Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1908-09-24
JOHNSON IAUOED
IN THE EAST
Washington Evening Star Comments
on former idaho Pitcher
in Editorial

a paper published in the national
capital, in its issue of September g.,
contains an editorial regarding
Walter Johnson, who has bee n
pitching such wonderful ball for
the Washington Americans this
season. Johnson's record in the
east is being watched by followers
of the game in Idaho with more
interest than other players. His
two years spent with the Weiser
Kids acquainted him with all tn lie
fans OF the southern part of the
state.
The Washington editorial fol-
lows:
A few days ago a catcher of the
Washington BASEBALL club gained
world fame by catching a ball
thrown from the Washington mon
umert, a distance of $50 feet, there
by scoring record and achieving
that which had previously been re-
garded as impossible. Thus the
name of Street was written large
in the annals of baseball clever
ness and the Washington club came
into the limelight for a few days.
Now 1t is back again with all the
calciums of baseball world playing
upon it, for it has written another
record. this time right on the dia-
mond itself. In three consecutive
games young MIR. Walter Johnson
of California and Idaho pitched ball
against the New York team With
such finesse, such speed and such
accuracy that for d innings not
one of the metropolitan players
managed to make circuit of the
bases. In other words, he did
what no other professional pitcher
has ever done before, shutting out
the same team three games in sue
cession. And there is little doubt
in Washington that if he had
wanted to do it, and his manager
had allowed, he could have gone
pack into the game of the afternoon
and made the record four straig hit.
This young Mr.. Johnson came out
of the west year ago with
great reputation acquired some-
where up in the bushes of Idaho,N
where they play baseball on in
spirational schedule; that is to
say, when they can and feel like
it. He had done some marvellous
things in the way of shutting out
batters, and Washington held its
breath until it saw him perform.
Then he was voted proper per-
sonage for big league company, but
there were skeptics. So often
have the 'phenomenons" exploded
that there was reason to doubt the
staying powers. Many an tim
er of the bleachers shoook his head
and predicted that another season
would find Mr.. johnson away back
in the bushes again.
The pessimists were wrong. Mr..
Johnson is still here, and is today
easily the premier pitcher of the
profession. 1t would have, of
course, been bigger feather in his
cap ii he had done to a club high
in the race what he has Just done
to the tail end of the league, but
none the less the record stands UNI
equaled in the history of baseball
and Washington is nightly proud
of him. When he and Mr.. Street
perform the Nationals unq',estion-
ably look very good indeed to the
faithful followers of the game at
the capital.
Walter Johnson's feat of pitch
ing the e shut-outs against New
York in three days has enthused
Charles Street who caught all three
games. ut was the best pitched
three games of ball ever caught, 5"
said he. ''Do you know that in
the three games only one man got
as far as third, end only three as
far as second? Walter did not
pitch his best until he got men on.
Then he would cut loose, and
his speed was terrific. He was
faster and his curve broke better in
the last game than in any of the
others. Why, he could have
pitched the last game of the
double-h-ader, and was willing TO,
but Joe thought it best to send him