Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-26
FEW STAR PLAYERS
MADE IN A NIGHT
Umpire Evans Says the WAL
ter Johnsons Are Very
Scarce.
By Umpire Billy Evans

Mighty few big league ball players be-
come stars of the first magnitude over
night.
Such an assertion should prove an in
MIGRATING tonic for amateur and minor
league players who aspire to have their
names enrolled in the honor list of major
league celebrities.
Every now and then some player is
picked up by a big league manager In
the tall uncut, and lie Immediately sur
prises the base ball world by making good
right off the reel. Just at this writing
Walter Johnson is the only player OF
prominence l can recall who made good
on his first appearance. and has con-
stantly lived up to the reputation es-
tablished on that occasion. Although
only twenty-five years of age. he Is re-
garded as one of the games greatest
pitchers.
Well do l remember Johnsons debut
in fast company, as l happened to ofnci-
ate in that contest, and had WORKED
week or so in Washington prior TO his
arrival. / don't believe any youngster
was ever advertised more before any one
had any idea what he looked ike lnan
Walter Johnson. The advance notices
TOLD how he hadn't lost game in several
years: that he seldom struck out less
than a dozen men: that his record for
uinc-inuine game was something like
twenty-five victims on strikes. and that
he had pitched eighty-two innings with
out being scored on by any team in the
vicinity OF Weiser, Idaho By way OF
explanation to those possibly not wise,
Weiser is a jumping-off station in the
wilds of Idaho. where Johnson began ms
career He came direct from that wide
spot in the road to one of the fastest
leagues in the country.
To make the youngsters task all the
more difficult, he was pitted against the
Detroit team in his first game. Inc
Tigers at that time were fighting their
hardest To retain their hold in first place.
Every game meant great deal to them,
and they went after Johnson viciously.
The day prior to his debut 1t was an
nounced to the spectators that Johnson
would work. Because of train wreck
he had been delayed something like
week, and this fact. coupled with the
many fattering things that had been
corking big crowd of critical fans.
From the very start of the game john
son surprised spectators and Tigers by
his marvellous speed and wonderful con-
troll. For six innings the smuggling De-
troiters were at his mercy. while WASH
ington managed to get run over the
pan. The fans sat as in a trance and
wondered if it could really be true
Bunts Prove Johnson's Undoing.
men lId1dSeT JSiiilHSS tIoaS1o LIS
plan of attack Instead of having his
players try to knock the ball out of the
lot he sent them TO the plate with in
structions to bunt. He figured that the
voungster must be trifle nervous, al
though he had failed to show 1t: also
that possibly he was a weak fielder. The
latter diagnosis proved correct, for hunts
ny Dayy Jones, Sam Crawford and Ty
cobb almost caused the raw youngster
to tie himself up In a knot. An error
hit and a fly to the outfield Melted three
runs for the Tigers, and the game.
Johnson had pitched a wonderful game,
but lost. He had demonstrated beyond
a doubt that he had the stuff that makes
great twirlers, and the Westinghouse
were happy even in defeat. johnson soon
overcame the fault and today he Is feared
by every club In the American League
Base ball history, however, reveals very
few cases like that of Walter Johnson.
There are many, many players who
finally reach the pinnacle of fame, but
their ambition is not realized overnight,
as rule it requiring several years OF
earnest effort and painstaking endeavor.
There are in both big leagues today
many players who made unfavorabie I'M
pressions on their first workouts-men
who have been dubbed failures because o.
their repeated inability to make good. Yet
these same players have appealed TO their
managers, these managers have held on
10 them, refused to yield to the general
demand for their release, and hnaiiy
have had their confidence justified by
seeing them develop into star players.
Then again there are many players who
jump into popular favor by some great
work on their first appearance in fast
company, who followed up the successful
debut by repeating on several occasions
and then start to slide down the ladder.
If the player happens to be a pitcher the
fans decide that the players have finally
got wise TO his curves. If he happens to
be a youngster with good batting record
the almost unanimous verdict Will De mat
the brainy pitchers have discovered his
weakness. If he is heralded as a star
fielder and shows marked ability In this
line at the outset, only to blow up. his
work will be looked on as merely a fash
III the pan.
Sometimes such yerdicts are correct,
but often the dope goes wrong. Illness.
lack OF experience. or failure to receive
proper encouragement from his team
mates often bring about such conditions.
Pitcher Bill Bailey, the clever south
paw pitcher Of the st. Louis team. is an
excellent illustration OF the player who
gets away with a whirlwnd start re-
peats his opening performance several
times aud then bumps into trouble. only
10 finish strongly and give promise for
great things In the future
Bailey Has Bright Future.
II Pitcher Bailey winters well, reports
i'll good health 10 the -. LOUIS CluO LII
the spring, / believe he Is destined to
he one of the bright stars IN the Amer
lean League pitching department. Any
American League umpire will tell you
without the slightest hesitation that Bill
Bailey has everything in the way of stuff.
His fast ball has jump on it possessed
by mighty few left-handers. his curve
ball is thing of beauty and last year
he developed a move holding the base
runners to the sacks which should play
d prominent part in his work Bailey
only drawback IS the fact that he is
rather frail. but his splendid nerve IS al
most sure 10 overcome any physical short
comings.
i happened To umpire the first game
Bailey worked for ST. Louis after join
ing that club In the fall of 1907. Chicago
was playing at st. Louis that day. and
Harry Howell started the game for the
BROWNS. Howell was working in fine
style until the sixth inning, when he lost
control OF his spit ball and passed
three men in succession. With the bases
bunch of left-handers coming up, Bailey
certainly a mighty ticklish place to debut
youngster-
With the call three and two on Smith,
the husky White Sox twirler took a
vicious swing at wide curve, missed ii
by a narrow margin and strolled to the
bench. Eddie Hahn played out the string
on Bailey and with the call three and two
on him allowed fast one to float over