosity in the team. Williams' fanatical approach to hitting helped improve the Senators offense considerably, and inspired the team to its one and only winning season during its 11-year stay in Washington. The Senators won 86 games, 21 more than in 1968, and improved from last place in the ten-team 1968 American League to one game out of third in the new AL East division. For this remarkable turnaround, Williams was voted American League Manager of the Year. As a result, attendance at RFK Stadium improved to over 900,000, the highest attendance for the "new" Senators and, at the time, the highest in Washington's baseball history.

Opening Day starters

File:Richard Nixon throwing out opening pitch at Senators game, 1969.jpg

President Richard Nixon throwing out the first pitch of the Senators' season in April 1969; manager Ted Williams is at left; owner Bob Short at right.

• CF Del Unser
• RF Ed Stroud
• LF Frank Howard
• 1B Mike Epstein
• 3B Ken McMullen
• SS Ed Brinkman
• 2B Tim Cullen
• C Paul Casanova
• P Camilo Pascual

Notable transactions

• June 5, 1969: 1969 Major League Baseball draft
  • Dave Moates was drafted by the Senators in the 4th round.
  • Dave Criscione was drafted by the Senators in the 5th round.
• June 20, 1969: Bill Denehy and cash was traded by the Senators to the Cleveland Indians for Lee Maye.

Roster

1969 Washington Senators
Roster
Pitchers 37 Dave Baldwin 24 Frank Bertaina 27 Dick Bosman 31 Cisco Carlos 20 Joe Coleman 29 Casey Cox 22 Jan Dukes 16 Jim Hannan 28 Dennis Higgins 23 Bob Humphreys 32 Darold Knowles 22 Frank Kreutzer 21,24 Jim Miles 25 Barry Moore 17 Camilo Pascual 21 Jim Shellenback		Catchers 12 Doug Camilli  8 Paul Casanova 10 Jim French Infielders  7 Bernie Allen 11 Ed Brinkman  1 Tim Cullen  6 Mike Epstein 17 Toby Harrah  5 Gary Holman  2 Ken McMullen 15 Zoilo Versalles		Outfielders 35 Hank Allen  3 Brant Alyea 16,31 Dick Billings 31 Sam Bowens 33 Frank Howard  5 Lee Maye 14 Dick Smith 36 Ed Stroud 30 Del Unser		Manager  9 Ted Williams Coaches 40 Joe Camacho 12 Doug Camilli 42 Nellie Fox 41 Sid Hudson 43 George Susce 44 Wayne Terwilliger

Game log

Regular season

Template:Game log start Template:Game log section start |- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || April 7 || 1:30p.m. EST || Yankees || L 4–8 || Stottlemyre (1–0) || Pascual (0–1) || – || 2:47 || 45,113 || 0–1 || L1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 || April 9 || 8:05p.m. EST || Yankees || W 6–4 || Coleman (1–0) || Bahnsen (0–1) || – || 2:00 || 15,162 || 1–1 || W1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 || April 10 || 1:30p.m. EST || Yankees || W 9–6 || Hannan (1–0) || Peterson (0–1) || Higgins (1) || 2:33 || 3,971 || 2–1 || W2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 4 || April 11 || 8:00p.m. EST || @ Orioles || W 4–0 || Moore (1–0) || Hardin (0–1) || Higgins (2) || 2:15 || 8,415 || 3–1 || W3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 || April 12 || 2:15p.m. EST || @ Orioles || L 0–9 || McNally (1–0) || Pascual (0–2) || – || 2:16 || 6,379 || 3–2 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 || April 13 || 2:00p.m. EST || @ Orioles || L 0–2 || Palmer (1–0) || Coleman (1–1) || – || 2:03 || – || 3–3 || L2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 7 || April 13 || 4:38p.m. EST || @ Orioles || L 0–9 || Phoebus (1–0) || Bosman (0–1) || – || 2:07 || 20,483 || 3–4 || L3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || April 15 || 2:00p.m. EST || @ Yankees || L 2–8 || Peterson (1–1) || Bertaina (0–1) || – || 2:32 || 13,889 || 3–5 || L4 |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| April 16 || || @ Yankees || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: April 17) |- style="background:#fcc;" | 9 || April 17 || 1:00p.m. EST || @ Yankees || L 3–7 (10) || Stottlemyre (3–0) || Higgins (0–1) || – || 2:28 || – || 3–6 || L5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 10 || April 17 || 4:03p.m. EST || @ Yankees || W 5–2 || Moore (2–0) || Bahnsen (0–3) || Higgins (3) || 2:17 || 6,883 || 4–6 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 11 || April 18 || 8:05p.m. EST || Orioles || L 0–6 || Phoebus (2–0) || Coleman (1–2) || – || 2:27 || 4,457 || 4–7 || L1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 || April 19 || 2:15p.m. EST || Orioles || W 7–5 || Bosman (1–1) || Cuellar (0–2) || Higgins (4) || 2:20 || 5,495 || 5–7 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || April 20 || 1:00p.m. EST || Orioles || L 1–2 || McNally (2–0) || Hannan (1–1) || Watt (2) || 2:52 || – || 5–8 || L1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 || April 20 || 4:27p.m. EST || Orioles || W 5–2 || Bertaina (1–1) || Hardin (0–2) || Humphreys (1) || 2:19 || 18,055 || 6–8 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 15 || April 21 || 8:05p.m. EST || Tigers || L 0–2 || Sparma (2–0) || Moore (2–1) || – || 2:15 || 3,813 || 6–9 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 || April 22 || 8:05p.m. EST || Tigers || L 2–4 || Hiller (1–0) || Pascual (0–3) || McMahon (3) || 2:48 || 4,922 || 6–10 || L2 |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| April 24 || || @ Red Sox || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: July 5) |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 || April 28 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 6–1 || Pascual (1–3) || Wilson (1–3) || Bosman (1) || 2:39 || 7,353 || 11–10 || W5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 22 || April 29 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || L 4–5 || Radatz (1–0) || Bertaina (1–2) || – || 2:24 || 6,986 || 11–11 || L1 |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| June 15 || || Angels || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: September 2) |- style="background:#fcc;" | 64 || June 17 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Orioles || L 1–5 || Cuellar (0–2) || Shellenback (1–2) || – || 2:26 || 22,134 || 31–33 || L2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 65 || June 18 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Orioles || L 1–3 || Hardin (3–3) || Moore (5–2) || Hall (2) || 2:11 || 10,420 || 31–34 || L3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 66 || June 19 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Orioles || L 0–2 || McNally (10–0) || Higgins (4–7) || – || 2:04 || 13,376 || 31–35 || L4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 67 || June 20 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 7–2 (10) || Knowles (3–0) || McMahon (1–4) || – || 3:07 || 27,725 || 32–35 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 68 || June 21 || 1:15p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || L 5–9 || Lolich (8–1) || Humphreys (1–2) || – || 2:31 || 25,340 || 32–36 || L1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 69 || June 22 || 1:30p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 9–4 || Higgins (5–7) || Dobson (2–5) || – || 2:51 || – || 33–36 || W1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 70 || June 22 || 4:56p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 9–5 (6) || Moore (6–2) || Sparma (4–3) || – || 1:51 || 52,721 || 34–36 || W2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 71 || June 23 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Orioles || L 3–5 || Palmer (9–2) || Knowles (3–1) || Richert (6) || 1:57 || 7,830 || 34–37 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 72 || June 24 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Orioles || L 3–6 (11) || Hall (4–2) || Shellenback (1–3) || – || 3:06 || 14,763 || 34–38 || L2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 73 || June 25 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Orioles || W 11–8 || Humphreys (2–2) || Hardin (3–4) || Knowles (2) || 2:41 || 11,130 || 35–38 || W1 |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| June 30 || || @ Indians || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: July 1) |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- style="background:#fcc;" | 90 || July 11 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Yankees || L 3–4 || Stottlemyre (13–6) || Moore (7–4) || – || 2:13 || 22,254 || 46–44 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 91 || July 12 || 2:15p.m. EDT || Yankees || L 1–3 || Burbach (6–7) || Bosman (6–3) || Aker (7) || 2:39 || 17,818 || 46–45 || L2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 92 || July 13 || 1:00p.m. EDT || Yankees || W 5–4 || Cox (7–1) || Peterson (9–11) || – || 2:19 || – || 47–45 || W1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 93 || July 13 || 3:54p.m. EDT || Yankees || W 10–1 || Shellenback (2–4) || Downing (1–3) || – || 2:22 || 31,700 || 48–45 || W2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 94 || July 14 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Tigers || W 3–0 || Coleman (6–7) || Sparma (5–7) || – || 2:50 || 23,831 || 49–45 || W3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 95 || July 15 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Tigers || W 7–3 || Moore (8–4) || Hiller (2–3) || Baldwin (3) || 2:28 || 16,122 || 50–45 || W4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 96 || July 16 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Tigers || L 0–3 || Lolich (8–1) || Bosman (6–4) || – || 2:27 || 21,568 || 50–46 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 97 || July 17 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Tigers || L 3–4 || Wilson (8–7) || Cox (7–2) || McMahon (8) || 2:31 || 24,701 || 50–47 || L2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 98 || July 18 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || L 0–5 || Peterson (10–11) || Shellenback (2–5) || – || 2:13 || 11,002 || 50–48 || L3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 99 || July 19 || 5:00p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || L 0–9 || Stottlemyre (14–7) || Moore (8–5) || – || 2:12 || – || 50–49 || L4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 100 || July 19 || 7:47p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || W 4–0 || Coleman (7–7) || Bahnsen (5–11) || – || 2:37 || 16,547 || 51–49 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 101 || July 20 || 2:00p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || L 2–3 (11) || Aker (5–2) || Cox (7–3) || – || 3:17 || 32,933 || 51–50 || L1 |- style=background:#bbbfff |colspan="12"|40th All-Star Game in Washington, DC |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| September 8 || || @ Orioles || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: September 9) |- style="background:#fcc;" | 141 || September 9 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Orioles || L 1–6 || Cuellar (21–10) || Carlos (5–4) || – || 2:25 || – || 72–69 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 142 || September 9 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Orioles || L 2–3 || Phoebus (13–6) || Coleman (10–13) || Watt (14) || 2:39 || 10,747 || 72–70 || L2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 143 || September 10 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Yankees || W 6–1 || Bosman (12–5) || Stottlemyre (18–13) || – || 2:10 || 6,016 || 73–70 || W1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 144 || September 11 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Yankees || W 7–3 || Hannan (6–5) || Bahnsen (9–14) || Knowles (12) || 2:10 || 5,389 || 74–70 || W2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 145 || September 12 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Tigers || W 4–3 || Cox (12–5) || Wilson (12–10) || – || 2:17 || 9,398 || 75–70 || W3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 146 || September 13 || 2:15p.m. EDT || Tigers || W 11–6 || Knowles (1–2) || Timmermann (3–3) || – || 2:56 || 9,921 || 76–70 || W4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 147 || September 14 || 1:30p.m. EDT || Tigers || L 4–7 (12) || Dobson (5–10) || Dukes (0–1) || Hiller (4) || 3:58 || 12,114 || 76–71 || L1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 148 || September 15 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Orioles || W 3–2 || Humphreys (3–3) || Palmer (14–3) || – || 1:51 || 5,376 || 77–71 || W1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 149 || September 16 || 8:05p.m. EDT || Orioles || L 0–1 || McNally (19–6) || Hannan (6–6) || Watt (16) || 2:41 || 8,165 || 77–72 || L1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 150 || September 17 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || L 1–2 (5) || Peterson (16–15) || Cox (12–6) || – || 1:17 || 5,025 || 77–73 || L2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 151 || September 18 || 8:00p.m. EDT || @ Yankees || L 3–4 || Stottlemyre (19–13) || Moore (8–8) || – || 2:13 || 6,020 || 77–74 || L3 |- style="background:#bbb;" |–|| September 23 || || @ Tigers || colspan="8"|Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: September 24) |- style="background:#cfc;" | 154 || September 24 || 5:30p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 8–4 || Hannan (7–6) || McLain (23–9) || Shellenback (1) || 2:38 || – || 79–75 || W1 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 155 || September 24 || 8:43p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 7–4 || Higgins (10–9) || Lolich (18–10) || Knowles (13) || 2:44 || 14,032 || 80–75 || W2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 156 || September 25 || 1:30p.m. EDT || @ Tigers || W 7–2 || Bosman (13–5) || Kilkenny (7–6) || – || 2:18 || 4,589 || 81–75 || W3 |- Template:Game log section end Template:Game log section start |- Template:Game log section end |- style="text-align:center;" | Legend:        = Win        = Loss        = Postponement
Bold = Senators team member Template:Game log end

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="5%" | Pos	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="16%" | Player	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | G	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | AB	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | R	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | H	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | Avg.	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | HR	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | RBI	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SB
C		124	379	26	82	.216	4	37	0
1B		131	403	73	112	.278	30	85	2
2B		122	365	33	90	.247	9	45	5
3B		158	562	83	153	.272	19	87	4
SS		151	576	71	153	.266	2	43	2
LF		161	592	111	175	.296	48	111	1
CF		153	581	69	166	.286	7	57	8
RF		71	238	41	69	.290	9	26	1

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="16%" | Player	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | G	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | AB	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | R	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | H	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | Avg.	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | HR	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | RBI	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SB
	109	271	42	75	.277	1	17	12
	119	249	22	52	.209	1	15	1
	104	237	29	59	.249	11	40	1
	123	206	35	52	.252	4	29	12
	63	158	14	29	.184	2	13	1
	31	75	9	20	.267	0	6	1
	33	57	6	11	.193	0	4	1
	27	37	3	5	.135	0	0	0
	41	31	1	5	.161	0	2	0
	21	28	2	3	.107	0	0	0
	1	3	0	1	.333	0	0	0
	8	1	4	0	.000	0	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="16%" | Player	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | G	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | IP	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | W	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | L	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | ERA	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SO
	40	247.2	12	13	3.27	182
	31	193.0	14	5	2.19	99
	35	158.1	7	6	3.64	72
	31	134.0	9	8	4.30	51
	14	55.1	2	5	6.83	34

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="16%" | Player	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | G	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | IP	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | W	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | L	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | ERA	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SO
	52	171.2	12	7	2.78	73
	30	84.2	4	7	4.04	50
	14	35.2	1	3	6.56	25
	6	17.2	1	1	4.58	5

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="16%" | Player	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | G	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | W	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | L	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SV	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | ERA	style="Template:Baseball primary style;" width="9%" | SO
	55	10	9	16	3.48	71
	53	9	2	13	2.24	59
	47	3	3	5	3.05	43
	43	2	4	4	4.05	51
	10	0	1	0	6.20	15
	8	0	2	0	2.45	3
	4	0	0	0	4.50	2

Awards and honors

• Del Unser, American League Leader, Triples (8)
• Del Unser, American League Record, Fewest Triples in One Season by an American League Leader (8)
• Ted Williams, Associated Press AL Manager of the Year

All-Star Game

• Frank Howard, starting LF
• Darold Knowles, reserve

Farm system

Template:MLB Farm System Savannah affiliation shared with Houston Astros

References

• 1969 Washington Senators at Baseball Reference
• 1969 Washington Senators at Baseball Almanac