[Hankphenom]

Frank "Pop" Dillon was one of several minor league managers to scout Walter Johnson and reject him. On February 11, 1906, Dillon, manager of the L.A. Angels PCL team, went to see Johnson pitching for The Olinda Oil Wells semipro club against a team from Rivera. The Oil Wells won a 5-4 squeaker in which Johnson struck out 11 but also gave up 10 hits. After the game, Dillon was quoted as saying, "He won't do yet. He telegraphs everything he throws." Also on hand was Russ Hall, manager of the Seattle PCL team, and while Hall also turned Johnson down, he did sign two other members of the Olinda team. On November 7, 1907, Johnson got the chance to show Dillon firsthand what he had missed. With two months in the big leagues behind him now, Johnson pitched an exhibition game for the San Diego Pickwicks against Dillon's PCL champion Angels, striking out 16 Angels in a 1-0 victory for the Pickwicks. Frank Dillon was also Clark Griffith's cousin, another twist in the saga.
Hank Thomas