New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-04
Star Pitcher of Senators
Accepts Offer Made Him
by Joe Tinker
SALARY TO BE
$4,000 A YEAR
Contract Is for Only Two Years
Sensational Career OF
Great TWirler.

great pitcher Of the Washington club
in the American League, signed a con
tract to-day with the Chicago club OF
the Federal League.
The announcement was made by
Charles Weeghman, president OF the
local club. late this afternoon.
IL was declared that JOhnson's con-
tract was for two years. The amount
of his salary was not announced M,
Weeghman said that he had received
the news by long distance telephone
from Joe Tinker, who saw Johnson IN
Coifeyville, Kan, to-day
81. Louis. Dec. 3-Twenty thousand
dollars year is the salary called LOT
in Walter JOhnsOn's contract win inc
Chicago club. of the Federal Baseball
League. according TO the story OF the
deal given out by Philip Ball, vice
president of the st. Louis Federal
League club.
"The ST. Louis Federal League club
engineered the deal whereby Chicago
got Johnson's signature" declared Ball.
"Our price for obtaining johnson Tor
Chicago was Eddie Plank.
"St Louis made the first bid Tor
Johnson" said Ball. with Fielder
Jones. our manager, / met Walter az
Fort Smith. Ark, and offered him S2O'-
600 a year for three years. the money
TO be put in a bank and $4,000 OF u
10 be given to Johnson as soon as ne
signed. lie agreed to the terms, but
wanted to delay signing.
"Meanwhile Johnson began negou-
atipg with Manager Griffith OF the
Washington club, with the view OF OBJ
thinning a better offer than the FED
erals. This Griffith denied. A rule OF
the Federal League prevented any other
club bidding for Johnson, while st.
Louis was negotiating with him.
Walter Johnson throws the fastest
hall of any pitcher in the game to-day.
In all probability no pitcher ever llved
who POSSESSED the speed of the Wash
ington marvel. but it is impossible to
wiring any such concession from those
who saw RI sic in the good old days.
season ago most of the fans agreed
that Johnson was not only the fastest
of pitchers. but the best as well.
This belie.- was shaken in the cam
naicn of 1914, when Johnson ranked
only seventeenth among the pitchers OF
the American League. According to
unofficial averages. he won twenty
eight games aud lost eighteen, for a
percentage of 500. He struck out 22l
,batters in ffty-on games.
n The season Of 1913 saw Johnson at
HE height of his pitching ability. In
that year, according to the oiflclal aver
ages. he allowed only l.O9 earned runs
per game and struck out 243 batters IN
the 3i6 innings he pitched.
Early in that season he set a record
which is not likely 10 be equalled 1or
some time to come. He began by WIN
ming nine straight, and shut out his
opponents for ifty-six consecutive mn
ings. A run was scored against him on
Anril 10 and the next did not come
across the plate until May is. Having
made one record, Johnson rested for a
week or so and then set out for an
other. This time he could do 10 more
than tie the existing figures. for after
he had won sixteen Dnsecutive games
his string was broken.
Walter Johnson pitched his first
game in the American League on Au-
gust 9, 1907, and Davy Jones, the first
man to face him, struck out. Washing
ton did not win the game, however, for
johnson was hammered out of the box
in the ninth inning.
Blankenship, a catcher of the Wash
ington club. was the discoverer of
johnson. Being incapacitated for ser
vice on account of an injured hand, the
catcher was drafted for scout duty.
During a dull week the Washington
club heard that there wa a youngster
out in Idaho who was making some
thing Of stir.
Biankenship went West, but had a
hard time finding his man, as he was
pitching for small town teams and COW
erlng a good deal Of territory. The
company in which Blankenship found
the pitcher was not fast, yet the vet
Gran had no doubt at the end of the
game that he had seen a new star. Not
only was the speed of Johnson remark
able, but even from the beginning he
has always displayed a motion which
was perfect in its ease.
Finishing the season Of 1907, John
son won FIVE games and lost eight. In
1908 he won fourteen and lost eleven.
In all probability Johnson had greater
speed at that time than he has to-day,
for his fast ball was his only asset.
His slow ball and his curve were later
DEVELOPMENTS. Three or four catchers
were forced into temporary retirement
by Johnson each seaso-., for they could
not handle his speed.
lie was still crude, however, and in
1909 he lost twenty-five games and won
only thirteen. The team behind him
was weak one. By the next seaso
he had reached the point where he did
not care much what sort of a nine was
behind him. In 1910 he won twenty
five and lost seventeen. The following
season the record was twenty-three and
fifteen. and in 1912 he captured thirty
two games and lost only twelve.
The form of official averages was
in 1913. but there was no stop
ping Walter, for on the basis of earned
runs per game he was an easy leader.
Johnson has become landmark Of
Presidents have made pill
grimages 20 see him pitch and have re-
ouested baseballs with his signature.
Last June he married Miss Hazel Lee
Roberts, daughter of Representative +.
T.. Roberts, Of Carson City. New.