The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-21
WILL JOHNSON COME BACK IN GOOD FORM?

Brooklyn. December 1s.-(Special)- Will Walter Johnston, star right handed pitcher of the American league, hs ahle to stage a comeback? That is the question followers of the national
 game are asking. The "Old Master put up a game fight with Father Time last season and it appeared as If the latter had the edge. Johnson started to hit the toboggan early in the sea son and this caused Manager Clark Griffith no end of worry. The once nride and most effective twirler of the Washington staff did not appear on the mound as often as in other years. He had not been winning games at his usual rate, and Griffith diagnosed his trouble as the much to be-feared sore arm
 The Big Swede took the full course of treatment that all star twirlers
 with lame wings are in the habit of
 undergoing He visited the famous
 Bonesetter Reese at Youngstown, O.,
 tried all sorts and varieties of treat ments. but all seemed useless at the
 time. Walter is taking things easy down on his farm at Coffeyville. Kan.
 in the hope that a long rest will bring the old soup bone" back to it's nor mai condition.
 OLD WEAKNESS RETURNED
 Every time the speed king warmed up last season the strAnge, dull pain was still in his arm and he was use less. As all treatments seemed to have failed, Old Fox Griffith gambled with fate and with arms. lie sent Johnson out to his farm in the hope that a rest would do the mighty right arm more good than any amount of S-.f aAn. to make the great pitcher avoid the effects of cold that settled" in his arm on the spring training trip, and all baseballdoh awaits the opening of next season to see whether Johnson will be able to take his regular turn on the mound
 Last season was the first year since 1909 that Johnson failed to turn in less than 20 victories. He had won 8 and lost 10 when he was compelled to quit with the arm ailment. Johnson joined the Washington club in 1907. In 1910 he startled the baseball world. then worshiping at the feet of Christy Matthewson, by turning in 25 vic- tories. That was the beginning of his career as the most effective twirler in either league.
 Since that memorable campaign of 1910 Walter has reached the pima cle of his success by winning 36 games in a single season. Each year he has allowed his opponents less runs than any other pitcher in the Ban Johnson circuit. He has been among the lead CTS of the league in the number of strikeouts, shutouts and consecutive scoreless innings. In 1919 his work was below his standard. He won only 20 games. indicating that Father Time was beginning to get in his fine work.
 ADMIRERS SAY HE WILL
 While many fans decide that once a tyirler achieves sore arm" his baseball days are numbered and point to the finish of the wonderful Big Six" as an example. Griffith and his supporters on the banks of the Poto- mac feel that Walters sore arm is not the end of his career. They point to the veteran Chief Bender, who was given up by big league experts as done and who is now the leading twirier of the Eastern league. Ferdie 6chupp. who used to be the southpaw star of the Giants and who was inca pacitated for service by sore arm. is now twirling effectively for St. Louis. Griffith used to do some twirling in his time and ought to know the game.
 The Washington baseball mentor says that because there is nothing basically wrong with Johnson's arm. he will bo able to come back. He says that the muscles and joints are all in