On Thursday, Oct. 2, the Library of Congress revealed recovered newsreel footage of the seventh game of the 1924 World Series.  The surprisingly clear video shows Walter Johnson entering the game in the ninth inning and shutting out the Giants for four innings to win the game.

Although every student and faculty member is aware of the fact that our school is named after Walter Johnson, not all may be aware of exactly who he was and the legacy that he left behind.

Walter Johnson was a right-handed pitcher for Major League Baseball.  Nicknamed “The Big Train”, WJ played for the Washington Senators for the entirety of his 21-year baseball career, and managed the team later on.  Throughout his career, Johnson set many shutout and strikeout records, some of which remain unbroken today.  He is known throughout the nation as a symbol of good sportsmanship and friendly competition.

With the Nationals, who recently lost their last playoff game, and Johnson’s birthday coming up on Nov. 6, the timing of this video appropriately reminds us of the legacy and impact that baseball has had on our nation for generations.