Washington Senators (1961–1971)
| Washington Senators | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| League | American League (1961–1971) East Division (1969–1971) | ||||
| Ballpark | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (1962–1971) | ||||
| Established | 1961 | ||||
| Relocated | 1972 (to Dallas–Fort Worth; became the Texas Rangers) | ||||
| Former ballparks | Griffith Stadium (1961) | ||||
| Colors | Red, blue, white | ||||
| Ownership | List of owners
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| General manager | List of general managers
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| Manager | List of managers
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The Washington Senators were a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Senators competed in Major League Baseball (MLB) as one of the American League's first expansion franchises. The club was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1961 to replace the recently departed Washington Senators who moved to Minnesota as the Minnesota Twins. Following the 1971 season, the team relocated to Dallas–Fort Worth, where they were renamed the Texas Rangers.
The 11-year tenure in Washington, D.C. saw the team plagued with poor performances, and were the definition of futility, losing an average of 94 games a season. The team's struggles led to a twist on a joke about the old Senators: "Washington: first in war, first in peace and still last in the American League." Their only winning season was in 1969 when Hall of Famer Ted Williams managed the club to an 86–76 record, placing fourth in the AL East.
The team played their inaugural season at old Griffith Stadium, then moved to the new District of Columbia Stadium in 1962 under a ten-year lease.
The Washington Senators had an overall win–loss record of 740–1,032–1 (.418) during their 11 years in Washington, D.C.. No former Washington Senators players were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.