Evening star., 1924-10-17
LEFTY GROVES SIGNS
ATHLETIC CONTRACT

), BALTIMORE, Md, October IL
Lefty Groves. sold by Jack Dunn to
the Philadelphia Athletics for 500, 500
mas signed one-year contract to
play under Manager Connie Mack and
has been given handsome bonus by
Dunn as reward for his sterling
pitching while member of the
Orioles.
A high-water mark in financial re-
turn for minor league player sold
to the majors is claimed for the
Groves transaction.
Asked why the extra $500 was at
tached to the 100000. Dunn declared
that he understood that Babe Ruth
was sold to the New York Yankees
from the Boston Red Sox for 500, 500,
and that he demanded and received
500 more-to justify his claim that
Groves was the best pitcher in base
ball today"
Connie Mack saw Groves win 5-to-O
victory from his Athletics last month
when the Southpaw yielded only two
safeties and famed 13 of the Mackmen
Name your price for Groves" said
Mack to Dunn after the game, and Dunn
went the 500, 200 figure just $500 bet
ter
The sale of Groves makes a sharp
controversy as to which player has been
the most costly to club. In a Telegram
last night Ed Barrow, business manager
or the Yankees, declared that Ruth had
cost his club Approximately S135, 600"
when purchased from the Red SoX. This
Dunn Vehemently denies, declaring that
he has information from unimpeacha BILE
authority that Groves sold for 500 more
than the Sultan of Swat.
The narrative of Groves base ball
career reads like story from fairyland.
In 1919 Groves was playing first base
on semi-pro club at Homecoming. his
home among the Allegheny Mountains.
The regular pitcher failed to show up
one afternoon and Lefty was assigned to
mound duty.
That afternoon he whitfield II of the
visitors and in 1920 was pitching for the
Martinsburg club of the Blue Ridge
League, with such success that Dunn
dispatched the late Jack Dunn, jr., on
an errand with instructions to sign
Groves.
Other clubs had heard about Groves
great speed and possibilities and
young Dunn signed the southpaw for
$3,100 just few hours before the
Brooklyn club, with Larry Sutton
scouting, and the Boston Braves put
in bids for Lefty.
Groves reached the Orioles about
the middle OF the 1920 season and be-
gan to paralyze opposing batters
with his great speed at once.
From a successful start in 1920
Groves began a pitching career in the
minors which in many respects has
been without parallel. He has been a
winning pitcher by great margin
every season he has spent with the
Birds. tanning a total of 1,107 bat
terS in less than five years. and an
nexing a total of los games with only
81 reverSeS.
Groves is only % years old and his
weight hasn't varied pound from
III since joining the Birds He is s
feet inches, married and has a boy
and girl
He has never suffered from a sore
arm in his base ball career, but a
pitched ball which hit him on the
wrist put him out of the game for six
weeks this season. In spite of this
handicap, Groves captured 26 games
and lost six. topping the International
League pitchers.
NEW YORK. October 1.-THE price
involved in the purchase of Lefty
Groves, Baltimore southpaw ace, by
the Philadelphia Athletics does not
eclipse the amount involved in the
acquisition of Babe Ruth, according
TO Edward q. Barrow, secretary OF
the New York Yankees
Ruth was obtained from the Boston
Red Sox in 1920 in a deal involving
$4,000, Barrow said, although only
$4,000 of this was represented in
cash at that time.