Dick Groat - Master of His Services on a Permanent Basis
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Line Drives Volume 8 No. 3 Official Publication of the Northeast Indiana Baseball Association September 2006 •Formerly the Fort Wayne Oldtimer's Baseball Association* Pirates would seriously impede their efforts to secure Dick Groat - Master of his services on a permanent basis. And as it turned Two Major League Sports out they were right. But By Don Graham he left an indelible mark for the short time he did I have always marveled at the ability of those few play for the Z's. athletes who, over the years, have excelled in more Faced with a January than one professional major league sport. On page 1953 military induction three of this issue of Line Drives you will find an call-up, Groat managed excellent article written by Doug Brookhart on that to get into 26 games at very topic. To my good fortune he did not mention in the start of the 1952-53 his article the two-sport athlete I had planned on season before that time writing about ever since I purchased his photo about arrived. His quickness a year or so ago on eBay. and overall superb floor That athlete of course is Dick Groat, former Fort Dick Groat play instantly made him I / ayne Zollner Pistons professional basketball player a fan favorite. And he averaged 11.9 points per game and Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star shortstop. to boot. That in spite of his being able to play mostly Born Richard Morrow Groat on November 4, 1930 on weekends only as he commuted from his alma in Swissvale, PA, the 6-foot-l, 185-pound Groat was mater Duke University to Fort Wayne and back while twice an Ail-American at Duke University (1951-52) continuing to further his education. in both baseball and basketball. Following his two year Army hitch, he returned to Signed by Pirates General Manager Branch Rickey the Pirates as their starting shortstop in 1955 never to as an amateur free agent just days after his graduation play professional basketball again. Branch Rickey in 1952 (both the St. Louis had made a sizable investment in his star shortstop Cardinals and New York and was not about to risk that investment by allowing Giants were also in pursuit him to play professional basketball in the off-season. of Groat), he broke into Groat's major league career covered 14 years, nine the Pirates starting lineup with the Pirates, three with the Cardinals, and two almost immediately having split between the Phillies and Giants. He was a five never played in the minor time All-Star and the NL baiting champion (.325) and leagues. Over a span of 95 MVP in 1960, the year the Pirates won the World games he hit a more than Series 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. He respectable .284 and was finished with a lifetime .286 batting average. already showing signs of Dick Groat - Master of Two Major League Sports! becoming one of the best Dick Groat shortstops in the National League, both defensively and at turning the double Sad But True! ( ly as well. Enter the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. They take The house that Ruth built will soon be history. AH the gamble and draft Groat knowing full well that the that's left of the "old" ballparks are Wrigley Field reported $75,000 signing bonus he received from the and Fenway Park. In a word, "Bah-Humbug!" NEIBA Officers DAREDEVILS OF THE DIAMOND President Tony Martone IPlltSI VP Marketing Patty Martone VP Hall of Fame Parnell Hisner Spectators invariably question the sanity of playedf VP Museum Tim Kindler who try to catch cork-centered bombs falling from Secretary Don Graham great heights. Imagine their reaction when Gabby Treasurer Marge Graham Street announced he would take part in his second HOF Committee ball-drop stunt - at the age of 63. Street had been a 26-year-old Washington Senators Tony Martone Patty Martone catcher in 1908 when he duplicated Schriver's Wash Parnell Hisner Tim Kindler Don Graham Jack Massucci ington monument feat. Preston Gibson, a Washington Jim Shovlin Charlie Shipman journalist, playwright, and ardent fan of the national Chad Gramling (alternate) Dona Schaefer pastime, carried 13 baseballs to the top of the obelisk on August 21. Line Drives News Publication "Gibson tried rolling the balls out a trough to give Editor Don Graham them a good start away from the monument," Street Associate Editor Tim Kindler recalled years later. "The first few, however, hit the Columnist Doug Brookhart side and bounced off; I didn't even get close to one or Association Offices two others. Then we changed sides to get the benefit of the wind. I only tried four times altogether to make P.O. Box 40224 • Fort Wayne, IN 46804 a catch. As luck would have it, I snagged the 13th P.O. Box One • Auburn, IN 46706 and last ball. (260) 672-2585 [FWJ • (260) 927-9144 [Auburn] That was merely a warm-up of sorts for what tran [email protected] • www.wwiivictory.org spired on May 24, 1945. Street and fellow St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Harry Dateline July 10.1912 Caray participated in a ball-drop( The Fort Wayne Daily News stunt at the 387-foot-high Civil Courts Building in St. Louis as Mags to Huntington part of a benefit to help sell war bonds. Caray tossed four base The Magnolias will leave at 11:20 o'clock via the balls from the roof, and Street, interurban on Sunday, July 14, for Huntington, where who had last played regularly in they are booked for a double-header with the 1911, gloved two of them. Huntington Cubs, formerly of the Northern Indiana "Those were my two greatest League. Up to the present time, the Mags have won catches - better than the monu nine out of twelve games played and expect to put two W Gabby Street ment", Street said. "Back then, I more in the win column. Cashdollar, Cochoit and was young, keen-eyed, I had great reflexes. But with Hines are the battery men for Fort Wayne and will be opposed by Martin, Bickard and H. Guther of Harry, it's almost 40 years later. And any man who Huntington. The latter, it will be remembered, was the thinks he's as good at 63 as he is at 26 better have his leading battery in the Northern Indiana League. With head examined." Bartels, Prince, Rabus and King the Mags present the lEditors Note: Source - April, 2003 The Elks Magazine] strongest infield in the city. The clubs will line up as follows: Fort Wayne Magnolias - Rabus, shortstop; Prince, YOU DON'T SAY! second base; King, third base; Hines, catcher; Benz, left field; Lorain, center field; Wichman, right field; Baseball is a lot like life. The line drives are caught, Bartels, first base; Cashdollar and Cochoit, pitchers. the squibbers go for base hits. It's an unfair game. Huntington Cubs - Middleton, shortstop; C. Guther, -Rod Kanehl second base; Windemith, third base; H. Guther, I catcher; Stonebreaker, left field; Henline, center field; It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All- Goodrich, right field; Scherer, first base; Martin and Star game and an old-timers game. Bickard, pitchers. -Vin Scully "Two FOR ONE" experience at all. He went straight to the majors. By J. D. Brookhart Vic's baseball career lasted two years (1953-1954) ( The younger generation will recall all the "hype" with the Pirates where he was a back-up catcher to when Dieon Sanders and Bo Jackson took part in two the likes of Mike Sandlock, Toby Atwell, Walker professional careers in sports; baseball and football. Cooper and a guy named Joe Garagiola. In two years But those athletes were not the first to break into two in major league baseball Janowicz batted .214, while major league sports. Before Jackson and Sanders, playing in a total of 83 games. Danny Ainge played baseball for the Toronto Blue In 1955, Janowicz wasn't done with professional Jays and for several teams in the NBA including the sports. He reported for duty with the Washington Celtics, the Kings, the Trail Blazers and the Suns. Redskins where he would play halfback. He was best And even before Ainge, there were great athletes known, however, for his kicking ability booting many who could excel in more than one professional sport. field goals and extra points during his football career. Gene Conley is probably the most successful of all His toe was well known in football circles. I recall at the "duel sports" figures. He was a pitcher for the Ohio State after winning a game with his kicking, the Milwaukee Braves and played basketball with Bill Columbus Dispatch sports page headline read, "Vic's Russell and Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics. What toe Spells Victory." is amazing about Conley is that he played on And while we're talking about players who played championship teams in both sports; the World Series in two sports, we cannot leave out one who played with Milwaukee and the NBA title with the Celtics. two sports and then went on to do even better playing He is the only player in history to do that. cowboys and Indians. Chuck Conners played first In the early 1950's I lived in Central Ohio and base for the Dodgers and Cubs and played basketball became an Ohio State Buckeye fan (sorry all you for the Boston Celtics, too, before playing the Rifle Hoosiers). I recall a player for the Buckeyes who man in the popular TV western.