Evening star., 1925-10-11

Walter and Rucker removed their
coats, having no vests on, the big
hurier didn't even roll up his sleeves
Ihree records were taken. Johnson'S
read thusly: First throw, 120 feet Il
second; second. 12I feet; third. 123 feet
lsucker, who didn't pose us q spaea
King, had plenty OF steam. Maps best
mark was 113 feet n second The ap-
paratuS being scientifically accurate
the records taken give one an idea how
tast Johnson can make Il ball travel
for this test means that he can send
ball from the pitchers position IT,
the plate in less than half u second
about az fast as one can wink an eye
Nap Nucker. who had never seen
Johnsons speed. was astonished: ad-
mitting that he had never witnessed
such smoke.
In 1854. q test OF a hurIer's speed
was taken by experts handling the
LonGihe chronograph, an appartus
designed to take the speed Of a ball
thrown by pitchers. Jimmy Calvin OF
the 10 Nationals and Bob Emshe
now dean Of National Lea que umpires
and at that time the star hurler of the
Baltimore club of the old America n
! Association, were selected.
50 Feet in e-5 Second.
The distance was 80 feet. the rcgri-
lation pitching distance at that time
each sent the ball the distance in %
! second.
| These figures We're based on the ba II
| travelling so feet. The test johnson
| worked under he had to throw the
bail 80 ii would travel a second before
| registering. The speed of the ball the
first half OF the second must have
| exceeded the pace of the last half, 50
! one can imagine the speed of his fast
| ball If he were working under the
| 50-foot distance.
; So much for scientific tests Listen
to what Charlie Bennett, at one time
the greatest catcher in the game and
who faced the speediest of all old
| time burlers, says: Calvin was
| for L have hstted against him many
times. but 7 wasn't so speedy as
'GrasshopIs Jim Whitney. and
| neither Wa, ~ speedy as Amos Rusie
| Bennett '<at ed against Rusie for six
years and ssia hat the indiana Thun-
| derbolt" threw the fastest curve be
had ever seen; also, that Rusie had
| phenomenal speed on every ball he
| threw; like johnson. he never let w
on his speed from the first round t.
| the last. Hughey Jennings, who bat
ted against Rusie during the biz
| hurler's entire career, is of the opinion
that Rusie's speed was equal 10 any
| hurler the game ever had. Edwar1
Stein, now living in Detroit. was at
one time the star hurler Of the Brook
! iyn club and engaged the old-time
| speed king in many pitchers duels-
| and Stein had plenty of steam himself
| believed 1t to be a case Of $3.50, and
this former great hurler has watched
4 k-,1t Inl 80, ,-l,,
game he has pitched against the
| Tigers on the home grounds.
Bennett. Jennings and Stein know
| what they are talking about, for they
have hatted against all the old.tinlc
| speed kings and also have q firm
! knowledge of what Walter Johnson
/ has to offer. These old timers have
a high regard for the players OF to
| day and especially Walter johnson,
not one Of them being a bit prejudIccd.
| so their opinion is worth while.
| Walter Johnson, from the gong until
| the last man is out, uses more speed
than any hurler the game ever had
and there were hurlers in the game ci
ball with as much speed as Johnson
that is. throw fast one occasionally
but no hurler. save Rusie, could keel
up full speed for the entire game
for an entire season and for 19 sea
sons, as this speed King has; he has
| Amos Rusie's speed shaded from The
fact that he lived right and wa:
always fit.
The fast-ball hurlers of Johnson's
earlier days were Waddell Bender
| Walsh, Joss, Donovan, Joe Wood anC
Cy Young, and while all possessed rare
speed not one Of them used the speed
that Johnson does throughout a game
for the Idaho Cyclone" is conceded
by all fandom and nearly all the ex
perts to be the speediest of all hurlers
! Walter Johnson, like a high-power
| motor boat, a racing auto, fast
| horse, is built for throwing fasi
ball. Hurlers Of the type he is are
born with the physical accessories
built with the strength of muscle
sinews and action. Born with an arm
adjusted by nature to throw things
| a human slungshot is about the way tc
express it, for he has the natural abil
! ity to get just a little more speed or
the ball than the average fastbal,
1 pitcher.