{PDF EPUB} Walter Johnson Baseball's Big Train by Henry W. Thomas Walter Johnson : Baseball's Big Train by Henry W

Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Walter Johnson Baseball's Big Train by Henry W. Thomas Walter Johnson : Baseball's Big Train by Henry W. Thomas (1998, Trade Paperback) С самой низкой ценой, совершенно новый, неиспользованный, неоткрытый, неповрежденный товар в оригинальной упаковке (если товар поставляется в упаковке). Упаковка должна быть такой же, как упаковка этого товара в розничных магазинах, за исключением тех случаев, когда товар является изделием ручной работы или был упакован производителем в упаковку не для розничной продажи, например в коробку без маркировки или в пластиковый пакет. См. подробные сведения с дополнительным описанием товара. Walter Johnson : Baseball's Big Train by Henry W. Thomas (1995, Hardcover) С самой низкой ценой, неиспользованный товар без единого признака износа. Товар может быть без оригинальной упаковки (например, без оригинальной коробки или этикетки) или оригинальная упаковка может быть распечатана. Этот товар может являться товаром, не прошедшим заводской контроль, или новым, неиспользованным товаром с дефектами. См. подробные характеристики товара с описанием его недостатков. Что означает эта цена? Это цена (за исключением сборов на обработку и доставку заказа), по которой такой же или почти идентичный товар выставляется на продажу в данный момент или выставлялся на продажу в недавно. Эту цену мог установить тот же продавец в другом месте или другой продавец. Сумма скидки и процентное отношение представляют собой подсчитанную разницу между ценами, указанными продавцом на eBay и в другом месте. Если у вас появятся вопросы относительно установления цен и/или скидки, предлагаемой в определенном объявлении, свяжитесь с продавцом, разместившим данное объявление. Henry W. Thomas did not know much. Henry W. Thomas did not know much about his grandfather, who died of tuberculosis soon after Thomas was born. He knew Walter Johnson was a famous pitcher for the Washington Senators early in the century. Thomas didn't know how famous until he discovered the Walter Johnson family scrapbooks at his mother's Virginia home. The scrapbooks taught Thomas a lot about Johnson, but he knew there was more. Thomas quit his job as a nightclub manager and began researching his grandfather's life. His work culminated with the private publication of Thomas' book, "Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train." The author discussed his work recently with Sun staff writer Brad Snyder. Q: What was your interest in baseball as a child? A: I've always been a baseball fan. I was a Senators' fan in the '50s and '60s. I kind of lost interest when they moved to Minnesota when I was about 18. Q: Why didn't your mother and her brothers tell you much about Johnson's life? A: I think they were very much like he was -- just a modest guy. I don't think he ever thought it was a big deal. He did what he did and it's done. [When they were children], his baseball career was coming to a close. They knew him as a dad, as a farmer and as a politician. They were always aware of his background in baseball, but they didn't see it firsthand. I was one more generation removed. Q: Growing up, what did you think about being Johnson's grandson? A: I always knew and I always thought it was cool, but it was never really something that sunk in. Q: What have you learned by writing a book about him? A: Two things became clear. His stature in the game was untouchable. I grew up thinking he was one of the great pitchers. That was not the case. He was the greatest pitcher. He was it. And there was just as much affection for him as a human being. They called him Sir Walter. It was almost as if he was regarded as somewhat of a saint. Q: How does a former nightclub manager get the urge and the talent to write a book? A: The short answer is, I don't know. It comes from mom. She was a reader. I can remember when I was 10, 11 years old. She'd finish a book and I'd pick it up. I was a reader. I never had any problem writing. When there was something that needed to be written up [at work], they would have me do it. Q: What did you conceive of when you started researching Johnson's life, and when did you realize it could be a book? A: I had no idea how far I would carry it. I knew I could do the research. Then I had to make it happen. I thought I'd show it to a bunch of people and see what they thought. I got a lot of feedback and kept going. Q: Who were your major influences in writing this book? A: I grew up with [the Washington Post's] Shirley Povich. I read his column every morning. He's going to be 90 next month. I look at a guy like him and that keeps me from getting too inflated about [my book]. Q: Your book is meticulously documented with footnotes. Why was that so important to you? A: Baseball research has gotten scholarly enough that I think it's necessary. Baseball's not the most important thing in the world, but if it's worth writing a book about, it should be documented. Q: Do you plan on continuing to write about baseball? A: I don't know if I can make a living at it, but I'd like to. I've sold 1,500 books out of 5,000, and it's only been about two months. Walter Johnson. Most experts consider Walter "Big Train" Johnson (1887-1946) to be the greatest pitcher in baseball history. Both feared and respected, Johnson combined a dominating fastball with a generous spirit. Unlike most pitchers of his era, he refused to knockdown opposing batters with inside pitches and was a model of gentlemanly refinement both on and off the field. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Johnson won 416 games in his 21 seasons from 1907 to 1927 and compiled a remarkable 2.17 earned run average. He spent his entire career with the lowly Washington Senators, eventually leading the perennial losers into the World Series in 1924 and 1925. Johnson won 20 or more games in 12 seasons and set the all-time career mark for shutouts with 110. After his playing days ended, he managed the Senators from 1929 to 1932 and the Cleveland Indians from 1933 to 1935. He was among the first five players elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. From Semipro to Star. Johnson's parents, immigrants from Sweden, were farmers who first settled in Ohio, then traveled by covered wagon to Kansas. Walter Perry Johnson was born on November 6, 1887 in Humboldt, Kansas. In 1901, the family moved to Orange County, California, hoping to earn a better living working in the oil fields. There, Walter attended Fullerton High School and starred on the baseball team. After graduating, he played baseball briefly in Tacoma, Washington, then moved to Weiser, Idaho, and got a job with the Weiser Telephone Company. For $75 a month, he dug holes for telephone poles and pitched for the company's semipro team. Johnson flung the ball with a sidearm delivery that was so deceptive that his fastball seemed to come out of his hip pocket and rocket past the batter. Luckily for hitters, he also had pinpoint control. Word of Johnson's remarkable pitching feats filtered east, through the reports of a traveling cigar salesman who praised the kid's fastball in reports sent to major league teams. One reporter wrote: "He throws so fast you can't see 'em, and he knows where he is throwing, because if he didn't, there would be dead bodies all over Idaho." The Senators sent an injured catcher, Cliff Blankenship, to scout him. Blankenship signed Johnson to a contract and he joined Washington in August 1907, never having played minor league ball. The Pittsburgh Pirates had wanted to sign him, but refused to guarantee his $9 train fare back home if he didn't make the team. Johnson signed for $350 a month, a $100 bonus and the train fare—and that proved to be the best investment the Senators ever made. Johnson was 19 when he began pitching for the Senators. In his big-league debut against Detroit, on August 2, he lost, 3-2. But Ty Cobb was so impressed that he told Tigers manager Frank Navin: "Get this kid even if he costs you twenty-five thousand dollars. That's the best arm I've ever seen. He's so fast it scared me." Navin refused. Cobb later said: "All he did for the next twenty years was beat Detroit." During Johnson's first three seasons, he lost 48 games and won only 32. But his talent and stamina were obvious from the start. In 1908, he shut out the New York Highlanders (later known as the Yankees) three times in four days, allowing only 12 hits. He won two more games against the Philadelphia Athletics in the next four days, giving him five victories in eight days. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice soon labeled Johnson "The Big Train," because his fastball had the power and speed of a locomotive. His teammates called him "Barney," after racecar driver Barney Oldfield. That was because Johnson was as reckless and uncontrolled behind the wheel as he was totally in control on the mound. In 1910 Johnson was the Senators' opening day starter. Before the game he caught a ceremonial "first pitch" from President William Howard Taft, starting a tradition of presidential "first pitches" at Washington openers.

Load more