Show PITCHERS Ht 1 I HAVE Y KNOWN BY HUGH S FULLERTON N Clarke Griffith GrifIth of Normal Norma IlL 11 and New NewYork NewYork NewYork York now manager of the Highlanders I is the greatest pitcher picher I lever ever met su Sn superior perlor to his instructor Radbourne Rusie Rusle was faster Dad Clarke ClarIce had a wa better beter slow one in fact fact almost any pitcher could beat Grif Grit at some style of or twirling but for brains brans cunning and ability to mL mix them mill all l up Grif was the best and besides he lasted long be because because cause self he took pretty good care cre of him himself himself himself Old Hoss Hess Radbourne who also came I from Normal schooled Grif to the jumps and when he started in baseball he was wasa 19 a little fellow with two little bulbs hanging down from the ends of his ears He was about 16 years old and his guardian signed signe his contracts contract but he could pitch pich them just as well wel as ashe ashe ashe he ever could could He had w the know kow how One day in Washington w s n Griffith Grifft was wa pitching It I was in the ninth inning with wih Chicago one run run to the good two Senators on bases base and ad Kip Selbach at the bat And Kip could hit a few One man was wa out out and it looked like a asure asure asure sure tie score if not a defeat Grif Grit wasted one then sneaked one over ten OIe wasted another dropped a slow one across and then commenced kidding Sel Set Selbach Selbach bach Grits Grifs GrIfs pitching system is to worry wor the batter especially in crises He al at always always ways is cool and aggravating and ad he usually has ha perfect command This day he stopped hesitated hit the ball ban on his big shoe and all al the time kept talking to Selbach to get him hiar nervous nerous Put her up here Dago Dago and Ill Il knock the cover off it said Kip Why you big bowlegged Dutch slob you hit the grand gand stand with witha wt a cricket bat That sort of repartee kept up for a minute Selbach was waving his bat setting himself pulling up u his trousers and ad perking down his cap cP Finally Finaly Grif remarked Here you big stiff hit this And he deliberately pitched the ball bal up as if tossing it across a room straight arm armand armand armand and without any speed Selbach drew back for a mighty blow but the ball bali bal arrived and before it i did reach the plate Selbach got overbalanced al almost almost almost most fell fel down and the ball b l crossed the plate waist wast high The umpire called caled him out and Selbach threatened to whip Grif Grf for showing him up upi i i After trying tring Milwaukee and Chicago Grif GrIt was out in the old Northwest league leae on the Pacific pitching for Spokane One afternoon Spokane was playing Seattle and a generous clothier In the town tow who also wanted advertising had placed a canvas cava sign on the center field fence The sign sig announced that the clothier would present pres nt a 50 suit to any player who hit the ball bal against ganst it i I It I was wa one of o Grifs bad days when his slow ball refused to work and right at I the outset Seattle commenced hammer hammar hammering ing his curves Grit Grif perspired and fumed and the tho harder he pitched the harder tha th visitors lambasted l basted the ball ballIn bl ballIn In the middle of the te inning when about half haf a dozen men had ha clouted the ball baIl bal to the fences a great gret yell yel went up from the stands stands and Grif turning to see what the matter mater was wa discovered the clothier feverishly tearing down the can canvas canvas vas sigh sig on the te toughest roast roat I ever evar got in baseball says Grif GrIf It I was up in that same league at the same time that Dad Clark was wa pitching The close of the season seaon came and Dad pitched the final game for Seattle Ho Hn H had saved no nO money and was thinking of the long walk back home Homer Homar Davenport now the te cartoonist was wa um umpiring umpiring the game gme which went to eleven innings In the eleventh Dad floated a a slow one up and the Portland batter bater caught it squarely between betwee the seams The ball b il l went like a fUsh far out over the center fielders felders head cleared the fence and was head wa still stil going Dad had turned turne and was wa standing watching it i sadly sa Then while the crowd was cheering Dad turned turne to Davenport and remarked sadly II I wish I was on that going east et The story stor of one game that was played up in that league leage came to me rae In a round roundabout roundabout roundabout about way One night Dad Da and ad I were sitting In front of the old Louisville hotel when Griffith GrIffih came ce sauntering down the street Hello Helo Dad greeted Grit Grif Grit when ae are you going to pay me that 5 1 Right now said Dad and he did Then I got the story It I was wa a game between Seattle and Spokane Spokane Spokane gme kane with wih Griffith and Clarke pitching The score was was 1 to 1 wn en the he fourteenth inning started stared and ad Spokane scored one The first three men for Seattle reached reache bases Dad was out on the lines lne jumping up and down and yelling said sad Grif He Ho Homade made me hot so I walked over to the line lne and bet him 5 I would strike out the next three men me i I And he did added Dad Jimmy Callahan while hie at Kansas Kansa City turned one of the most mos spectacular tricks ever worked by a pitcher The game gae was close and in one of the closest Innings one of the Minneapolis team reached sOd sec second ond with no one out The batter bater was pre preparing pre preparing paring to sacrifice and the runner was playing up the line Une Callahan Calahan signaled the shortstop and second baseman to pull pall pallin pul in close encouraging the runner to take tae a big lead and then the whirling like a flash f h hin in the box he tore back to second actu actually actually ally any outrunning the base runner and tag tagI gl g him out before he could reach the I base bae The play is declared by veteran managers and players pla ers to be the only one ever made in that way |