Evening star., 1940-01-06
aa Start With StarSuddd Pro Team Battling Bay
From the
PRESS Box
Yunks to Give Grissom
Chance to Develop
BY JOHN LARDNER,
pecial Correspondent Of The Star.

BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
NEW YORK, Jan. 6 (NANA).-
Will McKechnie, as shrewd Judge
Of pitchers as you will find on any
baseball payroll, was ready to give
up on Lee Grissom, his big and un-
bashful southpaw, as long ago as
1898.
Over and above his eccentricity
and his busted leg, one of which led
to the other Grissom had qurik
in his pitching arm which McKech-
ME suspected was permanent. But
the mild mastermind Of the Gin
cinnati club did not like the idea
of relinquishing Lefty to another
National League team and seeing
him boomerang back to clip the
Reds beneath their left ears.
The McKechnies always were the
most cautious citizens in the county
of Aberdeen, to say nothing of the
county of Ayr.
So William waited patiently until
he had waivers on Grissom from all
National Leaguers. Then he sent
the southpaw away to safe place
where he never can bother Mr.. Nc
Kechnie again-at least, not often.
He got him out of the National
League and clean into the camp Of
the New York Yankees. William
has no regrets now. and I don't see
how Grissom possibly can have any.
Come to Suffer Reel Loss
II Grissom FoiIs
It's hard to guess at the ultimate
technical results of the waiver deal
which sent Grissom to the Yanks
for Joe Beggs, of Newark, a pretty
good right-hander who had the mis-
fortune to be just one pitcher too
many on the Yankee payroll. Beggs
MAJ do all right in the National
League. II he doesn't it will be too
bad, but not tragedy to anybody
but Joe. Grissom, on the other hand,
will be real loss to baseball if he
fails to come back.
For Grissom promised a few years
ago to become one of those old
time, throw-all day and like it.
colorful. brash pitchers of the stamp
of Rube Waddell and Dizzy Dean.
He could burn the ball through He
loved to work And he thought we'll
of his work. no one better.
In his first full season with Gin
cinnati, Lefty was the work horse
of the National League. Charley
Dresser, then managing the Reds,
may have had his doubts about
pitching Grissom so often, but Lefty
clamored for assignments,
II can pitch every day" he as
sured Dresser. Just tell EN- to give
me little support out there, and
nobody'l ever score on me-"
Lee Couldn't Understand
How "MeCorthy" Hit
Not much interested in the
psychology of the individual. Girls
som paid no attention to the who's
who of enemy hitters. He just aimed
to throw the ball past them One
day when Cincinnati arrived in New
York for a series with the Giants,
Dresser took his left-hander aside
to go over the hitters with him.
Now, this fella Mccarthy at first
BASE said Chuck How do you
figure to pitch to him?"
Mccarthy" barked Grissom.
Listen 1 know Mccarthy better
than my brother I used to pitch
to him in the minors, and he never
got hit of me. Ill take care of
him"
When the game came up. Will
Terry had replaced Mccarthy at
first base with Sambo Leslie as wide
and chunky as Mccarthy was long
and thin Grissom pitched nom
chalantly to Sambo. and Leslie belt
ed the ball for two bases. When the
inning was over. Dresser accostcd
Grissom on his way to the bench.
whats the matter?" asked Chuck
gravely. Il thought you told me
you knew how to pitch to that Nc
Carthy."
Grissom removed his cap and
scratched his head.
II can't understand It," he said.
"He never got hit of me before
in his life!"