Show Old Fox Griffith Had Nickname as Pitcher By Harry Grayson NEA Sports Writer Clark Griffith was known the as-the Old Fox before he became a manager manager manager man man- ager and years prior toa to the presidency of the Washington Washing- Washing ton club Of a O Clark Griffith earned the tag I Series as Cap Adrian Constantine Constantino Anson's Ansons Ansons Anson's Ansons Anson's An- An sons son's pitching ace during a phenomenal phenomenal phenomenal phe phe- run with the famous Chicago Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- cago White Stockings Griffith i wore a big black stubby mustache I in those days The bushy eyebrows eyebrows eyebrows eye eye- brows and hair that are gray to today today today to- to day also were black Griff wasn't a big right hander He stood no more than 5 S f feet et S B weighed pounds Never hav- hav iJU an overabundance of speed he performed his greatest feats after losing a good share of what he had He had control control could make the baseball talk There never was a smarter smart r pitcher or allaround all allaround allaround around baseball man for that matter Doctoring the ball was legal in those days and Griffith employed all the tricks used by Russell Ford and Dave Danforth foremost tricksters years later Griff scraped the ball against his ils sharp spikes as he drew back in his wind He made the best use of his belt buckle knew well the sandpaper licorice and other treatments The ball did queer tricks Griffith Breaks in at 17 When a fellow hunter and trapper trapper trap- trap per ser mistook his father for game gamen in n the Clear creek country near Mo Clark Griffith became became became be be- came an orphan at 2 Clark was still a youngster when Mother Griffith took the family to safer territory near Normal Ill Griff pitched for school and sandlot sandlot sandlot sand- sand lot teams at 14 made his professional professional professional bow with Bloomington of the Central Interstate league at 17 Wild when purchased by Milwaukee Milwaukee Milwaukee Mil Mil- waukee of the Western league Griff developed control by throwIng throwing throw- throw ing ng at a white handkerchief pinned to o a fence He won 18 games for the Brewers Brew Brew- ers in 1889 27 while losing 7 in 90 90 was plucked by Charles A. A Comiskey's St. St Louis Browns of the he American association After winning five straight he developed arm trouble He went to the Boson Boston Bos- Bos ton on club of the same circuit but buthis buthis buthis his lame arm sent him to Tacoma of the Pacific Northwest league the following year Griff Grif was back in form again With Oakland of the Pacific Coast league eague in 93 when he won and heard Pop Ansons Anson's call Games in Six Seasons Under Anson he won games in n six seasons Following one comparatively poor season he came back with 24 21 victories victories- and 7 defeats as manager manager manager man man- ager of the new Chicago White 0 Old Fox For There never was a smarter pitcher than Clark Griffith Sox which led the circuit In winning winning winning win win- ning percentage and helped his old St. St Louis boss Charley Comiskey Comiskey Comis- Comis key to the first American league pennant Jack Chesbro's wild pitch on the thelast thelast thelast last day of the season of 04 cost Griffith original pitching manager manager manager man man- ager of the thc New York Highlanders Highland Highland- ers era another flag He managed Cincinnati for a year before taking taking taking tak tak- I ing over in Washington Griffith made many famous deals including the sale of his son- son law in-law shortstop and manager Joe Cronin Dronin to the Boston Red Sox for and Shortstop Lyn Lary His Washington clubs have won three American league pennants and a world championship but the theold theold theold old gentleman is much prouder of his pitching ing record Clark Griffith who made his fortune in baseball and kept it in baseball pitched for a score of years He won major league games james while losing for a percentage percentage percentage per per- of Not b bid bad d. d Next Bill Carrigan |