Which two Major League Baseball franchises were originally named the Washington Senators?

The Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers were originally known as the Washington Senators.

In 1961, the Senators moved from Washington D.C. to Minneapolis. But because Minneapolis and St. Paul were divided by the Mississippi River and known as the "Twin Cities", the new ownership adopted the nickname Twins and used a logo of two players representing both cities shaking hands.

The Twins had immediate success, winning the American League pennant in 1965 before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Minnesota won the 1987 and 1991 World Series championships. Two of the Twins greatest players were Hall of Famers Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett.

Baseball again failed in Washington D.C. and the new edition of the Senators moved to Texas in 1972 playing in the Dallas suburb of Arlington. Team owner Robert Short named his club the Rangers to honor the Texas law enforcement agency formed by Stephen F. Austin in the 1820s. The Rangers have won the American League pennant in 2010 and 2011. The list of great players who have donned a Rangers uniform include Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan and Ivan Rodriguez.