The Washington Nationals 1859 to Today: The Story of Baseball in the Nation’s Capital [Hardcover]

Frederic J. Frommer (Author), Mayor Anthony Williams (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

"First in War, First in Peace…and Last in the American League." Expressions such as these characterized the legend and lore of baseball in the nation's capitol, from the pioneering Washington Nationals of 1859, to the Washington Senators, whose ignominious departure in 1971 left Washingtonians bereft of the national pastime for 34 years. This reflective book gives the complete history of the game in the D.C. area, including the story of the Homestead Grays, who won nine straight Negro League pennants from 1937-1945 and consistently outdrew the Senators.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The national pastime has a rich history in the nation's capital, and Frederic Frommer tells this fascinating story splendidly. No fan's library should be without this book. (George F. Will )

About the Author

Fred Frommer is an AP writer based in Washington, D.C., and co-author of Red Sox v. Yankees: The Great Rivalry. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Fred Frommer is an AP writer based in Washington, D.C., and co-author of Red Sox v. Yankees: The Great Rivalry. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589792734
• ISBN-13: 978-1589792739
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great history of a difficult subject!, June 22, 2006

By 

J. Stein (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Washington Nationals 1859 to Today: The Story of Baseball in the Nation’s Capital (Hardcover)

Baseball in DC is a sorry topic indeed, with as much success coming via fictitious, supernaturally affected means ("Damn Yankees") than actually on the field. This book chronicles that mostly sorry history with grace, humor, and tenderness that only a seasoned baseball writer can achieve. The chapter on how the Sens won the World Series in 1924 actually brought tears to my eyes. This is the best history of Washington baseball I have ever read. Go Nats!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book on DC Baseball, March 26, 2007

By 

Lefteroo (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Washington Nationals 1859 to Today: The Story of Baseball in the Nation’s Capital (Hardcover)

Remember in the movie "Jerry Maguire" when Renee Zellweger says, "You had me at hello!"? Well, in his book about The Washington Nationals, Fred Frommer had me with the opening sentence to his preface where he laments that on moving to Washington from New York, the two missing items here were a baseball team and a place to get a good slice of pizza. Much like Fred, I am a transplanted New Yorker (and a lifelong Yankee fan who has adopted the Nats as well), and for my first 31 years here I had to do without a major league team (although the Orioles are within driving distance, they were not and never will be a Washington team). And, Fred's right, the pizza (and bagels) here are definitely not New York.

Fred's book is neatly compartmentalized into ten chapters. The first chapter chronicles the earliest baseball in Washington, actually going back to the era of Abe Lincoln! The second chapter of the book is incredibly upbeat as it deals with Washington's only World Championship in 1924. Frommer does a splendid job of taking you through the season. You can feel the excitement being generated here in D.C. by the Senators' unexpected success. The next chapter, called "Glory Years," deals with the best years of the Senators in the 1920's and 1930's, when they often contended and even won the pennant in 1933, only to have the Giants exact revenge in the World Series. Fred's following chapter, perhaps the best in the book, focuses on the Negro Leagues and Washington's entry therein, the Homestead Grays. There is plenty of excellent history and a great look at sociological views of the era. There are wonderful anecdotes about Buck Leonard, the amazing Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige, among others.

For members of Red Sox Nation, there is a chapter devoted solely to Ted Williams' stint as manager of Senators II. Another chapter is devoted exclusively to interviews with old-time fans who reminisce about attending games at Griffith and DC/RFK Stadiums. These phenomenal fans have wonderful stories to relate and Frommer does a great job of eliciting them. The final chapter is dedicated to the magical 2005 season of the Nationals.

My hats (both a Yankee cap and a Nationals cap) are off to Fred Frommer for coming up with a highly entertaining, educational book about baseball in Washington, DC.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Littl Nationals Book Around, January 9, 2007

By 

Charles W. Harvey III (Woodbridge, VA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Washington Nationals 1859 to Today: The Story of Baseball in the Nation’s Capital (Hardcover)

This book it the best little compilation of Washington D.C. baseball history around. It is packed full of interesting facts and vignettes about Washington Baseball. It also has great illustrations and photos. A must have for every Washington Nationals baseball fan.