Art Griggs

Born in Topeka Dec. 10, 1883, Art Griggs graduated from Topeka High School and played at several colleges.  First, he played baseball at Topeka Business College and football at the University of Kansas in 1903.  He played baseball at Washburn in 1904 and football in what is now the University of Pittsburgh (PA) in 1905.

During the summers of 1904 and 1905, he pitched for Ellsworth.  In 1906, he spent part of the season at Blue Rapids.

At this point, Griggs became a legitimate professional prospect as a position player and landed in the major leagues in 1909 with the St. Louis Browns.  As a first baseman and outfielder, Griggs hit .280 in his rookie season.  He slipped to .236 and was traded to the Cleveland Naps

The Naps had a 23-year-old “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and a 44-year-old Cy Young.  Griggs spent two seasons with the team, hitting .304 in 1912.  After the season, he was sold to the Montreal Royals and batted .292 in 1913.

In 1914, Griggs joined the Brooklyn Tip Tops of the Federal League.  After the league folded following the 1915 season, Griggs bounced around from team to team, including the Detroit Tigers, for 28 games in 1918.

In 1927, Griggs became part owner and president of the Wichita Larks, who would renamed the Aviators in 1928.  Griggs managed the team from 1928 to 1931, winning the Western League pennant in 1930 and 1931.  In 1932, he moved the team to Tulsa.

Griggs died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1938 in Los Angeles at the age of 55.  In Oklahoma, the Art Griggs Memorial Award is given to honor his contributions to baseball.For more, read Art Griggs’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.