March 8, 1915
Charlottesville, VA
Walter Johnson arrived a day later than expected to the Washington Senators training camp. Instead of being
Walter Johnson
upset with Johnson the Senators’ owners were delighted to see him. With Johnson’s arrival to camp it left no doubt that he was going to pitch for the Senators this season. That wasn’t the case three months earlier when it looked like Johnson was going to play ball for the Chicago Whales of the Federal Baseball League.
Over the off-season the Chicago Whales ownership group, offered Johnson almost double the $12,000 that the Senators paid him during the 1914 season. By the early part of December, 1914 it was basically a done deal that Walter was going to play for Chicago as he signed a three year contract that was reported to be for $60,000 plus a $6,000 bonus.
On December 19, Clark Griffith with contract in hand visited Walter Johnson in Kansas to let him know that legally he was still property of the Washington Senators. After a long meeting with Griffith and some legal advisers Johnson announced that he agreed with the Senators owners, that there was a clause in his 1914 contract that gave the team owners an option to sign Johnson for the 1915 season.
To make sure Johnson wasn’t going anywhere soon Griffith signed the team’s pitching ace to a new three year contract. The Federal League and the Chicago Whales filed a lawsuit against Johnson claiming that he signed a legal contract to play for Chicago. Walter returned the $6,000 bonus and left the rest of the legal battles to his lawyers.
