In a Twenty-One-Year Career As a Pitcher, Walter Johnson, Elected To

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A CHAMPIONSHIP fOR INDIANAPOLIS In a twenty-one-year career as a pitcher, Walter Johnson, elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, won 417 games, struck out 3,509 batters, and had a 2.17 earned run average. After watching him pitch, Ty Cobb said of Johnson: “His fastball looked about the size of a watermelon seed and it hissed at you as it passed.” By then Roush, serving as a pinch In an August 17 game with Pittsburgh, Baltimore Orioles— were operating in the hitter and part-time outfielder, was hitting Roush delighted Federal Park fans with red. Prior to the season, Johnson had told .302 for the Hoosiers with sixteen hits in a two-run pinch-hit homer in the top of Indianapolis reporters that the Indians fifty-three at bats. Consistently misnamed the eighth that tied the score. Indianapolis could count on the American and Na as “Rousch” in the newspapers, he was went on to win 8-7 in ten innings. By tional leagues for financial support in the the hero of a come-from-behind vic now the Indianapolis outfield consisted battle with the Federal League invaders. tory over visiting Baltimore on August 9. of Scheer in right, Kauff in center, and “It is my belief that the major league clubs Indianapolis trailed 3-2 with two out in light-hitting Al Kaiser in left. Roush will do all in their power to help . the ninth when Scheer doubled. Phillips batted for Kaiser on August 24 against Indianapolis gather a winning ball club,” ordered Roush to bat for pitcher George Brooklyn in the bottom of the thirteenth, Johnson proclaimed. Kaiserling. “Rousch then sallied forth and driving in the winning run with a sacrifice On July 23 the Sporting News de planted one along the first base foul line a fly. Roush’s days as a benchwarmer were scribed the “silent but bitter battle” in mile a minute,” reported Dick Farrington dwindling. Indianapolis between the Hoosiers and in the Star, “and Scheer easily crossed Four of organized baseball’s minor- Indians. To sway fans, Krause announced the plate with the tieing [sic] run.” The league teams in direct competition with cuts in ticket prices at the end of June. Box Hoosiers won the game 4-3 in thirteen the Federals— the Indianapolis Indians, seats dropped from a dollar to seventy-five innings. Kansas City Blues, Buffalo Bisons, and cents, while grandstand tickets went from TRACES | Summer 2010 | 11.

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