The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-06
FRISCH, GREATEST
 MONEY PLAYER,
 COST CLANTS$3OO
Ex-FOrdham Flash, Want ed to Play For John Nc.
 GraW After College
BY HARRY CRIMSON (Sports Editor, NEA Servicc)

St. Louis, Sept. 5-Ownie Carroll, then pitching for Holy Cross, re- ceived $10,00O for signing with the Detroit Tigers in 1925. Hank Greenberg collected $9,000 from the same organization when he decided to forego his studies at New York University five years ago. Dixie Howell, the brilliant Alabama back, was handed $6,000 when he joined the Tigers last spring.
 Detroit isn't the only major league club that pays substantial sums for college talent. The three names just happen to come to mind.
 The point is that Frank Francis Frisch, Jr., greatest money player of all time, cost the New York Giants only $500 when the famous infielder received his B. A. from Fordham University in June, 1919.
 Frisch, son of a dignified Ger man-born linen importer, was like any other athletically inclined youngster. He had baseball. football, and basketball in his hands in their respective seasons.
 Raised in the Mosholu Park sec tion of the Bronx, Frisch attended Fordham Prep before matriculating at the university. The man now headed for his ninth world series as manager and second baseman of the world champion St. Louis Car- dinals explained Maroon arrays in all three major sports.
 The tremendous speed and az gressiveness that has survived 17 seasons of big league baseball made Frisch one of the finest halfbacks of the east during the World War period. Walter Camp named the Fordham Flash on his second All America team of 1917.
 Frisch caught for Fordham Prep and played shortstop on the varsity. CrOss- Handed Hitting
 Shortstop Joins Giants
 Frisch was a natural left-handed hitter, but was eager to enjoy the advantage of switch hitter even then. The trouble was that he did not swing freely right-handed when he gripped the bat in the orthodox manner. The result was that he batted crosshanded when facing pitchers from the right side of the plate. -~
 That didn't prevent Frisch from making five hits, including triple and a pair of doubles, in an exhi- bition game with the Baltimore In- ternationals.
 Feats of this kind caught the eyes of several major league scouts. although one of his foxA> foragers told John McGraw that Frisoil, who still hit cross handed when he re- ported to the Giants, would not make the grade.
 Frisch had 8 burning ambition to play with the Giants, then the big tea m fothe big town. Babe Ruth still was wit hthe Boston Red Sox, and had not yet had an opportunity to capture the publics imagination with his mighty clout- ing. The Yankees had not yet started on the ascendancy.
 Frisch had been a red hot Giant fan since he was old enough to an- kle to the nearby Polo Grounds alone. The Giants were his ciup. McGraw was his idol and his idea of what @ manager should be. Me- Graw still is, by the way.
 Frisch's boyhood heroes were Christy Mathewson, Rube Mar auard, Jeff Tesreau. Hooks Wiltse. Doc Crandall, Chief Meyers. Fred Merkle Larry Doyle. Art Fletcher, lilly Shafer, Buck Herzog, Art Wil- son, Red Murray, and Fred Snod- gress, staunch Giants all who fought their way to successive Ma tionaI League pennants in 1911, 'l2 and '13.