Evening star., 1915-01-17

most constantly.
In 1906 Walsh jumped into promi-
nence as the Iron Man of the White
Sox pitching staff. He won seventeen
games and lost thirteen, with a very
weak hitting team behind him. In ten
Of his victories he scored shut-outs,
| and in ten of his games he allowed
| five or less hits. When the Sox won
| the nineteen straight games, which put
| them in the running and practically
| made it possible for them to win the
! pennant, Walsh worked seven games
between August and 23. He won
| four of these games by shut-outs, in
| two other victories he allowed only
| one run, while in the other win he was
found for four tallies, his teammates
scoring six In 1907 Walsh was once
He won twenty-four games and lost
eighteen, acting as rescue pitcher in
ten contests.
Had a Big Year in 1908.
1t was in the season of 1908 that
Walsh caused the entire base ball
world to marvel by his ability for
pitching day after day. 1t was mainly
through his superhuman efforts that
the Chicago club was able to keep
in the pennant hunt. He took part
in sixty-six contests, almost half the
number played by his team. He started
others went to the aid of some fall
tering pitcher. That year he led the
league with forty victories and fifteen
defeats. He scored an even dozen
shut-outs himself. while in six OF his
fifteen defeats his teammates were un-
able to cross the plate. In the last
nine days of the season, two of which
were off days, he pitched seven times.
twice in one day. His great work
made it necessary for Detroit to beat
in a.
son in order to beat the White Sox.
The Tigers turned the trick.
The following season-190s-Wal
took part in only 81 games. For a
trouble with his arm. but insisted it
was a cold, not overwork. The fact
that he worked in As games in 1910,
SIS games in 1911 and 62 games in 1872
made it seem that Walsh was right.
Walsh started the season of 1913 in a
most sensational manner. In the ninth
inning of the first game of the season,
at St. Louis, Manager Callahan sent
him into the box with the bases filled
and no one out. He did the seemingly
impossible by retiring the next three
batters on strikes. That was the last
great bit of pitching l have ever seen
Walsh perform. I umpired back OF the
plate in that game. and Walsh never
saw him pitch and he seemed to have
lost his stuff entirely. His arm has
troubled him ever since, and he has
never regained it's proper use. despite
all kinds of treatments to which 1t has
been subjected. Much as 1 regret to see
the passing of SO great pitcher,
fear Walsh is through. Always optt-
mistic, big Ed is himself beginning to
lose faith in his ability to come back.
Near the close of last season, in dis
Walsh remarked to me: We'll. Bill,
guess as a pitcher I better start to be-
come an outfielder.
Future Career Is Uncertain.
Walsh is probably through, when
with ordinary work he ought to have
FIVE or six more years Of service in
front of him. During the last five or
six years 1t was the exception when
Walsh wasn't either pitching or warm
ing up, getting ready to relieve some
faltering pitcher. Most twirlers will
tell you that they regard warm-up
a game.
Often it is necessary to work un-
usually fast to get their arm linn
bered up properly. only to be told to
out Of the hole. Often a pitcher
warns up, and then cools off two or
three times during the afternoon. 1t
was not an unusual stunt for Walsh
by any means. II might De lrutnIuliy
said that Walsh did about fifteen years
ordinary pitching in eight. Eddie
Plank, Chief Bender, Christy Mathew
son and a good many others were
pitching stars before Walsh broke into
the spotlight: they are still pitching.
but Big Ed appears through.
I have always figured that Charley
Street worked himself out of the big
league about hve years ahead Of his
time. In 1906 Street caught for Will
Transport in the Tri-State League and
worked ninety-seven games back Of
the bat. The following year he was
in the Pacific Coast League. taking
part in 154 games. He Joined Wash
ington in 1908 and gained much fame
as the battery partner Of Walter John.
son. He worked in 1913 games that
wear and 1877 games the following year.
Playing in a hot climate. the average
catcher is content to work about every
other day. Street during his first two
years worked practically four seasons
in two. In 1910 he let up a trifie.
working in eighty-six games. while in
1911 he took part in only seventy-one
contests. Street never rested his arm.
He was always throwing the ball
around In 1912, after four years as
a big Lacquer, he dropped back to the
minors. In all respects. with the ex-
ception of his arm, he was as good
as ever. That right arm, once the
fear of every base runner, had gone
lame: they were running wild. 1t
marked his exit from the big show.
Copyright. 1915, by W. G. Erans.l
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