Evening star., 1917-05-27
.GR|FF HAD HARD time
FINDING boy TO CATCH
Washington Manager in His Youth
Could Put Much Stuff
on Ball.

fifth got his start in base ball and some
of the incidents attendant upon his
early days in the game are set forth
in an article appearing in the Bloom
ington Bulletin Monday, the day before
his arrival there fer the exhibition
game. which had to be postponed until
July % because of rain. Tho story
follows:
Griffith was one Of the young am
bilious kids Of Normal thirty-f1ve
years ago, and with that ambition
went desire to play professional base
ball. The art of curve ball pitching
was a new thing. and one of the Dillon
boys. who happened to be a relative,
had been back east and learned the
art. He came home and taught Grin
how to put the STUFF on his hopper
and drop on his curve. Griffith's
fame soon spread. 1t wasn't very long
until the kid had most Of the town
out watching him zip them over and
to show his hooks. He had a swell
curve, but his speed never broke any
records.
Catchers Few.
The first real obstacle which con-
fronted this coming star wes that Of
getting catcher. Several of the lads
tried to hold his benders, but quit,
after they had received a few broken
fingers and had the wind knocked out
of them with his deceptive slants.
Finally there arose from among them
a lad who never feared anything nor
anybody-'Yellar Mob Dekin. This gen.
tleman is now in the employ of the
the distinction of being Clark Grimth's
first catcher. Mob had the staying
qualities. but after few games grew
tired of getting banged up, so re-
signed. This left Grifr without a re-
ceiver. Not to be entirely out Of prac-
tice, Clark wandered over to Jack
kemp's barn and used it for a back
stop. At first Kemp didn't care, but
following two weeks Of pitching
of the barn looked as If horse had
played tune with its feet against the
lumber, and the young pitcher was told
to seek another field of battle.
1T was not long before Griffith's abil-
ity attracted the attention of the local
pase ball magnates, and in the old
Danville. Champaign, Bloomington and
Peoria semi-pro. ranks Griff got his
start. So good did he perform that he
was sold for $500 to Milwaukee. and
the money received went to pay for the
grandstand at the base ball park Grif-
nth didn't go very good at Milwaukee,
SO was turned loose and went to the
coast. 1t was while pitching out there
he bucked up against Eugene king
McGeevey. and McGeevey, who was
pitching his. first professional ball, got
licked, but later came back at Oakland
and trimmed the Old Fox to the tune
OF IL to 9.
Goes to the Majors.
From the coast he was taken back
east by the Chicago Nationals. then
Thomas Burns. This was in 1895 and
Griffith. Callahan. Kilroy, Briggs.
thornton and Terry made up the pitch
ing stan Tim Donahue was catcher,
Bill Everett, fEst base; Bad Bill Dahlen.
owned by James Hart and managed by
shortstop; Barry Mccormick, second
base; Lange, Mertes and Ryan in the
outfield. Griffith had some tough Gus
phia had Delehanty, who came to an
untimely death a few years ago. when
he walked off bridge near Canada:
Flick and Lajoie and Frank Donahue.
Fnck and Delehanty were great hit
ters. as was Lajoie, and Dad" Clark put
the New York Giants up in the run.
ming. Meekin and Doheny were also
members of that same team, as was Cy
Seymour:
Cleveland had Mig Cuppy, Tebeau,
Zip Mexican. Cincinnati had Jake
Beckley. Corcoran and Breitenstetn.
Louisville had Clingman. Wagner, AL
trock ana Fred Clark. Washington had
Swain. In fact. every one of the twelve
clubs In the old National League had a
few good clubbers.
Well. Grifiith broke in with win
regularly and when the Chicagos hit
New York they were heralded as sure
pennant winners. Griffith was pitted
against Amos Rusie; the latter had
world OF speed and his fast one looked
like curve. Before the game Seymour
and Rusie warmed up for New York
and Griffith and Terry for Chicago. Sey-
mour used croquet ball in practice,
which enabled him to shoot over base
ball much faster. Rusie also pitched a
few over in practice with wooden
pill and when the game started he sent
them over SO fast the batter couldn't
see them. In those days Big Bill Lange,
who played center field for the Chicago
many time he has put the third base
man out on the streets selling shoe
strings and collar buttons; not only did
he cripple them. but he paralyzed them.
enth inning. with Chicago leading three
| to nothing. Lange came up to Griffith
| and asked him II he liked to shut a
club out. Griffith replied not necessari-
". We'll, In the ninth with the score
SO. New York got two men on bases
and two out. Bill Joyce cut ono on q
Hne to deep left center. Away went
Lange and camped under It. but to the
horror OF the young pitcher he dropped
the ball Two runs were over and
a man on third. The next man up flied
out to Everett. Griffith never said a
| word until he arrived at the hotel. 1t
| was there Bill Lange told him, or rather
excused his muff by telling the pitcher
he didn't want to see the Giants shut
out. There was q couple of scribes
nearby and this yarn was one Of their
favorites, telling about Clark Grif1th
never liking to shut out an opposing
~ N.-tH ~ -
tshut-outs.t but his weakness OF heart
Inever was the cause. -,
Griffith has consented to pitch two
innings Tuesday afternoon and the en-
| tire city should turn out and pay
living tribute to the greatest Blooming
ton product to the base ball world
since the days Of Charles Radbourne"
| MARO0NS WIN, z TO s.