The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-19
BOB GROVES IS GREAT PITCHER Connie Mack's Athletics Will Have $2OO,O00
 Battery

They call him Cautious Connie" but if cautiousness implies hesitancy in counting the cost of ball player, once he has decided he needs him, then MT. Mack, of the Philadelphia Athletics, has been misnamed. For the past two or three years Mack has been very liberal investor in new playing talent.
 Next spring he will present the fans of Philadelphia and the American league with the highest priced battery ever coupled up in game, in the per son of Pitchers Bob Groves and Catcher Gordon Cochrane. The price Mack and his associates are reported to have paid for the pitcher is $100,600 cash, and players, and for the catcher S5O,OOO and four or five players. It would not be far wrong to refer to Groves and Coch- rane as the two hundred thousand dollar battery"
 Bob Groves, the more costly member of Macks' new pair, was purchased from the Baltimore Internationals late in October, like several other stars de- veloped by Jack Dunn, the owner of the Orioles didn't have to go far from home to find his prize. He found Groves al. most on his doorstep and after brief seasoning on an adjacent class ID club Bob was fit to take his place as star with the Orioles.
 Robert NJ. Groves halls from Lona- coming, Md. Being tall and left-handed, he imagined himself cut out for first baseman and after some brief exper- fence at that position around his home town he decided it time to go out and conquer the world. But he was too timld i to go far from home. So he mounted his bicycle and rode fifteen miles to Martinsburg, winch had a team in the little Blue Ridge league. The veteran Billy Louden was manager of the team and he gave young Groves chance, but not at first base, for he had another youngster, John Neun, for that job, so Groves was told he might try pitching. It was a happy shift for Groves. He became something of a sensation in no time at all, and soon he was under the wing of Jack Dunn and member of the Orioles.
 Dunn nursed Groves along for four years, refusing several offers for him. Considering the time ripe after Bob's big season in 1924 Dunn disposed of him to Connie Mack, who may be said to have first choice on players Dunn de- velops.
 Has Rangy Build
 Groves is a left-hander of the rangy style build. He is six feet and two inches tall and weigh ITO pounds. His great asset is speed, and he is said to hold all minor league records for strike outs over a period of five years as a pitcher. Though charged with wild ness, the fact remains that he has each year stood high in the matter of effec- tiveness each season in the Interna- tional.
 The tall southpaw is a bear for work, too. In five seasons he has pitched around 150 ball games to a decision, winning the big share of them. For four consecutive years he led the In ternational in number of strike outs. In four seasons he has averaged almost one strike out per inning. Something for American league batters to think over.
 Groves was born on q farm near Homecoming, Md, on March 6, 1900. He is married and the father of two babies. All who know him say there is nothing left handed" in his makeup except his pitching.
 Groves record since he broke into baseball follows;