Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-16
Is One of the Most Popular
Players That the Game Has
Ever Developed.
HAS ALWAYS BEEN
WHAT HE IS NOW
Modest, Retiring and Brilliant,
He Is One of the Grandest
Figures in Base Ball.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

The ideal pitcher with the ideal dispo-
sition-that is Walter Johnson Few
men who have attained the prominence
in their chosen profession that the Idaho
Wonder enjoys can claim his modesty.
Success has not had any apparent effect
| on Walters disposition. He is the same
plain spoken, honest shy boy today that
he was the dreary night he reported to
Joe Cantillon back in the fall Of 1907.
The fact that he is generally considered
the games greatest pitcher has rot
caused him to display the fact that he
has a high opinion of himself No men,
| Der of any ball team Is more energetic
or more observant to the rules of his
club than he. Like the trained soldier,
orders are orders with Johnson. There
| is never time when he is not willing to
attempt any task without a murnur or
anxious to give helping hand to the
best interests of his team.
Even tempered and unwilling to recog
| nize his own ability. it is no wonder that
he is one of the most popular players
| the game has ever developed-not with
| the public alone. which appreciates his
ability and willingness, but with the ball
player. even though he be on an oppos
ing team and has reason to fear him.
| Any one who has been in touch with
Johnson and watched his progress up the
ladder of fame must realize that his dis
position is as valuable to him as is that
| mighty arm. There is no way to excite
or discomfort him. He has never been
known TO lose his temper. and the time
has yet to come when he has complained
of the decision OF any umpire. though no
doubt he has suffered as much by reason
of the error which is human as any other
man in base ball. Defeats and victories
h0fh %oly tho 1,H 10 oyIre h 10
athlete. He does not en.huse when he
has won his game though he likes to
win. and he does not try to shift blame
when he has lost one. His habits. like
base bail a business. He shuns the lime
light, yet he Is not a recluse, for Walter
Is good listener and seeks the CONVEX
sation of others. though he is not in
clined to be particularly talkative.
Liberal to fault. he is nevertheless
good business proposition. He demon
strated that from the time that he has
had occasion to negotiate with the
Washington club and had to deal with
real live business men. Johnson was
mere hoy when he became a member of
the Washington team He is a very
young man yet. but is blessed with an
old head on his shoulders. Leave 1t to
the unbiased judges of ball players. men
who have spent their lives in the game.
| and they will tell you that Johnson is
the most natural pitcher that the game
has ever produced. He pitches that ire
| mendohs speed with the ease and grace
Of a dancing master. There is not
a single forced motion nor the slightest
strain. When that long arm is set in
motion his entffe body follows it in the
act of delivery. That arm is strong and
| muscular but not the kind of muscle one
| would find In a fighter or a wrestler 1t Is
| a 1.-THE arm which really whips like
some immense elastic piston when 1t
generates the terrific speed for which
Johnson is noted.
Johnson does not give himself credit
| for being great pitcher. He may
praise nature for having hung that Won
derful arm on him. but he observes it
all in cool silence.
There have been other sensational per-
formers in base ball; others hold records
which Johnson has not attained. He has
never pitched n no-hit game, for in
| stance, and his best winning streak went
| to sixteen. when it was broken. But he
has been most consistent performer
and has accomplished some feats which no
other pitchers would attempt For in
stance. in 1908 he pitched three games
in three days against New York and did
not allow them a single run. On in
Vulnerable occasions has he retired three