Washington Senators (1901–1960)

The Washington Senators were a Major League Baseball team based in Washington, D.C. It was one of the American League's eight charter franchises, founded in 1901. The team moved to Minneapolis in 1961, becoming the Minnesota Twins.

The team was officially named the "Senators" during 1901–1904, the Nationals during 1905–1955 and the Senators again during 1956–1960, but nonetheless was commonly referred to as the Senators throughout its history (and unofficially as the "Grifs" during Clark Griffith's tenure as manager during 1912–1920). The name "Nationals" appeared on the uniforms for only two seasons, and then was replaced with the "W" logo. However, the names "Senators," "Nationals" and shorter "Nats" were used interchangeably by fans and media throughout the team's history; in 2005, the latter two names were revived for the current National League franchise that had previously played in Montreal.

For a time, from 1911 to 1933, the Senators were one of the more successful franchises in Major League Baseball. The team's rosters included Baseball Hall of Fame members Goose Goslin, Sam Rice, Joe Cronin, Bucky Harris, Heinie Manush and all-time career shutout leader, Walter Johnson. The Senators experienced extended periods of poor on-field performance, including six last-place finishes in the 1940s and 1950s. Despite the team's limited success, several notable players, including Joe Judge, Cecil Travis, Buddy Myer, Roy Sievers, and Eddie Yost, played for the team during this period.

After the team's relocation to Minnesota in 1961, the Twins largely brushed their history in Washington aside, in part due to the team's lack of success in the decades preceding the move. However, in recent years, the team has taken an effort to better acknowledge their past as the Senators. Many prominent Twins players (such as Hall of Famers Jim Kaat and Harmon Killebrew, as well as perennial All-Stars Bob Allison and Camilo Pascual) spent significant time as Senators before moving with the team. In 2024, on the 100th anniversary of the Senators' 1924 World Series victory (their only championship during their time in D.C.), the Twins held a ceremony at Target Field unveiling a "W" displayed alongside their retired numbers to honor the Senators' legacy in Washington. Kaat, who debuted for the Senators in 1959, expressed his appreciation for the club in his speech at the ceremony, stating "Without the Washington Senators, there would be no Minnesota Twins".

The Washington Senators had an overall win–loss record of 4,223–4,864–101 (.465) during their 60 years in Washington, D.C. Six former Washington Senators players were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.