New Britain herald., 1927-08-02
JOHNSON STILL
 HAS WINS IN ARM
Big Train" Won't Take Regu.
 lar Turn in Box Again

| lOlStI Cdll Ut NoulltCu hPoll 'o Pi'N'i turn in and turn out, but Is satis- fled that he still has a number of l winning games left in his right arm. which has hurled. more baseballs past batters than any other pitcher i the game has ever known. "I can't go out there and throw that ball over like l used to-" John son told an Associated Press corres- pondent. But with proper care and rest I think I think I can go in and win a game now and then" Leaning forward across the front rail of a desterted grand stand at Griffith Stadium, Walter fixed his gaze on the broad field where he had scored so many of his tri- umphs.
 You know" he said after a pause" the injury I received this year hurt me a whole lot. It would not have made so much difference with a young fellow. but I am get ting along and 1t took something out 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.
 "I'll probably be like the rest of them" he said with a smile. Ease ball is hard to get away from. l probably won't try to pitch much more but the chances are that I'll be connected with ball club as long as I am able to put on uni form"
 Are you still interested in buy ing into a minor league club as you were few years ago."
 T did want to buy minor league club and I may when the time comes for me to retire from the American league"
 His Big Thrill
 Johnson labored r 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 relief role and pitched his team to worlds championship. His greatest disap- pointment came year later on rain soaked field in Pittsburgh when the Pirates hammered out victory against him in the seventh game to become the baseball champions of the year.
 Had Marberry's arm been good that final game would have been different, Walter said. "I went into the game without enough rest-ln the last few years pitching takes ] more out of me than it did. I real ized had a tough job ahead and l wanted to make good so badly. be- cause our pitching staff was in bad way. Then, too, Harris placed confidence in me and naturally ] wanted to come through on that ac- count. I felt pretty badly that l could not come through for him and the rest of the fellows"
 Home Run' Baker and "Shoe- less Joe' Jackson were the hatters who gave Johnson the greatest trouble over the first decade of his big league career.
 During my first few years" he said, Cobb was a great hitter and ball player, but he didn't bother me as much as Baker and Jackson. ] "I.ater on, after l lost little Of the hop on my fast one. Cobb start ed 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.'
 Chase Smart Player
 Walter accounts Hal Chase one of l the smartest batters he ever faced, although he never regarded Chase as a great hitter.
 You know, he was good at plac- ing them on the hit and run," he said. But of the smart ballplayers, Eddie Collins and Ty Cobb were among the best. They always were wide awake and were in there al ways seizing the smallest advantage. That is why they are the great ball players that they are.' | Johnson is convinced that base | ball today is not nearly as smartly played as it was some years ago and he attributes that to the lively ball.
 There are a lot Of great ball players still in the game,' Walter said, but with the lively ball 1t IS not necessary to apply the smart ness used in years past. Nowadays, teams seem to be satisfied to lay back and wait for the big rally which all figure will come some time during a game"
 The Big Train" then gave his own opinion that the lively ball had not done baseball much good The lively ball takes real baseball out of baseball" he declared. "The people wanted more hitting and the lively ball was the result. Then, too, pitchers were handicapped more and more with freak deliveries, dlscolor- ation of the ball and the like banned.
 "I think they have gone too far in the way of favorlng the batters as against the pitchers and there is no doubt in my mind but that finally a happy medium will be found"
 How does it feel to be knocked out Of the boX?' Johnson was asked.
 "A pitcher never likes to be knocked out of the box" was the instant reply. But the way l feel is that somebody has to lose, and, right there l might say that the first thing a successful ballplAyer has to do is to be prepared to take bis bad l days and come back.
 If player lets his bad days get the best of him he will not have many good days, To my mind this is an explanation of why so many men who show great promise in the big