Show TA PLA FLA A session sesil with w th A clark lark griffith the gra gray fox ox of washington carries you back many a day and many a year outside of connie mack griff can take you deeper into the thrills of the past than anyone else in baseball my own first training camp thrill came in 1898 in nashville A tau tall broad shouldered awkward looking party came into the locker room wearing a pale blue suit with brass buttons A short while later against vanderbilt he sho showed w ed us a buzzing medley of speed and curves that no one had ever s seen een before and not dot so many have seen it since he was over six feet two weighed bouno and he was lanky in looks in addition to blazing speed he had the fastest breaking curve ball ive ever seen ills name was george edward rube waddell even when he was fading out with tu tuberculosis bercu losis he still had enough left to strike out 16 of connie macks athletics top thrill top training camp thrill arrived in atlanta around 1904 griff was waiting that mo morning ruing to meet a young first baseman just heading in from california he bad no other first baseman on his yankee ro roster s ter so the rookie had bad to be good suppose hes a flop you do I 1 asked the old fox A flop said griff hes going to be the greatest first baseman that ever lived you wait and see the kid arrived around aro und noon or a trifle la later t er he was well built 1 1 CLARK GRIFFITH on the lean side with a quick friendly Iri endly smile the personality part was all there how many days before be ready to start griffith asked him 1 I thought you played a game today the rookie said we do griff told him that s when id like to start his young youn g first baseman countered countered im always in shape that afternoon he be made at least three plays around first that left your scalp sizzling they were plays no one but a great artist could make with a runner on second someone laid a bunt along the first base foul line the kid was on it like a bounding kangaroo in time to nail the runner at third it took less than his first ball gani game to know that another star was on his way to the headlines the rookies name was hal ha I 1 chase another fair entry there was the day back in augusta around the same same period when an 18 year old stripling came along first time up he laid down a bunt beat it out stole second and then third he finished out the day with a double triple and home run the hon bon oliver babe hardy was among those present not a bad afternoon tor or an 18 year old kid ills his name was tyrus raymond cobb of f royston ga later on he only made over base hits and stole close to 1000 bases before he be took off the spikes after 24 years there were training camp days in the old southern league also I 1 re call two outfielders who caught and held the eye they were gr great eat ball players the first time you saw save them looking back a long long way this was around 1907 as I 1 recall time now shrouded in mists one played for little rock the other tor for new orleans the first was the best looking outfielder id ever seen in action and one of the be best st hitters his name was tris speaker the other was the best looking actor with a bat around the plate anyone had ever see seen n his name was shoeless joe jackson and there was the spring training season 21 years ago back in 1919 when the boston red sox decided to make a regular out fleder out of their crack left handed banded pitcher they had an idea he might turn out to be a first cai casa i slugger in one of the march gan games aes here in florida he hauled mauled one t that hat carried over feet into a pine thicket hymond the uld field the longest longe st blow the oldest inhabitant had ever seen not even barring the top hurricane iwas awas on that trip and I 1 wi was as looking at a fellow by the name of babe ruth |