Barry Moore (#11)

Barry Moore pitched for the Senators in the late-1960s. The record shows he had a 6-year career, but it was more like 4 ½ years. After making his debut on 5/29/65, he didn’t play in the majors again until late-July 1966.

Moore was signed by the Senators in 1962. He joined the starting rotation in July 1966, and over the next 3 ½ seasons started 80 of his 102 games with the Nats. Barry and Frank Bertaina were the southpaws, complementing Camilo Pascual, Joe Coleman, Phil Ortega, and Dick Bosman.

In April 1967, Barry pitched a 1-hitter against the Twins.

After the 1969 season, Moore and pitcher Dennis Higgins were traded to the Indians for 2nd baseman Dave Nelson and pitchers Horacio Pina and Ron Law.

Moore split the 1970 season between the Indians and the White Sox. Although a starter for the Tribe, he was mostly a reliever after his June trade to Chicago.

Following the 1970 season, he was traded to the Yankees for outfielder Bill Robinson, but never made it back to the majors.

 He played for the Pirates’ AAA team from 1971-73 before retiring.

Casey Cox (#414)

I didn’t realize until today that Casey Cox only had one season under his belt when this card came out.

Cox was signed by the Cincinnati Reds in 1962 (I didn’t know that!), then was picked up by the Indians after that season in the 1st-year draft (didn’t know that either!).

In May 1963 the Senators made a waiver claim for him, and he spent the next 2 1/2 seasons on their farm before making his major-league debut in April 1966. He led the staff with 66 games as a rookie, also picking up 7 saves.

After a full season in 1966, Casey pitched most of 1967 with the Senators (except for a brief trip to the minors in late-May/early-June), but pitched almost all of the 1968 season for the Senators’ AAA team.

Cox returned to Washington in 1969, this time also mixing in some starts (having previously only pitched in relief). He posted a 12-7 record and was 3rd on the team in innings pitched (171).

In 1970 he was primarily a starter (30 of his 37 games), but slipped to an 8-12 record. (The Sens’ top 3 starters each lost 12 games that season.)

After 1970 Cox went back to a primarily-relief role. After 2 more seasons with the club, the Rangers traded him to the Yankees in late-August 1972 for pitcher Jim Roland.

Cox was rarely used in the Big Apple, only pitching 5 games in the season’s final month. After pitching 1 game in 1973 (on April 6th) he was released a week later.

Casey pitched the remainder of 1973 for the Cubs’ AAA team before retiring.

Ed Brinkman (#311)

Ed Brinkman was a light-hitting shortstop for the Senators in the 1960s and Tigers in the early-1970s. Together with Tigers’ shortstop Ray Oyler, they set the lowest of bars for hitting prowess, in the days before Mario Mendoza established the “Mendoza Line”.  (Fittingly, Brinkman eventually replaced Oyler in Detroit.)

Brinkman was signed by the Senators in 1961, and made his major-league debut with 4 games in September of that year. After splitting the 1962 season between the Senators and their class-B team, he made the big club at the start of the 1963 season.

Despite his weak bat, he was Washington’s starting shortstop from 1963-1970, except for missing 85 games in 1968.

Well, he came from the same high school as Pete Rose, so he's got THAT going for him! 


Notice the spike in his batting average in 1969 and 1970? Those are the 2 seasons when Teddy Ballgame was his manager. After he moved on to the Tigers in 1971, he reverted to his old batting ways.

Ed was traded to the Tigers in October 1970 (with pitchers Joe Coleman and Jim Hannan, and 3rd baseman Aurelio Rodriguez) for pitcher Denny McLain, 3rd baseman Don Wert, and outfielder Elliott Maddox.

Always a good glove man, he won a Gold Glove award in 1972 and surprisingly, made the All-Star team in 1973.

After the 1974 season, Ed was one of 3 players traded to the Padres for 1st baseman Nate Colbert. On the same day, San Diego flipped him to the Cardinals for pitchers Sonny Siebert, Alan Foster, and Rich Folkers. (What a haul!)

In June 1975 he moved on to the Rangers in exchange for outfielder Willie Davis, then was purchased by the Yankees a week later. The Yankees released him the following Spring.

After his playing career, Brinkman was a minor-league manager for the Tigers, and later a coach and scout for the White Sox.

He passed away in 2008 at age 66.

His brother Chuck Brinkman was a catcher for the White Sox in the early-1970s.

Paul Casanova (#115)

Paul Casanova played 7 seasons with the Senators (1965-71) and 3 with the Braves (1972-74).

Casanova’s career had a rocky start. He was signed by the Indians in 1960 but released in June of that year. They signed him again in December but was released AGAIN in April 1961. (To prove it wasn’t just the Indians, the Cubs signed him in September 1961 and also release him the following April.)

For a while in 1961, he played for the Indianapolis Clowns, an independent team that was formerly in the Negro Leagues.

FINALLY, Paul hooked on with the Senators just after the 1962 season, AND THEY DIDN’T RELEASE HIM MONTHS LATER! In fact, he went on to be their starting catcher for several seasons.

After 3 seasons in their farm system, Casanova made his major-league debut with the Senators in September 1965 (5 games).
 
Paul was the team’s primary starting catcher from 1966 to 1970. He caught the lion’s share of games in ’66, ’67, and ’69, and just over half the games in ’68 and ’70 (with Jim French the #2 backstop in both seasons). Casanova also made his only All-Star team in 1967.

1971 was Paul’s last season in Washington. He started 81 games behind the plate, but rookie Dick Billings was gradually taking over, starting 61 games (mostly in the second half).

After the ’71 season, Casanova was traded to the Braves for catcher Hal King. Paul backed up Earl Williams in 1972, then split the starting assignments with Johnny Oates in 1973. In his final season (1974) Casanova was the #3 catcher behind Oates and rookie Vic Correll, and did not make a start after August 9th, as Correll assumes the bulk of the catching over the season’s final months.

He was released by the Braves in March 1975, ending his 10-year career.

Casanova passed away in August 2017 at age 75.

Pete Richert (#590)

Here is Pete Richert’s high-numbered 1967 card. The 1967 7th-series cards were not sold in my area, so I had no idea who Pete was (other than that he was traded to the Orioles for Mike Epstein and Frank Bertaina in early 1967) until getting his 1968 card the following year.

Pete was signed by the Dodgers in 1958, and after 4 years as a starting pitcher in the minors he made his Dodgers’ debut in April 1962, setting a record by striking out the first 6 batters he faced.

From 1962 to 1964, he was up-and-down between the Dodgers and their triple-A team (first in Omaha, and later Spokane).

After the 1964 season, Richert was part of the 7-player deal with the Senators that saw Frank Howard, Ken McMullen, Phil Ortega, Dick Nen, and Richert headed to Washington in exchange for Claude Osteen, John Kennedy, and cash. (I wonder if any of these guys was ever called "Old 5-for-2"?)

Richert made an immediate impact with the Senators. In 1965 he led the staff in wins (15), strikeouts (161, almost double the next guy), ERA (2.60), innings (194), starts (29), and complete games (6).

He was the Sens' #1 pitcher in 1966 also, leading the team in wins (14), strikeouts (195), innings (245), and starts (34). His 3.37 ERA was the lowest among the starters. Pete made the All-Star team in both seasons.

You would think Richert would be a keeper, but after a 2-6 start in 1967, in late-May he was traded to the Orioles for a much-needed slugging 1st baseman (Mike Epstein). Richert was a starter for the Orioles for most of the season, but had an off-year (as did most of the Orioles in ’67), only going 7-10 in 26 games (19 starts) with 90 strikeouts.

The Orioles rebuilt their starting rotation in 1968, so Richert was relegated to the bullpen that season, and stayed there for the remaining 7 seasons of his career. In '68 he was the only southpaw in the ‘pen.

In 1970 Richert led the team with 13 saves, and had an ERA of 1.98 while pitching 54 innings across 50 games. In 1971 the team acquired lefty Grant Jackson from the Phillies, pushing Richert down on the bullpen ladder.

Pete pitched in 3 consecutive World Series for the Orioles (1969-71), but after the '71 season, he returned to the Dodgers in the Frank Robinson trade. For 2 seasons with the Dodgers, he was just another reliever not named Jim Brewer.

Richert spent his final season (1974) with the Cardinals and Phillies. The Dodgers traded him to St Louis for Tommie Agee, then in mid-season he was sold to the Phillies.

Ken McMullen (#47)

Here's a very intense-looking Ken McMullen. Ken was the Senators' 3rd baseman for the 2nd half of the 1960s, after coming over from the Dodgers in the Frank Howard trade after the 1964 season.

McMullen was signed by the Dodgers in 1960, and made his major-league debut in September 1962.

Ken began the 1963 season as the team's starting 3rd baseman, but it was back to the minors for most of May and June. Recalled in late-June, he regained the starting job for the month of July and again in late September. While he was out of the lineup, the Dodgers used a mix of Maury Wills, Jim Gilliam, and (surprisingly) Tommy Davis at 3rd base.

Ken spent most of the 1964 season back in the minors, while Gilliam alternated with a batch of scrubs (Dick Tracewski, John Werhas, and Derrell Griffith) at 3rd base. (McMullen couldn’t beat out THOSE guys???)

After the 1964 season LA traded Ken, outfielder Frank Howard, pitchers Phil Ortega and Pete Richert, and 1st baseman Dick Nen to the Senators for pitcher Claude Osteen and infielder John Kennedy. (Oh c’mon, Osteen couldn't possibly have been worth all of that!)

McMullen settled in as the Nats' regular 3rd baseman and secondary power hitter (behind Howard) until he was dealt to the Angels in late-April 1970 for 3rd baseman Aurelio Rodriguez and outfielder Rick Reichardt.

Ken was the Angels' 3rd baseman from 1970-72, then was involved in another big trade with the Dodgers after the '72 season. He and pitcher Andy Messersmith went to LA in exchange for outfielder Frank Robinson, infielders Bobby Valentine and Billy Grabarkiewitz, and pitchers Bill Singer and Mike Strahler.

McMullen had returned to his original team, but as in his last stint, he was a part-time player. Oh, he started the first 5 games of 1973 at the hot corner, but then a rookie named Ron Cey took over for the next 10 years. Ken only played 125 games over the next 3 seasons with the Dodgers, almost all as a pinch-hitter.

Released in March 1976, he was a part-time player for the Athletics in '76 and the Brewers in '77.

Darold Knowles (#362)

Here's relief pitcher Darold Knowles, sporting the windbreaker UNDER uniform look. Knowles was the ace of the Phillies' bullpen as a rookie in 1966.

Darold was signed by the Orioles in 1961, and pitched 5 seasons in their minor-league system. Early on, he was primarily a starting pitcher, but in '64 and '65, about half his appearances were out of the bullpen. He made his major-league debut in April 1965, but only pitched 5 games for the O's that year.

After the season, he was traded to the Phillies (along with veteran outfielder Jackie Brandt) for Jack Baldschun, who had been the Phillies' closer from 1962-65.  Knowles soon worked his way up to the top of the Phillies' bullpen, appearing in 69 games (the most of any Phils pitcher, and 33 more than any other reliever) and collecting 13 saves (9 more than the next guy). Darold came along at the right time, since the heir-apparent to Baldschun's fireman role (Gary Wagner) had a disastrous 1966 season.

He was one-and-done in Philly, getting shipped off to the Senators for center fielder Don Lock. Knowles spent 4-plus seasons in Washington's bullpen before a May 1971 trade hooked him up with the contending Oakland Athletics.

Although generally the team's top reliever during his stay in DC, with Oakland Knowles pitched in the shadow of Rollie Fingers. Darold pitched in the 1971 ALCS vs. Baltimore, and the 1973 World Series vs. the Mets.

Knowles was traded again after the 1974 season, and pitched 5 more full seasons for the Cubs, Rangers, Expos, and Cardinals. His last game was on April 18, 1980 - fifteen years to the day after his major-league debut.

'Round, 'Round, Get-Around, I Get Around

Five players saw action with three teams during the 1967 season. For some, it would be the final season of their careers. For others, the moves culminated in a trip to the World Series.

Ken Harrelson began the year with the Washington Senators, but in June was sold to the Kansas City Athletics (where he also played from 1963 to early 1966). In mid-August, the Athletics' owner Charlie Finley fired manager Alvin Dark, and a week later, Harrelson was out the door also.

Three days later, the Red Sox signed Ken to replace Tony Conigliaro (who had been beaned 10 days earlier) in right field. After toiling in Washington and Kansas City (2 perennial cellar-dwellers), Harrelson helped the Red Sox get to the World Series.


Jack Lamabe started the season in the White Sox' bullpen. After only 3 appearances, he was dealt to the lowly Mets on April 26th. Jack's career would take an unexpected upturn, as the Cardinals acquired him on July 16th. (Bob Gibson suffered a broken leg which would sideline him for a month. Reliever Nelson Briles joined the starting rotation, and Lamabe slid into a relief role in St. Louis.) Jack appeared in 3 games against the Red Sox in the World Series, but would move on to the Cubs the following April.


Another White Sox player hits the road. John Buzhardt was the team's opening day starter, but soon fell out of the rotation. By late August he was sold to the Orioles, where he pitched in 11 innings over 7 games. In the season's final week, he was sold to the Astros, where he pitched 2/3 of an inning. John finished his career in 1968 with the Astros.

Jim King began the 1967 season as the Senators' regular right fielder, but soon lost out to the newly-acquired Cap Peterson. On June 15th he was traded to the White Sox for outfielder Ed Stroud. (Wow, the White Sox sure made a lot of trades that year!) Six weeks later he was traded to the Indians for outfielder Rocky Colavito. The White Sox and Indians used him mainly for pinch-hitting duties. Jim was released by the Indians after the season, ending his 11-year career.


Long-time White Sox' center fielder Jim Landis was traded to the Astros in January 1967 (with catcher Doc Edwards) for outfielder Lee Maye. His time in Houston was short, as he was traded to the Tigers in June for pitcher Larry Sherry.

In mid-August he was released, and signed by the Boston Red Sox on August 22nd, just after they lost Tony Conigliaro for the season. After 1 start, they must have decided that Landis was not the answer. He was released 6 days after arriving in Boston, and the Sox brought in Ken Harrelson as their right-fielder. 1967 was the end of Jim's 11-year career.

The 1967 Senators

Here is a review of the 1967 Senators squad, as requested by "Spiff" of the Texas Rangers Cards blog back in May.

After two straight 8th-place finishes, the Senators finished in 6th place in 1967. After the season, manager Gil Hodges was hired away by the New York Mets, and the Senators plummeted to the American League basement in 1968. In 1967, the Senators' lone all-star representative was catcher Paul Casanova, who had a better year in 1966 than he did in 1967.


These were the top 4 starting pitchers (in order of starts and innings pitched). Phil Ortega was far and away the workhorse of the staff in 1967, appearing in 34 games (all starts) and pitching 219 innings (55 more innings than Camilo Pascual). His record was 10-10. Pascual, acquired from the Twins in the off-season, compiled a 12-10 record in 7 fewer starts. Barry Moore had a bad season, compiling a 7-11 record and walking just as many as he struck out. 20-year-old rookie Joe Coleman Jr was the 4th starter.


Pete Richert was one of the Senators top 3 starters in 1966, but after making 10 starts in 1967, he was traded to the Orioles for 1st baseman Mike Epstein and pitcher Frank Bertaina. Bertaina manned the #5 spot in the rotation, making 18 starts. Darold Knowles was acquired in the off-season from the Phillies, where he was their bullpen ace in his rookie year. He filled the same role for the Senators in 1967, leading the team with 61 appearances and 14 saves. Bob Humphreys was the long man in the bullpen, pitching 105 innings in 48 games, while compiling a 6-2 record.


Other members of the Nats' bullpen in 1967 included Dick Lines, Casey Cox, and rookie Dave Baldwin, all of whom were used only in relief. Bob Priddy was acquired from the Giants in December 1966 (along with outfielder Cap Peterson) for pitcher Mike McCormick. Priddy started 8 games along with his 38 relief appearances.


Dick Bosman, Jim Hannan, and Buster Narum each pitched in fewer than 10 games for the Senators, and spent most of the year as starters with the AAA club in Hawaii. Mike McCormick's 1st series card shows him as a Senator, but he was traded to the Giants in December 1966. He went on to lead the National League with 22 wins in 1967!


Here are the Senators' regulars for 1967. Paul Casanova, who took over the team's catching duties as a rookie in 1966, continued in that role in 1967, and made the All-Star team. Mike Epstein, who hit 30 homers in class A in 1965 and 29 homers in AAA during 1966 was blocked by Boog Powell in Baltimore, so during spring training he demanded the Orioles to trade him. He was finally accommodated in late May. Bernie Allen was acquired in the off-season from the Twins. Ed Brinkman was the Senators' regular shortstop from 1963-1970. Early in his career, he struggled to bat over .190 (which he failed to do in '65, '67, and '68). Once Ted Williams became the team's manager in 1969, Brinkman's average shot up to .266.

Ken McMullen was the Senators' #2 slugger with 16 homeruns - not much really for a 3rd baseman. Left fielder Frank Howard (The Capital Punisher) was among the league leaders in homeruns with 36. With the departure of Don Lock to Philadelphia, center field became a 3-way carousel in 1967, featuring Fred Valentine, Ed Stroud, and Hank Allen, with Valentine playing the most innings there. He also made 51 starts in right field. Cap Peterson was acquired from the Giants in December, and started 85 games in right.


Tim Cullen started most of the games at shortstop after July 4th, having wrested the job away from weak-hitting Ed Brinkman. Hank Allen (R) and Dick Nen (L) were the primary pinch hitters, and also got 50 to 60 starts as well. Bob Saverine was primarily the backup to Bernie Allen at 2nd base.


Jim King, the team's starting right fielder since 1962, was traded to the White Sox in June for outfielder Ed Stroud. Six weeks later, King moved on to the Indians, where he finished his career at season's end. Stroud, who made his debut with the Sox in September 1966, played 79 games in center field (including 48 starts). Ken Harrelson began the season sharing the 1st base job with Dick Nen, but after Epstein was acquired at the end of May, Harrelson was sold to the Athletics. By late August, his patience was rewarded as Ken was signed by the Red Sox (to replace the injured Tony Conigliaro in right field) as they made their way to the World Series. Doug Camilli managed to start 24 games as Casanova's backup.


Other assorted Senators: Jim French made 5 starts, mostly in the last week of the season. Bob Chance played in 27 games, but spent most of the season in AAA. His last start for the Nats was May 7th. The back of John Orsino's card says he spent most of 1966 on the disabled list. That must have extended into 1967 also, because he only played 1 game with the Senators, and 16 games in the minors. Gil Hodges managed the Senators from 1963 to 1967, then was TRADED to the Mets, where he managed for 4 seasons, including the miracle season of 1969.


All but Pete Craig played for the Senators in 1967. Frank Coggins started all 19 games after September 9th at 2nd base. Dick Nold pitched in 7 games in August and September.


Epstein, Stroud, and Allen also appeared on rookie cards in 1967.



Senators deals from the end of the 1966 season to December 1967:

10/18/66 - Released outfielder Willie Kirkland.
11/20/66 - Traded outfielder Don Lock to the Phillies for Darold Knowles.
12/03/66 - Traded pitcher Ron Kline to the Twins for Bernie Allen and Camilo Pascual.
12/13/66 - Traded Mike McCormick to the Giants for Cap Peterson and Bob Priddy.
02/16/67 - Sold infielder Chuck Cottier to the Angels.
05/29/67 - Traded Pete Richert to the Orioles for Frank Bertaina and Mike Epstein.
06/09/67 - Sold Ken Harrelson to the Athletics.
06/15/67 - Traded Jim King to the White Sox for Ed Stroud.
11/27/67 - Traded manager Gil Hodges to the Mets for pitcher Bill Denehy.
11/28/67 - Purchased outfielder Sam Bowens from the Orioles.


Next team review: Chicago White Sox


(click on the "Team Review" label below to see other teams)

Final Card: John Orsino

John Orsino only played 1 major-league game in 1967 (September 10th), and it would be his last. Like fellow AL catchers Smoky Burgess and Charlie Lau, Orsino would spend the final seasons of his career pinch-hitting, not catching.

John was signed by the Giants in 1957. After spending 4 full seasons in the minors, he split the 1961 and 1962 seasons between San Francisco and the minor leagues.

After the 1962 season, Orsino was traded to the Orioles (along with pitchers Mike McCormick and Stu Miller) for pitchers Jack Fisher and Billy Hoeft, and catcher Jimmie Coker.



Orsino's seasons with the Orioles (1963-65) were the only years he managed to stay out of the minor leagues. In fact, he was the Orioles primary catcher in 1963, starting 103 games behind the plate. For the next 2 seasons, he shared the starting job with Dick Brown.

John was on the move after the 1965 season, this time to Washington. 1966 and 1967 seem to be lost seasons for Orsino, as his games played during that time were:

1966: 14 games with Senators, 1 with AA York
1967: 1 game with Senators, 16 with AAA Hawaii

He got significant playing time from 1968-69 as a catcher and 1st baseman, but it was in the minor leagues, in the Senators system for 1968 and the Indians' and Yankees' farm teams in 1969.

Final Card: Doug Camilli

Doug Camilli (#551) was a 2nd-generation major-leaguer. His father Dolph was a 1st baseman for the Cubs, Phillies, and Dodgers in the 1930s and 1940s. Doug was signed by the Dodgers in 1957, and spent 5 full seasons in their minor-league system, with brief call-ups in 1960 and 1961.

From 1962 to 1967, Doug was a fulltime major-league catcher, but averaged only 33 starts per season during that time. After the 1964 season, the Dodgers sold him to the Senators.



Washington released him prior to the 1968 season. He was out of baseball until the Senators re-signed him on September 13, 1969. He caught six innings the following day, then did not play again. He was released after the season.

Final Card: Jim King

Here is the final card for Jim King (#509). After playing the past 6 seasons for the Senators, Jim spent his last year (1967) playing for three teams. He's one of 5 players to play for more than 2 teams in 1967 (along with Jim Landis, John Buzhardt, Jack Lamabe, and Ken Harrelson).

Jim began playing minor-league ball in 1950 with the independent Vernon (TX) Dusters in the class-D Longhorn League. Prior to the 1951 season, he was acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals and spent the next 4 seasons with their minor-league teams. After the 1954 season, the Cubs selected him in the rule 5 draft.

He made his major-league debut in April 1955, and was the Cubs' regular right fielder that season. The following year, he was the backup in left and right field.



The next few years seem like wasted seasons for King. In April 1957 he was traded back to the Cardinals, but spent most of the year in triple-A. In 1958 he was traded twice: in April he went to the Giants and divided his time between San Francisco and their triple-A team in Phoenix, then in July he was traded to the independent Toronto Maple Leafs.

In 1960 (while still playing for Toronto) he became the property of the Cleveland Indians. After the season the expansion Washington Senators drafted him from the Indians.

In his first 2 seasons with the Senators, he shared right field with Gene Woodling and also subbed in left field. In 1963 and 1964, Jim was Washington's everyday right fielder. In 1965 and 1966 his playing time decreased, as he began sharing right field again, with Willie Kirkland in 1965 and Fred Valentine in 1966.

King began the 1967 season as the regular right fielder, but soon lost out to the newly-acquired Cap Peterson. On June 15th he was traded to the White Sox for outfielder Ed Stroud. Six weeks later he was traded to the Indians for outfielder Rocky Colavito. The White Sox and Indians used him mainly for pinch-hitting duties.

Jim was released by the Indians after the season, ending his 11-year career.

Frank Howard (#255)

Frank Howard was signed by the newly-relocated Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958. He spent the better part of 1958 and 1959 in the minors, although appearing in a handful of games for the Dodgers in both seasons.

In 1960, Howard began the season at triple-A Spokane, but was soon recalled to the Dodgers. He made his first start on May 13th, and by the end of the season, he had started 91 games in right, 21 games in left, and won the 1960 NL Rookie of the Year award.



After the 1964 season, Howard was traded to the Senators along with pitchers Phil Ortega and Pete Richert, first baseman Dick Nen, and third baseman Ken McMullen for pitcher Claude Osteen and infielder John Kennedy. Although primarily a rightfielder with the Dodgers, Howard would be Washington's regular leftfielder from 1965 to 1971 (although from 1968-71, he would play first base about 25% of the time).

Frank hit 31 homeruns for the Dodgers in 1962, but his big power years were from 1967 to 1970. 1967 was a "warm-up" year for him, as he hit 36 homers. He led the AL with 44 homeruns in 1968 and 1970. In 1969, his HR total increased to 48, but that wasn't enough to lead the league, thanks to Harmon Killebrew's 49 dingers.

In 1972, Howard's playing time diminished, and in late August he was sold to the Tigers, where he finished his career in 1973.

The back of this card notes that his nickname was "The Tower". I have never heard this, but am more familiar with his other nicknames: "Hondo", and the more menacing "Capital Punisher". Howard's late-1960s home run spree, coupled with his size (6'-7" and 255 pounds) made that a perfect nickname.

Ken Harrelson (#188)

I started this blog 4 weeks ago, and have featured someone from every team but the Senators, so here we go:

Ken "Hawk" Harrelson was one of a handful of players to play for 3 teams in 1967. (The others were Jim King, Jim Landis, Jack Lamabe, and John Buzhardt. Technically, Sandy Alomar played for 4 teams in 1967, but 2 of them were during spring training only.)

Harrelson began the year with the Washington Senators, but in June was sold to the Kansas City Athletics (where he also played from 1963 to early 1966). In mid-August, the Athletics fired their manager, Alvin Dark. Dark's last game as manager was also the last game that Harrelson played for the A's. Less than a week later, he was released by the Athletics. (I seem to recall that this was due to owner Charlie Finley's dislike for Harrelson's flamboyant personality, and not because of his baseball skills.)

Three days later, the Red Sox signed him to replace Tony Conigliaro (who had been beaned 10 days earlier) in right field. Harrelson helped the Red Sox get to the World Series in 1967.

Good move Hawk, going from Washington and Kansas City, to Boston!


Harrelson continued as the Red Sox' regular rightfielder in 1968. In 1969, Conigliaro returned to the team (in RF), so after 10 games with the Sox, Harrelson was traded to Cleveland. He was the Indians' regular rightfielder in 1969, but had limited playing time (mostly at 1B) in 1970 and 1971. His last game was in June 1971.