If he were pitching today, he’d never step into the batter’s box but there was no designated hitter during Walter Johnson’s long career. He came to the plate more than 2,000 times between 1907 and 1927. One of those appearances, captured by a
photographer, is now up for bid.
The 8×10 photo shows Johnson following through on a swing during the 1920s.
Our Photo of the Day is one of more than 400 in RMY’s October Auction.
The Big Train was one of the greatest pitchers of all time, recording 417 wins, striking out 3,508 hitters and tossing 110 shutouts. His career ERA was 2.17. Most photographs of Johnson show him in a pitching motion, posing for a portrait-type shot or date to his managing career.
Johnson stands among the best hitting pitchers of all-time. He hit .235 for his career with 24 homers and drove in 255 runs. He’s the only player to win 20 games and hit over .400 in a season (1925).
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