Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-28

lage Of 2 when his 33-year-old
father accidentally was killed By
| boy hunter.
Missouri's climate didn't agree
with Clark Griffith. an under
sized, wan boy. When he was Is
his mother. who valiantly sup
ported the struggling family
moved to join relatives in Bloom.
ington. III. Improvement Of
Clark's health was the motive.
Started Pro Career at II.
Although It was In Missouri
that Grifiith became aware oil
baseball. serving as q mascot fol
q town team. 1t was not until
his early days b Illinois that hi
became active IS . player. al
enrolled ct Normal High schooI
In Bloomington. tried catching
and later shifted 10 pitching.
At III Grifnth began to built
a reputation for himself. he hac
been earning $40 3 game and
railroad fare BY pitching for ar
independent team at Hoopestor
when he was signed by thf
Bloomington team Of the Contra
Interstate League. later known
as the Three-Eye League.
Griffith defeated Danville, III.
So. in his first game for Bloom.
ington and became something Of
a sensation his FIRST season, win.
ming 10 games and losing 4 with
Bloomington IN 1888 before shift.
ling TO Milwaukee that sans
year to win IL and lose 10.
With Milwaukee In 1889 Grit.
nth won 10 games and lost 10
and in 1890 he won 81 and lost Z
It was this record which got him
| a shot at the majors. The st
Louis Browns Of the American
Association, then regarded as 9
major league. induced Grifhth t.
Join them.
Griffith encountered some
snags in his climb up the ladder
as q player after joining thu
Browns. He was traded to Bos.
ton. which won the pennant IL
1891. but the American Associ.
alton disbanded and Griffith
with q sore arm. was allowed t.
slip back to the minors.
He moved all the way to the
West Coast. transferred TO Mon
tana, where he became q cow
puncher. and then returned tc
baseball with the Tacoma team
Of the Pacific Northwest League
In Montana Griffith also turned
to the stage and became a faro
dealer In q gambling spot.
Not until 1894 did Grifith be.
come squared away as q major
league pitcher. He had won 81
games with Oakland Of the Pa
Iciflc Coast League in 1893 anc
In 1894 he moved up to the front
rank Of National League pitcher.
when he won 20 games and los,
II with Charles A. Harris Chi.
cago team, known at the time q.
Pop Anson's Colts.
Belonged With Great Pitchers.
With the Chicago team Grit.
fifth began to carve out q recort
which still compares favorabl,
with those Of the great pitchers
In 1895 he won IS games ant
lost Is and in seven Of the eighi
years he spent with the Colt
he won more than 20 games.
He had q lifetime record o.
237 wins and lao losses.
Griffith, club owner and family
man. rarely raised hts voice II
anger. AS a pitcher, however, hi
gained the reputation as a fear.
less umpire batter, superb com.
petitor and master at not-too.
genteel repartee with opposing
batters.
Griffith never was a powerful
man. physically. He had nc
binding speed, but relied chiefly
on a new-fangled inventor
called a curve and invented Q
delivery which became known as
q screwball. So expert was Grit
nth at outwitting hitters that the
tag OF "Old Fox" was plasterec
on him. He received the nick
name before he was 80 years ole
and never lost 1t. AS the years
went by and he rose in rank
Griffith built UP his claim to the
title through his managerial
ability and his cunning in vari-
Ious player trades.
Grifith's talent as an executivt
and leader soon was evident
When major league baseball. al
represented only by the National
League, began To wane in 1900
Griffith was one Of the leader,
4