The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21
BY WALTER JOHNSON
As Related To Lillian Barker
ARTICLE vi

ARTICLE vi
Editors Note-This is the sixth OF
series Of twelve exclusive articles dealing
with the career OF Walter johnson as re-
lated by III him W. to Lillian Barker mem
team for Is years, Walter johnson is re-
garded by many authorities as the great
est pitcher that ever stepped into a uni
form)
Zone of the prime essentials in pitch
ing, in my opinion, is regularity in
work." said Walter johnson in his sixth
article relating to his 20 years on the
mound. II believe that pitcher suf-
fers just as much from working too lit
tie as from working too often. 1t is
an example of the popular phrase it is
better to work out than to rust out
Il am merely making these sugges-
lions for the benefit of young pitchers
who might gather the impression from
my previous article Tin which l related
the circumstances of our team winning
three straight games against New York
several years ago. that working too
much in the box won't have any bad
effects. / wouldn't advise any pitcher
to try iron man stunts unless he is
sure of himself-sure that he possesses
the necessary strength and health to 60
through performance of this nature.
Very few pitchers are able to undertake
this kind of work and yet not suffer
from it. Joe McGinnity was one of
them. He was the real iron man of
baseball and to prove it he is still pitch
ing in the minors at an age when ball
players are grandfathers.
Walsh An "Iron Man.
ED Walsh was another iron man
whose strength and vigor will last long
in the memories of baseball fans. But
Ed worked too much and in spite of his
wonderful physique, his arm went dead
and lost it's usefulness. For my own
part I don't think l could have lasted
as long as l have if it hadn't been for
the natural strength I possessed from
the beginning and my natural ability to
preserve it on all occasions. l have
been in many game where the opposing
team has literally slaughtered my deliv-
cry while my club depended upon few
timely hits only to win the game. This
has happened often. l might explain
that the totals in the hit column never
bother me. Neither have / ever tried
to make any strike-out records. 1t is
the result that have always taken into
consideration.
For this reason, l am always more
interested in the general situation than
I am in the man who happens to be at
the bat at the moment. l never pitch
my hardest in every game. That is to
say l never let every ounce of energy
I have figure in a pitch. This is not
expected of any pitcher. It-is not nee
essary. The pitcher who goes into
game with the hope that he may shut
out the opposing team with no hits and
no runs is going to exert every muscle
of his body to achieve this result, but
it is not necessary. If he helps his team
mates win the game, no matter how
many hits the other side gets or how
many runs they get, he is entitled to
the full share Of the glory. His share
won't be any greater if he pitches no
hit, no-run game.
Will Last Longer
"On the other hand, the man who goes
into the box, conserves his strength and
pitches his darnedest in tight holes and
loosens up when it is safe to do so is
going to last longer in the big league.
That this policy is safe one can be
seen from the records of great many
pitchers of the past-men like Cy
Young, Christy Mathewson, and Jack
Chesbro.
II believe that man can pitch his
best about once in every four days. That
means that under ordinary clrcum-
stances he can take part in one game out
of each series played by his club. l
would advise any young pitcher, how
ever, if he can't pitch say two games
week, and feels that he cannot stand the
strain, to give it up. The fellow who
can't do this isn't equal to it physically
and he will not get very far in the big
leagues. The pitchers that last in the
big show are those who have the physi-
cal strength as we'll as the reserve ener-
gy to enable them to hold the pace.
Every Three Days
'In my case do not find it difficult
to pitch a game every three days for
that matter. In my early career with
Washington, it wouldn't be much of a
stunt for me to pitch a game today and
a game tomorrow without it hurting me
n the least, but / do know that /
couldn't keep up that sort of gait now
Without paying for it. In my younger
days 1 was always willing to pitch every
three days in case it was demanded of
me, but once in every four days is about
all that the average twirler should per-
form in the box if he is going to con-
serve his strength and insure a long ca
reer in the box. The main thing, how
ever, is regularity. A pitcher must take
his regular turn in the box. He must
keep on edge. He must always be in
practice. He must never allow himself
to get out of form. He has got to
watch his form as carefully as the pro-
fessional pianist who practices every
morning for about two or three hours
before giving his public performance in
the afternoon or evening.
Gas l have already told you, / was
very green when first entered the ma
ior league. That, of course, was nat
ural drawback, but l knew that l was
green and that was what helped me-
Many a youngster from the brush comes
I'D to the big tent with the idea that he
is going to turn the world upside down
with his cleverness, only to be given
sad awakening.
Gets Fired
az remember one time back i'll 1913
we had a green kid whose name L won't
mention because it might do him more
harm than good. This .youngster was
nowerfulIy built and he had everything
sneed and all, but brains. He used to
strike out some of the players in prac-
tice and keep them from hitting his
fast balls. He got so good, he thought
to himself, that he went to Clark Crit
fifth before the season started and de-
manded raise that would have made
some of the old-t timers on the team green
with envy. OF course, Griffith laughed
ct him. But the kid was persistent.
He refused to practice any more unless
Griffith came through That day the
boy was on his way home without
job, sadder and wiser youngster.
1.-THE point is this: youngsters who
come I'M from the bushes must realize