Still, the Elm City is briefly mentioned in the book. The father of a
childhood friend once told young Ted of seeing the great Walter Johnson
pitch against a team of Negro League all-stars in New Haven. Johnson
allowed a tape-measure home run in the first inning and lost 1-0.
Williams, upon reaching the majors, confirmed the tale with Johnson
himself.
In his autobiography, Williams detailed meeting Johnson in Washington.
“’I’ve got a friend in San Diego who says he saw you pitch
against this Negro team in New Haven, and he says in the first inning
one of the players ...’” Williams wrote. “And Johnson began nodding his
head. ‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘He hit the ball a mile.’”
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