Back around 1875, or so the story goes, two men on horseback happened upon a farmhouse near Dixon, Missouri claiming to be hungry and tired. Though somewhat reluctant, the landowner offered a hot meal and a barn for rest. The next morning, the wanderers produced pistols, and entertained the farmer's daughter, eight-year-old Minnie Perry, with impeccable marksmanship. Days later, long after the strangers had departed, the family learned they had hosted notorious outlaws Frank and Jesse James.
Little Minnie Perry eventually grew up and married Frank Johnson. Together, they bore a son. So baseball history owns a slight degree of gratitude to the kindness of the murderous James' brothers that Walter "Big Train" Johnson was ever born.
By all accounts, Johnson has no modern-day equal because no pitcher dominates Major League Baseball the way he did so many years ago. And though, at times, they were offered sums of money that would have covered an entire payroll, the Washington Senators steadfastly refused to sell his contract to another club.
For this reason, Johnson played his career with one team, and for most of that time, the Senators were lousy. But Johnson was a company man. Well-mannered and quiet, he often stated a sincere desire to see through the tough times with Washington. He was humble, gracious, and almost impossible to hit.
In many ways, Johnson sounds very similar to a Blue Jays' pitcher who's been in the news lately: Roy Halladay.
On Monday, during a conversation with a few of the Toronto writers, Halladay spoke candidly about his growing frustration with the water-treading Blue Jays. In his eleven years, Halladay has pitched for a second-place team only once.
The message, once summarized in the local dailies, may have come across as 'start-winning-or-he's-gone'. But Halladay claimed to have been misunderstood. On Sportsnet's All-Star pre-game show Tuesday, he made it clear his frustration is more group-oriented, maintaining the players are scratching their heads over another unimpressive season.
Don't be misled. Halladay is dedicated to the organization, but he's also earned the right to go elsewhere when free agency calls in 2010. Still, Halladay is a man who likes to finish what he starts, and there is an obvious desire to be around when the playoffs roll into Toronto once again.
In the aftermath, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports suggested the Blue Jays might be wise to consider trading Halladay in the off-season. His value is extremely high, and the club could garner an impressive return if they believe it's time to brush the board and try again.
Personally, I'm of a different mind. I'd prefer he be a Blue Jay for life. The great Walter Johnson joined a horrendous franchise in 1907, and finally led them to a World Series championship seventeen years later. That is my wish for Roy Halladay.
But who cares what I think? The blog is designed to attract your opinion. Fire away.
