Show dy BILLY EVANS r iter dig league um umpire ALL and ad general manager of the a C cleveland indian my admiration for walter johnson greatest latcher of all time now manager ot of Was washington liln ton knows no bounds ne ile has hag given a lot to baseball and pat less in return than many a less deserving but more fortunate contemporary for F or a while it seemed as it if F k walter johnson he would be doomed to pitch out his entire career without ever once participating in a world series in this connection let rue me relate a little anecdote dote about johnson it Is illuminative of the roans mans character just before the start of the 1024 1924 world s series cries etwas it was shortly before the opening game in washington 1 I went into the washington dressing room with a dozen or so balls that I 1 wanted walter to autograph johnson johnsoa just about to pitch his first world series game was visibly nervous tor for the first time in his career the tans fans were expecting too much and walter was really worried lie ile was carrying a tremendous load on his shoulders ills his hand as he autographed the balls shook ills signature was where it usually was firm and clear and then johnson went out and pitched his heart out only to lose in twelve closely fought innings to me mc giants and then he started again and again lie he lost the day odthe of the last ga game me in washington I 1 again strolled into the washington dressing room shortly before g game a me time with some more balls to bo be autographed no ko one was wai in sight then over at tile the far end of the room I 1 saw johnson ile he was sitting on a trunk his knees drawn up to his chin lie ie was gazing into space ue ile bee me hello llo walter 1 I hello fello billy how are you youl great now how do you feel Iles he shook book lils his head sadly not so good billy listen walter youre not think thinking ing for a minute that those two defeats will wipe out the eighteen years of wonderful wane erful pitching you have b been e en through til rough do a you sou billy nice of you to say such th things ings but I 1 want to tell you yon that those h ose games counted far more with me th than an the sum total of the hundreds I 1 have b ave pitched in my career that was walter johnson unselfish t thinking hink I 1 ng always of tile the other fellow lie he n wanted anted to win those world J series games because ho he knew the fans were counting on him strongly and his career was being ruined mined ho he thought because lie fie delivered walter I 1 said ive come coma back with more balls for or you to sign A sad smile crossed his face gee billy I 1 think be anybody wanting me to sign a ball now dont you bel believe levelt it always he be the same old walter johnson to the fans and dont let anybody yourself included tell you different now sign the balls and he did and his hand as lio lie traced his bis signature was wasas as firm and steady cady as of 0 old and later inter that day walter johnson bravely walked onto the ball field into tho the toughest situation that ever a pitcher faced and gave the most superb exhibition of courage all things bingo t considered that I 1 have ever witnessed ess ed brought victory to his team and washington and everlasting glory to himself I 1 think that a kind bind providence watching over all things great and small adall created that opportunity for walter johnson created it for him and then stood by him through it all to carry him to the triumph he so justly deserved mi boll bell syndicate service |