The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-07

Williams how the new SEN
sa t o n had
pitched a two-hit shutout against
the New York Yankees to open the
season; how he followed with a
three-hit victory against the Wash
ington Senators and then another
easy win over the Yankees. Two
DAYS later as relief pitcher he
held the Chicago White Sox run
less in 1913 innings. After which
he BANKED the Cleveland Indians,
SO. and the other day he held the
Detroit Tigers scoreless, 20.
"XTOU see, Dad, this Lefty Grove
i of our time must be a wonder
went on the young man. mot only
have three of his five victories been
shutouts, but he has allowed only
one earned run in Al 2-3 innings, or
in all the innings he has pitched
This run was the result Of home
run by Myril Hoag of the Yankees.
There was a man on base at the
time. If Lefty had managed to get
that one ball past Hoag he would
have had still another shutout be-
cause those two runs were the only
ones the Yankees got.
Anyway, the figures show he has
pitched only one bad ball all season,
and the one which enabled Hoag to
score that earned run, and you'll
have to admit that's real pitching :"
u n
TINE old gray beard listened with
l.. tolerant smile. Finally he
wheezed, "You through, Sonny"
And then ne turned 1t on. This
here Lefty Grove you are talking
about is one and the same critter.
The very same one I used to tell
YOU about in the nursery. re-
member very we'll when Jack Dunn
fetched him to Baltimore shortly
after the Civil War, and remem-
Der. too, when Connie Mack later
brought him to Philadelphia.
Some sort of celebration was 60
ing on there at the time. don't
know whether it was in honor OF the
first mule car or the invention OF
the kerosene lamp, but 1t was very
important affair, and of course IT
was long time ago. But this here
Lefty Grove you tell me about is
the same party that used to win
championships for old Connie when
baseball was played in the City of
Brotherly Love, and am very happy
indeed though not surprised, to
learn he is still a Wham-doodle out
there on the mound.
But what I can't understand is
how anybody and particularly a
dude like Hoag ever got home
run off him in As innings. Hoag
wouldn't have got q home run off
the Lefty Grove of my time in As
years. But otherwise it sounds very
much like the same Lefty and I
have no doubt at all but what it is"
u y
WHILE it is obvious our elderly
w friend is addicted to exagger-
alton, especially when he attempts
to put Lefty back in the days of
Grant and Lee, it is none-the-less
true that he has been around quite
some time, from 1920 to be specific;
and 1t certainly is amazing to find
him burning up the league at this
late date.
1t is doubly amazing considering
that two years ago the boys were
saying the only chance Lefty had
to pitch winning ball again was to
subrslit to an operation on his arm,
and even then the operation would
have to be a complete success.
He had just been sold to the Red
Sox for $125,000; he proceeded to
win eight and lose eight for young
Tom Yawkey's club and looked like
an exceedingly poor investment.
Lefty had thrown so many balls
during his time in the International
and later in the American League
and he had thrown them with such
power, game in and game out, it
wasn't hard to believe the state
ment that he had just naturally
worn his arm out.
And more than one ball player
predicted he would never be an eff
fective pitcher again, operation or
no operation.
n n
VXTHAr happened to Lefty in the
w first place? And how did he
get over it? The chances are he
never hau anything more serious
the matter with his arm than a
severely strained muscle; it struck
him late in his career and he be-
came panicky-so panicky that he
wouldn't extend himself for whole
year-the season of 1934-for fear
he might aggravate the condition,
whatever &c was.