Salt Lake Tribune | 1907-07-21 | Page 24 | Johnson Will Report

JOHNSON WILL REPOET. Star Amateur Pitcher Will Join tho Big Guns in Baseball. Tribune Special Sporting Service SPOKANJ3. July 20. Whiter Johnson, a natlvo of California, born at Anaheim nineteen years ago, whose record as a twlrler is without parallel in baseball history, has signed a contract to pitch for the American league team of Washington, Wash-ington, D. C, where ho will report today. Johnson opened the season with tho Wol-scr Wol-scr team of tho Idaho State league at Welser. south of Spokane, and up to June 50 pitched seventy-five Innings without a hit being scored against him. lio struck out 1C6 men ln nlnoty-nlno innings, pitched seven consocutlvo shut-out games and played ln games In which his team scored 90 runs to Us opponents' 5. Johnson John-son Is credited with striking out eighteen eigh-teen men In oach of several games. In one game he retired the first eight men to fnco lilm, while eleven others did not reach tho llrst baso. While ln California, playing with tho OUnda team, he pitched forty-nine innings without a hit being scored by tho opposing team. While his performances havo nover been approached by the big leagues. Johnson Is modest II o goes about his work on the diamond In a bnslness-IIko way and Is good-natured throughout, nover questioning ques-tioning tho decisions of tho man with the Indicator. IIo has tho characteristic California Cali-fornia faith In himself, and ln this, coupled with his headwork. ho has made more than good ln a Slate league composed com-posed of fast and heady players, brought to this part of tho Northwest from the baseball centers ln tho Middle West, East and Pjiclllc coast. Vcternns who have watched his play since tho opening of the season doclaro that the coming year will seo tho young Callfornlan at the head of tho pitching ranks ln tho major league.