Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1917 — MIKE SHEA GIVEN CREDIT FOR DISCOVERING JOHNSON [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MIKE SHEA GIVEN CREDIT FOR DISCOVERING JOHNSON

Question as to Who Realty Brought Great Pitcher From the “Bushes" Is Finally Settled. It has been definitely settled who really discovered Walter Jqhnson. It was Mike Shea, who played in the old California league, in which Manager Griffith of the Nationals, and Joe Cantillon, pilot of the Minneapolis American association team, played in their younger days. Shea was a member of the San. Francisco club, and Griffith and Cantillon were once with Sacramento. This fact about Johnson was developed in a fanning bee between the famous piteher and Cantillon, who was manager of the Washington club when

Walter was brought from the West to play for the team in the nation’s capital. . Cliff Blankenship, catcher for the Washington club in the Cantillon regime, generally credited as the pitcher’s discoverer, never saw Johnson" pitch until the big twirler worked for the Nationals, known as the S&ators when Cantillon was at the helm. It is true that Blankenshin toolL.a ti‘jp to Idaho to sign Johnson, .as an emissary sent by Cantillon. The latter had been tipped off to the rookie pitcher by Shea, who had seen Walter work in many games. _ w As Cantillon explained it, Blankenship was selected to make the trip West because he was on the hospital list with Injured, fingers and without prospect of being able to go behind the bat for some time.

Walter Johnson.