COMPOUND INJURY
"Once when he unloaded a weak hitting outfielder for a pitcher who had won only four games, the late Clark Griffith agreed it was a minor deal. Both players slid out of the majors before the year was out and Griffith was philosophical when the trade was recalled to him. He said, 'It was an even swap- both clubs were hurt.' "
-Shirley Povich, Washington Post (Baseball Digest, April 1959)
FAVOR-ITE TRICK
"That an umpire is obstinate about returning a favor was best demonstrated in the early years of Clark Griffith on a day when he was pitching for the Chicago White Sox and John McGraw was playing for the Orioles. Joe Cantillon, the game's lone umpire, who in the custom of the times called balls and strikes from behind the pitcher, was furious with McGraw's constant wrangling with his decisions.
When McGraw drew a walk and Pitcher Griffith started to work on the next batter, Griffith could hardly believe his ears when he heard Umpire Cantillon whispering, 'Pick McGraw off first.' Given that astonishing authority, Griffith lured McGraw off the base with a palpable balk motion and threw to first. 'Yer Out!' Cantillon told McGraw.
McGraw screamed 'Balk!' in protest but got no satisfaction from Cantillon, and when the next batter singled, Griffith picked him, too, off first with the same balk motion he had used on McGraw. Griffith was surprised when the umpire ruled 'balk' and waved the runner to second base. He protested to Cantillon that he had done nothing differently.'
'Yeah, I know,' the umpire said, 'but when you picked off McGraw, it was a favor to me. If you're gonna pick anyone else off, you gotta obey the rules.' "
-Shirley Povich, Washington Post (Baseball Digest, May 1959)
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