Family values

Clark Griffith with Joe Cronin

Imagine Thanksgiving dinner at Clark Griffith’s manor back in 1934 and think of the moment when the conversation inevitably turns to the family business, which happens to be baseball in general and the Washington Senators in particular.

Might provide some awkward moments given that only nine days earlier – 89 years ago today, to be exact – Griffith approves a deal that sends his player-manager Joe Cronin to the Boston Red Sox for journeyman shortstop Lyn Lary and, more important to Griffith, a check for stunning $250,000.

Stunning in that the cash part of this deal is made in the midst of the Great Depression and $250,000 in 1934 is worth $5.4 million today.

Joe Cronin with Boston in spring training

The awkward part here is Griffith explaining to his adopted daughter, Mildred, why he deals away not only his team’s prized shortstop and manager but one who also is his son-in-law and Mildred’s husband of, at that point, only 47 days.

The trade actually is initiated by Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, who approaches Griffith after Washington craters from winning the American League pennant in 1933 to losing 86 games in 1934 and finishing next-to-last.

Yawkey tells Griffith he will pay his Cronin $30,000 per season over each of the next five years to be Boston’s player-manager, a nice bump in salary from the $22,000 Griffith pays his new son-in-law in 1934.

The 28-year-old Cronin knows what $250,000 would mean to Griffith in running the Senators and he also knows what a significant raise would mean for he and his wife, so he tells his father-in-law, sure, go make the deal.

Turns out well for Cronin as he spends the next 11 seasons as the Red Sox’s player-manager with winning records in seven of his first eight seasons. He becomes Boston’s fulltime manager in 1946 and wins the American League pennant with 104 victories.

Alas for Griffith, the Senators over those same dozen seasons from 1935-46 finish over .500 only three times and only once in those 12 seasons finish within 13 games of first place.

Cronin eventually becomes the Red Sox’s general manager before being voted into the Hall of Fame in 1956 and then becoming president of the American League from 1959-73.

The family in 1934: Clark Griffith, left, with Mildred and Joe Cronin