The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-08-02
johnson to Give Up Steady Pitching
Fans Honor Him TO-DAY at Washinqton
Big Player Decides He Can No
Longer BE Counted On to
Pitch Turn In and Turn Out;
Will Twirl Once in a While

Washington, Aug. 2.-tP-Waltel
Johnson never expects to take his
regular turn in the pitchers box
again.
After 20 years of campaigning, the
player has decided that he no longc,
can be counted upon to pitch turn in
and turn out, but is satisfied that
he still has number of winning
games left in his right arm, which
had hurled more baseball past bat
tiers than any other the game has
ever known.
~ can't 70 out there and throw
that ball over like / used TO-" John
son told an Associated Press CORE
spondcnt. "But with proper care and
rest l think l can go in and win a
game now and then"
Leaning forward across the front
rail Of deserted grandsland at
Griffith Stadium, Walter fixed his
gaze on the broad field where he
had scored so many Of his triumphs.
Injury Hurt Him
"You know" he said after Il pause,
"thc injury l received this year hurt
me a whole lot. 1t would not have
made so much difference with a
young fellow, but ! am getting along
and it took something cut of me-"
Walter is undecided how long he
will continue in the big show, but his
mind is made up definitely that he
will not give up baseball any time
soon.
"l'll probably be like the rest of
them" he said with a smile. Base
ball is hard to get away from. I
probably won't try to pitch much
more, but the chances are that I'll
be connected with a ball club as long
as ] am able to put on a uniform"
''Arc you still interested in buying
into a minor league club as you were
Il few years ago."
May Buy Minor Club
81 did want to buy a minor league
club and may when the time comes
for me to retire from the American
League"
Johnson labored II years for the
Washington club before he got his
big thrill. That came in the 1924
world series when, after losing two
games to the New York Giants, he
was called upon in Il relief role and
pitched his team to a worlds cham
pionship.
His greatest disappointment came
a year later on a rainsoaked field in
Pittsburgh when the Pirates ham,
mered out victory against him in
the seventh game to become the base
ball champions of the year.
Had Marberry's arm been good
that final game would have been diff
ferent," Walter said. Il went into
the game without enough resin
the last few years pitching takes
more out of me than it did.
II can tell you ! felt pretty badly
that l could not come through for
Harris and the rest of the fellows"
''Home Run Baker and ''Shopless
joe Jackson were the batters who
gave Johnson the greatest trouble
over the first dccade Of his big
league career
C0hs Was Great Hitter
During the first, few years." he
said, "Cobb was great hitter and
ball player, bat he didn't bother me
as much as Baker and Jackson.
Later on, after lost little of the
hop on my fast one Cobb started to
make up lost ground. Now Ruth and
fellows like him hit me hard as they
are fast ball hitters. Ruth likes my
style of pitching"
Walter accounts Hal Chase one Of
the smartest batters he ever faced,
although he never regarded Chase as
a great hitter.
"You know, he was good at placing
them on the hit and rum" he said.
But of the smart ball players, Eddie
Collins and Ty Cobb were among the
best. They always were wide awake
and were in there always scizing the
smallest advantage. That is why
they are the great ball players that
they are
Baseball Today Not So Smart
johnson is convinced that the base
ball of today is not nearly as smartly
played as it was some years ago and
he attributes that to the lively ball.
There are lot of great bali play
crs still in the game" Walter said,
"but with the lively ball it is not
to apply the smartncss
used in years past. Nowadays, teams
seem to be satisfied to lay back and
wait for the big rally which all fig
ure will come some time during a.
game"
The big player then gave his own
opinion that the lively ball had not
done baseball much good. "The live
~ ball takes real baseball out Of
BASEBALL" he declared.