Evening star., 1960-07-01
WIN, LOSE OR
INAV By FRANCIS sTANN
The Big Train and the Midoet
By FRANCIS sTANN

IN ONE OF THE NEWEST sports books titled Base
balls Unforgettable Games" pair of Associated Press
sports writer's, Joe Recher and Ben Oan undertake to
choose the 100 most famous games history Let's lust
say they fingered most of the true classics like Babe
Ruth calling his shot in the World Series Don Larsens
perfect game and Heinie Zimmerman chasing Eddie
Collins the plate in the 1917 Series Bill Weeks
midget in ST. Louis doesn't belong
They ran brief account of the mid-August day in
1851 when Veeck running the Browns sent up 3-oot7
midget named Eddie Gaedel pinch-hitter who wore
uniform bearing No. 1s the back Having virtually
no strike zone Gaedel drew walk and Veeck drew the
censure Of Will Harridge American League president
Harridge disapproved the mdgets contract barred all
midgets contrary to the best interests of the game
and ordered Weeks little stricken from the official
box score.
Weeks midget put between the covers of the
opus for Ronald Press but they left out the
only no-ht no-run pitched by Walter Johnson
considered by many perhaps the greatest pitcher who
ever lived 1t happened just years ago today in Boston
Johnson who pitch straight scoreless innings hur
lib lifetime shutoutS win 16 games in row. strike out
350S capture Ala victories complete 531 games was
80 years old and had sore
HE WAS IN HIS 14th year with the Senators on July
1920 in which the swftes all pitchers won only
eight games as compared to such records 1912 in
1912 and 367 in 1918 Walter had sore arm most of the
but unfortunately for the Red Sox not on this
day
The circumstances surrounding Johnson's only no
hitter in 531 complete games were compounded by the
fact that he arrived Boston scarcely an hour before
the game. He detained in Washington by the illness
of his Walter who celebrating his fifth BIRTH
day that day. Soicay Walter famed the Red Sox
permitted only five pitches to be hit of the ined
and won, To-
The only Boston hitter reach base was Harry Hooper
who was safe with two out in the seventh inning on
fagrant by Second Baseman Bucky Harris who
aoned for his boot by driving in games only run In
the ninth inning, after Johnson had famed two pinch
hterS, Hooper almost got base again. this time with
hit He slashed vicious drive down the base line
hut TIIJna
than moormans glove The ball stuck in the pocket and
Johnson, covering first base made handed catch
of Judges throw to beat Hooper.
AND YET THE OMISSION of Johnsons feat an wears
ago could be interpreted the highest of compliments
that could have been paid by co-Authors Reicher and
Olan. What nohiter by Johnson compared to his
three Shutouts in four days. his Sc consecutive scoreesS
innings the greatest nine opening game victories
he won, all except two shutouts?
He was SO on opening day, April 49, 1926 when he
hooked up with Ed Rommel of the Athletics duel that
lasted until the 18th inning when successive hits by Bucky
Harris, Goose GoSln and Joe Moon Harris won it for
Walter, 10.
Johnsons string Sc scoreless innings came between
April 10 and May IA in 1913 missed his usual opening
shutout in the first inning against the Yankees who
scored an unearned but were beaten 2-1 Starting
with those last eight ScoreeSs frames johnson blanked
the Yankees on four hits relieved awleSsy against the
AS, started and finished two-hter against the same
club, banked the Sox twice in relief threw two
hitter against the White Sox
On May IA in ST. Louis he needed one more scoreless
inning to beat Jack Coombs record SO in row. He got
three more.
WHEN WALTER WAS ALIVE he always rated as his
top effort his feat of pitching three consecutive games
played by his club and winning them all by hutouts And
the New York Hghanders, now the Yankees were the
victims.
Johnson was 20 and in his second year in the majors
Joe Cantlon was manager The scene: New York,s old
dilapidated wooden park
On September johnson beat the Highlanders 40
on six hits The next afternoon, Saturday, Cantion
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, Page C-s