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Joe Judge had an outstanding 20-year big league career that spanned from 1915-1934. When he retired he was among the greatest first baseman in American League history.

Judge broke in with the Senators in 1915 and became an everyday player the following season. From 1916-1930 as Washington’s regular first baseman, Judge hit .300 with a .381 on-base percentage. During the run he had four 4-WAR seasons and 10 campaigns with at least 200 total bases.

The high point of Judge’s career came when he helped the Senators win back-to-back American League pennants starting in 1924. That season he hit .324 with a career-high 38 doubles. The Senators triumphed over John McGraw and the New York Giants to earn their only World Series title in Washington. Judge followed up with a nice showing in ’25 when he hit .314 with a .406 on-base percentage.

Revered in Washington, the first baseman was honored with Joe Judge Day at Griffith Stadium in 1930. In the midst of the Great Depression, fans flocked to the park and gave him over $10,000.

Judge played in D.C. through 1932 before moving to the NL with Brooklyn in ’33. Released on July 25th, Judge was picked up by the Red Sox with whom he remained for the rest of the season. Boston used him in just ten games in ’34 before releasing him in May to end his playing career. He left the game with twice as many walks as strikeouts.

At the time of his retirement Judge ranked in the top ten among American League batters in hits (2,328), doubles (431), triples (158), and walks (958). Defensively he held many records for AL first basemen. His 2,056 games, 19,021 putouts, 2,184 assists, 1,476 double plays, and .993 fielding percentage all were tops in Junior Circuit history. His eight seasons leading AL first basemen in fielding percentage was also a record.

Since 2000, Judge’s grandson Mark Judge has written a number or articles advocating for his grandfather’s inclusion to the Hall of Fame.

In the collection is this government postcard signed by Judge in 1951.

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When Joe Judge retired as a player in 1934, he was not out of baseball long. In 1936 Georgetown University asked him to become head coach of their baseball team. Judge’s baseball acumen, stature in the area, and the school’s proximity to his D.C. home made for a perfect fit.

Judge guided the Hoyas from 1937-1958, except for the ’45-’46 seasons when he joined the Senators coaching staff under former teammate Ossie Bluege. Judge’s success earned him a place in Georgetown University’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

The image here is the reverse of the government postcard shown in the previous image. Notice the postmark of June 5, 1951 from Washington, DC where he was coaching the Georgetown team.

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Walter Johnson just might be the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball. His 417 wins, 110 shutouts, 3,509 strikeouts, 531 complete games, and 2.17 career ERA are a mind-boggling mix.

Perhaps his greatest single-game performance was his no-hitter on July 1st, 1920 at Fenway Park. Johnson was perfect through the first six innings of a scoreless tie. The Senators pushed across a run in the 7th on Bucky Harris’ RBI single to center.

In the bottom of the inning Boston leadoff man and Hall of Famer Harry Hooper reached base on an error by second baseman Harris. Johnson retired the next three Boston batters to keep the no-no intact.

After retiring five more Red Sox consecutively, Johnson was just one out away from completing his gem. Hooper again stepped to the plate. On the second pitch, Hooper ripped a ball that bounced past the first-base bag in fair territory.

Washington first baseman Joe Judge darted toward the line, snared the bullet, and threw the ball to Johnson who stepped on the base for the final out.

According to Johnson biographer Henry Thomas, Johnson ran over, hugged Judge, and said, “Goodness, gracious, sakes alive, wasn’t I lucky?”

To be fair, it wasn’t lucky at all. One of the greatest hurlers of all time pitched one his finest games. As for the last play, it was made by Judge who at retirement held the highest-ever fielding percentage by an American League first baseman.

In the collection is this handwritten letter from 1935 sent by The Big Train to Hall of Fame executive Ford Frick. The pitcher thanks the then-NL president for his lifetime pass.

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Joe Judge was a major contributor in each of the Washington Senators first two pennant-winning clubs. Led by 27-year old second baseman/manager Bucky Harris, the Senators won their first American League championship in 1924.

That year Judge hit .324 with a .393 on-base percentage and a career-high 38 doubles. When the Fall Classic arrived, Judge continued his excellence. The first baseman hit .385, going 10-for-26 with four walks, helping the Senators win their only World Series title in Washington.

In 1925 the Senators repeated as AL champs. Judge was solid, hitting .314 with a .406 on-base percentage. They faced the 95-win Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series. Behind Walter Johnson’s Game 1 and Game 4 complete game victories, Washington held a 3-games-to-1 lead.

Pittsburgh stormed back with wins in Games 5 and 6 to force a seventh game. In the decider the Pirates 2-3-4 hitters, Hall of Famers Max Carey, Kiki Cuyler, and Pie Traynor stood tall. The Steel City trio combined for 7 hits – 6 of them for extra bases – and 7 runs batted in as the Pirates prevailed.

Shown here is a letter dated September 20, 1925 handwritten and signed by Washington skipper Bucky Harris. Nearly a century old, the letter was penned by Harris ten days before the start of the Fall Classic.

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On May 26, 1930 Joe Judge and Goose Goslin put on a display of power never before seen in the 20th century. Facing off against Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez at Yankee Stadium, Goslin hit second in the order with Judge right behind him in the three-hole.

Gomez was less than sharp, surrendering three hits and a walk through the first three frames. Despite this, he held a 4-0 lead.

Goslin and Judge soon changed that.

The pair opened the 4th inning with back-to-back homers to cut the lead in half. Gomez rebounded to retire the next three batters to end the threat. In the 5th the first two Senator hitters reached base and were bunted to second and third.

After a fielder’s choice Goslin hit a three-run homer to put Washington ahead 5-4. When Judge followed with a homer of his own, the pair became the 20th century’s first duo to slug back-to-back home runs twice in the same game.

Shown here is a vintage photo of Judge’s teammate Goslin signed by the Hall of Fame outfielder with a fountain pen.

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Joe Judge played for the Washington Senators from 1915-1932. In each of those seasons he played alongside Hall of Fame outfielder Sam Rice. Their 18 years as teammates set a big league record, a mark they held for the rest of their lives.

Frank White and George Brett equaled the accomplishment by playing together for the Royals from 1973-1990. In 1995, Detroit’s Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker played side-by-side in their 19th season to eclipse the Washington and Kansas City duos.

Shown here is a program for Sam Rice Day held on July 19, 1932.

While with the Senators, Rice set club records that still stand, more than a century after his Washington debut. He ranks #1 on the Senators/Twins franchise list in runs, hits, doubles, triples, times on base, and at bats-per-strikeout. He also remains in the team’s top-5 all time in WAR, batting average, RBI, and extra-base hits.

More on Judge’s teammate and friend Rice can be found by clicking here.

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Joe Judge finished his career as one of the greatest players in Washington Senators history. He ranks in the top five for most offensive categories for the franchise that was in Washington from 1901-1960.

The first baseman ranks second in hits, doubles, and triples, runs, and WAR to Sam Rice, with only Eddie Yost walking more.