| Clark Griffith | ||
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| Pitcher/Manager/Owner | ||
| Born: November 20, 1869 Clear Creek, Missouri |
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| Died: October 27, 1955 (aged 85) Washington, D.C. |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| April 11, 1891 for the St. Louis Browns |
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| Final game | ||
| October 7, 1914 for the Washington Senators |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Pitching Record | 237-146 | |
| Earned run average | 3. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of In Baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally the field manager) this individual controls matters Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched 31 | |
| Strikeouts | 955 | |
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As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | ||
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| Member of the National | ||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Elected | 1946 | |
| Election Method | Veteran's Committee | |
Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 - October 27, 1955), nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner. In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The Boston Reds were a 19th century Baseball team located in Boston Massachusetts that played in the Players League in 1890 and in the American Association The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Major League Baseball recognizes Earned run average champions in the American League and National League each season In team sports in American English a shutout (a clean sheet in Soccer) refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox (4-3 All-Star Game Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of In Baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally the field manager) this individual controls matters
Griffith entered the American Association in 1891, pitching 226 ⅓ innings and winning 14 games for the St. Louis Browns and Boston Reds. This article refers to the former Baseball major league that existed from 1882 to 1891 Baseball Ted Breitenstein pitches a No-hitter in his first major league start on October 4 The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The Boston Reds were a 19th century Baseball team located in Boston Massachusetts that played in the Players League in 1890 and in the American Association He began the following season with the Chicago Colts, and in 1894 began a string of six consecutive seasons with 20 or more victories, compiling a 21-14 record and 4. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. Auto racing First contest organised in Paris. Baseball Baltimore wins the first of three championships 92 ERA. In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched Griffith lowered his ERA over the following years to a low of 1. 88 in 1898, the lowest mark in the league. Baseball Ted Breitenstein pitches a No-hitter against the Pittsburg Pirates on April 22
As a pitcher, Griffith was known for doctoring the ball; he frequently threw spitballs, cut balls and scuff balls. He also claimed to have invented the screwball. A screwball is a Baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a Slider.
When Ban Johnson, a longtime friend, announced plans to form the American League, Griffith was one of the ringleaders in getting National League players to jump ship. Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson ( January 5, 1864 &ndash March 28, 1931) was an American executive in Professional baseball The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Using the cover of his post as vice president of the League Protective Players' Association (a nascent players' union), Griffith persuaded 39 players to sign on with the new league for the 1901 season. Champions Major League Baseball American League: Chicago White Stockings National League: Pittsburgh Pirates Griffith himself signed on with the Chicago White Stockings as player-manager. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Player-manager is a sports term used to described a manager of a team who is also registered to play for the team He won 20 games for the final time in his career and led the White Stockings to the first AL pennant with an 83-53 record.
At Johnson's suggestion, Griffith left Chicago in 1903 to take over as manager of the New York Highlanders. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Boston Americans over Pittsburgh Pirates (5-3 in the first modern World The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Highlanders had just moved from Baltimore, and Johnson knew that for the league to be successful, it needed a strong franchise in the nation's biggest city. After a falling-out with the Highlanders' ownership, Griffith returned to the National League as manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1909. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA Champions World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers (4-3 Awards and honors MLB Statistical In 1912, again at Johnson's suggestion, he returned to the American League as manager of the Washington Senators. Champions World Series: Boston Red Sox over New York Giants (4-3-1 Awards and honors Chalmers The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, the franchise had little going for it other than star pitcher Walter Johnson. Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed In the American League's first 12 years, the Senators had never had a winning record or finished higher than sixth. Griffith engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in major league history, leading the Senators to second place. In nine years, his Washington teams only finished below fifth twice.
For all practical purposes, Griffith retired as a player in 1907, though he made brief appearances on the mound for the Reds (1909) and Senators (1912, 1913 and 1914). Champions World Series: Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers (4-0-1 Awards and honors Statistical Leaders
When Griffith took over as manager of the Senators, he also bought a 10 percent interest in the team. In 1919, Griffith joined forces with Philadelphia grain broker William Richardson to buy controlling interest in the Senators. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Griffith boosted his share to 19 percent, while Richardson bought a 40 percent interest. Richardson reached an agreement with Griffith that allowed Griffith to speak for both of their interests. This all but assured his election as team president that November. At the same time, the Senators' home park, National Park, was renamed Griffith Stadium. Griffith Stadium was a Sports Stadium that stood in Washington D Griffith stepped down as manager after the 1920 season to devote all his energy to the front office.
Griffith was known for running the Senators on a shoestring. This was almost out of necessity; even with Richardson's assistance, he was forced to mortgage his Montana ranch to raise the money he needed to buy control of the team. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern With numerous tenants at Griffith Stadium, he was able to turn a profit for 21 years in a row.
He was, however, known for his faith in young players. He twice entrusted 27-year-old players to manage his teams--Bucky Harris in 1924 and Joe Cronin in 1933. Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris ( November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was a Major League Baseball player manager Champions World Series: Washington Senators over New York Giants (4-3 First Negro League World Series: Kansas Joseph Edward Cronin ( October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was a Major League Baseball player from to and manager Headline Event of the Year First Negro League Baseball All-Star Game. Griffith's wagers appeared to pay off, as the Senators won the pennant in both years under their new youthful managers. In Harris' case, they won the 1924 World Series. In the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games
In 1949, after a string of mostly humdrum seasons, Griffith almost lost control of the team when the Richardson estate sold its stake. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-1 All-Star Game Griffith was reelected team president, but it was understood that unless the team improved, the next vote would go against him. Griffith proceeded to buy up stock from minority owners until he owned 52 percent of the club.
One of Griffith's most trusted friends and respected scouts was Joe Engel, who he placed in charge of the Chattanooga Lookouts at Engel Stadium. The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor league baseball team based in Chattanooga Tennessee, USA. Engel Stadium is a Baseball field located in Chattanooga Tennessee. Engel was the first to scout Joe Cronin for the club and said, "I knew I was watching a great player. Joseph Edward Cronin ( October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was a Major League Baseball player from to and manager I bought Cronin at a time he was hitting . 221. When I told Clark Griffith what I had done, he screamed, "You paid $7,500 for that bum? Well, you didn't buy him for me. You bought him for yourself. He's not my ballplayer - he's yours. You keep him and don't either you or Cronin show up at the ballpark. " As mentioned above, Cronin eventually became player-manager of the Senators, and even married Griffith's niece.
He finished his managerial career with a 1491-1367 record. His 1491 wins ranked 19th all-time as of 2005.
Griffith died in 1955 at the age of 89. Ownership of the club passed into the hands of his adopted son, Calvin Griffith, who led the charge to have the club moved to Minnesota and become the Twins. Calvin Robertson Griffith ( December 1 1911 - October 20 1999) born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Canada, was
Clark Griffith was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. The 1946 elections to select inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame marked a dramatic revision of the methods used one year earlier
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen List
- Chicago White Sox all-time roster
External links
- Baseball Hall of Fame
- Washington Ball Club Feature article - stories and more complete biography
- Baseball-Reference.com - playing statistics and managing record
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