The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-04-10
Johnson
Entitled
to Honor

NEW YORK Watct johnson is con
sidcred one of the best pitchers the game
ever hhd ana that IL saving whole
Wouihml. Indeed. his record since
emerging from obScuriiy iuyiifcs This
conception ~ his class and worth Like
a lew other pitchers who rank high in
the annals OF the game, he Is lahur.ug
under the drawback Of being always con
nect"d with a team which lis never eN-
pect"d. and never has, won a champion
ship His great prototype n George
Barclay tNinnlc) Mercer. than whom no
better all.round player ever got into
uniform. foy he was not only great
pitcher, MI also AN expert batsmau.
fielder and base runner He, too was
member of the Washington team but
that was before Johnson dreamed W
gaining fame on the diamond and marry
ing a congressmans daughter.
waiter, however. had this oyrr his
original, that his team In two seasons
tlyl2 and 1919 finished In second place.
whereas during Winues career OF six
years with them the Washingtons could
get no higher than sixth place un 1872,
and then hadJ bn satisfied with a tie,
IN. Brooklyns' finishing with the same
percentage OF games won and lost. In
l9Ol Winnie was again with the Wash
lnstons after n seasons sojOurn with the
d@tr, and the Senators again finished
In sixth place
In 1910 Johnsons fourth season with
the Washlngtons he pitched In the open
Ing game tAprn ~. his opponents being
IN" Ihlladephias, who were destined that
year TO win the championships ~ the
American League and of tho world He
gave thcm hut one hit and shut them
out hy score Of : TO o This feat. Of
course, brought him and his team more
prominently before the public hut after
that first grand victory he seemed 10 bc
pOwerless against the corning champions
He aftfFW4VH IA faced
and each time was beaten by narrow
scores, "a, az and 7-5
PLANK Saves Bender
In tho last Of these three games. o..
July 40, at Philadelphia. hc'met chief
BENDER for the first time that season.
Not run did the chief allow tho Sena
tors for eight innings Therefore, when
tho Washingtons began the ninth. the
score was TO against them. Then the
savage offspring got his bumps Before
tho ninth Inning he ND allowed the
Nashingtons but four hits. but IN th'
inning four hits In succession, three
singles and triple, sent three Senators
over the plate In spite Of his Nauntrd
siradincss poor 10 lost hts nerve and
gave tho next two hattcrr bases on balls
THIS filled tho corners with nobody out
and three runs IN.
At this point Eddie Plank was called
upon. and the Indian sadly sought tho
seclurion of the bench. Plank promptly
struck out boh tnglauh. who h1tted In
place OF Johnson Then forced in u run
by giving the next batter n base on hrlls
An out followed. which brought IN wash
ingtonp nrh run Then Frank Rcslng
Was Scnt to bat instead Of Jack lellvct
and struck out ending the game. 1-5 In
favor of the Athletics N will he mo-
llced that the only two pinch hittcrs
Cnglaub and Rcisliug, struck out.
Tho NEXT time johnson opposed the
LAT - l.a ~ La
opposed ny chief RENDER. This WAS ON
September 2, 1910, and tho game proved
the niort remarkable of any between the
two teams Tho Athletics were then In
the frat place. aui the Senators IN flftl
ON the previous dny the Nashingtnns had
heen nearly shut ont hy tho Athletics in
both games Of n douhlo.hcsder. the scores
being 81 and - The game n septem.
ber was the last the two teams PLAYED
at Washington that year They were
scheduled 10 play n double header later
ON october :, but these games were pre-
vented hN rain
After three successive defeats nv tho
Athlyticy II may he presumed that John
son Vas M me- humoi for tflning. and
hr team was ~ much In earnest M him
self However. IN the first timing tho
Athletics scored run liriscur Lord
the first batter. WIN IN Iuly had .hcen Ne
cured nv Philadelphia from Cleveland IN
f'hN' ~ fNN'I wv iNNN'NH wv wv AWN NfF'F
An out put him On thlrdhnHe, and a Wild
throw by Wade killifer the secondhasr-
man. enabled him tn ctnrs the plate "
was tho only run scored by the Athletics
IN the game, and that error was In keen.
Ing with the traditions ot the Washing.
ton team
Johnsons Great Feat
The WaHhingtons at once tied the score
IN their half " the fits, inning, and In
the second took tho lead by scoring once
again. These runs were charged against
Nender, WIN. after the third inning, at
his own request, made room for HARRY
krsuse The las, named did very welt
until the seventh. when the wsshins,nns
added another run, making the score read
10 I IN their favor
The Athletics we're desperate when they
began the eighth inning Their deter.
ninstlon 10 capture the snme and thus
make themselves more secure IN fIr.,
place led Manager Mack tn rush pinrh
hittefs 10 the front, and hy doins 60 he
save johnson the opportunity of mskins
teyctd that vill scarcely be eaualed
and hardly ever surpassed unless tho
catcher drops tho hall after n third strike
lie sent TupHy llat,sel 10 bat for lack
Harry, jack iApp for stuffy MrInnis and
Hen liousot fnr Ira Thomas tnhnsnn
struck ont all three ~ them on tpu
pitched halls
The fans ot Washington a., No, made
/ VI SlVne, aud they Include persons IN ali