An Interview with Walter Johnson (Sort Of) 10/14/12

Hey baseball fans!

Before I get to telling you all who I think deserves to be on baseball's Mount Rushmore, let me tell you who I have just interviewed: Walter Johnson (aka "the Big Train")! I know what you're all thinking: how is it possible to interview someone who's already dead? My answer to you is that I did this interview like my interview with the Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth. Instead of reaching out to the Walter Johnson Museum (which doesn't even exist), I reached out to the next best thing: his 89-year old daughter, Carolyn Johnson Thomas. I called her at her house and asked her to answer some questions in the way she thinks her father would have answered them if he were alive today.

If you want to know more about this great pitcher (who had the second most wins and the most shutouts of all time), click on this link from my prior Proficient Pitchers blog post on him. Anyway, here's the interview:

Matt: Who was the toughest hitter you ever pitched against?
Walter: Probably, Babe Ruth.

Matt: If you were playing today, who would you want to pitch to?
Walter: Bryce Harper, definitely.

Matt: When did you start using your sidearm delivery?
Walter: I never used anything else.

Matt: What was your favorite ballpark to pitch in?
Walter: Griffith Stadium, home of my team, the Washington Senators.

Matt: Were you excited to be part of the first Hall of Fame class?
Walter: It was a really big honor and I'm proud of that accomplishment.

Matt: Were you friendly with any of the Hall of Famers from your time?
Walter: I got along with everybody. Even Ty Cobb was pretty nice to me.

Matt: You were known for a great fastball that hissed by a batter. If there were radar guns back in the time you pitched, how do you think your fastball would compare to pitchers from today like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson?
Walter: I think it would hold up pretty well compared to those guys.

Matt: What should MLB be doing to educate the young fans of today about baseball history?
Walter: I think they're doing pretty well. The sport is widely publicized throughout the nation. (Note from Matt: Walter has been in the news a lot lately due to the Nationals' run and also because he is one of the all time greats!!)

Well, that's the interview. I know that the answers are kind of short, but imagine that this is Walter Johnson saying these things. Anyway, I hope you all liked the interview. For my next post, I will tell you all who I think deserves to be on baseball's Mount Rushmore. Thanks for reading!