Evening star., 1946-12-11

: 81 AR, washington, D. G.
I, DECEMBER u. iS46.
/ Johnson
| Continued From Page CID
part Of that game as the Presiden
| Of the United States"
| When he lost the fifth game ol
the 1924 series at New York johnson
cried like q baby. His whole being
| was set on winning and he told Grit
he would give everything he owned
to win.
\ ''The Heart Of Lion"
i HE had the heart Of lion" the
club president said, and know
when Bucky Harris sent him In as .
relief pitcher in the last game Of
that series We were going to get
everything he had. I don't know
who was happier when he won it.
I or he"
/ johnson was one OF the highest
paid baseball players of his day, ac-
cording to Grifnth, who boosted the
big right-hander'S salary from $500
to $l2.500 Immediately after taking
over the helm in 1912.
I'VE paid him $4,000 for five
years starting In 19l6-an unheard-
Of figure In those days-and before
he retired he was making $4,000 .
season."
It was not money but misunder-
standing with an ofacial OF the club
that almost sent johnson to the
Federal League during the hectic
years Of the first baseball war. Grid
and johnson had agreed on terms
for a 5-year contract but the club
omcial who was supposed to meet
him in Philadelphia for the signing
of the papers at the close OF the sea-
son was unable to make the trip and
Johnson departed for his Kansas
home.
Later, without Grifnth's knowl-
edge, johnson received letter from
the club stating that the proposed
hike in salary was out Of the ques-
ton. It was not couched in exactly
diplomatic terms and Frank Chance,
who was signing players for the out
law league, prevailed on johnson
to 60 with them.
1--WE had a board of eight or nine
men running the club In those days"
Grill recalled, "and when / heard
what had happened we had a meet
ing to discuss the situation. They
hemmed and hawed for q while,
then said, We'll. I'm going to KAN
sas to bring Walter johnson back,
how high will you go7' But 1t
seemed they wouldn't 60 anywhere.
they couldn't agree what to do. I
knew we had to have johnson be-
cause he was the biggest asset in
baseball.
II got to Chicago and looked up
Charley Comiskey, who was Just re-
building his White Sox after a Fed
eral League raid. How would you
like to have Walter johnson pitch
ing for another team on the other
side Of town. I asked him. He saw
what ] meant and agreed to put up
$10, 900 to repay the bonus the Fed
erals had given Walter and I went
on to Kansas and persuaded him to
come back.
johnson always was loyal to
Washington. It wasn't question of
money exactly, more Of a misunder-
standing about the letter, and the |
part Of the job was con-
vincing him he could tear up the
Federal contract"
Launched ~ Pilot BY Griff.
The great pitcher had no man
agerial aspirations when he walked
on the field as player here in 1927
for the last time, Grit related, but
Paul Block made him such an at
tractive offer to manage the Newark
international League club in 1928
that he couldn't afford to refuse 1t.
Grih told him to take 1t and q year
later when Grit signed him for a
4-year tenure - Washington's man
ager to succeed Stanley Bucky)
Harris, he did 1t because he thought
Walter would make q successful pilot
and had . place in Washington's
scheme Of things. Johnson's expe-
riences In this role undoubtedly were
the unhappiest Of his entire career.
He was too easygoing for q job that
demands q sharp tongue and hard
heart.
This was further exemplified when
he became pilot Of the Cleveland
Indians In 1888, q job which he re-
linquished in 1885 following q losing
streak and q barrage Of criticism by
Cleveland sports writer's.
It was on February "a Of the fol-
lowing year that johnson once again
made national headlines when hel
agreed to try to duplicate George
Washington's legendary feat Of
throwing q silver dollar across the
Rappahannock River. He succeeded
~, 1,3e soro,,d otfannf and said