Evening star., 1938-03-22
GR|SSOM MP|TCHES,
LETS PILOT Think
Reds Star Spurns Signals,
Does Not Worry About
Identity of Hitter.
BY PAUL NICHOLSON,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

TAMPA, Fla. March 22.-Lee Girls
som, the rib roast southpaw OF the
Cincinnati Redlegs, who marched out
Of Sherman, Tex, to win q big name
for himself around the National
League last season. has swiped a page
from the book of the manager who
once told his players, THE best signal
Is no signal"
The knuckle cracker from the land
Of the Longhorns doesn't bother about
signals, nor does he become interested
in the miracles Of the widely bally-
hooed philosophy Of pitching
Philosophy, huh?" Is Grissom's
grunting retort when approached on
the subject at Plant Field here, where
the Reds are training for the putsch
they hope will give them a more re-
spectacle position in the National
League race.
Lets Manager Think.
II amt got none," he confesses q
bit proudly when asked to give his for
mula for pitching success. II Jest
pitch and don't worry my brain about
those tangled things. That's what
managers are for. amt it? They're
paid to think and I'm paid to pitch.
They tell me what to do and try to
do it. I'm no smart guy because
smart guys all the time are out
smarting themselves. Anyway, how
can you beat a strike-out?"
The answers Mr.. Grissom provides
verify reports the big fellow doesn't
care or know who's hitting. The
story Is told of how he startled even
the old timers. who figured they had
heard and seen everything screwy in
baseball. Catcher Gus Mancuso was
taking his cut at batting practice one
day and Grissom watched him care
fully, Finally he turned to his pals
and said:
Say that Medwick amt such a good
hitter. Look at that stance of his'n
out there"
Extremist in Everything.
Another time, Lee moaned because
Jack Mccarthy of the Giants got
hit of him when it really was Sambo
Leslie who did the walloping.
GriSsom Is an extremist OF the first
degree. When he pitches, he pitches
hard. When he drives an automobile
he drives hell bent for election. When
he gets mad, he gets good and mad
(as evidenced by his two fights with
taxi drivers and third with a club
house attendant last spring..
Last season, when Grissom was
working his hardest for the Reds, the
club participated in an exhibition
game at Charleston. W. Va. Lee had
appeared In three successive games
prior to the exhibition. yet, during
the middle Of the ball game he ap-
preached Manager Chuck Dresser
with, How about letting me throw
an inning or two? I've got a friend
in the stands who wants to see me 60"
And he insisted so long Dresser finally
yielded and let him 60 to it.
Drives Like the Wind.
If you value your life don't hop
into an automobile with him. During
his recent drive across the country
from California, he made 400 miles
during a period of six hours. Driving
to Tampa from Cincinnati, he made
it in a day and a half "a mere 1000
miles) and was speeding along so rap
idly when he hit the city's outskirts
that he continued Is miles down the
road toward Bradenton before he
realized he had passed his goal.
Grissom is the only player ever to
have rowed . boat over the centerfield
fence Of = major league ball park.
He did this last year, during the height
Of the Ohio flood. He gave the two
passengers he was rowing a bit of q
thrill when he performed q few tricks
in the boat that was floating on ~
feet of water
All of which leads me to the con-
clusion that Mr.. Grissom must be q
great pitcher.