The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-14
By WALTER JOHNSON (As Related to Lillian Barker)

tAs Related to Lillian Barker)
 ARTICLE
 (Editors Note: This is the fifth of series of fs exclusive articles dealing with the career of walter Johnson related by him to Lillian Bar ker member of the Washington American league tesm for 1s years Walter Johnson is regarded by many authorities . the greatest pitcher that stepped into . uniform)
 q credit much of my long success to my physical condition when I joined the Washington team. With muscles hard ened and developed on the farm in Kan sas where I was born and raised, I had an asset that from then until now has stood me in good stead. But that in it. self, was not much. Had relied solely on my physical shape at the time to carry me through my career, 1 would doubtless have gone the way of many good pitcher that have seen come and 20 during my years of experience in the major league. It was an asset but it was an asset that required care and nursing"
 In these words Walter Johnson re- vealed some of the reasons why he has been going strong in the big league IS years pitching winning ball all the time with never an indication of let-up. He was explaining his endurance in the fifth article of the series dealing with his 20 years on the mound.
 Muscles In Shape
 My muscles were in good shape in the old days" continued Johnson. "1 seldom had what pitchers call sore arm.' It is because watched it care fully and saw to it that did not over work it. A pitchers arm is the most valuable asset he has got. It means as much to him as the voice to an opera singer or a pair of good fists to boxer. Once a pitchers arm goes dead he is through unless he shows signs of being able to play some other position on the diamond with equal skill. One of the things that has made Babe Ruth such a big star and drawing attraction is the fact that he can play almost any posi- tion in baseball.
 Babe started out as a pitcher in the big league and he made good; then he went to the outfield and started slam ming out home runs. He can play first just as well as he can pitch. But all of us are not Babe Ruths. doubt very much if I would be useful to ball club, no matter in what league it might happen to be, in any other position than pitcher. It is for this reason that figured it out early in my career that the only way I could hold my own was to take advantage of my physique, my strong arm and take good care of it lest it might go bad on me and throw me out of baseball permanently. In order to do this always kept myself in good physical condition never failing to take proper exercise in and out of season.
 Diet And Habits
 Physical perfection is not acquired merely by exercising, however. A mans manner of living, diet and habits have a lot to do with his general condition and ability to go on the firing line IT good shape. If there's one man on ball club who has got to be on edge dur ing ball game, it is the pitcher. He is the nerve center of the whole works A game generally goes the way pitch CT goes. If he has a bad day the fel lows behind him have got to do lot of real work to pull him out of the hole If he has a good day then it is up tt his teammates to hit behind him. w hear of pitchers being in-and-outers There are many of them in baseball It is one of the strange things in thu game why a first-class pitcher one da! goes in and pitches great bal, and thu next time he is sent into the box h. plays like a novice. If we traced thes' causes down to their very source w might learn a few interesting things.
 Another thing have learned durin, my career is the necessity of getting , start at the beginning of the baseball season in top form. Many pitchers d. not get their top form until mid-season others fail to reach their best perform ance until the hot weather sets in. do not know whether or not these diff culties may be traced to lack of prope preliminary training, but know tha in my case I must keep busy during thu winter months in order to start tn season in good form. F.
 Doesn't Smoke Or Drink
 ~While we are on the subject of physi cal condition might as well admit tha I neither smoke nor drink. I don't sa, that smoking is harmful, nor do I sa, that an occasional drink is harmful haven't anything against man wh smokes or drinks. In general, haven any cut and dried notions on the mat ter, but as far as l am personally con cerned, I have found that by keepin away from these two habits have bee able to deliver much better work tha otherwise.
 "How well my condition has helpe me in my profession, especially in time of need, can best be told by referrin to an incident that happened way bac in 1908 when Joe Cantillon, manage of the Washington club that year, foun himself with three pitchers on the sic list. Keeley had bad stomach, whil Tannehil and Hughes were sufferin from sore arms. l was the only ma available on the day we were schedule to play the New York Americans i the big town. The Yankees-they wer
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