Walter Johnson.

Walter Johnson. Walter Johnson (1887-1946), American professional baseball player, one of the greatest major league pitchers. Because he threw the ball so fast, he was nicknamed the Big Train. Walter Perry Johnson was born in Humboldt, Kansas. He joined the Washington Senators of the American League (AL) in 1907 and remained with the team until 1927. During this time the Senators did not achieve consistent success, but Johnson was one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, compiling a win-loss record of 417279. In career victories, he ranks behind only Cy Young, who earned 511. During his career Johnson also threw 110 shutouts, a major league record. In 1913 he compiled a 36-7 win-loss record and was voted the AL's most valuable player (MVP). He was also the AL's MVP in 1924. Johnson, who overpowered batters with his fastball, is considered one of the greatest strikeout pitchers ever. He led the AL in strikeouts 12 times (1910, 1912-1919, 1921, 1923, 1924), and during his career he recorded 3509 strikeouts, a major league record that was not broken until Nolan Ryan surpassed it in 1983. Johnson pitched in two World Series: In 1924 the Senators defeated the New York Giants, but the following year they lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Johnson retired after the 1927 season. He returned to the Senators in 1929 and managed the team until 1932. He managed the Cleveland Indians of the AL from 1933 to 1935. In 1936 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.