Baseball

kairos12

(13,335 posts) Sun Apr 16, 2023, 02:33 PM Apr 2023

Walter Johnson

The Big Train once had 2 strikes on a batter. When the batter began to walk away from the plate, the umpire said, "hey, you have another strike coming."

The batter said, "I don't want it."

Stat: In 1916 he threw 369 innings and gave up 0 HRs.

Maybe the greatest ever. Always a debate.

3 replies

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Walter Johnson (Original Post) kairos12 Apr 2023 OP

OTOH, there's always Bob Feller . . . . hatrack Apr 2023 #1

Leo Durocher also gave away his third strike against 17 year old Bob Feller. rsdsharp Apr 2023 #2

That Story Is Brought Up... ProfessorGAC Apr 2023 #3

hatrack

(61,230 posts)

1. OTOH, there's always Bob Feller . . . .

Reply to kairos12 (Original post)

Sun Apr 16, 2023, 02:46 PM

Apr 2023

He got Lefty Gomez on three called strikes, so Gomez turned to the ump and said "I think that last one sounded a little low".

rsdsharp

(10,313 posts)

2. Leo Durocher also gave away his third strike against 17 year old Bob Feller.

Reply to kairos12 (Original post)

Sun Apr 16, 2023, 03:16 PM

Apr 2023

It was Feller’s first appearance, a 1936 exhibition game against the Cardinals.

ProfessorGAC

(70,741 posts)

3. That Story Is Brought Up...

Reply to kairos12 (Original post)

Sun Apr 16, 2023, 06:36 PM

Apr 2023

...in Ken Burns' Baseball. It's in The Second Inning.
There's a great recited quote of Cobb describing his first experience with Johnson.
He referred to the sound of the pitch as a "ominous hiss".
Either he or Smoky Joe Wood were the fastest pitchers of that era.
Johnson was a sidearm pitcher too. In that same episode there are films of him throwing. Looks relaxed and comfortable but experts estimate be was throwing over 90.
Compared to the rest of baseball it would be like a guy throwing 105 today!

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