Those of you old enough to remember may recall an old musical comedy set in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s. It’s one of the few musicals I’m aware of that’s based on our national pastime — baseball. The musical is based on a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball. If I remember correctly, (in the broadway version) the Washington Senators finally beat the Yankees for the American League Pennant. The play/musical was based on a book by Douglass Wallop, The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.
Now that the Washington Nationals have just won the National League Pennant, people around here may possibly be using that “Damn Yankees” phrase again. Of course baseball, like everything else is different today than it was in the 1950s. Back then the Senators and the Yankees were both in the American League so they couldn’t have competed in the World Series. And there’s no assurance that the National’s opponent in this years World Series will be the Yankees. For old time baseball fans, I think it would be nice to have a Washington – New York series.
Washington has been a long suffering baseball town…. the “original” Senators played in Washington from 1901 to 1960 — the “expansion” Senators played here from 1960 to 1971. Washington was then without a major league team until 2005 when the Montreal Expos moved to Washington and were renamed the Nationals.
I remember attending old Senators games at RFK Stadium when I began to be in and out of Washington in the early/mid 60s. The games were inexpensive, it was easy to get to the stadium and I don’t remember parking being a problem. It was particularly nice to be able to go to afternoon games…. sit in the sun, have a hot dog and a beer and not have to sit through untold TV commercial breaks. Of course today, Nationals games are not inexpensive, the stadium isn’t that easy to get to and parking is a major problem. BUT — the Nationals are going to the World Series! Go Nats!!
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