Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887–December 10, 1946), nicknamed "
The Big Train," was a right-handed
pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is...
in
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
between 1907 and 1927. One of the most celebrated players in baseball history, Johnson established several pitching records, some of which remained unbroken for nearly a century.
Early life
Walter Johnson was the second of six children born to Frank and Minnie (Perry) Johnson on a rural farm four miles west of
HumboldtHumboldt is a city situated along the Neosho River in the southwest part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. The population was 1,999 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated to be in the year . Humboldt only has one traffic light.-History:Humboldt, named...
,
KansasKansas is a state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa tribe, who inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind," although this was...
. Although sometimes said to be of Swedish ancestry and referred to by sportwriters as the "The Big Swede", Johnson's ancestors came from the British Isles.
Soon after he reached his fourteenth birthday, his family moved to
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
's
Orange CountyOrange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,846,293, though a July 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,010,759, making it the second most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and...
in 1902. The Johnsons settled in the town of
OlindaBrea-Olinda is a small master planned community located in the city of Brea, California. Completed in approximately June 2005, this community houses only about 5,200 residents and is almost in size. The community is completely composed of development after the year of 2000...
, a small
oilPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
boomtown located just east of
BreaBrea is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population, as of the 2000 census, was 35,410, making it Orange County's 25th most populous city of 34....
. In his youth, the young Walter Johnson split his time between playing baseball, working in the nearby oil fields, and going
horseback ridingEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
. Johnson later attended
Fullerton High SchoolFullerton Union High School is a high school located in the Orange County, California city of Fullerton, United States. Its current principal is Cathy Gach.- History :In 1893 a special election was held to create Fullerton Union High School...
where he
struck outStrike Out, , North American Harness racing championStrike Out was born in 1969 at Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and is by Bret Hanover out of the mare Golden Miss....
27
battersIn baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...
during a 15-inning game against
Santa Ana High SchoolSanta Ana High School is the oldest and largest high school in Orange County, California, United States. The school was established in 1889. Julie Infante succeeded the retiring Dan Salcedo as Principal in 2008.-Athletics:...
. He later moved to Idaho where he doubled as a telephone company employee and a pitcher for a local
Weiser, IdahoWeiser is a city in the rural western part of the U.S. state of Idaho and the county seat of Washington County. With its mild climate, the city supports farm, orchard, and livestock endeavors in the vicinity. The city sits at the confluence of the Weiser River with the great Snake River, which...
-based baseball team in the
IdahoIdaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans." Idaho was admitted to the Union on 3 July 1890 as the 43rd state....
State League. Johnson was spotted by a talent scout and eventually signed a contract with the
Washington SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
on July 1907 at the age of nineteen.
Baseball career
Johnson won renown as the premier
power pitcherIn baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
of his era.
Ty CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by some historians and journalists as the best player of the dead-ball era, and is generally seen as one of the greatest players of all time.In 1936, Cobb received the most votes of any player on the...
recalled his first encounter with the rookie fastballer:
- "On August 2, 1907, I encountered the most threatening sight I ever saw in the ball field. He was a rookie, and we licked our lips as we warmed up for the first game of a doubleheader in Washington. Evidently, manager Pongo Joe Cantillon of the Nats had picked a rube out of the cornfields of the deepest bushes to pitch against us... He was a tall, shambling galoot of about twenty, with arms so long they hung far out of his sleeves, and with a sidearm delivery that looked unimpressive at first glance... One of the Tigers imitated a cow mooing, and we hollered at Cantillon: 'Get the pitchfork ready, Joe-- your hayseed's on his way back to the barn.'
- ...The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger. We couldn't touch him... every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park."
Yankees outfielder
Birdie CreeWilliam Franklin "Birdie" Cree was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He spent his entire 8 year career with the New York Highlanders, which would become the New York Yankees. Statistically, Cree's best comparison would be Homer Smoot.Born in Khedive, Pennsylvania, Cree was a small man at 5'6"...
said the only way to time Johnson's fastball was "when you see the arm start forward, swing."
Although a lack of precision instruments prevented accurate measurement of his
fastballThe fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–104 mph and up to 107.9 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, in 1917, a Bridgeport (Conn.) arms laboratory recorded Johnson's fastball at 134 feet per second, which is equal to . This speed is not unheard of today, but it was virtually unique in Johnson's day, with the possible exception of Smoky Joe Wood. Unusually, Johnson pitched with a sidearm motion, whereas power pitchers are normally associated with a straight-overhand delivery.
The overpowering fastball was the primary reason for Johnson's exceptional statistics, especially his fabled strikeout totals. Johnson's record total of 3,508 strikeouts stood for more than 55 years until
Nolan RyanLynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher and current president of the Texas Rangers....
,
Steve CarltonSteven Norman Carlton is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, from to . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in . He was affectionately known to Philadelphia fans as "Lefty". He played the greatest number of years for the Philadelphia Phillies, receiving his greatest...
, and
Gaylord PerryGaylord Jackson Perry is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991, Perry won 314 games over a 22-year career starting in ....
(in that order) all surpassed it in
1983-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies ; Rick Dempsey, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker*National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews...
. Johnson is now 9th on the all-time strikeout list, but his total must be understood in its proper context. Among his pre-
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
contemporaries, only two men were within a thousand strikeouts of Johnson: runner-up
Cy YoungDenton True "Cy" Young was an American baseball player who pitched for five different major league teams from 1890 to 1911....
with 2,803 (706 strikeouts behind) and
Tim KeefeTimothy John "Tim" Keefe was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was one of the most dominating pitchers of the 19th century and posted impressive statistics in one category or another for almost every season he pitched...
at 2,562.
Bob FellerRobert William Andrew "Bob" Feller , nicknamed the "Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob" and "Rapid Robert", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.-Early life:Feller was born and raised in the small town of Van Meter, Iowa, the...
, whose
warWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-shortened career began in
1936-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants *All-Star Game, July 7 at Braves Field: National League, 4-3-Awards and honors:* Most Valuable Player**American League: Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1B...
, later ended up with 2,581.
As a right-handed pitcher for the
Washington Nationals/SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
, Walter Johnson won 417 games,
the second most by any pitcher in historyThis is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball winningest pitchers. In the sport of baseball, a win is a statistic credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead...
(after
Cy YoungDenton True "Cy" Young was an American baseball player who pitched for five different major league teams from 1890 to 1911....
, who won 511). He and Young are the only pitchers to have won 400 games.
In a 21-year career, Johnson had twelve 20-win seasons, including ten in a row. Twice, he topped thirty wins (33 in
1912-Champions:*World Series: Boston Red Sox over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, OF** Larry Doyle, New York Giants, 2B-MLB Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:...
and 36 in
1913-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Jake Daubert, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
-MLB Statistical Leaders:...
). Johnson's record includes 110 shutouts, the most in baseball history. Johnson had a 38-26 record in games decided by a 1-0 score; both his win total and his losses in these games are major league records. On September 4, 5 and 7,
1908-Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-Events:*June 30 - Cy Young pitches the third, and final, no-hitter of his career as the Boston Red Sox defeat the New York Highlanders, 8-0....
, he shut out the
New York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division...
(then known as the New York Highlanders) in three consecutive games.
Three times, Johnson won the
triple crownIn baseball, the Triple Crown refers to:#A batter who leads the league in three major categories -- home runs, runs batted in, and batting average....
for pitchers (1913,
1918-MLB Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-April-June:*June 3 - Dutch Leonard tosses the second no-hitter of his career, leading the Boston Red Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers....
and
1924-Champions:*World Series: Washington Senators over New York Giants *First Negro League World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Hilldale -Awards and honors:*League Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Dazzy Vance, Brooklyn Dodgers, P...
). Johnson twice won the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
Most Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
Award (1913, 1924), a feat accomplished since by only two other pitchers,
Carl HubbellCarl Owen Hubbell was an American baseball player. He was a member of the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943.-Early years:...
in
1933-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Giants over Washington Senators *First All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 4-2-Other champions:*First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game, September 10 at Comiskey Park: West, 11-7...
and 1936 and
Hal NewhouserHarold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was a professional Major League Baseball pitcher of the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:...
in
1944-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over St. Louis Browns , in the "Streetcar Series"*All-Star Game, July 11 at Forbes Field: National League, 7-1-Other champions:...
and
1945-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game cancelled due to flight restrictions. However, inter-league games were played during the All-Star break.-Other champions:...
.
His
earned run averageIn baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. The ERA tells the average number of runs a pitcher would surrender over the course of a full game had he been kept in for the full nine innings...
of 1.14 in 1913 was the fourth lowest ever at the time he recorded it; it remains the sixth-lowest today, despite having been surpassed by
Bob GibsonPack Robert "Bob" Gibson is a former right-handed baseball pitcher, having played for the St. Louis Cardinals from to...
in 1968 (1.12) for lowest ERA ever by a 300+ inning pitcher. It could have been lower if not for one of manager
Clark Griffith'sClark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner....
traditions. For the last game of the season, Griffith often treated the fans to a farce game. Johnson actually played center field that game until he was brought in to pitch. He allowed two hits before he was taken out of the game. The next pitcher - who was actually a career catcher - allowed both runners to score. The official scorekeeper ignored the game, but later, Johnson was charged with those two runs, raising his ERA from 1.09 to 1.14.
In 1913, also, Johnson won 36 games. The entire team won 90, so Walter finished with 40% of the team's total wins for the season.
Although he usually pitched for losing teams during his career, Johnson finally led the
Washington Nationals/SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
to the
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
in 1924, his 18th year in the American League. Johnson lost the first and fifth game of the 1924 World Series, but became the hero by pitching four scoreless innings of relief in the seventh and deciding game, winning in the 12th inning. Washington returned to the World Series the following season, but Johnson's experience was close to the inverse: two early wins, followed by a Game Seven loss.
Although his Hall of Fame plaque reads that he pitched 'for many years with a losing team,' during his career the Senators finished in the first division 11 times, and the second division 10 times. In Johnson's first five seasons, Washington finished last twice and next-to-last three times. But they came close to winning the pennant in
1912-Champions:*World Series: Boston Red Sox over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Tris Speaker, Boston Red Sox, OF** Larry Doyle, New York Giants, 2B-MLB Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:...
as well as the following year, which were Johnson's two 30-win seasons. Then, for the next decade, they typically finished in the middle of the pack before their back-to-back pennants.
Johnson was a good hitter for a pitcher, compiling a career
batting averageBatting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
of .235, including a record .433 average in 1925. He also made 13 appearances in the
outfieldThe outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
during his career. He hit over .200 in 13 of his 21 seasons as a hitter, hit three home runs in 1914, and hit 12
doublesIn baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a
tripleIn baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 130 at bats in 1917. Johnson finished his career with 23 home runs, the ninth-highest total for a pitcher in Major League history.
Johnson had a reputation as a kindly person, and made many friends in baseball. As reported in
The Glory of Their Times,
Sam CrawfordSamuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
was one of Johnson's good friends, and sometimes in non-critical situations, Johnson would ease up so Crawford would hit well against him. This would vex Crawford's teammate,
Ty CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by some historians and journalists as the best player of the dead-ball era, and is generally seen as one of the greatest players of all time.In 1936, Cobb received the most votes of any player on the...
, who could not understand how Crawford could hit the great Johnson so well. Johnson was also friendly with
Babe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , also popularly known as "Babe" Ruth, "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from –...
, despite Ruth's having hit some of his longest home runs off him at
Griffith StadiumGriffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, at the corner of Georgia Avenue and W Street, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had stood on the site, built in 1891...
.
In
1928-Champions:*World Series: New York Yankees over St Louis Cardinals -Awards and honors:*League Award** Mickey Cochrane, Philadelphia Athletics, C** Jim Bottomley, St. Louis Cardinals, 1B-Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:...
, he began his career as a
managerIn baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager ; this individual controls matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in the
minor leaguesMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
, taking up residence at 32 Maple Terrace, Millburn, New Jersey, and managing the
NewarkBrick City redirects here. For the township in Ocean County, see Brick Township, New Jersey.Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and the county seat of Essex County. Newark has a population of 281,402, making it the largest municipality in New Jersey and the 65th largest city in the U.S...
team of the
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball...
. He continued on to the major leagues, managing the
Washington Nationals/SenatorsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
(
1929-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs -Awards and honors:*League Award** Rogers Hornsby, Chicago Cubs, 2B-Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:...
-
1932-Champions:*World Series: New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs *Negro League World Series: Pittsburgh Crawfords over Monroe Monarchs -Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award** Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1B...
), and finally the
Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field . The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(
1933-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Giants over Washington Senators *First All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 4-2-Other champions:*First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game, September 10 at Comiskey Park: West, 11-7...
-
1935-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs *All-Star Game, July 8 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 4-1-Other champions:*Negro League Baseball All-Star Game, August 11 at Comiskey Park: West, 11-8...
). Johnson also served as a radio announcer for the Senators during the
1939-Headline Event of the Year:*On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball game. On August 26, the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played the first televised Major League Baseball game...
season.
One of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in
1936The first elections to select inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame were held in 1936. Members of the Baseball Writers Association of America were given authority to select individuals from the 20th century; while a special Veterans Committee, made up of individuals with greater familiarity with...
, Walter Johnson retired to Germantown, Maryland. A life-long
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
and friend of President
Calvin CoolidgeJohn Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state. His actions during the Boston Police Strike of 1919 thrust him into the...
, Johnson was elected as a
Montgomery CountyMontgomery County of the U.S. state of Maryland is situated just north of Washington, D.C. and southwest of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the nation, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years old who hold a post-graduate degree. The county seat and largest...
commissioner in 1938. In 1940 he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives seat in Maryland's 6th district, but came up short against the incumbent Democrat,
William D. ByronWilliam Devereux Byron, II , a Democrat, was a U.S. Congressman who represented the 6th congressional district of Maryland from January 3, 1939 to February 27, 1941. After his death in an airplane crash in Georgia on February 27, 1941, his widow, Katharine Byron, a granddaughter of U.S....
, by a total of 60,037 (53%) to 52,258 (47%).
At 7:00 PM, Tuesday, December 10, 1946 Johnson died of a
brain tumorA brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or inside the skull, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous .It is defined as any intracranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either in the brain itself , in the cranial nerves...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, five weeks after his 59th birthday, and was interred at
Rockville Union CemeteryRockville Union Cemetery was established in 1738 by the Anglican Prince George's Parish. It is the oldest burying ground in Rockville, Maryland and is located at 1350 Baltimore Road, adjacent to the Rockville Civic Center. Ownership changed in 1880 to the Rockville Cemetery Association...
in
Rockville, MarylandRockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. According to estimates conducted by the U.S...
.
Additional facts and details
Walter Johnson High SchoolWalter Johnson High School, is located at 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda, an unincorporated region of Montgomery County, Maryland.WJHS serves areas in Bethesda, and Rockville as well as the towns of Garrett Park and Kensington....
in
Bethesda, MarylandBethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
has been named for him. The monument to him that once stood outside
Griffith StadiumGriffith Stadium was a sports stadium that stood in Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1965, at the corner of Georgia Avenue and W Street, NW. An earlier wooden baseball park had stood on the site, built in 1891...
has been moved to the school's campus. The school's yearbook is called "The Windup" and the newspaper is called "The Pitch."
Johnson was the first American League pitcher to strike out four batters in one inning.
Additionally, a team in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League in Bethesda is named the "Big Train" in honor of him.
He was also called "Sir Walter", "the White Knight", and "The Gentle Johnson" because of his gentlemanly gamesmanship, and "Barney" after auto racer Barney Oldfield (he got out of a traffic ticket when a teammate in the car told the policeman Johnson was Barney Oldfield). In 1985, the rock musician
Jonathan RichmanJonathan Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
recorded a song entitled "Walter Johnson" that celebrated Johnson's kindness.
In
1999-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves ; Mariano Rivera, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Orlando Hernández**American League Division Series:*National League Championship Series MVP: Eddie Pérez...
, he ranked number 4 on
The Sporting NewsSporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the highest-ranked pitcher. Later that year, he was elected to the
Major League Baseball All-Century TeamIn 1999, Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest players from the past century. Fans then voted on the players using paper and online ballots....
.
Johnson's gentle nature was legendary, and to this day he is held up as an example of good sportsmanship while his name has become synonymous with friendly competition. This attribute worked to Johnson's disadvantage in the case of fellow Hall of Famer
Ty CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by some historians and journalists as the best player of the dead-ball era, and is generally seen as one of the greatest players of all time.In 1936, Cobb received the most votes of any player on the...
. Virtually all batters were concerned about being hit by Johnson's fastball, and many would not "dig in" at the plate because of that concern. Cobb realized that the good-hearted Johnson was privately nervous about the possibility of seriously injuring a batsman. Almost alone among his peers, Cobb would actually stand closer to the plate than usual when facing Johnson.
Johnson's rookie season was Cobb's third, and Johnson retired one year before Cobb. He faced Johnson at bat more times in their overlapping careers than any other hitter-pitcher combination in major league history.
Johnson was mentioned in the poem "
Line-Up for YesterdayLine-Up for Yesterday: An ABC of Baseball Immortals is a poem written by Ogden Nash for the January 1949 issue of SPORT Magazine. In the poem, Nash dedicates each letter of the alphabet to an iconic Major League Baseball player...
"
by Ogden NashFrederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
:
Statistics
Career StatisticsStatistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Dialog from the 1998 Kevin Costner motion picture For Love of the Game may epitomize the place of statistics in the minds of baseball players, reporters and fans:Jane Aubrey: Do you lose very...
:
Pitching
| W In baseball, the win-loss record is the number of wins and losses a pitcher has accumulated either in his career or a single season....
|
L |
WP In baseball, the win-loss record is the number of wins and losses a pitcher has accumulated either in his career or a single season....
|
GP In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
|
GS In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
|
CG In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game himself, without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A complete game can be either a win or a loss....
|
Sh In team sports, in American English, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring...
|
SV In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully completed, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
|
IP In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
|
HIn baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
|
HR |
BB A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
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SOIn baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters. Pitchers with a greater number of strikeouts are often praised, while batters with a greater number of...
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HBP In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher...
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BFP In baseball statistics, Batters Faced by Pitcher , also known as Total Batters Faced , is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season...
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ERA In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. The ERA tells the average number of runs a pitcher would surrender over the course of a full game had he been kept in for the full nine innings...
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WHIP In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched...
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| 417 |
279 |
.599 |
802 |
666 |
531 |
110 |
34 |
5,914.1 |
4,913 |
97 |
1,363 |
3,508 |
203 |
23,749 |
2.17 |
1.061 |
Hitting
| G Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
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AB In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
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HIn baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
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2B In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
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3B In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
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HRIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
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RIn baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded. A player may score by hitting a home run or by any combination of plays that puts him safely "on base" as a...
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RBI Runs batted in or RBI is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play...
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SB In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate. In baseball statistics, stolen bases are denoted by SB...
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BB A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
|
SOIn baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters. Pitchers with a greater number of strikeouts are often praised, while batters with a greater number of...
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AVG Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively. The two statistics are related, in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages....
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OBP In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
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SLG In baseball statistics, slugging percentage is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats:...
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OPS On-base plus slugging is a baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The abilities of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented, making it an effective way of measuring the player's...
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| 933 |
2,324 |
547 |
94 |
41 |
24 |
241 |
255 |
13 |
110 |
251 * |
.235 |
.274 |
.342 |
0.616 |
* Strikeouts not counted for batters until
1913-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award** Walter Johnson, Washington Senators, P** Jake Daubert, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
-MLB Statistical Leaders:...
in the
ALThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
,
1910-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, OF**Nap Lajoie, Cleveland Naps-MLB Statistical Leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:...
in the
NLThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league...
.
See also
Further reading
Thomas, Henry W. (1995). Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train. Washington, D.C.: Phenom Press. ISBN 0-9645439-0-7
Burns, Ken (1994). "Baseball: An Illustrated History". New York: Alfred A. Knope. ISBN 0-679-40459-7
External links