Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22
WHY"THES SENATORS"
How Washington's Ball Club Gained
the Title.
REM NISCENCE OF YEARS AGO
A Nine From the Upper House Of
Congress.
P Noes THEY NIGHT PLAY

y do they call the players on the
Washington club the Senators?' inquired
Senator Smith Of New Jersey. as he sat in
the grand stand at National Park last
week, an interested spectator in game be-
tween the Washington and Cincinnati
clubs. The writer sitting next the New
Jersey Senator, having heard the legend
repeated it for the benefit of the dis
tirguised base ball enthusiast.
Several years ago. when the Washington
club was a member of the Union Associa-
ton, which included teams from Boston,
Cincinnati, Baltimore and four other cities
the local club established base ball park
on vacant lot just opposite the north
wing or Senate side of the Capitol, bounded
by New Jersey and Indiana avenues and
b street northwest During the long SeS-
sions of the Senate members of that digni-
fled body frequently sat the portico over
looking the grounds and viewed the games
1t was SO convenient that many Of them
often secured a pair-a parliamentary eX-
cuse for being absent-and went over to
the ball park and occupied seats in the
grand stand, where they could obtain a
closer line on the game. Owing to the close
proximity of the ball park to the Senate
chamber, a local writer one day referred to
the Washington team as 1.-The Senator'S"
The name has stuck to them ever since.
When the Hewetts moved the club out to
the North Capitol Street Park, there, also
was the local team called the Senator's"
When Earl Wagner bought out the control
of the club, the old familiar name. 1.-The
Senator's went with the deal. So the
Washington club is known throughout the
base ball world as the Senators
This little flow of "Reminiscences appeared
to interest the jolly Senator from New Jer-
sey, and as he looked around him he recog-
nized among the crowd in the grand stand
several of his colleagues, including Sena-
tors Dubois of Idaho, Proctor of Vermont
Roach of North Dakota, Senator Murphy
Of New York and Senator German of
Maryland They were all as ntently watch
ing the game as the most pronounced
''rooter''-a special brand of patrons of the
national game. !
II once played base ball." remarked Sem
ator Smith. and his round, full face flushed
with pride at the recollection Of the days
when he was not such heavy weight, and
used to caper around on the inlleld of
college team down in Delaware. Yes"
he continued. Il used to play short STOP
and 1 was regarded of the best men
of my day in that position.
A Senatorial Nine.
There is Senator German, over there"
added Senator Smith. pointing to where
the distinguished Maryland Senator was
sitting, "he used to be a ball player, also
There are a number of Senators now in
Congress who We're once first-class ball
players, so they tell me. Last summer
during that long fight over the tariff bill,
Senators Murphy, Hill, Allen Of Nebraska
Dubois and several others became almost
regular attendants at the National Ball
Park. One day We were sitting in the
cloak room discussing base ball. while one
of our associates was making long-wind-
ed speech to empty benches and few sit
ters in the galleries. 1 was surprised TO
learn how many of my colleagues were
familiar with and had played the game. l
proposed to get up a team of United States
Senators. 1 simply wanted to get list TO
see what sort of a team 1 might organize
Senator Delaware became
siastic on the subject that he actually sug-
geSted that we get up game with team
composed OF members OF the House, and let
the proceeds go to some charitable institu-
ton. OF course I would not entertain such
a proposition seriously. but 1 managed to
get together a pretty good team. That is,
providing they all told me the truth about
their playing ability"
Where They Might Plny.
In making up the team Senator Smith
says he stationed his men in the positions
they played most frequently in their boy
hood days. Senator Allen of Nebraska, the
populist, who made the longest speech in
the history of the Senate, was assigned to
catch, that was his home position when
attending the Upper Iowa University. Sem
ator 1rby, who is great lover of base ball.
was pitcher because he once occupied that
position on country team down in South
Carolina. Senator Gray Of Delaware was
once first baseman for a Princeton team
d
he is the taleSt member of the Senate.
Senator German of Maryland, who once
played second base on the famous National
Club, that had its home in the White Lot,
back of the Presidents house, was, of
course. stationed at second bag. Senator
Hill of New York says he used to play
third base for team at Elmira, so the in
field was completed, with the exception of
short stop. Senator Smith says he used to
play that position for a little club in Del
aware so that left only the outfield to be
provided for. Senator Dubois a Yale
man, and Senators Lodge of Massachusetts,
and Wolcott of Colorado were both play
ers on a Harvard team, SO they were sta
toned in left, center and right fields re-
spectively. Senator Hansbrough, who was
a base ball reporter on a San Francisco
paper, and Senator Roach of North Da-
kota, who once played on the Georgetown
University team, were put down as substi-
tuteS.
Senator Smith says he had much fun dis
cussing the merits of his players and the
games they proposed to play, and it was
amusing how earnestly some of the Sena-
tors talked of their performances on base
ball field. For several weeks it was daily
topic of conversation among the base ball
men of the Senate, when the debates in the
Senate chamber were embarrassing.