Evening star., 1946-12-11

University Hospital, was pest KIl
game ever produced.
But he was more than that
Despite . degree Of adulation
earned by few In any walk Of
life, he was an utterly unspoiled
individual, q simple, direct soul
whose depth Of character was
best exemplified as husband and
father and whose monument k a
career that for modesty and mod
Grafton stands as model for the
youth Of the Nation.
From farm chores in Humboldt
County. Kans., where he was born
November 6, 1887, Barney" or the
big Train" as he was adectionately
called, advanced through his prowess
In throwing q baseball to national
prominence, q niche in baseball's
Hall Of Fame at Cooperstown, N. Y,
and more records than any hurler
in history In the course OF q sea-
sons with the Washington club.
To q stout heart and an un-
equaled measure Of natural speed
In fiinging he added q degree of
self developed accuracy that ac-
counts for more than two dozen
entries In the record book, as II
stands today.
Won 4l4 Games.
What to Johnson probably was
one Of the most gratifying full
game stints he ever recorded was
his attainment Of that most cher
ished goal Of every tosser, the no
hitter he fashioned against o former
teammate, Southpaw Harry Harper
Of the Red Sox, In Boston on July
!, 1920.
But far more impressive to stu
dents Of the pastime were his record
totals Of 414 games won, 113 shut
outs, 3,407 strikeouts and 56 conse-
cutive shutout innings.
Prize oddity Of his career un-
doutedly was the tanning Of four
men in one inning when he whipped
over three straight strikes after the
third strikeout victim had reached
base when the catcher dropped the
ball.
And his most notable "iron man"
exhibition unquestionably was his
banking Of New York,s Yankees
on three consecutive playing days,
back In the era when the no-Sun-
day-games rule gave him respite Of
one day In the process.
Contract ON Wrapping Paper.
Johnson's family moved to Fuller
ton, Calf, when he was II, and It
vas with the high school team Of
that town that he played his first
baseball game. He entered the pro
ranks In 1906 with Tacoma Of the
old Northwest League and later
Joined . semipro outfit at Weiser,
Idaho. It was there that he was
found by Clin, Blankenship, q tenn
porarily disabled Washington CATCH
ar who had been dispatched In
search Of him BY Joe Cantillon. The
then manager Of the Nationals had
been bombarded by friends with
glowing tales Of the gawky young
ster,s speed.
+ johnson refused to consider going
to Washington until he was assured
Of . ticket home, and only then
did he sign one Of the most famous
contracts In baseball q piece of
brown paper In which some meat
had been wrapped.
His big league debut was at the
local park on August 2. 1907, when
he was bunted into q 80 defeat by
Ty Cobb and his cagey collection Of
Detroit Tigers, who were unable to
hit his fast ball.
Fewer than TOO paid to see that
game, but q testimonial IS years
later was attended by thousands OF
fans who claimed they had wit
messed his debut.
johnson lost little time In start
ing to compile his unprecedented
collection OF mound marks, but 1t
was not until Clark Grifnth took
charge Of the Nationals in 1912 that
Walter really swung into high and
1t was under Griff's direction in the
final is years of his career that
Barney performed the most pro-
digious of his featS.
According to Grifnth it is con-
jectural whether johnson ever fully
realized his monumental stature in
baseball, but II he did 1t was not re-
nected In his attitude on or OF the
playing field.
When johnson Showed Grifi.
IT remember one year when We
trained at Charlottesville" Grifllth
recalled, when Walter showed the
real stuff he was made Of. He and
Germany Schaefer wanted to go
fox-hunting, but put my foot down
and said no. He was our biggest
asset and If he fell of q horse and
hurt himself we would have been in
q terrible fix."
"But the folks down that way put
q lot Of pressure on him and he
wanted to 60 badly, so he and
Schaefer slipped off and went. I
was waiting for them at the fra
ternity house when they came in
that night. I'll see you boys in
the morning I told them.
we uaQ B SOTt Oh cOuIt WleIe
the rest Of the players tried those
who broke training rules, so we
called q meeting the next morning
and while johnson and Schae1er
waited outside explained the cir
cumstances to the rest of the team.
Now, don't forget, johnson was the
biggest star In baseball at the time
and could have told us where to
get of II he didn't like It.
"But we went through the mo-
tions Of trial and the jury decided
the two Of them would have to shag
flies all day-just the two Of them,
mind you. And we had two sessions
lasting about two hours. Well, zeh
Milan was knocking the ball to them
and he'd hit one over third base
and the next over first. He ran 'em
ragged and when lunchtime came
their tongues were hanging out.
They were so tired they just called
to US to bring them something To-
eat.
1--WE brought 'em q sandwich and