The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-01

-THEY PLAYED THE GAME j.. . NO. -
Walsh Pitched Arm Off For SOx;
He Was Greatest OF SpitballerS
Twenty-fourth of a series
NEA Sports Editor
BY HARRY GRAYSON

Edward A. Walsh had nothing
out fast ball when he climbed out
Of a Pennsylvania coal mine to at
tract attention on the sandlots. Big
Eds curve wasn't good enough.
1t was for this reason that
Charley Somers Of Cleveland and
other major league owners were not
interested in Big Moose Walsh after
he had kicked around in the minors
for couple of years. The White
Sox drafted him from Newark OF
Eastern League for $3.50.
Young Walsh knew nothing OF
the spltball that was to make him
feared and famous when he re-
ported to Jimmy Callahan at Mar
lin Springs, Tex, in the spring OF
1904.
He obtained the biggest break in
his baseball life when he drew
Elmer Stricklett as a roommate
Stricklett had been monkeying with
the splitter for two seasons. He had
picked it up on the Pacific coast
from George Hildebrand, who was
to come up as an American League
umpire and who, strangely enough,
was an outfelder.
Noticing Walsh's effectiveness
with only speed and an unpro-
nounced curve. Stricklett decided to
experiment with the recruit.
Because Callahan and Fielder
Jones had the hurting giants, Doc
White, Nick Altrock, Frank Smith
and Frank Owens, Walsh, the Iron
Man, got In no more than 20 games
in his first two campaigns winning
Ia.
SET FUNGO HITTING RECORD
But when Walsh helped pitch the
Htless wonders to the pennant and
world championship In 1906, no
pitcher could break Off splitter
quite like he did He was the daddy
OF the saliva singers.
Walsh stood SIX feet one, weighed
1876 pounds and was as handsome as
he was we'll built
He threw straight overland, had
a lot of poise, flelded well. He was
a formidable right-hand hitter.
He listed among his many ac-
complishments a funeo hitting rec
ord OF 4l8 feet established In 1912
and which stood until 1929 when
Babe Ruth hit one 447 feet,
No right-hander had such clev-
or move TO first base, He picked Oft
many runner.
Four out of five Of Walsh'S pitches
we're spitters. He had amazing con-
troll, could break the splitter exactly
Whero he wanted to, usually around
the knees. 1t would break either IN
or out. That was the only thing he
could not call
Walsh had many thrill IN II
years with the SoX, but his biggest
was striking out Napoleon Lajoie
with the bases loaded, and two out
f. the ninth and the Sox leading,
3-2.
Billy Sullivan called for spit
ter" recalls Walsh, "but / knew
splitter was Just what Lajoie eX-
peCted. SO 7 crossed Billy by shoot
ing a fast ball right through the
middle waist high Jajoie was so
dumbfounded he didn't even take
the bat Off his shoulder,
"That didn't happen often-La-
joie being called out on strikes
Lajoie never got over striking out
with the bat on his shoulder and
losing tlrat pennant for Cleveland
That was the key game Of The IA
nous three-Way race OF 1908, and
gave Detroit the flag by half n game
WALSH STRIKEOUT KING
The pitching feats OF Walsh
would All n book, and the most eX-
citing chapter would be his narrow
ly missing hurting the White Sox
TO the pcnnant single-handed that
same year. Big Ed participated In CO
games, modern record. He won
49, lost IS. He pitched 464 innings
or SO completed games n trlle more
than one-third Of the total number
scheduled.
Walsh was the strikeout king OF
his time, III IN 1906 POT IN o. 260
IN '08, 1853 In 10, 255 IN II and 1854
An ~, his best years. He won II
games In 06, "a In 07 40 IN '08, IS
In 90, 10 In 10, q In II and n Ike
number In ~.
Big Ed literally pitched his arm
Oft for Charles A. Comiskcy, for, you
sec, he was not as effective In 90
as he was before and during hi&
herculean efforts Of '08, or IN the
following campaigns. OYerwork no
doubt shortened his career
In the AGA innings he pitched In
'08 he yielded crly 343 hits and
walked no more than So.
He was In seven games IN nine
DAYS In one stretch and wound 1t up
by beating the Red soX In both ends
Of double-headHr