40 Facts About Clark Griffith

Clark Griffith then served as player-manager for the Chicago White Stockings and New York Highlanders.

Clark Griffith retired as a player after the 1907 season, remaining manager of the Highlanders in 1908.

Clark Griffith managed the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators, making some appearances as a player with both teams.

Clark Griffith owned the Senators from 1920 until his death in 1955.

Sometimes known for being a thrifty executive, Griffith is remembered for attracting talented players from the National League to play for the upstart American League when the Junior Circuit was in its infancy.

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Clark Griffith was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.

Clark Griffith was born in Clear Creek, Missouri, to Isaiah and Sarah Anne Clark Griffith.

When Clark Griffith was a small child, his father was killed in a hunting accident when fellow hunters mistook him for a deer.

Sarah Griffith struggled to raise her children as a widow, but Clark Griffith later said that his neighbors in Missouri had been very helpful to his mother, planting crops for her and the children.

Clark Griffith later found out that the boy who purchased the ball only spent a quarter, keeping the leftover dollar.

At the age of seventeen, Clark Griffith had made ten dollars pitching in a local baseball game in Hoopeston, Illinois.

Clark Griffith lowered his ERA over the following years to a low of 1.

When Ban Johnson, a longtime friend, announced plans to form the American League, Clark Griffith was one of the ringleaders in getting National League players to jump ship.

Clark Griffith himself signed on with the Chicago White Stockings as player-manager.

At Johnson's suggestion, Clark Griffith left Chicago in 1903 to take over as manager of the New York Highlanders.

Clark Griffith made brief appearances as a player for the Reds and Senators.

Clark Griffith returned to the National League as manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1909.

Clark Griffith wrestled with himself, copied the motions of the pitcher and made the fans laugh with other antics.

Clark Griffith engineered one of the biggest turnarounds in major league history, leading the Senators to second place.

Clark Griffith began an effort to increase his interest in the team.

Clark Griffith persuaded Baker to allow ballplayers to perform military drills on the field with bats rather than rifles, allowing the season to go on through Labor Day.

In late 1919, frustrated by continued resistance on the board, Clark Griffith joined forces with Philadelphia grain broker William Richardson, a close friend of Mack's, to buy controlling interest in the Senators.

Clark Griffith boosted his holdings to 44 percent, while Richardson bought a 40.

Clark Griffith stepped down as manager after the 1920 season to devote all his energy to the front office.

Clark Griffith was known for running the Senators on a shoestring.

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Clark Griffith twice entrusted 27-year-old players to manage his teams—Bucky Harris in 1924 and Joe Cronin in 1933.

Clark Griffith's wagers appeared to pay off, as the Senators won the pennant in both years under their new youthful managers.

Clark Griffith leaned heavily on Joe Cambria, a scout who frequently found talented Cuban players for Griffith.

Clark Griffith long believed he had the right to match any offer made by the Richardson estate, and was surprised when Jachym arrived at Clark Griffith Stadium as part-owner.

Jachym had no intention of being a silent partner, but Clark Griffith was able to persuade his board to rebuff Jachym's effort to have any say in team affairs.

Clark Griffith was particularly angered when Jachym expressed his fondness for longtime Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey, whom Griffith had long detested.

However, Clark Griffith understood that unless the team improved, the next vote would go against him.

In 1939, sportswriter Bob Considine expressed disappointment that Clark Griffith had not already been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Clark Griffith referred to Griffith as "the real father of the American League", citing the fact that Griffith had been a key force in attracting National League players to join the American League teams in their initial years.

Clark Griffith was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1946.

Clark Griffith was honored at the induction ceremony the following year.

In October 1955, Clark Griffith was in the hospital with neuritis when he suffered a stomach hemorrhage.

Clark Griffith did the same with Franklin D Roosevelt during World War II.

Clark Griffith had begun a tradition of presidents throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a season's first Opening Day game, which started with William Howard Taft.

The younger Clark Griffith held on to the team until 1984, when he sold it to Carl Pohlad–ending the Clark Griffith family's 65-year ownership of the franchise.