Walter Johnson
He threw baseballs with such ferocious speed that he redefined pitching and became the standard for power for generations.
1887–1946 (age 59)·American baseball player and manager·Birthday: November 6·The Lost Generation
Biography
Walter Johnson arrived in Washington, D.C., a raw farm boy from Kansas, and for two decades he was the sole reason the Senators were taken seriously. In an era of dead balls and spitballs, his fastball was a terrifying anomaly, a blur that seemed to emanate from somewhere near his right foot. His career unfolded with a quiet, almost melancholy consistency for a perennially mediocre team, piling up strikeouts and shutouts with a gentle demeanor that belied his arm's violence. By the time he retired, he held records for wins and strikeouts that seemed untouchable, his legend cemented not by championships but by the sheer, awe-inspiring dominance of his right arm. He later managed with less success, but his legacy was already written in the record books and the widened eyes of batters who faced him.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Walter was born in 1887, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Walter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1887
Walter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1887Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1892Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Became a teenager
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1903Could drive
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could vote
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Turned 21
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 30
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 40
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 50
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1946Died at 59
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
Key Achievements
- Recorded 110 career shutouts, a Major League Baseball record that still stands.
- Won 417 games, the second-most in baseball history, all for the Washington Senators.
- Struck out 3,508 batters, a record that stood for over 55 years.
- Won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1913 and 1924.
- Pitched a record 56 consecutive scoreless innings in 1913.
Did You Know?
His fastball was reportedly never officially timed, but contemporaries claimed it was the fastest of his era.
He was also a skilled violinist, often playing for teammates on road trips.
He once struck out the side on nine pitches in a 1911 game.
Despite his power, he was known as one of the kindest and most gentlemanly players in the game.
“You can't hit what you can't see.”
