Evening star., 1935-06-20
SPoRTSCopE.
Fans, Writer'S Vicious
Tactics May Cause
johnson to Quit.
BY FRANCIS Z. STAN

~LEvELAND, June 2o-Because
the best ball club in the
I American League" as they
~ call the Indians here. couldn't
stave of q Washington rally, the
wolves are howling at waiter johnson
again.
They are vicious howls, too. One
spectator, from an upper box. cupped
his hands as johnson and Bucky Har-
ris met at the plate after the first
game and yelled:
"why don't you put john
sons old Washington uniform
back on him, Bucky? He's play
ing for you, mot Cleveland"
This righteous burrougher was only
one of many who want Johnson's
scalp here as a result of perhaps the
most vicious editorial TRADE in the
history Of base ball. a campaign that
even reached the stage where street
car riders were handed petitions to
sign for Johnson's job.
IRON one Of base balls most popu-
- lar immortals to possibly the
most DETAINED man in the game is
Johnson's unenviable path. I asked
him how it felt to hear ieers instead
of cheers.
The Big Train mustered
weary grin. tits 80 unfair. It's
an awful feeling. But guess
can take it,
There seems to be note OF reSig-
nation behind his words, though. To
hear him, one feels that this will be
Barney's last year at Cleveland or
anywhere else in base ball-apd by
his own choice.
He isn't q great manager, this raw
boned man who heaved base balls as
fast as rife bullets in his day; who
hung up pitching records that may
never be duplicated. One suspects,
talking to him, that he would admit
it readily If asked for an opinion OF
his managerial ability. But here he
is being asked to do the impossible.
He Is blamed for everything-errors
that Bill Knickerbocker makes, hits
that Mel Harder allows, the pout on
Earl Averill's face, and even rain that
postpones games, it seems.
THE worst Of the TRADE against
johnson seemed ever when the
Nationals arrived yesterday. The In
dians had scored a clean sweep over
critics
hushed. But only temporarily.
Through q prank of fate the team
with which he won his glory and
gained his records betrayed him by
overcoming 5-to-0 and 8-to-4 leads
to win o ball game.
He was blamed for this by
booes when he walked to the
diamond to remove pitchers i'm
nm attempt TO check the Ma
ti0nals.
Walter was handed a team that the
campaigners painted as easily the best
in the American League. Potentially
it might be. Maybe the Indians yet
may win. But the team isn't q PEN
nant winner as 1t Is, not unless the
standard of champions has fallen.
johnson has three catchers. two of
whom are minor leaguers. Frank
Pytlak, the best of the trio, Is a sick
man and has left the club. Bill Bren-
Eel, . notoriously weak hitter from the
Coast League, and the veteran Eddie
Phillips, o Washington cast-oi, re-
main.
He has an untried rookie at
second base In B0Eie Berger,
who has yet to prove he can
hit big league pitching.
IF, AS experts claim, . team is only
L as strong as its catcher and key
stone combination, then Cleveland is
no pennant winner.
If the booes which roared down on
Johnson's ears yesterday are a cri-
terion of Cleveland fans. then they
must rate in the cellar Of intelligence
themselves.
And II Johnson's unspoken attitude
toward it all was properly construed.
then the Big Train viii be happier
ion his Maryland SaTz1 next year.