Cracker Jack Old Timers' Classics in DC Stadium Created Memories That Lasted
ALSO: TRADE DEADLINE NOW JUST A MONTH AWAY
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Pregame Pepper
Did you know…
Although Luis Arraez leads the majors in hitting and on-base percentage, the Minnesota infielder trails 55 other players in the ill-fated All-Star voting by fans . . .
Injured White Sox include catcher Yasmani Grandal, outfielder Eloy Jimenez, third baseman Yoan Moncada, and relievers Liam Hendricks and Aaron Bummer . . .
Recently recalled infielders Jeter Downs (Red Sox) and Oneil Cruz (Pirates) were not only named for erstwhile Yankees but born in the year (1998) New York swept San Diego to grab the first of three straight world titles . . .
Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan, a strong Cy Young Award contender, also has a shot at the Triple Crown of pitching: league leadership in wins, strikeouts, and ERA . . .
The Cardinals cannot afford to lose oft-injured staff ace Jack Flaherty, who hurt his shoulder last weekend and had to leave in the second inning . . .
After 10 trying years, the sudden-death wild-card games have been replaced by a best-of-three series, with the top two division winners getting first-round byes . . .
Portly Blue Jays backstop Alejandro Kirk leads both the AL All-Star voting for catchers and has the best batting average and OPS at his position.
Leading Off
The Cracker Jack Classic and Exhibitions at RFK
By Andrew Sharp
District of Columbia Stadium, later named for the assassinated U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was the first of the so-called cookie-cutters, designed to accommodate baseball and football. Washington’s NFL team began play there in the fall of 1961 and stayed through the 1996 season. Baseball’s expansion Senators moved in the next April and played there until the team moved to Texas after the 1971 season.
Major League Soccer’s D.C. United was the sole sports tenant though 2017. After that, the stadium, which sits in straight line from the Capitol, the Mall and the Washington Monument, has lacked a regular tenant. Plans have been in the works for several years to demolish the 61-year-old relic.
The stadium underwent a speedy renovation to house the re-located Expos in 2005. That D.C. had a place to field an MLB team was a major argument for Washington getting the franchise – plus the promise to build what is now Nationals Park. The new Nationals remained at RFK through 2007.
Baseball made several re-appearances there during the 33 years Washington was without a major league team, hosting spring training games and a popular series of old-timers games.
For six years, starting in 1982, RFK played host to a star-studded old-timers game that was originally called the Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. On July 19, 1982, a crowd of 29,196 attended the first of these five-inning games with the proceeds benefiting players who retired before the pension system then in place existed.
Former Senators Harmon Killebrew, Roy Sievers, Camilo Pascual and Bob Allison participated, along with more than a dozen Hall of Famers, including Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays, Ralph Kiner and Lou Brock. Along with Killebrew, Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson, and Ernie Banks were among the starters in that first game. The teams were managed by Hall of Famers Walter Alston and Al Lopez.
Warren Spahn, Bob Feller and Early Wynn, another former Nat, were on hand to pitch in that first game. Later classics featured Sandy Koufax and Whitey Ford pitching. Hall of Famers Billy Williams, Richie Ashburn, Al Kaline, Bill Mazeroski and longtime Senator Mickey Vernon played in the second game on July 18, 1983.
The game was the brainchild of Dick Cecil, a former Atlanta Braves executive. Borden, which then owned Cracker Jack signed on as sponsor and placed ballots on Cracker Jack boxes weeks in advance to let fans vote for the starting line-ups.
The old-timers game guaranteed the Association of Professional Baseball Players of America $50,000 for each of these games. The association’s main role was to help players retired before MLB’s pension plan was fully established and coverage was expanded. The game’s participants received $1,000 each plus travel expenses.
With no endorsement from Major League Baseball, Cecil designed the uniforms and recruited the retired stars himself. The game was broadcast by the then-new ESPN with announcing icons Red Barber and Jack Brickhouse participating.
That the games would benefit the players association’s pension benefit efforts was a major factor in attracting baseball biggest retired stars to D.C. The retirees spent hours before and after the games regaling each other with stories of their playing days. Autograph seekers had a field day.
Luke Appling, at 75 the oldest player on either league’s roster, cleared the left-field wall with a homer off Spahn in that initial classic, a highlight of the game won by the A.L. team. The N.L. won the next three, with Aaron hitting homers in games three and four.
Cracker Jack ended its sponsorship after 1987 game. Moved to Buffalo, the Classic continued for another three seasons before it ended.
After the expansion team left for Texas, RFK was the site of two exhibition games in 1972 to benefit local charities. The Orioles and Pirates met on August 22 and on August 14, the Mets and Red Sox played. Both games drew more 30,000 fans. But after efforts to move the San Diego Padres to D.C. fell through in 1974, RFK didn’t host another baseball exhibition until the 1982 Old Timers’ Classic.
By then, the mechanism used to rotate the grandstands for baseball, instead of football, no longer worked. As a result, the distance to left field wall was just 250 to 270 feet — still a decent poke for long-retired players, some in their 60s and 70s.
The Baltimore Orioles played several of their late spring training games at RFK in the late 1980s, hoping to attract more fans from the Washington area. The seating configuration still meant a short distance to the left-field wall, so a high plywood barrier was erected to try to cut down on cheap homers.
In 1991, when Washington was among the finalists to be awarded one of two N.L. expansion teams, the D.C. Armory Board managed to get the grandstand in left moved to the baseball configuration. A spring training series between the Orioles and Red Sox, helped by balmy weather on April 6-7, attracted more than 80,000 fans, to no avail. Denver and Florida got the new teams.
After the Orioles moved to Camden Yards, the teams’ interest in playing exhibition games at RFK waned. A 1993 game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh that drew just 23,575 was the last MLB exhibition played in D.C. for the next six years.
On April 2, 1999, the Expos played the Cardinals at RFK in what was dubbed the “Bell Atlantic Mobile Classic.” In batting practice, Mark McGwire came close to being the first batter ever to hit a ball out of the stadium, banging one off the facing of the roof over the left-field stands. A crowd of just over 20,000 attended the Friday afternoon game, while more than 30,000 showed up on Saturday.
The Expos-Cardinals exhibitions were the last baseball games at RFK until MLB moved the Expos to D.C. The Nationals beat the Phillies on September 23, 2007 in the last MLB game played at RFK.
Andrew C. Sharp is a retired journalist and a member of SABR who blogs about D.C. baseball at washingtonbaseballhistory.com
Cleaning Up
Trade Deadline Will Be Here Before We Know It
By Dan Schlossberg
Today is July 2, a day after Dominion Day, two days before Independence Day, and 12 days before Bastille Day.
It is also one month from the 2022 baseball trading deadline.
If this year is anything like last year, it will be a busy one.
A record 10 players who were 2021 All-Stars changed uniforms within two weeks of the Denver game. With an even dozen playoff slots up for grabs this time around, action figures to be even crazier — especially in the closing minutes.
Relief pitchers figure to be most in demand but starters won’t be too far behind. And don’t forget the host of stars whose contracts are expiring.
The 2022 trade deadline will produce tons of headlines. Cost-cutting clubs like the Kansas City Royals will be looking to rebuild by slicing well-paid veterans Zack Greinke, Andrew Benintendi, and Whit Merrifield. But don’t be surprised if contenders consider unloading veterans they don’t think they can sign (we’re talking Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox).
Boston figures to follow the example of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who shifted Trea Turner to short after Corey Seager split for the Texas Rangers. The Sox could follow suit with Trevor Story, a career shortstop who has been playing second base for Boston.
Both New York clubs should be active buyers, with the Yankees ogling outfield help and the Mets hoping to bolster their bullpen and maybe third base too.
The World Champion Atlanta Braves, seeking their fifth straight NL East crown, want left-handed help — preferably an outfielder but perhaps a second baseman and a starting pitcher that can bolster an all-righty rotation behind southpaw staff ace Max Fried.
Don’t be surprised if Alex Anthopoulos brings back Mark Melancon, currently languishing in Arizona, to supplant ailing closer Kenley Jansen.
Clubs in need of a catcher could do worse than Willson Contreras, the top trade chip of the struggling Chicago Cubs. The Mets, Yankees, Padres, and Giants could all have interest. The younger Contreras brother, William, isn’t going anywhere after impressing the Braves with both his bat and his work as a backstop.
Nobody can replace injured MVP Bryce Harper but the Phillies would love to try. Is a Joey Gallo trade a possibility? A bust with the Yankees, he’s definitely on the bloc.
The Toronto Blue Jays, another team that likes to shake things up, could be persuaded to part with Cavan Biggio, who hasn’t lived up to his pedigree. And Seattle GM Jerry DiPoto always ranks at the head of the class when it comes to making multiple moves.
With three wild cards per league, some teams that think they can make it just might stand pat. But others will be active traders because they think that’s the best way to reach that goal.
No matter what happens, it’s going to be an interesting month, with the All-Star Game July 19, the Hall of Fame Inductions five days later, and the early-August deadline.
Stay tuned.
Former AP sportswriter Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers baseball for forbes.com, Latino Sports, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, and many others. His e.mail is balauthor@gmail.com.
Timeless Trivia
Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, apparently recovered from his poor World Series performance, leads the majors in OPS . . .
The NL East race is far from over: the Braves and Mets will meet 15 more times after splitting an initial four-game series . . .
With injured Fernando Tatis, Jr. out of the picture, Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner, and Francisco Lindor will face a spirited competition to be the National League’s starting shortstop in the All-Star Game . . .
The Mets lead the NL in runs scored but are not close to the Braves in home runs . . .
Original Met Ed Kranepool, with the team 18 years, leads the team in games (1,853) and ranks third in hits (1,418) . . .
The Braves are among those with interest in Whit Merrifield, Andrew Benitendi, and Zack Greinke, players the payroll-conscious Royals would love to deal for prospects.
Know Your Editors
HERE’S THE PITCH is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Brian Harl [bchrom831@gmail.com] handles Monday and Tuesday editions, Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] does Wednesday and Thursday, and Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com] edits the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HTP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.