Washington DC Baseball

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Player #54E: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

Here we begin Deveaux's account of Walter's stormy 1914-1915 off-season: As if the news from overseas wasn't gloomy enough, from Coffeyville, Kansas, came another ominous threat during the following winter. The rebel Federal League, an offshoot of a players' revolt against penurious owners, had formed the previous year. As had been the case when the American League was organized a decade and a half earlier, players now had some bargaining power -- they were able to shake off the shackles of baseball's reserve system and accept more money from a competing league for their services.

In the midst of this more advantageous environment, from a players' standpoint, Senators president Ben Minor hit upon the bright idea that Walter Johnson would have to take a cut in pay. His 28-18 did not warrant a $12,000 salary, and Minor resolved to write to his star hurler to address the matter. Clark Griffith nearly had a coronary and begged Minor not to do this. The Old Fox knew that the Chicago Federals were making a bid for Johnson's signature on a contract, and knew that Minor's ultimatum would be the straw to break Barney's back. Minor mailed his letter anyway. Johnson wrote back in mid-November, 1914, stating that he was looking for nothing less than $16,000 a year for three years, plus a $6,000 signing bonus.

Ben Minor believed rumors that the Federal League was about to go under, and that Walter Johnson was going to have to play by his rules. Minor wrote back that he could pay $12,500 only, for one, two, or three years. That is what Johnson really didn't like; he would not have anyone dictate terms of his contract. Then the Chicago Federals offered the Big Train $17,500 a year and his $6,000 bonus; Walter signed, on December 3, 1914.

Clark Griffith initially reacted in anger, claiming the Nats were going to sue the star pitcher " to the end of the earth" for breach of contract. The signing, the worst thing that could have happened to the American League, let alone the Washington Baseball Club, had immediate repercussions. League president Ban Johnson arranged the sale of Philadelphia's Eddie Collins to the White Sox so the league could have a marquee player to counter the Big Train in Chicago.

It is ironic how incensed Griffith had been with the great pitcher. He himself had of course once jumped leagues and raided National League clubs at the turn of the century. The time had come for the Old Fox to live up to his sobriquet. He enlisted the help of Fred Clarke, manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who happened to be a friend of his and who lived near Independence, Kansas, not far from where the recalcitrant pitcher lived. This was the same Fred Clarke who had once been too busy to give young Walter Johnson a tryout. On behalf of the Washington owner, Clarke reminded Johnson, just turned 27, of his obligation to baseball and particularly to the fans of Washington. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

We will complete this account, when Johnson surfaces in our treatment of 1915.

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Player #39F: J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for the Washington Senators as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

Milan's SABR biography discusses the rest of his career: In 1914 Milan suffered a broken jaw and missed six weeks of the season after colliding with right fielder Danny Moeller. He rebounded to play in at least 150 games in each of the next three seasons, 1915 to 1917, and he continued to play regularly through 1921, batting a career-high .322 in 1920. Griffith appointed Milan to manage the Nats in 1922 but the job didn’t agree with him; he suffered from ulcers as the club finished sixth, and he was fired after the season amidst reports that he was “too easy-going.”

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The 1915 Washington Senators won 85 games, lost 68, and finished in fourth place in the American League. They were managed by Clark Griffith and played home games at National Park.

Deveaux runs over the 1915 season: In 1915, the Senators slipped down another notch in the standings, finishing fourth despite a slightly improved record of 85-68. Walter Johnson again led the league in a host of pitching categories and logged a 27-13 slate on his way to recording ten straight seasons with 20 or more wins. He improved his ERA to 1.55, just short of Joe Wood's league-leading 1.49. As it had been in 1912, the Senators' pitching staff was the A.L.'s best, recording a 2.31 ERA in a league which averaged 2.94. This was still the era of slap hitting, and the New York Yankees led the league with a grand total of 31 home runs.

Nineteen fifteen was also the year Ty Cobb reclaimed the stolen-base title with his career best 96, which stood as the majors' record until broken 47 years later by Maury Wills. The Senators did distinguish themselves on the basepaths in the July 19 game. They stole eight bases in one inning, the first, against Detroit, with Steve O'Neill the unfortunate catcher involved. Moeller, Milan, McBride, and Eddie Ainsmith, a fast runner for a catcher, all swiped two each. Ainsmith by this time caught only Walter Johnson -- he contended his hands needed several days to recover from the beating they took when Barney pitched.

Of note in 1915 was the August 22 game at Detroit, an 8-1 win, when the Nationals managed to score without recording a single official at-bat in the inning, the only time this has been done in major-league history. (Note: I suspect this record has been overcome by the ghost runner(s).) Following walks to Chick Gandil and Merito Acosta, Rip Williams moved the baserunners ahead with a sacrifice bunt. George McBride hit a sac fly to score Gandil, and Acosta was then picked off second base. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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Player #70B: J. Joseph "Joe" Boehling. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1912-1916. 56 wins and 4 saves in 7 MLB seasons. His career ERA was 2.97. His best season was 1913 with Washington as he posted a 17-7 record with a 2.14 ERA in 235.1 innings pitched. He finished his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1916-1917 and 1920.

Joe Boehling pitched seven years in the majors. In his best year, he went 17-7 for the 1913 Washington Senators. He was three years younger than Hall of Fame teammate Walter Johnson. Boehling makes the list of the top ten Twins/Senators pitchers with the lowest ERA (minimum 500 innings since 1900). Joe was remembered in 2015 when the 2015 Brewers and 2015 Reds were poised to send rookie starting pitchers against each other for all three games of an upcoming series. MLB said the last time that happened was in 1913 when Joe was one of the rookie starters.

The 1915 season saw Boehling pitch a career high number of games with 40, 32 of them starts. After a 14–13 record in 1915 and a 9–11 record the following season, the Senators traded Boehling. On August 18, 1916, Boehling was traded along with Danny Moeller to the Cleveland Indians for Elmer Smith and Joe Leonard.

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Player #72B: Charles A. "Chick" Gandil. First baseman for the Washington Senators in 1912-1915. 1,176 hits and 151 stolen bases in 9 MLB seasons. 1917 World Series champion. He led AL first baseman in fielding percentage 4 times. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1910. His best season was 1913 with Washington as he posted a .363 OBP with 72 RBI's and 22 stolen bases in 603 plate appearances. He finished his career with the Chicago White Sox in 1917-1919. He is best known as the "ringleader" of the players involved in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

Gandil's SABR biography talks to his involvement in the game-fixing scandal: Prior to his infamous involvement in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, Chick Gandil was one of the most highly regarded first basemen in the American League, both for his play on the field and his solid work ethic. In 1916 a Cleveland newspaper described Gandil as “a most likeable player, and one of excellent habits.” From 1912 to 1915 the right-handed Gandil starred for the Washington Senators, leading the club in runs batted in three times and batting .293. In the field Gandil paced American League first sackers in fielding percentage four times and in assists three times.

He continued his strong work with the Chicago White Sox from 1917 to 1919, helping the club to two American League pennants before forever tarnishing his legacy by helping to fix the 1919 World Series. Yet Gandil may have been the only banished player who gained more than he lost from the fix. After the 1919 World Series, the first baseman retired from major-league baseball, reportedly taking $35,000 in cash with him.

No one knows the full story of the Black Sox Scandal — few of the participants were willing to talk, and the whole plot was confused and poorly managed. But by all accounts Gandil, who claimed to be furious with Comiskey’s miserly ways, was one of the ringleaders. Most accounts agree that it was Gandil who approached gambler Sport Sullivan with the idea of fixing the Series, and that he also served as the players’ liaison with a second gambling syndicate that included Bill Burns (a former teammate of Gandil’s) and Abe Attell. Chick was also the go-between for all payments, and reportedly kept the lion’s share of the money. Though none of the other fixers took home more than $10,000 from the gamblers, Gandil reportedly pocketed $35,000 in payoffs.

It’s interesting to note that Gandil had a reasonably good Series. Although he hit only .233, that was the fourth best average among White Sox regulars. He was second on the team with five RBIs, and he had one game-winning hit. However, he made several suspicious plays in the field, and all but one of his seven hits came in games the fixers were trying to win, or in which they were already losing comfortably. Rumors of a Series fix began to circulate, with Gandil’s name prominently mentioned.

The next spring Gandil demanded a raise to $10,000 per year. When Comiskey balked, Gandil and his wife decided to remain in California. Flush with his financial windfall from the Series, Gandil announced his retirement from the majors, instead spending the season with outlaw teams in St. Anthony, Idaho, and Bakersfield, California. Thus Gandil was far away from the scene as investigations into the 1919 World Series began during the fall of 1920.

This thread will now experience a brief pause. Expected restart: 22 October.

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Player #28H: Clark C. "The Old Fox" Griffith. Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1912-1914. Debuted with the St. Louis Browns in 1891. 237 wins and 8 saves in 20 MLB seasons. Was 1898 MLB ERA leader. Managed the Chicago White Stockings (1901-1902), the New York Highlanders (1903-1908), the Cincinnati Reds (1909-1911), and the Washington Senators (1912-1920). Was principal owner of the Washington Senators from 1920 until his death in 1955. In 1946, was inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame.

We begin Deveaux's summary of how the Washington lineup evolved prior to the 1915 season: Clark Griffith himself got a new contract prior to the opening of the 1915 baseball season, although it wasn't the five-year term he'd been seeking. It was for a reported $10,000 a year for three years, an increase from $7,500 a year. On the ballfield, he was contemplating changes. Chick Gandil was irresponsible, but got his hitting back on the beam with .291. But Griffith had been patient long enough with Howard Shanks and Danny Moeller in the outfield. On a scouting trip to Buffalo in search of some help, Griff made a discovery that would instead bolster the infield for a long time to come. He was at first only interested in Charlie Jamieson, an outfielder who in fact turned out to be a blue-chipper, except not before the Senators let him get away on waivers in 1917.

The Buffalo owner, David Harum, was talked not only into giving up Jamieson, but throwing in a first baseman named Joe Judge for an extra $500. . . . (We will return to this account very soon.) (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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Player #54F: Walter P. "Barney" Johnson. "The Big Train". Pitcher for the Washington Senators in 1907-1927. 417 wins and 34 saves in 21 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1913 and 1924 AL Most Valuable Player. 3-time triple crown. 6-time AL wins leader. 5-time AL ERA leader. 12-time AL strikeout leader. He had a career ERA of 2.17 in 5,914.1 innings pitched. He pitched a no-hitter in 1920. He holds the MLB record with 110 career shutouts. MLB All-Time Team. Inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame in 1936. One of his best seasons was 1913 as he posted a record of 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 346 innings pitched.

We go back to pick up Deveaux's account of Johnson's contract developments before the 1915 season: There was only one thing to do (renege on his contract with the Chicago Federals and accept an offer from Washington), according to Clarke (Fred, Pittsburgh Pirates owner, Kansas resident, and Griffith emissary), and he soon had Walter in tears. It was arranged that he would meet Clark Griffith summarily. At that meeting, Johnson agreed to sign for Minor's $12,500. Walter got the Old Fox's word that he would do everything in his power to get the best pitcher in baseball a big increase after that. This is what happened, and Johnson was very satisfied the following year to sign a five-year agreement, good through the 1920 season, at $16,000 per.

For the moment, however, there was still for Clark Griffith the problem of paying Walter Johnson the $6,000 bonus he had been promised by the Chicago Federals. To match that, Griff approached Ban Johnson and tried to sell him on the importance of retaining Walter Johnson in the American League. The league's "emergency fund" had grown to nearly a half a million dollars, and surely, Grifith pleaded, this was an emergency. Despite the league's healthy resources, Ban Johnson initially turned him down.

Charles Comiskey was reportedly with Ban Johnson while the league prexy discussed the matter with Griffith over the telephone. Johnson, exasperated, asked to confer with Comiskey. Griffith impressed upon the tightwad owner that if Walter Johnson headed for Chicago, that would be formidable opposition for his White Sox. Then Comiskey agreed to cover the $6,000, and the deal was finally done. Johnson turned the bonus over to his brother Earl, who wanted to buy a garage back home in Coffeyville, Kansas.

The squabble over the contract was humiliating for Walter Johnson, as was related in the April 1915, issue of Baseball Magazine. In the detailed article, the letter Johnson had received from Nationals president Ben Minor was reprinted in its entirety. In the ten pages it took to explain why he had signed with the Federals, Walter admitted he had broken his contract with the Chicago outfit only because he felt that that would be less serious than the harm he would do to baseball in Washington, D.C. Damned if he did, and damned if he didn't, he had been humbled more than he ever could have been by actually playing the game he excelled at.

It is worth noting that it was at this time that the nickname Big Train originated. Bud Milliken wrote in the Washington Post that the "Big Train" had been prevented by "a storm" from getting to spring training on time, an allegorical reference to the pitcher's absence. Milliken reintroduced the moniker a couple of weeks later, and it got picked up by other writers. Still, it would be nearly a decade before it would be universally adopted. (The Washington Senators by Tom Deveaux.)

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