The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-01-22
Reds Wander Nicer
Has Known Baseball
Ups And Downs
Asked to Go to Minor
League After Flop in 80;
Regained Control

the Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Wander
meer Is more than a great south
pay pitcher He Is character who
has earned the respect of all of his
associates because he has taken In
stride spectacular success, dismal
failure, and an amazing comeback.
Through 1t all he retained the same
attitude he had when he was a
rookie breaking in.
1t takes a great man to be a
graceful success, 1t takes a greater
man TO assume the right attitude
when this success is followed by a
flop, and 1t takes the right kind of
stomach to bounce back after all
OF this to stage a comeback.
Today Johnny VanderMeer Is con-
sidered as potentially one of the
greatest pitchers of all time. He has
more sheer stuff than any man in
the game today, as evidenced by his
leading the National League in the
number of strikeouts last year, and
his feat Of even topping Bob Fellei
LII the average number Of strikeouts
per inning pitched. Teller famed
more men, but hurled more innings
and his percentage wasn't as high as
Vandy,s.
Sixteen games were won by the
portsider In 194l. one more than he
registered during 1898, the year in
which he produced the greatest
pitching feat of modern baseball by
scoring two successive no hit vic
tories. This unprecedented achieve
ment hurtled him to the top of the
baseball heap and he was the talk
OF the country. Everybody was his
friend. His name was wanted for
endorsement. He was pointed out
wherever he went. Offers of all sorts
flooded him. Instead of becoming
mercenary nickel grabber, he kept
his head. One of his first decisions
was that he would not endorse any
product not in keeping with the
standard of a clean living boy. He
turned down several lucrative offers
for night club engagements. He
went through that success Clearly
and finely.
Asked For Minors
His flop started the following year
when he won only five and lost nine
games. He was of to a bad start in
1910, and, as result, saw little ac-
ton. That's when he made the
greatest decision OF his career. The
No. man of baseball two years be-
fore told Manager Bill McKechnie
and General Manager Warren Giles
that he would like to go to the
minor leagues to help him regain his
control and confidence. He wasn't
too proud for that. He didn't want
to stay in the major If 1t wasn't the
best thing. And so he went to IN
dianopolis, where he accomplished
the very thing he went there to do,
return to the right track. He won
six and lost four for the second di-
vision Indians, had an earned run
average of 2.40 per nine innings,
and struck out 100 men in los In
nings. He was ripe for his return,
and he proved 1t by winning three
and losing one for the Reds during
the last month of the 1910 season.
Last year, it was obvious in the
spring that Johnny was moving In
the right direction. McKechnie saw
1t and made him one OF his starting
pitchers. Johnny justified this con-
fldence by winning 16 games while
losing 10, leading the league in
strikeouts, 202, finishing fifth in the
earned run ratings, and second in
the opponents batting average rat
ings. He hurled a one-hit game, q
two-hit game, two three-hit games,
and six shutouts. His tWo-hit VIC
tory over the Cardinals September
n. in which he famed IA men,
went down In Bill McKechnie's book
as the greatest performance OF his
career, and this includes his two no
hitters. He was better pitcher last
year than in 1888, because he had
more poise and, while not as spec
tacular, was much more of a pol
shed performer.
Walters Boosts Him
Johnny, who is now q years OF |
age, is at about the same point In
lis career that Lefty Grove was
when he started TO perform his
,reat feats. Both had to curb their
,arly wildness. Both relied on over
covering the batter with tremend-
,us stuff. Grove didn't reach his
peak until he became a pitcher in
stead of throWer. vanderMeer is
lust becoming pitcher. And, that's
Why last fall Bucky Walters, who is
40 mean sahkes as a pitcher him
self, said that he looks for Wander
Nicer to develop into Is or 80 game
winner In the next few years. If |
Bucky's prediction ever material
yes, you can wager your last dollar
that Johnny will be as humble about |
It all as he was through his other