Evening star., 1955-03-23

my idol. read everything could lay my hands about
Walter II probably knew his lifetime record better than
johnson himself
SUDDENLY l HEARD Mister McGraw yel 'Ott get a
bat Our pitcher was coming and was 10 pinch hit
got excited couldn't find bat kept scrounging
and thinking I'm going to bat against Walter Johnson
"Just then Washington retired the sde double play
remember and that ended Johnsons pitching chores for
the day. When bat in the next inning Curly Ogden
think, pitching for the Senators.
mo got to bat against Walter That his last
full In the spring of 27 Joe Judge broke his leg
with line drive in batting practice and the of the
season he retired So, missed my greatest thrill"
All OF which amounts to neat compliment for the late
Johnson for OFT destined in the to follow face
the greatest pitchers both leagues to break up many
championship game and than World Series game
Certainly he was one of the greatest of all the Giants
OFT IS DOWN in these parts member of Mutuas
baseball broadcasting team Whereas the job filled in
previous springs the amboyant Dizzy Dean held
by OFT. And sharper contrast cannot be imagined
Mes only concession to his 46 years is pair of horn
trimmed glasses occasionally Otherwise
capable of playing today cooking that right leg at the plate
and driving ball for distances all out of proportion
small size.
He batted eft-handed, but southpaw pitching never
bothered him. Washington fans who hark back to 1888
may remember That the the Senators and Giants
in the World Series which opened New York.
OFT who responsible for getting Washington off
the wrong foot a prelude to fve-game disaster
For seven years OFT had been Giant under McCraw,
and this was his first in the big series McGraw
longer managed the Giants Bill Terry having
him tbs year before.
.
WALTER STEWART, left-hander, opened the series
for the Senators and with two
the first inning OFT hit far would been
Meany put it, "a home in any park in America
including Yellowstone"
That gave the Giants 20 lead. Before the day
OFT added three singles and drove home another
The final AZ OFT grzzled veteran of "a that
October After the SERIES he went home to Gretna La and
earned his high school diploma
Just before Pearl Harbor OFT named manager of the
Giants quiet change from McGraw and Terry, his prede
They tough whp-cracking pai-partcuarly
McGraw. Not OFT, whose Giants mostly 4-Fs with
several of the better players jumping to the Mexican League
OFT McGraws boy and Terry his friend although Mel
laughngy reniscd that he of the two players the
exacting Terry fined during decade of managing.
WHEN TERRY WAS HERE few days ago." somebody
sad Bill himself told that he fined anybody except
you and that he recnded it. You broke game the
day, something"
LAS I remember" Mel amended lit was this way We
went into slump during Western trip in 33 1t didn't
look like we'd win the Chicago Vergez
and went out one night Johnny had friends who
lived in the suburbs and got stuck.
"Vergez and tried half dozen times phone Terry
or Willie Schaefer our trainer We couldn't reach them and
1t about when got back to the hotel
schaefer asleep in the lobby We shook him said
Go on to bed, Willie. We're back
"Next day Terry called ~us down and asked, Was that
late night worth $50? We guessed and Bill
slapped on the fines.
"A day later moved to st. Louis for big
and Vergez not me- got us off the hook He hit home
and two doubles and drove all the Later
shower, Terry walked up with grin his
said, Fellows, forget those fines
THAT was the closest he to ining anybody
He knew how to handle players without fines"