Hall of Famer Walter Johnson
The Big Train May Have Been the Greatest Pitcher of All Time
Jan 15, 2009
Walter Johnson is what one might call a “baseball immortal.” During a career that lasted more than 20 years, Johnson won 416 games, struck out a then-record 3,508 batters, led the usually hapless Washington Senators to their sole World Series title in 1924, and posted 10 straight seasons with 20 or more wins. He was also one of the first five players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He also had one of the coolest nicknames of all time, but we’ll get into that later.
Johnson was born and raised on his family's farm near Humboldt, Kansas. When he was only thirteen years old, a prolonged drought forced his parents to sell the farm and move then to Olinda, California. Johnson's early baseball experience came in the form of pickup games in local sandlots and then with a few semi-pro teams. Perhaps because he never received much formal coaching, Johnson developed an unorthodox sidearm delivery that became one of his trademarks. He was also known for his devastating fastball, one that was the best of his generation, and by some accounts, the best in the game’s history.
Johnson made his debut in the big leagues on August 2, 1907. His first three seasons in Washington were unremarkable. During that time, his combined record was a very unimpressive 32-48. But by 1910, he was ready to break out. That year, playing for a Senators team that, quite frankly, stunk like month old hard-boiled eggs, Johnson won 25 games, struck out 313 batters and posted a shockingly low 1.36 ERA. That year was just the beginning of an amazing stretch for the big right-hander, whose size and rocket arm soon earned him the nickname "The Big Train."
Between 1910 and 1919, the Train never won less than 20 games. In 1912, he was 33-12 with 303 strikeouts and an earned run average of 1.39. The next year, he was even better, winning 36 games, losing only 7, and posting a 1.14 ERA. Over the course of the decade, Johnson put up a record of 265-143 while playing for one of the worst teams in baseball. During Walter’s reign of supremacy, the Senators usually finished in the second division, and three times they ended up seventh in an eight team league.
From 1920 through 1923, Johnson slumped, winning just 49 games while losing 52. His ERA ballooned and his strikeouts dropped by more than half. But in 1924, he returned to form, winning 23 games and losing 7. Better yet, the Senators won the first American league pennant in franchise history. They faced off against the New York Giants in the World Series, and to the surprise of many, won the series in seven games. Although Johnson was just 1-2, he helped Washington win the series by pitching the last four innings (giving up 3 hits and no runs) of the twelve-inning Game 7.
Johnson hung up his spikes after the 1927 season. His final career numbers are staggering: 416 wins, a record 3,508 strikeouts, and a 2.17 earned run average. He led the American league in wins six times, in strikeouts twelve times and in ERA four times.
In 1936, the National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class. Only five players were admitted in that first year: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Johnson.
His post-playing days were highlighted by stints as a manager for the Senators (1929-1932) and the Cleveland Indians (1933-1935), and as the radio announcer for the Senators in 1939. Johnson died in 1946, when he was 58 years old. But in the baseball universe, he will live forever.
