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Show j Seeing Big League SASEEALi By BILLY EVANS SportswTitcr, Big League Umpire end General Manager of the Cleveland Indians In the old days of umpiring, there was but one man In charge of a game. Now we always have two, sometimes three and in a world series game, four. Back in 10OS, working a series In New York between the Washington and the Yankees, then nicknamed the Highlanders, I saw Walter Johnson pitch three remurkable games in succession. suc-cession. In those days one umpire was In charge. Little more than a rookie, really his first year In the majors, this being be-ing In 100S (Johnson had joined Washington late in the fall of 1007), he shut the New York club out in three straight games. I The first game was played on Frl-I Frl-I day, September 4, 1D0S, Washington winning 3-0, Johnson allowing only six hits. The second game was played Saturday, September 5, Washington Wash-ington this time winning 6-0, only four hits were made off Johnson's delivery. de-livery. In those days Sunday ball was not legalized in New York and Walter Wal-ter had a day of rest. Monday was Labor day, two games being scheduled for the afternoon. Joe CantlUion, then managing Washington, announced In the papers If Johnson shut New York out In the third game he would send him right back for the fourth successive start. New York used the great Jack Ches-bro, Ches-bro, famous spltball pitcher, In an effort ef-fort to break the shut-out epidemic. Johnson proceeded to turn in the best game of the three, again blanking blank-ing New York, this time 4-0, allowing allow-ing two measly bits. In the late Innings of the third game Johnson was hit on the right arm by one of Chesbro's fast breaking break-ing spitballs. The game had to be delayed about five minutes before Walter was able to resume play. He finished the game under difficulties. During the intermission the arm Be- , :' - M Bu4 j :!.::. li in n i n mi imiIIM llltli 11 111 Walter Johnson. came so stiff and badly swollen that it was Impossible to use him In the fourth game as Cantilllon had advertised adver-tised he would. For remarkable consistent pitching I rate these three games by Johnson as the greatest bit of hurling of all time. Three shut-outs In three consecutive con-secutive games allowing sir, four and two hits In each affair, there being an improvement, rather than a deterioration in each game, is, to my way of thinking, a most remarkable pitching effort one that should stand for all time. Walsh, a Super-Pitcher. About the time Walter Johnson was breaking in the majors, Ed Walsh was at the height of his career. Walsh will go down In the records as a super-pitcher. If ever there was one. He pitched his arm and heart out long before he should have been through. He gave about sixteen years of pitching In about eight seasons. sea-sons. Old-time fans, and they need not be so old at that, will readily recall the great work Walsh did for the Chicago White Sox hack in 190S. He kept his team in the running from start to finish, only to see the championship cham-pionship lost In the final game of the season. During that eventful season Walsh took part in GO ball games, more than one-third the number played by his club, and only 12 less than half the games played by the Sox, Chicago taking tak-ing part in l"iG contests. His best pitching performance that season was a 1-0 defeat In which he struck out 15 Cleveland batters in eight innings. He forced the late Ad-die Ad-die Joss to set a world's record to beat him, Chicago failing to get a run or hit, not a man reaching first base. It was a trick of fate that so wonderful wonder-ful a feat should bring only defeat. To my way of thinking, Ed Walsh was the greatest of all spitball pitchers. The records set by Walter Johnson ' and Ed Walsh, stand out pitchers nf their day, will probably stand for years. If not for all time, for model ! bits of great hurling. ' ( by the I3oll Syndicate. Inc.) |