Harrisburg Senators

From BR Bullpen

HBurgSenators.jpg

Overview[edit]

Senators logo 1987-2005

The Harrisburg Senators, of the Eastern League and briefly in Double-A Northeast, are a Washington Nationals' farm club nicknamed Senators that was - ironically - never affiliated with either Washington Senators iteration. They play their home games at FNB Field in Harrisburg, PA.

Just as ironically, the Nats-Senators partnership is now tied for eighth longest among teams without common ownership.

Playing on the road in their 2018 opener, the Sens won the first designated runner game in U.S. professional baseball history; the tiebreaker rule, which then existed only in the minors, starts all extra innings with the last player to complete an at-bat the previous inning on second base. The rule aims to lessen the chances of extra-inning marathons and seems to be doing so successfully.

The Senators were the first EL club to win four consecutive league titles, 1996-1999 - a feat accomplished by only a handful of clubs in the 1903-2019 Affiliated Era. Theat run followed crowns in 1987 and 1993. They were affiliated with the Montreal Expos during that historic four-year run, and the parent team supplied them with a seemingly never-ending flow of top prospects.

The Senators play Copa de la Diversión Hispanic engagement campaign games as Playeros de Harrisburg (which translates incongruously, given their home city's inland location, as the Harrisburg Beachgoers - although the ballpark is indeed on an island, albeit a river one).

History[edit]

The present Harrisburg Senators are one of several teams over the years to share the name. They joined the Eastern League in 1987 as a Pittsburgh Pirates' farm club. They were associated with the Montréal Expos from 1991 through 2004, during a particularly successful run, and maintained their affiliation when the Expos relocated to Washington, DC in 2005. Before coming to Harrisburg, the team was located in Nashua, NH and called the Nashua Pirates.

For their entire existence, they have played their home games at FNB Field (which was called RiverSide Stadium prior to 2004, Commerce Bank Park from 2004 through 2009, and Metro Bank Park from 2010 through 2015). [1]

Previous iterations of the Harrisburg Senators date back as far as 1893. In the 1911 season, there was an attempt to rename the team the Harrisburg Ponies.[2]

In 1952, the Senators attempted to sign Eleanor Engle as a shortstop. The 24-year-old stenographer worked out with the club on June 22nd. Minor League Baseball President George Trautman then ruled against signing female players.

Year-by-Year Record[edit]

Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Notes
1893 49-52 5th Felix Marks
Jack Huston
1894 56-45 2nd Jack Huston Lost disputed title game
1895 19-16 N/A Frank Seiss Disbanded June 14th
1904 58-51 3rd Peter Agnew
1905 76-51 4th Billy Hamilton
1906 52-74 5th Billy Hamilton
1907 79-47 2nd George Heckert None
1908 80-47 2nd George Heckert None
1909 49-65 6th George Heckert None
1910 52-59 6th Albert Selbach None
1911 47-61 7th Albert Selbach
1912 75-37 1st George Cockill None; League Champs
1913 59-52 2nd (t) George Cockill None
1914 78-32 1st George Cockill None; League Champs
1915 35-50 (61-76 overall) 6th Eddie Zimmerman None Newark (26-26) moved to Harrisburg July 2
1924 70-60 4th Steve Yerkes (19-16) / Mickey LaLonge (6-3) / Glenn Killinger (40-34) / Nig Clarke (5-7) None
1925 61-69 6th Rankin Johnson
1926 47-84 8th Rankin Johnson (35-49) / Lee Dempsey (0-1) / Joe Lightner (12-34) None
1927 87-51 1st Win Clark None; League Champs
1928 82-54 1st Glenn Killinger None; League Champs
1929 75-62 3rd Johnny Tillman None
1930 70-69 4th Johnny Tillman None
1931 83-56 1st Joe Cobb (6-8) / Eddie Onslow (77-48) None; League Champs
1932 74-66 2nd Eddie Onslow None
1933 60-76 7th Eddie Onslow None
1934 60-75 8th Leslie Mann
1935 59-77 6th Art Shires
1940 60-62 5th Les Bell
1941 81-43 1st Les Bell League Champs
1942 69-68 3rd Danny Taylor Lost in 1st round
1946 76-64 2nd Les Bell League Champs
1947 71-69 4th Les Bell Lost in 1st round
1948 64-76 6th Les Bell
1949 74-64 3rd Les Bell Lost League Finals
1950 77-62 3rd Les Bell Lost in 1st round
1951 55-84 6th Les Bell (44-63) / Harold Cox (11-21)
1952 46-94 8th Buck Etchison (37-67) / Woody Wheaton (9-37)
Year Record Finish Manager Playoffs Hitting Coach Pitching Coach Coach
Modern Harrisburg Senators
1987 77-63 2nd Dave Trembley League Champs Spin Williams
1988 65-73 7th Dave Trembley Gene Gentile Spin Williams
1989 71-65 2nd Dave Trembley Lost League Finals Chris Lein
1990 69-69 5th Marc Bombard Spin Williams
1991 87-53 1st Mike Quade Lost League Finals Gary Engelken Joe Kerrigan
1992 78-59 3rd Mike Quade Lost in 1st round none Mike Parrott
1993 94-44 1st Jim Tracy League Champs Greg Fulton Chuck Kniffin
1994 88-51 1st Dave Jauss Lost League Finals none Dave Tomlin
1995 61-80 10th Pat Kelly Kash Beauchamp Bo McLaughlin
1996 74-68 4th Pat Kelly League Champs Jeff Livesey Bo McLaughlin
1997 86-56 1st Rick Sofield League Champs Jeff Livesey Dean Treanor
1998 73-69 4th Rick Sweet League Champs Tim Leiper Brent Strom
1999 76-66 4th Doug Sisson (40-44) / Rick Sweet (4-3) / Doug Sisson (32-19) League Champs Steve Phillips Wayne Rosenthal
2000 76-67 5th Doug Sisson Lost in 1st round Tony Barbone Jerry Reuss
2001 66-76 9th Luis Dorante Eric Fox Tom Signore
2002 79-63 2nd Dave Huppert Lost League Finals Frank Cacciatore Tommy John
2003 60-82 12th Dave Machemer Arturo DeFreites Charlie Corbell
2004 52-90 12th Dave Machemer Rob Ducey/Rick Eckstein Mark Grater
2005 64-78 10th Keith Bodie Frank Cacciatore Rick Tomlin
2006 67-75 9th John Stearns Mike Hart Rick Tomlin
2007 55-86 12th Scott Little Tim Raines Rick Tomlin
2008 73-69 5th (t) John Stearns Troy Gingrich Rick Tomlin
2009 70-72 7th John Stearns Troy Gingrich Randy Tomlin
2010 77-65 4th Randy Knorr Lost in 1st round Troy Gingrich Randy Tomlin
2011 80-62 1st Tony Beasley Lost in 1st round Troy Gingrich Randy Tomlin
2012 64-78 10th Matt LeCroy Eric Fox Paul Menhart
2013 77-65 2nd Matt LeCroy Lost League Finals Eric Fox Paul Menhart
2014 53-89 12th Brian Daubach Mark Harris Chris Michalak
2015 67-75 10th Brian Daubach Mark Harris Chris Michalak Devin Ivany
2016 76-66 5th Matt LeCroy Brian Rupp Chris Michalak
2017 60-80 11th Matt LeCroy Brian Rupp Chris Michalak
2018 72-65 5th Matt LeCroy Brian Rupp Michael Tejera
2019 76-63 4th Matt LeCroy Lost in 1st round Brian Rupp Michael Tejera
2020 Season cancelled
2021 42-76 11th Tripp Keister Brian Rupp Sam Narron
2022 52-85 12th Tripp Keister Micah Franklin Justin Lord Oscar Salazar
2023 59-77 10th (t) Delino DeShields Tim Doherty Joel Hanrahan Oscar Salazar

References[edit]

  1. "Harrisburg Senators' Metro Bank Park will get new name after bank merger." Alexandersen, Christian. PennLive.com. January 15, 2016. Access date: July 4, 2017.
  2. ""Senators" Poor Baseball Name. "Ponies" Suggested Instead as Title for the Islanders." Harrisburg Telegraph. April 26, 1911. Page 8.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Andrew Linker: The Class of '93: How One Baseball Team Wrecked An Entire League, CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2018. ISBN 978-1986602617

External Link[edit]