One last Opening Day

The Senators line up before their final Opening Day on April 5, 1971

Right-hander Dick Bosman tosses a six-hit shutout as the Washington Senators beat the Oakland A’s 8-0 in their final Opening Day 53 years ago today in D.C.

The game also is the first with the Senators for center fielder Curt Flood, who sits out the 1970 season before being traded from Philadelphia to Washington.

Flood walks in his first two at-bats and then singles before a Monday afternoon, capacity crowd of 45,061 at RFK Stadium.

Flood’s season, though, much like that of the Senators, quickly falls apart as he collects only six more hits in his next 34 at-bats before he abruptly leaves the team – and baseball – 20 days later.

The Senators eventually lose 96 games in 1971 before the team moves to Texas and becomes the Rangers.

Less than six months after starting their final home opener at RFK Stadium, Bosman also starts the Senators’ final game period in D.C. before the team leaves Washington without a team until the Montreal Expos relocate there after the 2004 season.