Evening star., 1953-03-19
Groot Takes GI Tour in Stride,
Looks to Rejoining CIubin '55
By Bob Honson

Groat, the 22-year-old youngster
who came off the Duke campus
last year to lead the Pittsburgh
Pirates in batting with a .284
average. is we'll on his way.
Now in the Army and sta
toned at Fort Belvoir, Groat was
interviewed the other day after
a Workout in the gym with his
teammates. The first question
was how he felt about changing
uniforms.
Its just one of those things
you take in stride" he calmy re-
piled. 1T had to happen even
tually, so I'll make the best of it.
I talked it over with Mr.. Hickey
Branch Hickey, general man.
ager of the Pirates) after the
season ended and he and !. both
agreed that it would be better if
I enlisted now rather than wait
to be drafted, perhaps in the
middle of this season. This way
my hitch is up in February. 1855,
and I'll be out in time to start
spring practice that year with
the Pirates"
Tells of Biggest Thrill.
Groat grinned when asked
about his biggest thrill in the
majors.
That's not hard to answer.
but there's a story leading up
to it," he replied. Not too long
after I had Joined Pittsburgh I
went into a terrible slump at the
plate. It stretched to the point
where I had just one hit in my
last % at bats over a period of
seven games. was beginning
to wonder at that point if base
ball was the game for me. But
it never did get me down COM
pletely. / was determined to
beat it,"
And beat it he did. The follow
ing day against Virgil Jester Of
the Braves, off whom he had
made three straight hits in their
only previous meeting, Groat
got five for five.
THAT was my greatest thrill
in the majors" Groat exclaimed.
Il guess the second biggest was
my first and only home run of
the season, off Jim Hearn of the
Giants"
Praises Bill Meyer.
Groat had the most trouble
with knuckleball hurlers like
Dutch Leonard of the Cubs and
Hoyt Wilhelm of the Giants,
particularly the latter. He
stressed that through his first
few weeks with the club and his
slump. Bill Meyer, the Pirates
manager, later replaced by Fred
Haney, never lost faith in him.
II give credit to Mr.. Meyer"
Groat said. He had patience
and gave me many helpful tips.
He never lost confidence in me
even during my slump and would
have me practicing, each day
before game. time"
He received valuable batting
suggestions from George SiSler.
now chief scout for the Pirates,
and his roommate Ralph Kiner.
Often he would visit a batting
range operated by Paul Waner,
former star of the Pirates.
Groat, who is 5-feet-11 and
weighs IT'S, lives in Swissvale.
about five miles from Forbes
Field, with his parents, two
brothers and two sisters. The
family attends most of the
Pirates home games to root for
the youngest member of the
household.
Groat was a baseball and bas-
ketball star at Swissvale High
and went to Duke on an athletic
scholarship. While there he set
national basketball scoring
record for a single season, but
it was broken this year by
Johnny O'Brien of Seattle.
Played With ZolIner Club.
After the 1852 baseball sea-
son ended, Groat Joined Fred
Zollner's Fort Wayne PiStons,
playing basketball on week ends.
He commuted to Duke in order
to get 10 credits necessary for
his B.A. degree in history. He
intends to continue playing bas-
ketball following his Army dis
charge.
Groat feels that basketball has
aided his rehexes in baseball, en-
abling him to get a Jump" on
the ball. This might be true, for
in the fourth game he had
played in the majors he was the
key man in a triple play. Iron
ically, it again was the Braves
that we're the victims. The
Braves had a left-handed batter
up, with runners on first and
second taking a lead. Groat
speared a low liner, stepped on
second and threw to first before
either runner could scramble
back, to complete the triple kill
ing.
Groat wouldn't reveal the