Lefty Grove dies at the age of 75

Editor's note: From May 23, 1975 News was received late yesterday that Lefty Grove had passed away. It came as a shock to most Norwalkians and rightly so. He was Norwalk's most famous resident. The man who many called the greatest left-hander baseball has ever known died of a heart attack while watching television in his basement home on Parsons Street. He was 75. For the most part, Grove stayed to himself with the exception of a number of visits per week to Schild's IGA to visit with George Schild. Occasionally, he would go back to the store break room and talk with drivers and employees. Naturally, people asked him questions about his career. He always answered them. Just about the only trip out of town was with George Schild to Cooperstown, N.Y., for the annual enshrinement ceremony. There he would mingle with old-time players and old friends. Mrs. Robert Grove (Lefty's daughter-in-law) recalled that Lefty visited Schild's twice that day and although he had become somewhat moody in his later years, he was upbeat when he arrived home the second time that day. He retired to the basement and the television set where he was found just before 6 p.m. Thursday by Mrs. Sarah Hand, who immediately informed Mrs. Grove. Mr. Grove had lived with his son, Bob, and his wife for a number of years. It was 14 years ago that Bob passed away. Grove was known for two pitches, a fastball and a wicked curve. Along with that, he had a nasty temper. No one dug in on him at the plate. He would just as soon drill a batter rather than walk him. When asked about his temper, his daughter-in-law admitted she saw it many times although he seldom took out his temperament on her. She had heard that the only person that control him on or off the field was his manager, Connie Mack. She related an incident that happened during his career. "He was trying for his 17th straight win in 1931 and failed to do so, he left the locker room in shambles." He played for Mack and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the No. 1 pitcher on teams than won World Series titles in 1929, 1930 and 1931. They were the teams that broke the stranglehold the Yankees had in baseball with Ruth and Gehrig. Grove won 31 of 35 decisions in 1931. Over his career, he won 300 and lost 140, eight times winning 20 or more games. This writer talked to Mr. Grove (never did I address him as Lefty as so many did) many times. I was the sports editor of the Reflector when those who oversaw Little League baseball, asked him if they could use his name for their league. I think he appreciated being asked. He spent many early evenings at the Milan Avenue fields and when asked, he was on hand for the season-ending banquet. I would see him at VFW Field on occasion and strike up a conversation. He was always very cordial to me as a writer. I seldom asked him about his career. We talked more about Cooperstown and his enshrinement in 1947 and the fact that he was he was recently voted the finest left-hander of all time, getting the nod over who I always thought was the best, Sandy Koufax. (I never told him that!) Also high in that voting was Eddie Plank and Warren Spahn. Out of the blue one morning, I got a call at the Reflector from Mr. Grove. As only he could order, "Hohler, the coffee is on. Come on down." To be honest, I was not crazy about going for coffee but it was Mr. Grove making the request. I went. We had coffee and we chatted. After talking for probably 20 minutes or so, he got up, went to another room and came out with a Hall of Fame Card, one he gets upon request for same from Cooperstown. (Not his rookie card.) He got a pen out and signed it. Pretty special, huh. That card was on our mantle for many years. Then, one day, my late son, Jeff, asked me if he could keep it for safe-keeping. I knew it would be in his safe. Then, five years ago, Jeff passes away of a heart attack, just like Mr. Grove, a damned heart attack. The card will stay in his safe. Poppy, not Strawberry, Festival It was said by Poppy Festival Chairman Nick Borders that it was time to get its feet wet with a community festival. Little did he know that his feet would get wet, all right. How about six inches of rain over the three-day event. The festival was said to have lost $2,000. Many believed most of that red ink came from the fact that the ride company failed to show, actually canceling out two days prior. No rides. No kids. There were other complaints such as the same kind of food concessions too close together. As one committee member stated, "Two identical waffle wagons were separated only by a French fry stand." And the rain. It rained off and on every day. But, there were winners. The parade was said to be the largest in Norwalk history. It assembled at Maplehurst School but that was not good because it caused a massive traffic jam. And committee members said it went the wrong way, down West Main Street, away from the downtown attractions. Next year the plan is to go right through the middle of the festival mall. Entertainment was fine but not by the expensive attractions. The hired singers were judged just fair as were the supposed "best marching groups and twirlers." Country and blue-grass singers like West Virginia's Glen Smith and local favorites Dale Braden and the Gordon Twins, got the most applause. No one got more applause, though, than Houlihan and Big Chuck at the Norwalk High School Auditorium. Three-hundred attended there laugh-a-minute show, one that was a prelude to a pizza rating contest. In the end, a lot of thank yous were passed out by Borders. Kudo's went to Norwalk electrician Wayne Lenhart, who was constantly on the run. Also thanked were high school students Tracey Buck, John Lendrum, Dave Thompson, Reed Bronder and the queen contestants for pitching in when asked. Tornadoes touch down It could have been a lot worse. Tornadoes dipped down in several areas across the county on Wednesday (May 21, 1975) but the only serious damage reported was to a building at Wickes Lumber on Ohio 18 was leveled. The roof of the company warehouse was also torn off. Damage was estimated at $10,000. Other damage in that area was to an out-building at the William Friend residence. Also in that area, the garden of Ray Staschke was obliterated. Replacing the vegetables was six-inches of hail stones. Folks on Bismark Road also heard the noise of "the train." But, then all went quiet. A Monreville policeman spotted a funnel cloud but it stayed in the air. Same thing happened over South Central High School. There were some fire calls, the worst to the Richard Woodruff resident on Ridge Road, North Fairfield. Mary Ann and Nancy Woodruff got off the school bus and found the home on fire. They quickly summoned the North Fairfield Fire Department that put out the fire. Damage was moderate. The Ohio Department of Transportation Garage on Dublin also suffered some damage, roughly $12,000 when a roof was torn off, one that was sent hurtling into employee's cars, Seven were damaged, some severely. Kacmarsky, Smith top class William Kacmarsky, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Kacmarsky, was named valedictorian of the 1972 senior class at St. Paul after he earned a perfect 4.0 point average. The salutatorian is Laura Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Smith. Her GPA was 3.97. Kacmarsky has a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Dayton where he will major in computer science. Smith will attend BGSU Firelands campus in the fall where she will major in elementary education. Cash won't change his lifestyle Howard Schuster claimed the $10,000 he won in the Ohio Lottery won't change his lifestyle. Schuster was at the family farm on Mason Road north of Milan showing grade school children from Milan how the farm is run. "Dottie (his wife) never comes to the farm so I was wondering just why she came in looking so excited," the 27-year-old Schuster said. "The reason was the ticket, of course. She bought four of them at NBC in Norwalk a few days prior and signed my name on the tickets." The Schuster's have one son, Jeff. Truckers win baseball title Norwalk's baseball program was just 4 years old when the Truckers won their first Northern Ohio League title. The Truckers had taken their lumps only in their first year, 3-12. After that it was 9-8 in 1973. A bit better in 1974 at 10-6. Then 12-6, good enough for the title in 1975. Members of that the team that was coached by John Derrer were Jeff Reitzel, Jeff Orwick, Bob Klein, John Burgess, Tom Mitro, Mike Seitz, Brett Smith, Duane Knittel, Scott Brogan, Jeff Malcolm, Jim Seitz, Keith Risner, Gary Rider, Ed Ciersezwski, Dan Hipp, Bill Welfle, Roscoe Sazdanoff, Dan Lachowyn, Jeff Smith and Bob Koehn. The stat girls were Kacy Landoll and Cathy Allen. Don Hohler is a longtime reporter and correspondent for the Norwalk Reflector.