The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-05
JOHNSON Is GIVEN START
BY JOE CANTLLON
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page)
player in the center of the spot
light. | have had my share of
publicity all these years but, for
tunately for me, the papers have
always given me most space after
/ accomplish something and not
before. Back in 1907. came to
the major leagues from a little
unknown place in Idaho with
hardly any notice. At any rate
no great price had been paid for
me and no great things were pre-
dicted, such as we expect of the
expensive rockies Of recent years.
In my first year at Washington
n only won five games in four
teen starts but most people
seemed satisfied. When l ran up
string of sixteen consecutive
wins in 1912 or when | pitched a
no-hit game against the Red Sox
in 1920. it was taken as matter
of course, and had / failed in
either undertaking. there would
have been no great disappoint-
ment, for the simple reason that
it was not advertised in advance.
But the minute Washington won
the pennant things were different.
was up against new proposi-
ton. The kilograms started COM
ing in wholesale lots. Letters
poured in from all over the United
States. And the telephone seemed
to ring twenty-four hours each day.
Every message, mind you, was well
come. Old friends, new friends and
total strangers seemed to add their
word Of congratulations and 1t made
me. mighty happy. Like myself,
they all hoped and prayed for VIC
tory. BVt here's where they made
it notwithstanding and almost
demanding one thing-you must
beat the Giants.
There didn't appear to be any
loopholes in their hopes. The
Giants, it seemed, were expected to
take into consideration the fact
that Walter johnson had waited a
long time for this opportunity and
was entitled to win every game ne
pitched.
1t was mighty nice of the pub
lie to feel that way and from
what I've heard ] amagine the
majority Of fans, anxious for new
champions, were pulling for Wash
ingtOm But honestly. that load
on my mind came nearer to beat.
ing me than all the Giants COM
bined.
And / couldn't help but think OF
other baseball stars who had been
up against the same situation. Ed
\ IT, III IT, T~I@E PTNasfs
and Old Hans Wagner were always
expected to bat 1000. Mattewson,
Bender and Plank must win every
game they pitched. Home-run Baker
and Babe Ruth must clear the bases
every time they faced a pitcher.
Ruth's case in 1921 appealed to me
in particular. It was his first world
series as Yankee against the
Giants. In the SEASON just closed
ne had reached the height OF his
batting glory with fifty nine home
runs. Fans all over the country
expected him to murder Giant pitch
ing, and to everybody's astonlsn-
ment he was dismal failure.
know for fact, Babes arm was 80
full OF pus and poison. amputatlon
| was nearly necessary after the Sc
ries. But the only poison that
SIlOWS OppOSltS IbOLII ~
record books is a batting average
of .118.
Like the great Yankee slugger, l
had just closed a fine year in 1874
| My name was at the top OF the
official pitching averages In the
American League and / was given
far more credit than / deserved for
| helping Washington win its tirst
pennant. The fans expected as
much of me as they did OF Bape
Ruth, after his fifty-nine home runs
| perhaps more, because l hao
| waited a lifetime for the chance
| In fact, I was not only. supposei 20
win on pitching skill and experience
but on sentiment as well.
OF course, must say. few play.
| ers in all the history of btseDall
have been treated as beautifully as
| this here lucky pitcher. Even when
have lost, somehow, they seemed
to stick even closer, and that was
never more noticeable than in the
series last October. Other PLAYERS
haven been So. fortunate. On