The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-03
PITCHING ACE
OF DODGERS is
PIRATE CASTOFF'
How Burleigh Grimes, Now
Dodgers Mainstay, Made
Good.
LOST TWENTY STRAIGHT
But Viudicated Wil5crt Rob-
inson's Judgment After Quit
ting Tailenders.
LOST TWENTY STRAIGHT

From CASTOR in 1918 to one of the
leading pitchers in the league In 1920
such Is the remarkable record of Bur-
leigh Grimes. mainstay of the BROOKLYN
dodgers in the box this season and the
pitcher who Is expected to shouldes mosr
OF the burden of the National League
champions in the coming worlds series.
His triumph in the face OF Il mighty
dlscouragfng start In major league com.
pany has furnished one of the most
interesting comeback stories Of the last
three seasons
coming to Pittsburg in the middle OF
the season of 1915 after successful
soJourn with the Birmingham club OF
the Southern League. Grimes. at that
tlme ~ years of age, encountered all
sorts Of obstacles in the path of his
ADVANCE to pitching fame. To begin
with he was with a second division
team that failed to give him the proper
supports then his control went back on
MIN, and he found himself losing one
game AFTER another with discouraginc
regularity.
Inc Pirates kept him throughout the
season OF 1916. first because he mad
SHOWN himself a sturdy. willing worker.
| ana secondly because his pitching was
not as bad as his record seemed to indj-
cate. The well known baseball iinx
appeared to have camped on his trail
ana despite some commendable perform
ances he finished on the short end of
nearly all of his games. For the season
OF 1917 Grimes had the unenvable rec
ora or three games won and sixteen
| iost. Many Of his games had been lost
! ny margin or run or two: many OF
them had been thrown away bv his
teammates. who eventually finished in
tan end position, but the fact remained
mat ne had been the least successful of
the Pittsburg pitchers.
When Brooklyn talked trade with
Pittsburg In the winter of 1917-1s1s n
aio not take much persuasion for Bar
ney Dreyfus to send Grimes along with
Ward and Mamaux for Cutshaw and
Stengel OF the Dodgers Brooklyn fans
at the time did not see what Wilbert
| Ropinson wanted with a pitcher like
Grimes who had failed to win game
| IN the last fourteen starts with PITTS
ourg the year before, especially since
the Brooklyn pitching staff was strong
enough at the time. The infield was the
place where the Dodgers needed bolster
ing. Loyal rooters came to the conclu
sion that Grimes had just been thrown
AZ LOT gooo measure, but the Brooklyn
management came in for quite a bit Of
| criticism Va
The real reason for Grimes COMING IN
brooklyn. however, was the fact that
| Wllpert Robinson, than whom there is
! no better Judge of pitchers extant. had
seen wonderful possibilities In the younr
hurier and felt certain that under his
tfeiage and guidance he would develop
| INTO star. Grimes was a long time
indicating the judgment of the Dodr-
ers manager. He made a decidedly
encouraging start as member of the
Brooklyn team, dropping half a dozen
games and thereby increasing his num-
Der OF successive defeats begun the ven
before to twenty.
crimes finally got going. however. and
kept going so we'll that he won eirh,
| games in a row. That succession of vic
| tories established him as fixture on tho
brooklyn staff of pitchers and so he has
! remained, thriving on work and improy
ing with each season. His gameness. per-
severence and pitching ability had COM
PEELED his baseball jinx to cry quits after
| q long battle
Grimes twirled in and out sort of ball
iast year, nash1ng brilliant form one
game and rather mediocre the next. He
| finished with record OF ten games won
ana eleven lost Some of his hiend
were OF the opinion that he had not been
used often enough In games to show his
best. Robinson probably came to the
same conclusion this season, for he called
on Grimes early and often and found
him reliable all through the season.
With record of % gapaes won and 10
lost. Grimes stands at the top in the Ma
tional League pitching averages at pres
ent. AS batsman. too Grimes has flg-
ured prominently In the Dodgers attack.
His work with the stick has accounted
Tor more than one victory Thirty-three
hits in 1O7 official times at bat have
earned him batting average of .30s.