Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-27
MINOR
TO MAJOR
PLAYER TELLS OF SENSATION
OF JUMP
Pitcher Recruits Are Most Affeeteo by
Gaze of Critical Hosts In
4 the First Day
Crowd


Crowd
Have YOU ever trie6 to imagine now
a minor league player feels on his hrst
appearance in eithe- of the big leagues
lust ask some busher who has jumped
from a class d league to the MAJORS
and he will tell you that it's quite
sensation. A crowd of 10000 makes the
hush league recruit think that all tne
people in the world have gathered TO
see him perform. In his minor league
DAYS he regarded a crowd of 5000 as the
limit. Of course, there are exceptions
to all rules, but generally the new re-
cruits imagine every eye IN the crown
is upon them; they are selt-consclous
and seem to think that their success in
baseball depends on the lnltlal ueput'
Working under such conditions gener-
allv has a bad effect on the players
showing, and many a man who was a
joke on his first appearance in the DIE
league has developed into star. Inc
wise manager realizes the strain the
young player is working under ana
takes all these things into consideration
before passing final judgment
Pitcher Watched Most
Perhaps no player works under
greater strain than the minor league
pitcher. The twirler is continually IN
the limelight. He has more opportur1-
ties to go wrong than the infielder, out
fielder or catcher, and for this reason
his work is watched all the more
closely. Good pitchers are not picked
up every day. and when team signs
a new one the fans always flock to the
park to see his first performance.
Usually the fans are prone to pass Judg-
ment too quickly. If the youngster
gets away bad in the first inning and
is derricked after the opposition has
made four or five runs, he is imme-
diately dubbed a joke Others will in
sist that he must have broken into the
big league with a dark lantern and a
Jimmy. On the other hand, let one of
the veterans start game and get hit
as hard as the youngster. Mr.. Fan will
be Johnny on the spot with an excuse.
He will assure you that the veteran
had an off day. that he never works
we'll when a high wind is blowing, and
that things might have been different
If the shortstop hadn't slipped up on
that pop fly that would have retired
the side. These and a thousand other
excuses will be offered to excuse the
veterans poor showing, which merely
goes to show that there is everything
in having a reputation for greatness.
1t serves to cover UP faults innumer-
able.
The sensation of the baseball world
in the pitching line last season was
Walter Johnson of the Washington
American league team. In Johnson
Manager Cantillion picked up the real
big find of the year, and he ought to
be the "Whirling Noise" during the
coming season. Johnson is a big. raw
boned, six-foot westerner. He is only
20 years of age and il he takes the
proper care of himself he ought to de-
velop into one Of the most powerful
men in baseball. These facts make
the showing of Johnson all the more
powerful and make him all the more
valuable to the club.
A broken finger played a prominent
part in the bringing of Johnson to the
American league. In game with
Philadelphia Selbold fouled off one of
Tim Hughes fast ones, the ball hit
Cliff Blankenship, who was catching,
squarely on his throwing hand and
broke the second finger. The accident
caused much gloom In the Washington
camp, for the club was in a badly
crippled condition at the time. 1t seems
a friend of Cantillon's in the west had
tipped johnson off to Joe. He was
touted so strongly to the Washington
manager that Cantillon decided he was
worth a trial.
He decided to make use of Blanken-
ship. One morning he supplied the
crippled catcher with a ticket to
Weiser, Idaho, with instructions to
look over Johnson, Blankenship saw
him work and signed him to a Wash
ington contract, and Johnson agreed
to report at certain time. Blanken-
ship brought back such wonderful re-
ports to the capital about Johnson that
his coming was awaited with great
curiosity by the fans. The fact that
he arrived ten days late caused him
to be the talk of the town.
johnson in Detroit
johnson was sent in against Detroit
on his first appearance. Detroit at that
time was leading the American league.
In just one inning Johnson demonstrate
ed he was the goods. Instead of be-
ing nervous, he was the most conf
dent player on the field He had the
heavy iitters on the Tiger team do
ing a lot of fancy club swinging. Then
Hughey Jennings decided that the only
thing to do was bunt. Davy Jones
and Sam Crawford laid down hunts
that the big fellow couldn't handle. An
infield hit and a single by Cobb scored
two runs and settled the game.
The showing of Johnson set the base
ball world on fire, and the veteran play
ers on both teams declared he was the
best youngster that ever broke into fast
company. Johnson was green and very
weak on fielding bunts, but before the
close of the season he had polished up
most of the rough spots and took care
of the hunts in fine style. The big west
erner has an easy movement and should
be another Cy Young in the point of
endurance.
Willetts Is Glad
Edgar Willetts of the Detroit team
broke in against the White Sox in Aug
ust, 1906, when the Chicago players were
making their bid for the grand old rag.
All of Armour's veteran pitchers were
in bad shape and he decided to use one
of his colts. Willetts was selected for
the opening game and he performed in
great style. He lost his game to O,
allowing only five hits, errors giving
Chicago both of its runs.
After the game was over one of the
regulars asked Willetts how he felt.
'NVell, I'm mighty glad it's over. 1t
seemed to me as If l had been pitching
a week" he replied. The fact that the
game had been played in one hour and
twerty minutes will convey to the read
er how Willetts must have felt.
fhe next day Armour decided to use
Rowan, hoping that he would have as