Walter Johnson, The Big Train
 

Haven't had a Big Train thread in a while....One cool card is this M116 unknown ad-cut-type thingy. It's about the size of a regular card....(Thanks for this bio, Google)......

Walter Perry Johnson, nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators.

Born: November 6, 1887, Humboldt, KS
Died: December 10, 1946, Washington, D.C.
Baseball Hall of Fame, 1936 Original Inductee
Spouse: Hazel Lee Roberts (m. 1914–1930)
Education: Fullerton Union High School
Children: Eddie Johnson, Bobby Johnson, Walter Johnson Jr., Carolyn Johnson Thomas


http://luckeycards.com/pm116johnsonscrap.jpg


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coulda happened
 

He was discovered playing semi-pro with the Weiser, Idaho team. think what coulda happened if his surname was Budd and they did a card typical of the era.

Has to among the earliest known examples in the hobby. Here is a postcard from Walter to his friend in California during his second major league season. Postmarked June 19, 1908:

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...psf959772d.jpg

Not in the greatest shape, but happy to have a '14 CJ....

M113 baseball magazine premium
 

Wajo
 

My Conlon type 1 WaJo

https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5665/2...37a8322326.jpg12-13-15 by Paul Herbener, on Flickr

Awesome supplement Jim. Wouldn't mind picking up one if those.

One of my goals in the hobby is to one day own a WJ card, in any condition aside from torn to pieces. (he and my favorite character in baseball history, Rube Waddel)

65 of his losses were by shutouts, 26 of them 1-0 scores still amazes me. It's also interesting how Johnson was left out of the early caramel sets.

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=10126http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=10111http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=10119

Not a Card
 

But a 20 x 17 ad

The Crown Jewel of my Signed T206 Collection
 

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/zVZtUgKvYNgjQWK8PNLz3DiJm_Z5QsNdec5_I7WHZRE?feat=e mbedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oeCWC2P6mAA/T7wz-iODO7I/AAAAAAAAKyY/b8Ml5rlTXxg1OEBpDcY6zM4UmV77y_S4QCCo/s800/Johnson_SGC_A.jpg" height="800" width="499" /></a>

The ball field where Walter Johnson played in Fullerton is still there. Both Babe Ruth & Johnson played in nearby Brea, ca.

http://cwcfamily.org/articles/family/breabowl.htm

I live in Fullerton and go by where Johnson played everyday.

.

I second that thought, I need that version for my collection.

Here is my (different version) m113.

The caption reads "Arm of world's speediest pitcher. Johnson throws a ball 122 feet per second. This arm is reported to earn $12,500 yearly salary"

To save you all from digging out your calculators, 122 fps = 83 mph.

Doug

Not easy to find but not impossible...

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...june764_lg.jpg

One of my favorites which happens to be in the current auction.

Keep it going

Wow that is just awesome! He has a great signature!

M113 baseball magazine premium
 

hi Clint and Doug, i am hardly the ebay sleuth, but i have not seen this version available since i picked it up over a decade ago, i think. It was in an auction with a large group of other M114 types, so I had to overpay for the lot to get this copy. I would think that there would have to be other copies that are still out there. Good luck with the hunt!
jim

Great cards everyone.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7088/2...e76d6bda_z.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ackjohnson.jpg



http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...50xP460x50.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...0xP460x50b.jpg



http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...x460Fac30x.jpg



TED Z
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great stuff...love the train!

One of my 'Double Walters' (which I got from Leon himself if memory serves):

Attachment 234855

Polar Bear

Fun Thread

Gotta love the sweater!

Hey Brian,
I'm gonna take a wild guess that your 1916 WaJo card has a BLANK back! Right? :D
Best,
Val

More...

Attachment 234898

Attachment 234899

Attachment 234900

Attachment 234901

Attachment 234902

PIEDMONT 150

https://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan.../awjohnson.jpg



https://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan...EIGN150x75.jpghttps://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan...IGN150x75b.jpg



TED Z
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I think my favorite is actually the Exhibit, despite it being the least valuable. You can just feel the kinetic energy before he whips off a side-arm heater.

A later Exhibit. Although the photo was probably taken during the follow-through of the pitch from 1921!!

I actually had convinced myself that the above statement might be true, until I noticed his right sleeve is different. Weird.

Some more WoJo's...

Wm Paterson Johnson
 

M101-6 of the Big Train...

This was his own personal copy:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i...0/scan0013.jpghttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f.../PC0001001.jpg

Not clear what, if anything, is behind the scrapbook paper on the back.

wow!

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I don't think we have seen the Lenox yet

The first WaJo card I ever got was a 1976 Topps ATAS that I recently replaced with this one:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...%20Johnson.jpg

Followed a year later by this one (which they can pry from my cold, dead fingers). I was 12. Bought it from Mike Berkus at a show in Anaheim:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...on%20ready.jpg

Obviously, not in slab at the time.

I never get tired of showing off his rookie "card," WaJo's 1908 Rose Co. postcard. The first "card" that pictures him in the Major Leagues. One of either two or three known.

Awesome card, Kevin. Who could get tired of showing it off, honestly? Congrats once again.

A nice wire photo and a few pins I have

Great thread, and a rare one that I can participate in.

The first card pictured is the first Johnson portrait I owned. I later sold it, and upgraded with the second card pictured.

http://i.imgur.com/QM4HZQq.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/I8K6Hva.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/inw4iir.png

I will probably upgrade it one more time; a PSA 5 should have all the characteristics I'm looking for: cleaner borders, sharper corners, and a cleaner surface.

I'm just so looking forward to collecting again. End of September cannot get here fast enough! :D

Big Train
 

I am reading Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train right now. Great book so far. My favorite baseball player right now.

Something different
 

There are no identifying marks front or back on this original, double weight 5x7 team photo, but I am assuming it is the WaJo-managed 1928 Newark Bears.

Great thread!
 

WaJo is one of my favorites, I'm still regretting selling my t206 portrait. I'm digging everyone's pieces, some really great stuff.

The first piece is a Sporting News m101-2 featuring WaJo and his catcher Gabby Street. I picked this up in Bagger's last auction.

I just picked up the below postcard from fellow Net54er, Todd, thanks!

Attachment 235313

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Whoa. Nice Val!

Jeff, Thanks!
WaJo is found on only these 2 of the 3 different M116 back styles:

The big train
 

Here are my favorite wajo's...
1-pencil cut with a colored pencil drawing of his t206

2-signed photo from a 1932 who's who magazine bordered by each of his t206's

Double whoa

I've been after a centered "5" for the past three years but either I haven't had the funds when one appeared or one didn't show up when I had the $$. Finally got this one from PWCC's most recent auction. Sure didn't get a bargain, but I love its centering and the way it hits my eye. Very pleased to add this iconic card to my collection.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...psqopjdy0u.jpg

Love the Texas Tommy!
This one is tough but not as tough as that Tommy

I would love to add the Weil Baking and Merchants Bakery cards to this group:

Holy crap, Val! :eek:

As a WaJo lover, that's probably the holy grail for me. I'll never own one, myself, but I sure am enjoying looking at yours.

Great cards everyone! Here's a couple more from 1916:

I'm pretty sure this came from the Johnson family scrapbook - Eddie is one of WaJo's sons.

It did indeed, Val. There were two, one for Uncle Ed and one for Hazel Johnson, which I bought back from Dan McKee at Chantilly a couple years back. I've never seen any others, so I assume these were prototypes and the club never got off the ground. It looks like they intended to do pins, too, but I've never seen one.

From Leon's fantastic type-card collection:

One of my faves. So glad he want to a great home. Thanks for showing him, Val.

Yes, I do prefer real-photo, b&w cards over the colorful, artist renditions of the 1910's era.

Nice Val!!! Not much better than a tough New Orleans card with a major HOFer on it. I lived about 10 blocks from the address on the back.

Thanks guys for all the kind words. I've been collecting WaJo cards for a long time. Got my first WaJo card (a T207 Recruit), which was also my first pre-War card, in a trade (for some 1960 Topps cards) with Bill Huggins at his card shop in Silver Spring, MD, way back in the 1980's.
Val

Wojo

Per Val's request a Walter Johnson T204 T.T.T. Cigarettes that I paid all the money for in a 1990's David Festberg auction(raw at that!). I figured it might be the only one I would ever see and so far that has held true. I did hear a rumor years ago that Roger Neufeldt might have sold a very low grade around 2000 or before but I have never confirmed that story.

Just wow. That's gorgeous, Scott, LOL. :eek: God, I love this forum.

If I ever struck it rich, I wouldn't buy houses, or cars. I don't think much would change. I'd live comfortably, but not extravagantly.

My one real expenditure, besides my movie collection (and a new home theater to watch them) would be to go nuts on these pre-war beauties. I'd have an industrial safe built, and I'd pull them out every single day to look at them. No joke. I'd sit on my couch, and just stare at these for hours on end.

David Festberg!!! Now, that's a name from the past. I remember his auctions with the black and white photo copy mailers and the then the live phone bids which he did on the chalk board! I won many Cracker Jacks from him and Scott Walker back then..

Wow, not only is that an incredible card, but I never thought that Festberg had anything above VG.

After I won it, he called the next morning, a Sunday and I think he was more excited than I was. He knew I wanted it, as we has discussed the card when the auction came up, but I don't think he had any idea it would go for the money it did. He was very happy that I ended up winning it. I suspect it may have come from some of his mother's collection.

The last time I saw him was A/C in 2003. I bought a lot of stuff from him in the 90's.


While I am obviously biased, I believe this may be the scarcest Walter Johnson "card" to exist.

Mine...

Scott, many thanks for showing your "to-die-for" T.T.T. card of WaJo - what a spectacular card! But, please don't get carried away thinking it is the scarcest WaJo "card" to exist. I believe the amazing D381 WaJo that Erick just showed is also a 1-of-1 card. And, there is a Board member who has the only known Leader Theatre (it is autographed, no less) and Washington Times cards of WaJo. Heck, even I have a few 1-of-1 WaJo cards, none of which is anywhere near as spectacular as your T.T.T.

I remember picking up a couple of T214s back in the 1990's in Festberg's auctions and other cards that I can't instantly recall. I just wish I had acquired more vintage cards back in those days.

Val

Val,

I may have been overexcited when posting. :(

I almost typed "most valuable" rather than scarcest.

There are probably a few one of one knowns out there but that T204 is awfully nice.

Not mine anymore...and pardon the other 2 also...and I guess if there is only 1 of something by definition it's scarcest, or at least tied.

http://luckeycards.com/pt205cobbbrownjohnson3x.jpg

T3 with a checklist back:

Finally finished my first Big Train piece yesterday. This was a commission and is not available. Size is 18"x30", and it is made from cut junk era commons (with some 2001 Bowman Heritage for the B&W portrait).

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...swvge62x1.jpeg

You are very talented sir. Great piece.