Walter Johnson, The Big Train

[DerekMichael]

Still on the hunt for a nice portrait!

[ksfarmboy]

My 2nd favorite Johnson item.

[JLange]

Walter Johnson as Cleveland manager

[CardMD]

Originally Posted by DerekMichael

Still on the hunt for a nice portrait!

Awesome card Derek.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Leon]

Originally Posted by CardMD

Awesome card Derek.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I have to agree on that one. What a front back combo!!

[pbspelly]

Didn't realize he died at such a (relatively) young age.

[ValKehl]

This top half of a 1920's Exhibit card had either actors or boxers on the bottom half of the card. Also, what I think is a blue-tinted strip card (as opposed to one fourth of an Exhibit card). The backs of both are blank.

[benchod]

Late to the party but just got it scanned
Postcard of Joe Wood -Walter Johnson matchup late in the magical 1912 season
Wood would blank the Senators 1-0 for his 13th straight win

[Bicem]

Great postcard Craig!

[benchod]

Thanks, Jeff
It was quite a hyped game; heavily publicized and promoted. The first "game for the ages". Johnson wanted to stop Wood's winning streak and matchup head to head.
Here a few newspaper articles including the same handshake photo from a different angle

[Bicem]

Let me know if you ever need a kidney, will trade one for that postcard.

[Hankphenom]

Since this thread is still active, might as well mention that I will be hauling out some outstanding Walter material from my collection and the estate for the National this year. You can find them, and me, at booths 1901-1905 mixed in with Kevin Keating's usual assortment of otherworldly autographs. Among other things, I'll be bringing a very nice S-81 silk and some postcards, photos, and memorabilia from his scrapbooks.

[Leon]

Good luck at the show, Hank et al......Hope you sell a lot and find something for the collection too!!

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Since this thread is still active, might as well mention that I will be hauling out some outstanding Walter material from my collection and the estate for the National this year. You can find them, and me, at booths 1901-1905 mixed in with Kevin Keating's usual assortment of otherworldly autographs. Among other things, I'll be bringing a very nice S-81 silk and some postcards, photos, and memorabilia from his scrapbooks.

[tedzan]

..................



TED Z
.

[ValKehl]

To bring this thread back to life:

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by Hankphenom

Since this thread is still active, might as well mention that I will be hauling out some outstanding Walter material from my collection and the estate for the National this year. You can find them, and me, at booths 1901-1905 mixed in with Kevin Keating's usual assortment of otherworldly autographs. Among other things, I'll be bringing a very nice S-81 silk and some postcards, photos, and memorabilia from his scrapbooks.

Since I didn't make it to the National I would love to know what you hauled out! Oh...and do you need help going through the rest of the "stuff"?

[PZdiaz110]

Impressive! I might just share this image with my art students when we talk collage.

[PZdiaz110]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

W503.

Hi Val, When I saw this thread, I knew you would be all over it with you impressive collection! I hope you are doing well.

- Dave

[the 'stache]

Sam, I love the Exhibit Wajo, too. He doesn't look dangerous, does he? I can completely understand how Cobb underestimated him the first time he saw Johnson appear in a game.

Originally Posted by Ty Cobb

“On August 2, 1907, I encountered the most threatening sight I ever saw in the ball field. He was a rookie, and we licked our lips as we warmed up for the first game of a doubleheader in Washington. Evidently, manager Pongo Joe Cantillon of the Nats had picked a rube out of the cornfields of the deepest bushes to pitch against us. He was a tall, shambling galoot of about twenty, with arms so long they hung far out of his sleeves, and with a sidearm delivery that looked unimpressive at first glance. One of the Tigers imitated a cow mooing, and we hollered at Cantillon: ‘Get the pitchfork ready, Joe—your hayseed’s on his way back to the barn.’

“The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger.”

After the game, Cobb had nothing but praise for Johnson, saying, “We couldn’t touch him … every one of us knew we’d met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park.”

https://www.detroitathletic.com


The Big Train and the Georgia Peach

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

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.

[ValKehl]

Factory 42 N.C.

[ValKehl]

W501 - Type 1 & Type 2. Both types have blank backs and are on thin stock. Interestingly, someone wrote (long ago, I assume) 17, the Type 1 card number, in light pencil on the Type 2 card.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Love this photo

[ValKehl]

I think composition notebooks used by school kids are neat.

[ValKehl]

Any other WaJo composition notebooks/tablets out there?

[Hankphenom]

Always loved the tablets. Sold an example of this one, in much better shape, at the National.

Writing Tablet c. 1912.jpg

[ValKehl]

T213-3, one of my favorites:

[ValKehl]

To bring this thread back to life, here's another of my absolute favorites:

[brass_rat]

Outstanding WaJos, as always, Val!!

[PolarBear]

I used to try to convince myself that the greatest pitcher of all time was Cy Young or Christy Mathewson et al, but any objective analysis has to conclude that distinction goes to Walter Johnson. I'm now on board The Big Train.

[ValKehl]

Thanks, Steve. This one's for you (someday! )

[brass_rat]

I could only hope to give him as good of a home as you have, Val!

[ValKehl]

Here's a W573 to keep this thread alive. I'm looking for a W573 of Sam Rice - my 4th born is available for trade!

[Kawika]

Great thread. Lots of rarely seen stuff. Especially love the Wood-Johnson showdown post card.
My contribution:

(This is actually the 1918 team)

[Jay Wolt]

David, each one is fantastic

[ValKehl]

Outstanding cards, David! The PC805 uses the same photo as the PC796.

[btcarfagno]

From the personal collection of Hollywood icon Harold Lloyd...






Tom C

[Leon]

Not that I don't love all of the cards in this thread but the first postcard here is just great. I love the arms folded pose of the Big Train...

Originally Posted by Kawika

Great thread. Lots of rarely seen stuff. Especially love the Wood-Johnson showdown post card.
My contribution:

(This is actually the 1918 team)

[Kawika]

Thanks, Leon. Was kinda sorry to see the Nats go down last night. Been a long time since Washington has had something to cheer about. I first showed this postcard in the September 2010 Pickups thread (the trainwreck where the guy posted a picture of a deer he bagged) and thanks to the able assistance of Mark F and Val K was able to ascertain that the photo was taken in the spring of 1918.

Thread link: http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=127232

[seattlerainiers]

Davy Jones letter to a fan:

[TUM301]

Always enjoy seeing any items of Walter Johnson. Only have this one to add but always on the lookout for others. On a side note, that 1925 Exhibit is awesome. Just check out the angle of Johnson`s plant foot, that is some torque.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by ValKehl

This top half of a 1920's Exhibit card had either actors or boxers on the bottom half of the card. Also, what I think is a blue-tinted strip card (as opposed to one fourth of an Exhibit card). The backs of both are blank.

You should be able to tell from the stock. The strips are thinner and slicker than the exhibit cards. Also, the strips will have machine cuts top and bottom (they were ten card horizontal strips, judging from the boxing version).

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

You should be able to tell from the stock. The strips are thinner and slicker than the exhibit cards. Also, the strips will have machine cuts top and bottom (they were ten card horizontal strips, judging from the boxing version).

Adam, many thanks for this info and the pics of your cards. My cards do seem to match your descriptions. In fact, what I knew about these cards is from similar info that you provided in a Net54 post in September 2014.
Val

[Matt]

I received a PM to re-post the image of Walter Johnson's own copy of his T206 that he pasted into his scrapbook. Please let me know if it isn't displaying (I can see it).

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by Leon

Not that I don't love all of the cards in this thread but the first postcard here is just great. I love the arms folded pose of the Big Train...

Agreed, one of my favorite postcards David!

[itjclarke]

Some awesome cards here.. love the signed Exhibits.

My WaJos are mostly garden variety, but added this guy last week, which is a bit scarcer.

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Some awesome cards here.. love the signed Exhibits.

My WaJos are mostly garden variety, but added this guy last week, which is a bit scarcer.

nice card...once again PSA did an exemplary job on this one!

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by ullmandds

nice card...once again PSA did an exemplary job on this one!

Haha, for sure. I've seen this mistake a lot, though the sets are pretty distinctly different from each other.

I'm not a big pop report guy, but know there are far fewer E122s. Of course at least one or more of those listed as E121 is an E122.

[aelefson]

Not a card, but I really like this photo.

[honus94566]

This postcard that sold from REA recently is amazing.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Haha, for sure. I've seen this mistake a lot, though the sets are pretty distinctly different from each other.

I'm not a big pop report guy, but know there are far fewer E122s. Of course at least one or more of those listed as E121 is an E122.

Many more than 1....I think I can recall 3-4 I have seen without having to think too hard. Not In their defense but E121 vs E122 is a pretty common mistake. Here was the E122 type I had in my first collection...