New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-22
Johnson Losing
Speed, but Still
Going Strong
Star Pitcher May Never
Figure in World
Series Games
BY W. J. MACBETH


stumbling over their tombstones. But
in Americas national game fame lasts
only so long as an athlete IS able to
be up and doing at the very crest Of
his. best.
There is Walter P. Johnson. for in
stance. Eliminate the p, which for
years has stood for perfect, and every
fan would recognize Washington's
great pitcher. The present generation
has claimed for this grand, big fellow
the distinction of the throne against
all pitching opposition.
Mantle on Johnson
When the grand old master, Christy
Mathewson, began to fade, Walter
johnson was at the very top Of his
skill and vigor. The mantle fell on
Johnson's shoulders and he bore the
honor nobly. Johnson's star was fixed
when that of Alexander, of the Phillies,
began to rise, and so Walter-in pub
lie opinion-held the lists successfully
against Grover.
A year ago Johnson was command
ing his usual mead of scareheads on
the sporting pages. There are half
dozen cub twirlers to-day who are
getting quite as much mention. The
reason? Walter is having his first
really poor season since he became a
fixture with the Washington Ameri-
cans. Sentiment in baseball, it would
appear, runs as it runs in money mat
tiers. It's not what you were, but what
you are. In the words of the cockney,
"Who has is"
1t is doubtful if Johnson ever was a
greater pitcher than Alexander. But
in one respect he was the more spec
tacular. He has been known as the
wizard of speed. Speed was most all
Walter had to commend him when ne
broke into fast company with wash
ington, back in 1907. But such speed!
No pitcher needed more.
Personally, the writer is not ready
TO have Walter johnson buried. Not
lust vet. A lot of fans and writers
had Mathewson laid away as early as
1906. That was Christy's first bad sea-
son as a Giant, and it was directly due
to the after-effects of an attack OF
diphtheria. Mathewson saw his best
years after the pessimists had gwen
him up as a hopeless case. 1t is to be
hoped that Walter Johnson will expert
ence the same kind fate. Baseball
cannot afford to lose its Johnsons be-
fore their time.
Indeed. johnson might be excused If
it should ultimately develop that he is
not attempting to put all the old speed
at his command on the ball this year.
Washington is going nowhere in par
ticular And even the strongest arm
can stand only so many throws.
Walsh Worked Too Hard
Ed Walsh, in his time king OF
American League pitchers, had brill
iantly effective though limited career
as an "iron man" He crowded two or
three seasons work into each cam
paign, and simply wore out the elias
ITCHY of his breadwinner. Ed might
have been with us still had he Stunned
the herculean task.
There is no sound reason why the
general public should assign Walter
Johnson to the Down and Out" Club
simply because he is not winning his
customary percentage of victories. IL
isftrue that he has had far more en-
enlargement than ever before from the
Senators. Washington has scored more
runs than any other American League
club. and has furnished Johnson an av-
erage that would have made him un-
beatable in the golden days. Which
would indicate clearly that the fault
is Johnson's rather than that OF his
teammates.
The speed of johnson is proverbial.
Some old timers will tell you that
Amos Fusie had more smoke. In dis
cussions of pitching speed they may
also mention the name of RUDE Wad-
dell. But American League battels
will tell you that nobody ever could
have been speedier than Johnson; that
when Walter was right the ball was
over the plate before one could see il
leave Johnson's pitching hand. II
was next TO impossible to dodge one OF
Johnston's pitches when he first
broke in, and many were the manned
batters before he mastered control.
Nap Rucker had some smoke in his
time So had Smoky Joe Wood. One
Sunday some years ago these two
pitchers went with johnson to New
Haven, Conn. to have their respective
speeds tested on an electrical machine
used for testing gunfire. II memory
serves right Rucker attained speed
of something like 1l9 feet per second;
Wood approximately l25 and Johnson
almost ten feet per second more than
Smoky Joe.
N Now. as a matter of fact, this ire
mendous speed of Johnson, which
4 served him so we'll in the vigor of his
youth, may be the real cause of his
present apparent shortcoming. John
son has always been able to get ex-
cellent results with speed alone. He
didn't have TO develop any remarkable
curve.
He has lost some of his speed, II is
true. His smoke ball now is no more
terrific than that Of half dozen rivals.
His fast ball, in other words. has come
back on even terms with the others.
And the Johnson fast ball, that no one
could hit with certainty in the old days.
Is now being hit.
Wise Old Matty
For many years Mathcwson's chief
stock In trade was speed. He depended
upon whistling the ball past the batter
before he could see il. When the
speeder began to slow up bit wise old
Mstty went out and cultivated a curve.
He specialized on control, too. and later
on patented the "fadeaway." IL was
not until then that Christy became
Mathewson the Great.
Johnson is plenty young enough still
10 do what Mathewson did. He has as
much speed now as Christy ever had.
A good curve ball would make him even
greater terror than he was in the days
Of his mightisst might. That he can
develop q curve Johnson has proven,
- kas AahhtnA NTH IL