Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-28
Clark Griffith Dies at 85,
Greet Baseball Snowman

salary Of $4,000. Cronin man
aged the Red Sox through the
i947 season. then was promoted
to general manager by Yawkey.
The custom of the President Of
the United States throwing out
the first ball officially inaugural
ing the season was established
two years before Grifiith came
Ito Washington. President VIII
liam Howard Taft had thrown
out the first ball in 1910 and
1911, but 1t was Grifnth who
perpetuated the idea.
When he first came to WASH
ington in the winter Of 19i1-12
to serve as manager. Grifith
marched to the White House,
presented MIR. Taft with q season
pass and invited the President to
attend the opening American
League game and throw out the
first ball. Mr.. Taft agreed.
1
Presidents Taft. woodrow VIII
son, Warren Harding, Calvin
Coolidge, Herbert Hoover. Frank
lin Delano Roosevelt, Harry s.
Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
who threw out first balls. thus
aided In the establishment Of
baseball acquiring the title Of
Americas national pastime.
Civic Minded and Charitable.
Away from the baseball scene.
Grifith was a kindly. civic
minded, charitable man. No large
sports banquet or gathering was
complete without him. Childless
himself, Griffith legally adopted
two children. In 1921. when his
Ibrother-in-law was In difficulty.
Griflth took two Of his children.
Calvin and Thelma. Three years
later, when the brother-in-law
died and left i've other children.
Grifiith brought them and their
mother to Washington and sup
ported them.
Calvin Grifith became vice
president of the ball club. Thel-
ma married Joe Haynes. then a
Chicago White SIX pitcher who
later came to the Senators. MIL
dred Robertson married Cronin.
Sherrard Robertson played with
Washington for nearly 10 years.
and his brothers. Jimmy and
Billy. supervise Griffith Sta
|dium's concessions. A seventh
child, Bruce. died.
Grifhth provided for an Eng
fish child whose father was killed
in World War II. He once read
|of q family being eYcted from
its home here and invited the
mother and three children to live
in his home for three weeks. He
got the mother a home. a job
and saved the family from dis
Indignation.
The life of Clark Griffith ranks
among the fullest and most fan
|cifui of modern sports figures.
When the Washington chapter
|of the Baseball Writer'S Associ-
|ation paid tribute to him at a
might" on August II. 1913. Pres
|ident Truman lauded Griffith as
"a great citizen Of Washington
and q shining example of what
this great country Of ours can
produce"
On that occasion. also attended
by the late Chief Justice Vinson,
Griffith sat on the Presidents
right during the ball game at
Mr.. Truman's request. It was one
of the happieSt moments of Crit
Iflth's later years. for his former
outstanding players returned
from all points Of the United
States to honor him.
Cow Puncher as Youth.
Griffith ran the gamut OF
trades and professions. AS a boy
he once held the horses Of the
notorious Jesse James, and in
later life, he was horror-stricken
when newspapermen threatened
to print the fact. He knew what
1t was to face a wildcat in hand
to-hand combat. He tackled one
in the dusk, believing it was a
large raccoon. and eventually
killed it.
He dabbled in COW punching as
q youth and took o fling at the
stage. He found a Job as a card
dealer in a Montana gambling
house. He knew what it was to
lbe washed up" as a baseball