The World Wide Leader

As per my custom, I was listening to ESPN radio this morning on my way to work. During this time they happen to air a segment called "This Day in Sports." Today's segment involved Walter Johnson, the great pitcher of the Washington Senators during the 1910s and 1920s. This segment emphasized the myriad records Johnson attained during his lengthy baseball career.

Now, here's where it gets tricky:

The V/O guy said that Johnson managed to establish these great records "despite having pitched his entire career for the mediocre Washington Nationals (Emphasis mine).

Wait a minute. Didn't Walter Johnson pitch for the Washington Senators? What's this "Nationals" nonsense? Weren't the Nationals previously known as the Expos prior to their move from Montreal to Washington D.C. following the 2004 season? Was there, in fact, NO such thing as the Washington Nationals prior to 2005? If Johnson's career took place during the early part of the 20th century, how could he have reached such heights pitching for an organization that didn't exist until 2005?

Well, here's where it gets a bit tricky: It seems that the official name of the Washington D.C. based American League franchise from 1901 until 1960 was, indeed, the Washington Nationals. However, nobody in the baseball world ever embraced the name "Nationals." The media never used that name, the fans never did, and subsequent record books never have either. Sure it may have said WASHINGTON NATIONALS on the team's letterhead but, in the minds of everybody associated with baseball, both then and now, that team is, was, and will always be the Washington Senators.

Just to finish the story, owing to falling attendance (mostly because of historic futility) the Washington Senators took to the road after the 1960 season, and set up shop in the Twin Cities the following year to become the Minnesota Twins, in operation to this very day.

So, the question becomes- why would ESPN use such an obscure reference without any additional explanation? I mean, even a fairly educated baseball fan, upon hearing "Washington Nationals" will think of the current National League franchise in existence since 2005, rather than the "official" name of the old American League franchise that's been extinct for nearly 50 years.

ESPN, you were right to use the name Nationals- technically. Unless you were trying to remain in accordance with some arcane agreement between yourselves and Major League Baseball, however, your obscure reference only severed to confuse this otherwise quite well-informed baseball enthusiast.