Evening star., 1937-04-26
eer$ Start Beats Jonsons Seek Wins the 'ard Wav'
BOB WELL IN VAN
AS WH|FF ARTIST

Gets Jump on Big Train, but
Holding 1t Is "a Matter
Far Different.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.
n YEW YORK, April 2s.-How
n would you compare the early
careers Of Walter johnson
A and Bob Feller, the greatest
smoke-ball operators that ever broke
into the big tent, Johnson at the bud
ding age of 1871 and Feller at approx
mately IT?
Walter johnson was born early in
November, 1887, at Humboldt, Kans.
He came to Washington in 1907 at the
age Of 1872, bringing along the great
est speed base ball ever has known.
At this age he was feet /, weighed
1s5 pounds, with all the experience
you can get from semi-pro job at
Weiser, Idaho-no records offered.
Bob Feller was born at Van Meter,
Iowa, early in November, 1918. so
today he is 1872 years DID, He stands
8 feet and weighs 1875 pounds.
Both came from farms where you
can't find even soft living" in die
tionary. Both came into base ball as
two rugged young fellows all stocked
up with health.
First Years.
IN HIS first year with Washington,
1907, johnson worked in IA games.
He won five and lost nine with a tall
end chaSer. In ll2 innings he struck
out "a hstsmen.
In his first year with Cleveland.
Feller also worked In IA games He
won ant dropped g. But in 81
innings he famed, whitfield or struck
out 76 men.
80 Feller's strikeout ball at 17la
plus was more effective than Johnson's s
Whit ball when he was nearly two
years further along.
Feller had far better strikeout
start than old Barney knew for at
least two years. Feller had the better
start-even giving away nearly two
years. And that's something to give
away only short while after you've
stepped into your first pair Of long
trousers, and are two years away from
your first razor.
Fellers start was much more sensa-
tional than Walter Johnson's big
league beginning. His Spring train
ing record and his opening salute at
the Polo Grounds against Carl Hub
bell-no part OF bum-was something
base ball never had known before.
And you can 60 back to the days of
the veteran Mr.. Wright OF Boston,
who played with the Reds OF 80
through An mbeaten year. And that
was es years ago. Which isn't
yesterday.
Looking HsEe and Back.
ROB FMLER has the jump On
Walter Johnson, but holding the
jump on Walter johnson Is another
matter.
I recall the johnson I first sav-a
johnson with a free, easy motion
the greatest pitching motion ever
saw in base ball.
And I can move On back to Denton
Tecumseh Young, better known a.
Cy-to Rube Waddell as Detroit
rookie under Frank Gravee-to Matty,
Walsh, Alexander and . few more.
The two best pitching motions I
ever saw belonged to Walter johnson
and Bugs Raymond. John McGraw
gave Raymond the call But even
the famous Bugs lacked something Of
Johnson's smoothness.
Here was the finest pitching motion
OF all time-a full, free, swinging CO.
ordination OF arm and body, OF hand
and wrist.
johnson came to his first peak In
1910 when, with weak-hitting, low
scoring set Of mates, he won rs
games, lost IT, and struck out 3lS
men. No Dazzy Vance or Dizzy Dean
has come even close to that count.
From 1910 on to 1917, johnson
struck out more than 200 batsmen
every year, passing the 300 mark
twice. He had pretty fair curve
u.
He was the only pitcher I ever knew
who drove many Of his opponents to
faxed claims of illness of one brand
or another on the days he worked.
In his career he struck out nearly
$500 opponents and led them all tn
shutouts.
In 1918 Johnson won s6 games
with oYly a fair hall rluh
Back to Bob Feller.
ROB TELLER has more speed than
any pitcher I've seen since John
son and this doesn't bar Dazzy
Vance, Bob Grove or Van Lingle
Mungo. He has at least as good 4
curve ball as johnson had in his early
years-but no fast curve to match
Waddells or Vsnce's.
He has = free, but q hard work
pitching motion, which takes a GER
tain amount Of toll in excess effort.
No one can question his gameness
under flre-hs coolness, his lack of
tension in pinch. He has plenty
In the way Of arm, heart and head.
I sat with former Police Commits
sioner Ed Mulrooney and saw him
strike out three Giants in three Diff
Terent innings with the tying run
on third. Mulrooney, who knows hi,
base ball from 40 years back, merely
said, that's all anybody can ask"
The one question concerns his
ability to keep pouring that fire ball
through, year after wear. as johnson