Walter Johnson, "The Big Train", of the Washington Senators

Gabby Street, a catcher for the Washington Senators, squinted up into the air. Standing at the base of the Washington Monument on August 21st, 1908, he was attempting to catch a baseball dropped from the top of the obelisk, 555 feet up. On his thirteenth try he was able to accomplish it, as jubilant bystanders and reporters surrounded him. He was asked how he could catch a ball going that fast. "Hell, that was easy," he replied. "Try catching for Walter Johnson!"

Walter Johnson. No conversation about the great pitchers of baseball's rich history can begin without first mentioning this man, a man beloved by not only the players of his era, but by the fans and those that covered the sport. Born in Humboldt, Kansas, on November 6th 1887, Johnson was the second of six children. His family moved west to the California oilfields in 1901, where Johnson's baseball ability began to come to the forefront playing for his high school team. He moved on to semi-pro ball in Idaho, where his right handed pitching prowess was soon noticed by scouts. Persuaded to sign with the lowly Washington club, he went east and in 1907, at the age of nineteen, posted a 5-9 record with a 1.86 ERA. Ty Cobb, the first time he faced Johnson, realized what hitters were in for. He recalled that, "Every one of us knew we had met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ballpark."

Walter's inexperience and wildness held him back at first. Undeniably fast, he still needed to learn the intricacies of the sport. His first three years in the American League, his record was only 32-48. In 1910, still only 22, he began to live up to his vast potential. He posted a 25-17 mark for the Senators, winning almost 40% of their total of 66 victories on the year. Indeed, over his career, Johnson's winning percentage was over one hundred points higher than that of his team's.