Rock Island Argus., 1913-04-04
CLARK GRIFFITH A
PITCHING WONDER
Successful From His PROBES
sional Debut in Old Inter
State League.
KNOWN AS LITTLE FOX"
Nov Manager Of the Washington
American League Team-Tutor
Of Hurler Walter johnson.


Becoiiectous and memories Of Clark
{ Griffith. formerly NJ Normal. as one
Of the games greatest hurlers. are
gradually being overshadowed by his
recent success az manager Of a big"
league club. Il vii. be % years next
May since Clark Griffith. then a mere
stripping OF - summers, pitched ms
first game Of ball in professional COM
p.ny. On the l4Jn day OF May, 1883,
Clark faced the Decatur team OF the
Western Interstate league. He held
the enemy 70 FIVE singles and whitfield
eight men. but lost his first atLempt py
a score OF . 20 g.
Griffith as a hurler vas a success
from the Jump Biazoned across in the
headlines above the box score Of games
ir which the little fox OF baseball"
has oficiated for many years back.
have appeared these words. Griffith
kept the hits we'll scattered" Times
.'hOut number have the above men.
toned lines appeared In and over box
score accounts OF games in which
"Gri'' has pitched for nearly a quarter
% century back. These words never
fitted the situation better than in c.
Grifths case.
Clark made good start with the
Bloomington club Of the above men
ticned circuit, winning 10 out OF Il
games His work was so successful
that it attracted the attention Of James
1H h..
vaukee club Of the Western league.
Mr.. Hart purchased his release about
mid.season Of 1883. paying $500 in cash
and for good measure throwing in
young hurler laboring under the appro-
PIRATE name of Struck Mr. Struck
failed 70 make a strike. and was soon
lost I'm the mire OF oblivion while c.
Griffith began march 10 fame that
l"d through many leagues. 1rinEed and
trimmed with success. mixed here and
there with a reverse or two
clark G Griffith was born I'm Nevada.
NIo.. In 1869 He received many les
SONS in the art Of pitching from the
king of old time twirlers Charles Rad
huurne. of Bloomington "Grif' Ger
'g.uly acquired the fine points of the
pitching game from some master hand.
TO- few pitchers before his day or since
have made such q remarkable record
as a winner. clark was anything but
o phenomena 80 chat. few games in
uie long rTr"ar rur 70 tho sensational
80. delivery HAS tocu pUmmeled for
rmos' ten hits per game since his ad-
..uf ...o The big league. Yet as
1,rUrI Of games he ranks with the
Erca' ones For instance. I'm 1895. with
q rercoptaEc NJ wins of .65S Crit" was
t1u,hc mp for II hits per game To
snow how he could spread his hits. in
1896 ho hurled three games where his
opponents whacked his offerings for
90 swats. the double number was reach
90 in each game, Vet this abundance
~ C.outiug only Yielded ono lonesome
-1uy bon each contest In 1895 the St
Loms Cardinals punished his offerings
for II clean hits, but couldn't put a
Lau across
Many fans call rhis luck r. It were
luck % stuck closer than a brother TO
him through many seasons Of hard
campaigning His long continued sue
cors should put the quietus on the luck
story
RESERVE CUNNING.
Griffith held more TO- reserve. 20 stop
the next batter when the game was az
the danger mark. than any pitcher the
same ever produced. not excepting his
famous tutor Radbourue Clark learn.
cd the strategic points Of the game
early and his long career extending
through 10 seasons shows scores O'
games won on purely strategic Lines.
"Grirs" earlier records show that he
bad the ability TO fan batters In his
first three seasons out. he whitfield so
men i'm 1O2 games. an average OF al
most six uer game This proves that
lark had the goods 20 deceive bats
men into striking out. n he cared 70
use it. But no, the Napoleon OF STRAIT
cEy housed his deceptive stuff 10 be
used exclusively n piuches.
For number OF wears G~fith.s con
troll Was not jus. 90 his liking To- fact
"Grt' a' the start wasn't famed fOr
control. some o. his games showed a
decided 'ack o. accuracy I'm q game
AGAINST Washington ta his frs year
on the big LEAGUE. .Grlt sent nine
men down 70 first .u five innings OF a
game that be- finished with all this
IneraHry Mr. Gr,Hth won that game
bur he had " dip down deep IN his re
serve stock go keep The runs from pill
Ing up No pitcher ever worked hard
o. TO gain control than did Crit.
While with Milwaukee. Manager Char
ley" CuchmaU suggested 90 Clark tha
no make pla.e or rather. eur out O
canvas piece just the size OF p'at'
and nail .t on q board fence a. th'
height of the waist line The device
worked 20 perfection Clark developed
control so fue that be could shoot
ball from the waist 70 the shoulder