The Washington times., 1913-02-06
JENNINGS PAYS A
FITTING TRIBUTE
T0CLARK GRIFFITH
Credit for Victory Of Last Sea-
son and Seasons to Come
Are Due "oId Fox"
LAYS STRESS UPON
MANAGERS PORTION
Tiger Leader lauds Climbers
Pilot as Great Developer of
Young Players.
By HUGHEY JENNINGS.

One Of the greatest slow ball pitch
ers In his day, winner of the first AM
erfcan League championship with his
Chicago White Sox, later a contender
In two championship fights while with
the New York club. the Washington
fan should congratulate himself on
possessing one of the grestest base
ball managers in the game. Clark
Griffith. gladly take this opportunity
of expressing my opinion Of the
Climbers gritty leader.
II Washington ever leads the bunch
across the line, Griff vii. deserve the
bulk Of the credit Walter johnson
may establish records in the box, Milan
on the bases and the whole team in
the field and at the bat. but back Of
the victory will be the "Old Fox" and
his methods.
Few fans realize just what the strain
of a championship struggle is upon
the manager of a team in the race.
He has to endure the criticism of many
who really don't know what they re
talking about. He has to listen TO
weli-meant, but foolish suggestions by
the thousand. He has to open letters
whose words scar and burn to the
very marrow. And when the battle
10 done. the praise generally goes 70
some great player whose fnignty ri2ns
arm worked under orders from the
bench Every manager knows this.
It's nothing new.
Knows Game Thoroughly.
Clark Griffith Is a thorough student
Of the game. Whenever he makes
suggestion, We oid-umers know thar
he mas put a iot of thought into It. lie
doesn't go of half-cocAed. He sees
To the bottom of every project placed
before him and when he tanks of II.
he s generally right, no matter what
others may think OF II. -
AS handler OF young players. Grtn
ranks with Connie Mack and Johnny
McGraw. Indeed. In some ways ne pet
ters their best performances. His rec
ord of 1872 stanus forth as the most
vcnderfui In years. Not even knowing
by sis n more tEan baiI a dozen Oh the
players TUNED over 10 him, he took
Them IN nand and welded them into
sp,end,d 'f,snting machine inside OF TWO
months. 4 teiI you, IL takes aoiiIty TO
GrifT doesn like umpires- Neither do
I. We have to have them to pay the
game according 10 our standards, but
umpirss are a pesky tribe. To see Grin
go after an unpire makes me grin way
down to my heels. He pulled some
great umpire batting in Detroit last
summer, one Of which will always live
In ms memory.
Calls In Cashion.
Jean Dubuc was pitching airtigIt ball
and Gr.ff n as hard-put 10 cop Ine VIC
tory. He had TO sniit mis- pitchers in a
pinch. Bobby Groom being ban!shed for |
talking 10 Evans longer thai. Has safe, |
and sent Carl Casnlon, that mountain
OF a man. oul TO risnI iield 10 warm up. |
Then Grln started Taking 40 E'ans. de- |
layins tine game IN oroer 20 let CashfoH |
warm Up. |
tie plate and hurry the game along. 1
did IL, but 1 had hard work 10 keep the
grin OF my face .Grif was lighting |
mad. His team was right in the miuC-s |
Of its winning streak and he meant TO
have Cashlon ready for his best work |
when he entered the box. j demanded |
that Cashion be called In and Grin op- |
poeed II.
Finally Evans saw the point and in
sisted that Cashion be called In. Then |
that youngster. showing. the brains of \
q more experienced player. suddenly de- |
veloped wonderful deafness. He |
couldn't hear thing We yelled, but /
continued warming up. By the time |
we got him IN, he was In good shape |
and held US even till the Climbers got |
busy in the ninth and snatched a 3-to-2 |
victory right from under our noses.
Griff's Good Point.
Grin brought out a good point in that /
he had with me at the plate.
He holds that a relieving pitcher sent
into q game under such peculiar cir
is entitled TO a complete
warming up. Taking up the pitching
with his arm cold. serious injury may
be caused. This illustrates two things
In Griff. his scrappiness and his knowl-
edge of the fitness of things. They 20
to make one OF the greatest managers
In the business. too.
Here In Washington GrifT seems as
large a figure as the head OF the nation.
His name .s heard On the street just as
He has pulled the city out
Of the baseball slough and deserves ali
the good things said OF him in his hour
Of victory.
know one thing. boys. and I'm tell
Ing II here. that Gr!ff VIII never quit
until he mas landed his team closer to
the pennsnt honors than he did last
year. He may not do II this summer
ahead Of US. but he'll keep everiastIngly