Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-18
Truman Lauds Prexy,
WHO Yearns for. Just
One More Winner
By Burton Hawkins

"One more winner, just one more,
and that will make my life COM
plete,' said Clark Griffith softly.
my, what I'd give to have these
boys in their prime. They're big
fellows and how they could play
baseball
Standing in the midst of former
Mats who had tasted the heady wine
of pennant winning success after
hearing himself praised by Presi-
dent Truman as "one of Washing
tons great citizens" Griffith longed
for future to match the glory OF
his 1924 world championship club
To the $4,000 fans who converged
on Griffith Stadium last night to
pay tribute to him, Griffith in turn
paid stntbufe to his customers. To
lthefheSaid, II want to pay tribute
to the fans OF Washington, the most
loyal in the world. You stuck by
us in losing years as we'll as winning
years and / assure you that, if you
contlnuesto stick by usswe Il have
.anot winning teamah aeafew
years.
+ Praised by President,
p, The mlsty-eyed 7S-year-old pres
ident of the Mats, honored in pre-
game ceremonies, heard President
Truman say, ut is a privilege to
be here tonight, where you are hon.
oring a hero who deserves every
thing he got. Mr.. Griffith is a
shining example of what this great
country can produce.
He worked on the diamond, be-
came manager and now an ex-
eCutlve 1t takes stamina and abil-
ity to do that and Mr.. Griffith has
that. I also at this time want to
pay tribute to another baseball
great. Babe Ruth. Although the
Yankees are here tonight and I
don't wish them any harm, I want
to see Griff's team win"
The Yankees didn't take the hint,
crushing the Mats under an 81
score as Tommy Heinrich high light
ed a five-run, third-inning uprising
against Sid Hudson by blasting a
bases-loaded homer over tenn
porary fence in center field. Hen
rich thus tied a major league mark
held by several players by betting
four bases-fllled home runs in a
season.
Aside from that brutal batter.
ing the evening was huge success
from the moment the Sd Infantry's
crack drill team walked on the
field to thrill the crowd with its
tricky marching. After slides de-
plotting high lights of Griffith'i
career had been flashed on a sheet
covered, right-field scoreboard, Grit
fifth was ushered to the plate tc
meet a crop of former Mats.
AS Arch Mcdonald introduced
them, each illustrious figure stepped
forward to clasp Griff's hand and
Goose Goslin unabashedly kissed
his ex-boss. To home plate. where
Griffith was standing, walked Curly
Ogden, Buddy Lewis, Cecil Travis
Nick Altrock, Sam West, Clyde
Milan, Rick Terrell, Benny Tate
Sam Rice, Dave Harris, Ossie Bluege
and Tom Zachary.
There, too, were Heinie Manush
Earl Whitehill, Joe Judge, Fred
Marberry, Jack Russell, AL Crowder
Earl McNeely, Joe Kuhel, Joe Cronin
and Bucky Harris. introduced also
were frankie Baxter, Mats equip
ment manager; Mike Martin, Wash
ington trainer fer many years; Bert
Shepard, war hero who coached for
the Mats. and Jack Bentley, against
whom McNeely got his series-win-
ming hit jim 1924.
Harridge Joins in Praise.
William Harridge, president OF
the American League, praised Grit
| fifth and gave him a watch after
Bob Addie, chairman of the Wash
ington Baseball Writer'S Associa-
ton, presented the Mats president
with plaque masterfully engraved
by Tom Geraci.
Baseball Commissioner A. B
Chandler then spoke highly of Grit
fifth, saying, THE first words I heard
in my house were Clark Griffith
and Connie Mack To such men as
Mr.. Griffith baseball owes a debt
for such men have placed baseball
on the high level 1t enjoys today
The game was drab affair, foa
after Hudson was nicked for q
double by Gus Niarhos opening tfN
third inning he walked Bob Porter
field. George Stirnweiss and Bobby
Brown to force across a run before
Heinrich hammered his homer.
Washingtons only run Off Porter.
field, who limited the Mats to 81,
hits. fittingly was an eighth-inninl