Evening journal., 1912-08-31
CRITICISM
FOR JOHNSON
Washington Fans Say His De-
CiSiOn is Not Just to
Johnson
MONDAY GAME
RAISES AN UPROAR

Ban Johnson's decision against Wal
ter Johnson has awakened great hos
ulity in Washington, and the mere
TACT that the great pitcher lost Mon
days game does not affect the main
issue whatever, namely, that Hughes
should be charged with Mondays de-
feat. and not Walter johnson. BY no
manner or explaining can the head
Of the league defend his stand from
the point of justice between Hughes
and johnson. All precedents have
been to the contrary, official scOr-
ers always deciding in such cases that
the runs scored should be charged
to the pitcher allowing the runners
to reach first base.
The following view Of the baseball
editor of the New York Sun is offered:
ban Johnson's reasons for deciding
that the Washington defeat by st.
Louis the other day must be charged
TO Walter Johnson are not convincing.
The score was tied and there were two
on bases when Johnson relieved
Hughes. II was Hughes who put these
two men on bases, and because they
scored off Johnson is small reason to
hold the latter responsible Johnson
lost genuinely yesterday and Joe Wood
is the only pitcher with a chance of
equaling Marquards record of nine
teen straight.
Done Away With.
"As a matter OF fact pitchers re-
cords would be done away with en-
tirely without the game suffering any.
il is too often the case that there are
complications attending wins and los
scs which make the records of little
value. II is teams, not individual
members, that win games, and II
would be just as sensible to credit vic
tories to first basemen, catchers. or the
occupants of other positions who, for
instance. happened to drive in the
winning run. Also il would be just as
sensible to charge defeats to some one
player who made a fatal error. Too
many things go with ball game for
any single players list of victories
and defeats to go into the records"
That Washington fans are really in
censed against Ban Johnson is shown
by the horde of opinions sent in by
followers OF the Nationals One OF
these fans writes thus:
81 would like Just space enough in
your paper to air these views and to
give to b. b. Johnson, president of the
--Anrufcan League, an idea how his de-
cision i'm the matter OF Walter John
sons record of games won consecu-
lively is received by the fans OF the
world.
ITO say the least, his decision is alb
solutely unfair. II is impossible for
any fair and unbiased person to give
due and proper consideration to an
important matter of this kind and 10
give his decision in so short a time.
The incident occurred Monday evening
at 615 and by II o'clock Tuesday
morning his decision was known over
all the major league cities. He made
his decision without having the re-
port and opinion of the official scorer.
How can anyone give due considera-
ton to something when he has no OIL
cial report before him?
President Is Prejudieed
1T is known to all baseball people
that for some reason President John
son is preiudiced against Washington
its players and owners. Why no ono
knows. and IL is my firm belief thai
johnson himself does not know. Time
and time again his prejudice has beer
shown by mean. underhand, sly an'
common tricks and acts. The writel
asks. is this the kind Of man to sub
/. nit anything 10 tof "a fair decision
Some one may ask for specific in
7. stances. Here is one. the matter o
Umpire Westevelt.
. "Chicago kicked like a mule on I'm
pire Westervelt, who is absolutely IN
rankest and most unfair umpire base
hall has ever known, and becaus
Johnson likes Comiskey. the head o
the Chicago club. he violated all rule
and prior decisions and changed um
pires i'm the middle of a series. I'll
did not stop 10 investigate Chicago
charges against Westervelt bu
mraightway showed him upon Wash
iugton and Cleveland. Was this fair
This is only one of many instance
which cannot be printed here for lacl
Of space.
~ what the writer thinks should b.
done is this: President Johnson shoull
reverse his decision and chalk the de
feat against Hughes because, although
johnson allowed the hit which causel
The runs to be scored, Hughes allow
4a the men TO reach the bases VIII
actually did the scoring. In all prio
cases of this nature the retiring
pitcher gets the defeat marked agains
him Why can't this be done nowg
Pitched IpuaI Game
Moreover. Hughes had pitched fou
and a half innings, or legal game
While the American League head vii
ido his best to hinder Walter Johnso
or any Washington pitcher or playe
from establishing a record, he woul
not have given this same decision
the pitcher had been Joe Wood or any
one else.
The writer challenges Presideu
Ban Johnson. to answer the followin
questions, before competent sportin
authorities Of every and any city an
to abide by the decision of a majorit
without attempting 20 influence thel
IN any way whatever.
I'D All questions put forth in III
above statement.
"(2) Is II not true that prior to III
decision in the present case winnin
runs scored by men left on bases b
the retiring pitcher before two out
are charged TO that pitcher7
~(3) Why shouldn't Hughes
charged with the defeat?
20 Why shouldn't johnson |
given all that other pitchers have bee
-. ts. al -. fuL -