The Washington times., 1911-04-08

practically without precedent in base
ball history. that of purchasing valu-
| able site and erecting a modern plant
! all within one year. This undertaking
| has involved an investment of nearly a
| quarter Of million dollars, and has been
such a severe drain on the finances of
the club that the greatest judgment will
| have TO be used in order that the own
ers may not be completely swamped.
johnson is the most brilliant pitcher
| in the American League. and in appre-
| citation of his value the club has Of
| fered him the largest salary to be paid
any twirler on Ban Johnson's circuit.
Washington, according to the official
| figures given out at the close of each
season. draws less than any other club
! in the league: still, the pay roll here is
more liberal than in many of the other
cities. For instance, last year the pitch
| er who got the most money in the
! league was Ed Walsh. He got 5000
! for his work during the campaign for
! the Chicago White SoX. while there is
not a single member of the Athletics
staff, which won the worlds title for
! Philadelphia, who last season received
within $1,000 of the amount already Of
| fered to Johnson by club that finished
| next to last.
Place for Enthusiasm.
| At this time OF the year, with the
| opening of the season but three days
! off, it is customary for the fans to be
concentrating their attention wholly on
discussion of the probability of vic
| tory in the first engagement. but this
is, and promises 10 be, entirely eClipsed
by the johnson matter. Business cir
cles are today still talking of the situ-
alton, and there appears to be little
change from the anti-Johnson sentiment
expressed in the interviews in these
columns yesterday.
Financial men are almost a unit
in backing up the club and such men
as George w. White, president of the
National Metropolitan aBnk; Howard
Reeside, vice president of American
Security and Trust; George F. Green,
Commercial National Bank, and J. Ken
Won Miller, former vice president of the
District National Bank, appreciate
Johnson's ability but think that he has
gone to extremes.
Among the members of the civic or
ganizatious the same opinion appears to
obtain as expressed by James j. Lamp
ton. Joseph Strasburger, NJ. A. Leese,
Allan E. Walker, Oden Horstman:: w.
c. Thacher, and other prominent busi-
ness men. Johnson, however. Is not
without friends, in his unfortunate trou-
bles, and c. z. Casassa, Charles o. Pier
son, George F. Green, and others have
come to his support. In order to show
how much johnson was appreciated,
when he made his debut on August 3.
1907, the following is reprinted from The
Times of that time:
Great Showing of Pitcher.
There is one topic of conversation
among the Washington fans today-the
great showing made by Walter johnson,
the young phenom from the Idaho
State League in his first appearance
with a major league team.
He is the goods. Take it as
straight tip, uhless he shows some
first game against Detroit, he is going
to be the find of the American League
for the season of 1877, and one of the
best twirlers in the league for years
to come.
This is not only the Judgment of the
baseball writer's, but of the Detroit
players who went against him, and
the Washington PLAYERS who watched
his every move. Old major leaguers
are not prone to too much boosting Of
youngsters
Last night Wild Bill Donovan. of
Detroit hustled down to the Regent TO
look up Manager Cantillon and praise
Johnson Wild Bill is something of a
pitcher himself. and nobody ever ac-
cused him of net knowing his number.
He assured the Washington manage
that he has the best kid that has come
out of the bush leagues in his recoliec-
tion, and craftilv suggested that il Can
tilIon did not have" the time or the
money to spare developing talent, he
knew Just where to place Johnson for
large, fat sum. He was thanked, but
told to forget II.
Best He Ever Saw.
"Cantillon was as enthusiastic as the
Tigers Quoth he: I have been In,
baseball nearly thirty years. and began
drawing salary from in 1852. and in all
that period 1 never saw such prornis-
ing Young pitcher. Just remember the
conditions. He did rot ccme here after
working his way up by slow degrees In
small leagues, winding up with finish
ing course in Glass A" leagues, where
they play almost the same ball they do