The Washington times., 1914-12-20
OUR WALTER" ONCE
MORE


Times has no apologies to make, no
flip-haps to execute. 1t didn't find
fault with the good-looking and
businesslike young artillerist of the
diamond when he announced that he
was leaving us; it didn't pretend that
anyhow it guessed he wasn't much of
a pitcher, and that his going was a
good radiance. Assuming that he
had had good legal advice as to his
right to contract with a new en-
ployer, it declined to imagine that
there was any breach of moral pro-
prieties in his doing so. 1t didn't
even blame him for being so sordid
as to want the money.
Walter always was a good deal of
a hero with US, and it was painful,
for the little detail of geographic
cal Encouragement of loyalties, to
have to say that he couldn't be our
hero any more. Being just as YER
satile in our loyalties as Walter is
in his, we are able now to announce
that the speed merchant Of the local
aggregation is right back on the
hero list, in the same old favor.
OF course, it's little distracting.
When Walter jumped to the FEEDER
ais the organization announced that
it should enjoin him from playing
with Chicago; it claimed an option
on his services for Is further term,
and has desired to exercise that OPP
ton. This option was part of con-
tract which contained none of the
clauses that have commonly been re-
garded as invalidating the usual
form of agreement between players
and teams in the older leagues. APP
parently johnson believed he had the
right to leave Washington, and
signed an advantageous contract to
do so. Later, it would seem, he
was convinced that his earlier ad-
vices were bad; that there was dan
ger of his being unable to carry out
his agreement with Chicago; and so
he agreed to return to his old love.
1t is not necessary to look for any
evidence of moral perfidy or weak
ness of intellect in the performances.
The whole business of players con-
tracts is so uncertain, their binding
quality is so dubious, that a better
lawyer than the premier pitcher
might very well have got mixed in
his mind. The lawyers of one league
were positive that Walter must pitch
with Washington or not pitch at all;
which really would have been TAX
ing something quite worth while
away from the gayety of the ma
tions, most of them none too gay at
this epoch. The lawyers of another
league We're just as cretain that
johnson belonged to them and that
he would be able to play. When law
yers disagree like that-well, that's
when they make cases out of which
they earn fees for other folks to
pay. If the lawyers couldn't dis
agree, they'd all starve. Shall they
be blamed for disagreeing?
Unless Walter changes his mind
again. or the lawyers change it for
him, it is to be presumed that he Is
going to ornament the Georgia ave-
nue. Hall of Fame for the next three
seasons. Everybody will be glad Of
it; will like him just as well as if
he hadn't suffered a temporary aber-
ration. He will pitch just as good,
sincere, earnest, and speediferous
ball as his arm is capable of putting
across; which is some ball. Any no
ton that he will sulk and give a bad
performance may as well be chucked.
Walter has never been that sort of
player; never has worked for rec
ords; always has plugged for the
team as a whole, and therefore has
been as popular with the players
players, be it interpolated, of his
own team-as with the patrons. He
will be forgiven for his little dere-
LECTION, and maybe it will be u les
son to the managers of organized
hall