The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-07-18
PL AN GALA
DAY FOR
HlJRLER
D. c. PLUMBER AIDING DEMPSEY RIGHT

That Sunday victory over the
Chicago White Hose added impetus
to Washington's plan to honor its
a. well as the nations baseball idol
two weeks from tomorrow.
Subscriptions are pouring into the
committee for the goth anniversary
testimonial for Walter Johnson to
he held at the American League
Park on August 2. Prominent per.
&ons in every walk of life are con.
tributing to the memorial fund, Rob
ert v. Fleming. treasurer, announces.
Fans realize that Johnson is at
the ebb tide of his career and his
big league days are short. so they
want to pay final tribute to a
player who has given 20 years of
faithful toll to the Washington base
bali club.
Johnson. during his 90 years here,
has been a civic institution. He
has been as much of this city as
any public man or building. He
is idollzed by baseball enthusiasts
throughout the land and young
kids. seeing themselves as future
Johnsons. DOW at his shrine. He
has gained the highest honors that
his profession can offer and his
record is free of blemish.
Going back twenty years ago,
we find a raw-bOned STRIPPING
named Walter johnson, a youth
of 10, hurting his first ma iOr
league game on August 2, 1907,
against the Detroit Tigers.
Thomas S. Rice, now associated
with the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. and
a member of the Brooklyn Crime
Commission, extolled the youngster
in his article In The Times of Satur-
day, August 3, 1907, following John
sons first game. He wrote as
follows:
There are two topics of CONVEX
sation among Washington fans to-
day--the great showing made by
Walter johnson, the young phenom
from the Idaho State League, in
his first appearance with major
league team, and the sudden quit
ting of the Washington Club and
baseball forever by John Anderson.
the first baseman. Anderson is
gone, and johnson is coming, so we
will consider the youngster.
"Hs is the goods. Take 1t as
q straight tip, unless he shows
some weakness not apparent
yesterday in the first game
against Detroit, he is going to
be the find Of the American
League for the season of 1907
- ku.v4r srH
the league for years to come.
Last night, Wild BilP Donovan,
of Detroit, hustled down to the
Regent to look up Manager Can
tillon, and praised johnson. Wild
Bill Is something of a pitcher him
self, and nobody ever accused him
of not knowing his number. He
assured the Washington manager
that he had the best kid that has
come out of the bush leagues in his
recollection, and crafty suggested
that If Cantillon did not have the
time or money to spare developing
talent, he knew just where to place
johnson for a large, fat sum. He
was thanked, but told to forget it.
"Harken to Charley O'Leary, De-
troit shortstop. When I was 4-osey-
4nS dTOuHO USIOI0 LIlS SdL11c sd"
there was a new man in uniform
and began hoping Cantillon would
pitch him, for we need every game
we can get, and the importations
from the sage country are a big
help to teams running neck and
neck with champions and players
with ingrown batting averages.
When the Cubs name was an.
nounced, I took it as gift I ON
home.
'Say, after that fellow pitched
me q couple of balls, wished
he had missed the train. He
sent one so fast, l couldn't see
1t, and l thought it was going
to take mJ block off, so |
ducked and this foolish Sheri-
dan umpire person called it
strike. / took poke at the
next one for luck and popped to
Mil.
~"The next time up, l took a wild
swipe at the ball, and because l
am a good boy and don't swear.
luck was with me and I made a
clean single to center. He's the
greatest kid pitcher T ever saw in
my life, and he's going to get bet
ter all the time.
"CantiIlon was as enthusiastic as
O'Leary. Quoth he, II have been in
baseball nearly 80 years and began
drawing salary back in 1882, and in
all that period l never saw such a
promising young pitcher. He did
not come up by slow degrees in
small leagues, winding up with a
finishing course in "Class A"
leagues, where they play almost the
same ball as they do in the majors.
Nix! He came from horse and
buggy league in Idaho. where they
play every Sunday, if the weather's
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