The Washington herald., 1913-05-18
In the Wake of the Nationals
BY WILLIAM PEET.

Detroit, Mich, May 1I.-Dr. John H.
johnson, of Coffeyville. Kans., an uncle
Of Walter johnson, the Nationals great
pitcher. came all the way from Cofrey-
vile Ia good fourteen hours ride, TO
ST. Louis just to watch the Kansas Biz
zard shatter the worlds record for run
| less innings. He returned home salts
fed that he had seen the greatest twirler
| in the world perform.
| What surprised me more than any,
thing else" remarked DR.. Johnson to the
writer, was the manner in which Wal
| ter hit the ball while taking his turns
at bat had always heard that he was
good pitcher, but never knew he was
a slugger."
DR.. johnson says that CoffeyviIle is
proud of Walter, that IL the place ever
grows to be a city and Walter wants TO
run for Mayor. he would be unanimously
elected.
Six years ago Pocatello was playing
Weiser. rival Idaho teams Higinbotham.
later of the Chicago Cubs, was pitching
for Pocatello and Jacques Fourier. now
OF Comiskey's White Sox. was catching.
The twirIer of the Weiser squad was a
young cndp named W alter Johnson, now
doing time with Washington.
Believe me johnson had as much
speed as he has today" said Fournier
to a Chicago sport writer after he had
faced Walter last Saturday in the Windy
City. He shut us out that day, / to Q,
and il WAS a great game. I've batted
against him several times since that
date. In fact, he hit me on the arm
last season and nearly ended my play
ing days for me. But 1 don't believe
he's much better now than he was six
seasons ago up in the Idaho country"
Joe Gedeon, the Nationals young in
fielder, now playing a utility role, is
not as strong for that native son" stun
as a good many other Californians
forced by business to live in the East.
Il am not going to return to my home
in California at the close of the Ameri-
can League baseball season next fall"
vouchsafed. Gedeon. 81 hope to be able
TO save up enough money this summer TO
enable me to see a lot of the United
States. which heretofore has been pro-
hibited. I have, never been in the South.
and instead of going home next fall 1
expect to see a bit of Southern scenery"
Gedeon was born in San Francisco. He
was forced at an early age to quit
school. but is making up for it these
days by reading books on history and
science
Now that he is able to draw a major
league salary, he says he intends to i'm
prove his mind as well as his body.
As the writer has said before. the most
marvellous comeback in the history of
baseball is Fred Falkenberg, the lengthy
pitcher of the Cleveland Maps. On
r~., H.
straight game. II Joe Birmingham had
another twirler the equal of ''FaIky'' at
his beck and call TO turn loose on the
opposition along with Vean Gregg, Fred
Blanding, and Big Fred himself, the
Maps could start spending their worlds
series coin here and now for automo-
biles, race horses, yachts. and what not
Frank Laporte. who is playing third
base for the Nationals owing TO the III
ness of Eddie Foster. is putting up just
the opposite game from what was ex-
pected OF him by Manager Griffith.
Larorte never collected many medals |
for fielding but he always could maui
the leather, but these days the veteran
is playing almost a sensational game in |
the field and not hitting a lick. Il
II is more than likely that Thursdays |
postponed game WIN the 1lBSTs VIII DC |
played off on Tuesday, July s, which Is |
an open date for both teams. The Ma
tionals play in New York on Monday, !!
July Z, and the Tigers in ST. Louis Both |
teams can get to Detroit easily to fill the |
postponed date.
Griffith has a provisional agreement to |
play an exhibition game in Monaco, Pa,
home of Howard Shanks.. on July s, but |
probably will cancel it. Both ownerships |
prefer playing four games in four days |
TO doubie-heading on one of the regularly |
scheduled afternoons.
In addition. II is said that trains stop |
at Monaco only on Wednesday and Sat
urday.
The Nationals are planning to have a
lot of fun next Monday at the expense
Of young Merito Acosta, who on that day
celebrates the seventeenth anniversary
Of his birth.
The Climbers will be in Cleveland at
that time and II would not be surprising |
Il at dinner, one of the walters staggered
into the dining-room carrying monster
cake, lit up with seventeen candles.