OCR Text |
Show WALTER JOHNSON KING OF THE BOX (By Ripley) Every city has a best pitcher iu the world Tn Chicapo they will tell you confidentially that it is Ed Walsh Phllly has Its Plank; -Brooklyn, Ruckcr; Boston knows that it is Joe Wood, and in New York Mnr-quard Mnr-quard is the greatest ever But if you really want to know Just who is the greatest pitcher In the gamo today, to-day, ask the players themselves they certainly ought to know They will tell you that it Is Walter Johnson! John-son! That's the good word, "Johnson the Speedy." So say they all,' Cobb, Jackson. Jack-son. Chase ct al ; they will tell you so unhesitatingly. And what Is more, they seemingly ought to know whereof where-of they speak, so fan friend we can be pardoned for referring to Walter Johnson as the greatest. It was with some awe that we approached ap-proached this king of pitchers you know how kings arc sometimes, but we had been reassured that Walter was a perfectly good king and qulto harmless. A large, likable, quiet fellow ho was a raw boned Kansas farmer still, pop- , ular among his fellow players and small gatherings of friends small because be-cause he docs not make friends like he pitches Kindly looking, honest eyes greet you as you approach him. Light blue they are. almost tco light and containing a depth of feeling and ladiating the saddest of rays. Slow a3 Lav. There Is nothing very speedy about Johnson except his pitching. Otherwise Other-wise he Is as slow as law. He moves slow, talks slow and cats and sleeps like a waiter; he even runs his automobile au-tomobile in an "out of gasoline" manner. man-ner. But maybe that accounts for his smoky pitching Mnybe he utilizes uti-lizes and concentrates every particle of speed in his system Into that good right arm. "Well, I roally couldn't say how I throw them so fast." drawled Johnson. John-son. "I always could throw hard even as a boy. It's tho way I throw, I guess I mean It Isn't due to Btrength of arm. I have seen little lit-tle fellows throw much farther and faster than stroncer and bigger men. Take for Instance the little lady who holds the world's record for throwing the baseball for women. She was a mere slip of a girl, yet sho was able to throw farther than most men " "No, I never trained for speed," answered an-swered Walter. "Neither have I undergone any course of development to produce it except to grow up In sunny southern south-ern California " "A native''" I asked hopefully. "No, not quite. I was born in Humboldt Hum-boldt Kan., on November C, 1888, but moved to California when a youngster of 11 It was near Los Angoles my folks moved and near that place that I learned to play ball." As Johnson dislikes to talk, we will talk for him and save him that embarrassment em-barrassment of "talking about hlm-eelf." hlm-eelf." Johnson, although he earns his living liv-ing In the big cities. Is at heart a farmer, and Is never happy unless far awav from the giddy swirl and alone. No wonder he hns never learned to talk readily Played Bush Ball, Well, Walter played ball around the City of Anaels until 1904. but never professionally or regularly. It was verv bush sort of ball that Walter Wal-ter Indulged In. and he probably- had not played more than ten leal games of ball until a friend of his. Bar-nctt Bar-nctt by name, offered him a position with tho Tacoma (Wash ) club In the Northwestern league. Up to 'Tacoma 'Ta-coma went Johnson at 1G years of age, full of hope but little confidence, confi-dence, which wns probably lespon-slblo lespon-slblo for his falling to get on there. But he did catch on with the Woiener club In Idaho Ho made good ther co emphatically that Manager Can-tlllou Can-tlllou of the Washington American league club slcnod him up In 110G And he Is still here, as yon can verify ver-ify by paying four bits most anv day. But, my1 how that ball does hop by. ZIP Like that! No wonder they don't hit 'cm. It's hard on tho catch-ors, catch-ors, too Hark' One day last yoor Walter was shooting the movpr with unseen speed Into Charley Street's reinforced glove They were getting x little too hot for Charley that da. fo the popular catcher thought he saw a way out of the game and the business of standing behind the bat to be siiot at with n baseball. Oh' he would pan the umpire and kick himself out of tho gamo! Fine idea He waited for an opportunity At last a slight pretext afforded it-belf. it-belf. That was his cue and out son-ted Street after the umpire. But ho had not advanced more than two steps when the relief catcher. E?nn. was bin name, made a Hying tackle and boro Charley to tho ground and held him there so he couldn't kick at all. Ho, too, had been figuring and you can "betcha" llfo he was not go in 3 in there to tackle those hot ones If he could help it, either. ' And that's how fast he throws 'em. Sometlraca ho has so much speed ho can't control them the ball takes on an unusual "shoot," he sayg He is never nervous, necr gets tired, never gets discouraged, never Is afraid or hitting a batsman and Is never trying try-ing to shirk his work. Sounds like' the best pitcher in the business doca It not7 But It Is his remarkable speed that makes him greaL Haw can you hit 'em when you can't see 'em? Answer rae that! |