The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-05-25
THEY PLAYED THE GAME . NO. "a
Walsh Pitched Arm off for Sox;
He Vas Greatest of Spitballers
TWenty-fourth of series
BY HARRY GRAYSON
NEA Sports Editor

! climbed out Of a Pennsylvania
coal mine TO attract attention on
the sandlots. Big Eds curve
asn't good enough.
1t was for this reason that
Charley Somers of Cleveland
and other major league owners
wee not interested in Big
Moose Walsh afte" he had kicked
around in the minors for cou-
pie of years. The White Sox
drafted him from Newark of
the Eastern League for $3.50.
Young Walsh knew nothing
of the spitball that was to make
him feared and famous when he
reported 10 Jimmy Callahan at
Marlin Springs, Tex, in the
spring of 1904.
He obtained the biggest break
in his aseball life when he
drew f mer 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 '2as to
come up as an American League
umpire and who, strangely
enough. was an outfielder.
Noticing Walshs effective
ness with only speed and an I'M
pronounced curve, Stricklett de-
cided to experiment with the
recruit
Because Callahan and Field
err Jones had the hurting giants,
Toe 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 Hitless Wonders to the pen
nant and world championship
in 1906. no pitcher could break
off a splitter q lite 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 lot Of poise. flelded well.
He was a formidable right
hand hitter.
He listed among his many ac
complishments fungo hitting
record of Alb feet established
in 1912 and which stood until
1929 when Babe Ruth hit one
447 feet.
No Highlander had such
c. 'ver move to first base. He
picked off many a runner.
Four out of five of Walsh's
pitches were spittors He had
amazin, control, could break
the splitter exactly where he
wanted to, usually around the
knees. It would break either in
or out. That was the only thing
he could not call.
Walsh had many a thrill in
IL years with the Sox, but his
biggest was striking out Napo-
leon Laioie with the bases load
ed, and two out in the ninth and
the Sox leading, 80.
Billy Sullivan called for a
splitter recalls Walsh, but |
knew a splitter was just what
Lajoie expected SO crossed
Billy by shooting a fast ball
right through the middle waist
high. Lajoie was so dumbfond-
cd he didn't even take the bat
off his shoulder
That didn't happen often -
Lajoie being ca ! I'd out on
strikes"
Lajoie never got over strik-
ing out with the bat on his
shoulder and losing that pen
nant for Cleveland. That was
the key game of the famous
three way race in 1908. and
gave Detroit the flag by half a
game.
WALSH STRIKEOUT KING
The pitching feats Of Walsh
would fill a book, and the most
exciting chapter would be his
narrowly missing hurting the
White Sox to the pennant sin
gle handed that same year. Big
Ed participated in Sc games. a
modern record. He won 40, lost
IS. He pitched 464 innings, or
So complete games, a trifle
more than one third Of the total
number scheduled.
Walsh was he strikeout king
Of his time, III in 1906. 207 in
OF 269 in '08, 258 in 10. 255
in II and 254 in ~. his best
years. He won II games in '06,
"a n OF, 40 in 08, IS in 90,
10 in 10. 81 il II and a like
number in 10.
Big Ed literally pitched his
arm off for Charles A. Comis-
kew. for. YOU see. he was not