Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-09
BY BILLY EVANS.

Such an announcement several
years ago, when Walsh was at his
best, almost invariably meant that
some recruit would do the pitching
for the opposition. Rival managers
figured the odds all against them
with Walsh doing the pitching, and
regarded 1t poor judgment to oppose
the big fellow with one of their stars
They preferred to take q chance on
some youngster with Walsh working,
thus saving the stars for action when
Walsh was out of the way. Every
now and then some manager would
tempt fate, use one of his stars against
Walsh, only to lose, despite grand
exhibition of pitching by his star.
r. 1t became quite custom to use a
recruit against Walsh, and strangely
enough, these recruits gave Walsh
some of the most strenuous battles of
his career, in a number Of cases COM
ing out on top. recall one year when
six youngsters scored victories over
Walsh, who seemed to have no partic'
ular trouble in outpitching the vet
Grams. Usually the recruit pitcher
would 60 great guns, holding the Sox
even more helpless at the bat than
Walsh was the opposition. i have
often heard Walsh say he would much
prefer to hook up with some veteran
star than a promising youngster. So
often did the recruits beat him that
he became to look on them as a reaI
genuine hoodoo. 49,. -.
OF late years Walter johnson has
occupied the position once held by
Walsh. Johnson, with his terrific
speed, sharp curve and change OF
pace, has always been regarded as a
combination mighty hard to beat. Re-
alizing that as rule the game would
be light hitting affair on the part of
their team with Johnson working rival
managers have adopted the scheme
they used against Walsh, working an
almost unknown youngster, or sec
ond-string pitcher, In hope of the un-
expected happening. It did very often
during the season Of 1914, much to
Johnson's regret.
On 25 occasions last season oppos-
ing managers pitted their young pitch
ers against Johnson. In Ii Of these
enough to suffer defeat. Eleven times;
he emerged from the battles with a
victory to his credit, while a tie was
the result of the other game. 1t got
30 before the season was over that
Johnson believed nothing but shutout
ball would save him from defeat when
a busher was announced as the OPP
posing pitcher. In four Of his victo-
rtes over the youngsters he scored
shutouts, in four more he held the
opposition to one run, in three OF
the IL wins he was forced to travel
extra innings. The recruit pitchers
played the main part in making 1914
a disastrous season for the speed mar
vel.
Rankin Johnson OF Boston, who
jumped to the Federals when traded
to Cleveland, did nothing during his
American league stay, other than to
prove troublesome opponent for Wal
ter. The two Johnsons met four times,
with honors even Rankin opened with
a to 0 win over Walter on April %.
On May q Walter eyened up by de-
feating Boston, to 0. On June 1
Rankin johnson went to the front
again with 1 to 0 win over Walter.
On July s washington beat Boston 1
to 0, through daring steal of homo
by Capt. Mcbride. Always when he
Walter Johnson the Boston
tWirler by the same name came
through with a swell exhibition OF
pitching. Against other twirlers he
worked in very ordinary fashion.
Faber Was Worthy Foe.
John Williams of Detroit and Harry
Hoch of st. Louis each pitched only
one full game last season and, strange
ly enough, Walter Johnson was the
twirler who opposed them. In each
game Johnson came through with a
shutout. On August 1 Williams made
his second start of the season, earlier
in the year he started, only to retire
eighth inning neither team had scored,
W ashington broke the ice in the
eighth, getting one run and two more
in the ninth, winning to 0, although
Johnson allowed one more hit than
Williams, who let the Nationals down
with six safe drives. While Harry
Hoch did a great deal of relief duty
for st. Louis, he worked his first full
game on September 10 against john
son. Johnson allowed only five hits
and struck out six, enabling him to
win to O.. .-e T..
Red Faber Of the Chicago White
Sox was another youngster who made
things interesting for Walter. On
August 9 Faber beat Walter to 0 In
| thinning battle. On September 21 |
Walter eYened the count by beating
he Sox 6 to 1 in 13 innings. The
game was pitchers battle until the
thirteenth, when both the |
Sox and Faber wobbled, the Nationals |
putting over five runs. Johnson was
orced to step at top speed all the
way. He allowed only six hits and !
struck out II men, getting 10 of them !
n the first nine innings
scored Only Win Over Walter.
Bowman of Cleveland won only
Jingle game during his stay as Nap, |
md that victory was scored at John
on's expense. Bowman shut out the
Nationals to o and looked like the
'reatest pitcher In the world. Cola