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Show U GRIFFITH HAS I Hi in era I Old Fox Has Been in Baseball Since 1887; Was Lead- jJ ing Hurler. When Clark Griffith became ' man-ager man-ager of the Nationals in 1012 and landed his band of youngsters in sec-ond sec-ond place at the end of the season for tho first timo in ' the major history of the club, he 'started the championship bee buzzing in the bonnets of Washing-ton Washing-ton fans. That bee is still buzzing, and faith in Griffith has not abated one whit, "but the return of the Athletics to the form which earned them two world's pen-nants pen-nants may defeat the hope of the Washing toniaus just as it has deferred the hopes of enthusiasts in every city of the circuit whose team has cham-pionship cham-pionship aspirations. Griffith, at the beginning of last season, said he had a pretty good ball club. His friends shook their heads sadly aiid said: "Poor fellow, he has gono from bad to worse Cincinnati to Washington." In the first few games of last year's pennant race, Washington acted natur-ally. natur-ally. Then those youngsters began to bit and field the ball, and to play baseball as Griffith knew it should bo played. Critics thought it only a spurt, but Griff had his youngsters be-heving be-heving they would win the flag, pro-fessed pro-fessed to think so himself, and outfin-ished outfin-ished the Athletics for the runner-up berth. Born in Missouri. When Griffith was offered the posi-tion posi-tion of manager at Washington, he jH showed his faith in the city and the team by putting every cent of ready ! cash and some that wasn't ready I into the purchase of a block of stock. He has seen no reason yet to regret his investment. Clark C. Griffith was born on J?o vember 20, 1869, near Nevada, Mo., where his father, who was killed in a hunting accident when Griff was 2 years old, was a farmer. Griffith at-tended at-tended the Stringtown public school, and was proficient among his fellows in the games of "one old cat" and "towm ball." When he was 14 yenrs old. his family moved to Normal, III., where he continued his education, not neglecting the school nine, on which he playea as catcher and later as pitch- Griffith's performance in school games " gave him more than a local reputation and he was offered and ac-cepted ac-cepted $10 the first money he ever earned in baseball to pitch for Hoope-ston, Hoope-ston, HI., in a game against Danville. He won. Then Griff was ripe for a po-sition po-sition with the Bloomingion indepeu-dent indepeu-dent nine at a salary of $50 a month This was in 1S87. Tho next year Bloomington joined the old Inter-state league. Griff won ten out of fourteen games, and was purchased by James A Hart, then president of the Milwaukee club "of the Western league, for $700- Practiced Daily. That control which became Griff 's great stock in trade, along with a puzzling change of pace, ln later years, was not in evidence then. To remedy his wildness, Griff cut out a piece of canvas about the size of a home plate and nailed it on a board fence at the height of the average batter's waist. Then from a distance corresponding to the distance from the pitcher's slab to the plate, Griffith worked mornings for control. He secured it. For three years Griffith held forth at Milwaukee, and then took advantage of a baseball war in 1891 to jump to the St. Louis Browns, of which Com-iskoy Com-iskoy was manager, at a higher salary. In August he was traded to tho Boston club of the American association, but later was dropped on account of a sore Griffith ihen signed with Tacoma in 1892, but the club punctured its bankroll in August, and he finished the season with tho 'Missoula (Mont.) club, because his fnmilv had moved there, and he wanted to be near the commis-sary commis-sary department in the event of unto-ward unto-ward happenings. His arm had re- jH gained its strength, and the following var' he was thoucfht good enough for the Oakland (Cal.) club. 1 As a matter of fact, Griffith was too good for Oakland, and his release was 'H secured in the middle of the season by his old boss, Jim Hart, who had be-come be-come president and part owner of the Chicago Nationals. Griffith jumped into national prominence in 1894, when he and Bill Hutchinson practically al-ternated al-ternated on the slab for an extended period while the rest of the hurling staff was crippled. , Was Leading Hurler. While with the Chicago Nntionals, Griffith ranked with the leading hurl-ers hurl-ers of the league and it was consid- jH ered a great haul for the new American league when ho and Callahan flopped to Comiskoy's White Sox at the begin ning of the baseball war in 1901. Gnfr piloted tho White Sox to the league pennant that season, led the leugue nitchors with twenty-four games won and scvon lost, and batted over .300. He also acted as manager of tho New York High landers when tho American jH leacuo entered Now YorK m 1903. A wild pitch by Jock Chesbro lost the pennant of 1904 to Boston in the fiual IH game of the season. IH In 1907 Griff ffilit active duty on the ( mound and in 190S, following trouble "M with tho club officials' and internal dis-sonsion dis-sonsion in the olub, ho resigned as man-acer man-acer in Now York and was succuodaa , IH by "Kid" DNbDrfeld. . Griff cast his lot with Ouiciiinai in 1909 and sorvod as manager for three years. He . refused a renewal of his contract '"when offered n chancj to buy o block of stock in the Washington When freed from basoball cares in Winlcr, Griffith spends most of Ins time at n 10,000-acre ranch nirraig, Mont., which ho owns jointly wifh hi 5 brother. Tho ranch is suitabb for grazing and is stocked with horses nnd 'H "And fhev'ro first divtsip? boms and cattle, too," says Griffith. IH |