The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-06
Topeka Boy Had a Great Year
With st. Louis Browns.
Carries a Bruised Eye as Result
Of Practice Accident Sunday.
CINCHED FIRST BASE
Has Landed Permanent Berth
by His Splendid Batting.
Was Rest Hitting First Saeker
i'm American League.

Fresh from his first year in the big
show, Arthur Griggs. now recognized
as a great ball player. arrived home
from ST. Louis last night. Arthur is
now member in good standing of the
St Lsouis Browns. and despite the
handicap of being youngster playing
his first season up among the big ones,
Art Is known the country over ball
player. He was one of the leading
sluggers in the American League, hav-
ing hit the bali at a gait somewhere
to the dizzy side of the 300 mark, and
fielding up to the same standard.
Art looks but little worse for the
wear and tear of breaking into the big
show. He is wearing a pair of smoked
glasses which obscures a swollen left
eye ball from the casual observer. He
received the injury in practice last
Sunday at Cleveland and was put out
before the games started. Otherwise
he is looking as fine as Chesterfield
and as ready for business as the tabled
fatted calS.
Topelza's honor in the baseball! world
has been well upheld by Griggs this
season. He IS the only real represen-
tative of the town who can draw salary
mp among the big ones, and his show
ing was cTeditabl. in every way. The
first year is a. hard one. And Griggs
found II just about as hard as any
body ever did. At first he was scoffed
training trip early in the spring. Griggs
showed some real flashes of form. This
worried some of the veterans who with
every movement of the big Topelan
saw their own jobs slipping GriggS
didn't meet with much encoura cement.
The veterans of the club cut him from
their speaking list and when the sea-
son opsned G-iggs was anything but a
favorite. 1t was his lot to draw the
ugiiest looking uniform in the Ameri-
can League, and he was an OBJECT for
the fan testers to shower their atten-
tons upon.
But it couldn't last long that way.
One day there was need of an outf1eld-
er and Art got in the game. He looked
good at the plate but didn't field in
anything like sensational style. Finally
McAleese got back in the game, and
Griggs again kept the bench hot Again
his chance came and he went In at
short. He was out of position. At
second he looked a little better. But
by this time Griggs had demonstrated
his hitting ability and he was too i'm
portant a factor to be kept on the
bench and Griggs had a place some
where in every game.
Finally luck broke his way Tom
Jones. the regular first sacker. went to
Detroit in the trade bv which Claude
Rossman came to the Browns. Ross
man tried 1t a day or two and got in |
bad with the bunch" He finally quit
the team, because he couldn't stand the |
gaff. No one was left to play first and |
Gr7SSS look the JOD. lie IS l1LIlng the |
ball as hard as any first sacker in |
the American League, not even except |
ing the great Hal Chase He is little
raw on the finer fielding points of the |
game, but time can remedy that de-
feet.
Along with his successes Art is mod
est. Even his closest friends have been I
unable to get him started to telling his
own virtues. He admits that he likes
it up among the big ones, for he says
e. player can pull down the money.
This being his first year didn't bring |
him as much money as the great Honus /
Wagner received. but he will receive |
a fatter check on the LIST and 18th of
every month of the next season. His
friends are predicting a big season for
him next year, and his work this sea-
son seems to justify the prognostica
tion.
Art will visit with his parents who
live on the east side of town for a |
Few days. but will leave sometime next |
week for San Antonio. where he will
spend the winter. Art went to the |
Browns from Santonio. where he put |
up great game in 1908 and where he
Is as popular as DR.. Cook in Copen-
hagen.