| Show I I NEW WN MANAGER Of TU THE II TEAM TAM IS S NOTED fOR OR While Not a Good Pitcher Griffith Got Away Through Strategy Clark Chark Griffith tho the new lUann manager er of the time Cincinnati Heds was considered one of the best p pitchers in the time business in iii his tim time Besides es bein being a successful fH twirler Griffith was ono OM of the tho wisest men inca that ever er stepped in a n boxI box I Griff Grill was not blessed with tho the natural nat eat ural qualifications ons of the successful twirler that is si speed and a 1 strong physique and Lard hard to resort resort to strate strategy to get results The fhe old HoM fox student was as a great of the time game and this combined with I his ability to mix them up and good I control always made mado him bim a dan dangerous erous foe I Always Alwa's on the thc lookout for a chanco chance to slip sUp ono one over on the opposition or anything that mi might might- ht make his none nono too easy tasK l lighter Griff Gruff immediately took advantage of time the rule which was pas pasted passed ll some years rears a ago o allowing the time pitcher but tho the small swaB rubber to stand on when getting ettin ready to deliver time tho hall ball I Griffith Was Vas Tricky The Tho rule says the twirler must stand with both fc feet t on tho the rubber or with ono one foot on it an and tho the other ahead or toward the batter when in tho act of delivering the ball Most box hox artists interpreted the tho rule rille to read that they timey must land stand so 50 that the ball ban of tho the foot is on tho the rubber rubbers but not so with 4 Griff used to stand with his heel a against a in t tho time front end nd of or t the tho he pitchers pitcher's s 's plate and then just as ho was ready to pitch would slide up a foot or so go and in this manner be able ablo to steal that mu much h of tim the distance to the plate on the time batter hatter Where a a. pitcher is in throwing on an average a or balls in a game came it can be bo seen that this was some something thin of an ana n a advantage e. e I If tho opposition was not watching him every en lC Griff Griff was liable to bo Lo anywhere tn from one foot to three or four feet closer doter to time the plate i Covered Up His Tracks I I Griff Grill was fox foxy enough to cover coer this up too when the time inning was as over o I Naturally when stealing a few feet this way ho lie would di dig a I. I hole in the ground around the tho rubber which could be he readily seen by hy tho the opposing h twirler so after tho third man had imad been beeD retired Griff Gruff used to stand in the time box and in n a rather abstracted way scratch around tho time ground he hI had bad dug up UI with his spikes making it smooth and aud even e cn an and 1 in this wa way fr CO up his hiso work o rk Tho U old lO boy hOr got ol away may with this thi for Cor a good many years year and even thou though h I the time umpires would make mako lJ him m stop it for foran an m inning or two ho would 1 be right I I back buck doin doing the samo timing thing again if ot watched closel closely Another Shrewd Stunt Clarks Clark's fingers finters w were re short an and this ma made o it hard for him to get et a L good firm rip grip grip on the ball especially when pitching a curve cur In order to rou roughen hen tho time ball bail so 50 that bo he could get et a firm hold of the tho sphere be he used to hit the ball against the spikes on the heel of his shoes This would nick tho the ball han an and roughen rO it to the Extent of or allowing hum him to get set geta a I. I good grip rip on the time rill pill Any nY true time an m ii umpire would call loan him for doing Joint this thili Griff Grill I HI I trin would just sa say a am un trying to get et tho the dirt out of of my wy spikes and keep r right bt on until ho lie had the halt ball in ln such shape shapo that he lie could nd handle o it it |
