Walter Johnson Reflects on His Amazing 21-Year MLB Career
Baseball’s pitching legend learned a lot during his lengthy tenure on the mound
When discussing the greatest pitcher in the history of baseball, any conversation must have right-hander Walter Johnson on the short list. Although he last threw an official pitch nearly a century ago, “Big Train” remains one of the most dominant hurlers to have ever played the game. In addition to his talent, he was a well-regarded and reflective man, who according to an interview he gave towards the end of his playing days came to have important reflections and insight from his time as a big leaguer.
Johnson spent his entire career (1907–1927) with the Washington Senators. He accumulated a record of 417–279 with a 2.17 ERA and an all-time record of 110 shutouts. His win total is second, his ERA is 12th and he is third in innings (5,914.1). In addition to two MVPs, he led the American League in wins six times, ERA five times and strikeouts a whopping 12 times. It was little surprise when he became part of the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame class in 1936.
Speaking to Lillian Barker of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Johnson reflected at length about his career and baseball in an interview that appeared in the January 18, 1925 issue of the paper, including emphasizing his…
