strikeouts.
In 1924, though, the planets in Johnsonâs baseball universe came into alignment. For the third time in his career he led the American League in victories, ERA, and strikeouts in the same season. More importantly, after 18 seasons in the majors, he finally reached the World Series, and much of the country was ready to cheer him on. Thanks to Western Union, 125 scoreboards for the games between the American Leagueâs Washington Senators and the National Leagueâs New York Giants were erected nationwide. Such star players as Cobb, George Sisler, and Babe Ruth were on hand to file special newspaper columns.
âCommercial radio, in its infancy in 1924, received a boost from the fledgling NBC networkâs live broadcast in Washington, New York and six other cities,â Thomas wrote in Walter Johnson: Baseballâs Big Train . âCrystal sets were the hottest-selling item at department stores, and hundreds of them were set up in government and business offices throughout Washington.â
Of course, Johnson was the Senatorsâ choice to pitch Game One. In the second inning, Giants slugger George Kelly lofted a deep fly ball to left-center field. Usually it would have been a routine play for
Senators outfielder Leon âGooseâ Goslin. But he couldnât go back as far as normal due to a three-foot makeshift fence in front of the temporary bleachers. Despite Goslinâs headlong dive into the crowd, the routine fly went for a home run and Johnson was quickly behind, 1â0.
The Giants upped their advantage to 2â0 in the top of the fourth inning. Thatâs when the hometown Senators began to battle back. After shaving the lead to a run in the sixth inning, Washington rallied in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 2â2. With Johnson still on the mound, the contest barreled into extra innings. Thatâs the way it remained until the Giants plated two runs in the top of the 12th inning.
The Senators refused to go silently in the bottom half, however. Rookie Mule Shirley, pinch-hitting for Johnson, reached second base after his pop-up was lost in the sun. A single promptly brought him home. With two down, the Senators had a man on third, with Goslin up. He lashed a hard ground ball to second base, which George âHighpocketsâ Kelly snared one-handed and flipped to first base. In a bang-bang play, Goslin was called out, the result being a heated argument between the umpire Bill Klem and several of the Senators. As Thomas later detailed, the squabble continued as President Calvin Coolidge filed past, headed for the exit. Despite striking out 12, Johnson had lost his World Series debut.
The Big Train was back on the mound for Game Five, with the series tied at two games apiece. On a chilly day in New York, Johnson started off well enough, holding the Giants scoreless through the first two frames. But New York took a 1â0 lead in the third. While the Senators tied it up in the next inning, the game soon unraveled for Johnson. The Giants picked up two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and three more in the eighth.
âAs the dying shadows of a chill October day crept down from Cooganâs Bluff, Walter Johnson stood on the mound of the Polo Grounds taking his punishment without a murmur,â wrote the Associated Pressâs Robert Small. âThere was a spirit of a dying gladiator in the air. The stands were silent; the spectators were stunned.â
It appeared that Johnson would only know disappointment in his first and perhaps his only World Series. He had started two games
and lost both of them. Many wondered if he would ever have another chance. âA bright vision hung and held for just a moment over the Polo Grounds this afternoonâthe vision of a tall, fresh-cheeked, fairhaired, brawny youth pitching with power, with blinding, dazzling speed,â Damon Runyon wrote after Johnsonâs second loss. âIt was just a mirage
In 1924, though, the planets in Johnsonâs baseball universe came into alignment. For the third time in his career he led the American League in victories, ERA, and strikeouts in the same season. More importantly, after 18 seasons in the majors, he finally reached the World Series, and much of the country was ready to cheer him on. Thanks to Western Union, 125 scoreboards for the games between the American Leagueâs Washington Senators and the National Leagueâs New York Giants were erected nationwide. Such star players as Cobb, George Sisler, and Babe Ruth were on hand to file special newspaper columns.
âCommercial radio, in its infancy in 1924, received a boost from the fledgling NBC networkâs live broadcast in Washington, New York and six other cities,â Thomas wrote in Walter Johnson: Baseballâs Big Train . âCrystal sets were the hottest-selling item at department stores, and hundreds of them were set up in government and business offices throughout Washington.â
Of course, Johnson was the Senatorsâ choice to pitch Game One. In the second inning, Giants slugger George Kelly lofted a deep fly ball to left-center field. Usually it would have been a routine play for
Senators outfielder Leon âGooseâ Goslin. But he couldnât go back as far as normal due to a three-foot makeshift fence in front of the temporary bleachers. Despite Goslinâs headlong dive into the crowd, the routine fly went for a home run and Johnson was quickly behind, 1â0.
The Giants upped their advantage to 2â0 in the top of the fourth inning. Thatâs when the hometown Senators began to battle back. After shaving the lead to a run in the sixth inning, Washington rallied in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 2â2. With Johnson still on the mound, the contest barreled into extra innings. Thatâs the way it remained until the Giants plated two runs in the top of the 12th inning.
The Senators refused to go silently in the bottom half, however. Rookie Mule Shirley, pinch-hitting for Johnson, reached second base after his pop-up was lost in the sun. A single promptly brought him home. With two down, the Senators had a man on third, with Goslin up. He lashed a hard ground ball to second base, which George âHighpocketsâ Kelly snared one-handed and flipped to first base. In a bang-bang play, Goslin was called out, the result being a heated argument between the umpire Bill Klem and several of the Senators. As Thomas later detailed, the squabble continued as President Calvin Coolidge filed past, headed for the exit. Despite striking out 12, Johnson had lost his World Series debut.
The Big Train was back on the mound for Game Five, with the series tied at two games apiece. On a chilly day in New York, Johnson started off well enough, holding the Giants scoreless through the first two frames. But New York took a 1â0 lead in the third. While the Senators tied it up in the next inning, the game soon unraveled for Johnson. The Giants picked up two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and three more in the eighth.
âAs the dying shadows of a chill October day crept down from Cooganâs Bluff, Walter Johnson stood on the mound of the Polo Grounds taking his punishment without a murmur,â wrote the Associated Pressâs Robert Small. âThere was a spirit of a dying gladiator in the air. The stands were silent; the spectators were stunned.â
It appeared that Johnson would only know disappointment in his first and perhaps his only World Series. He had started two games
and lost both of them. Many wondered if he would ever have another chance. âA bright vision hung and held for just a moment over the Polo Grounds this afternoonâthe vision of a tall, fresh-cheeked, fairhaired, brawny youth pitching with power, with blinding, dazzling speed,â Damon Runyon wrote after Johnsonâs second loss. âIt was just a mirage
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