JOHN GRIFFORE

John F. Griffore attended St. Andrew’s High School where he was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball. The 6-foot, 190-pounder threw a no-hit, perfect game against St. Joseph’s while he recording 15 strikeouts. Griffore also played American Legion ball before starting his pro career with Saginaw in the Class C Michigan State League. From there he went to Findlay, Ohio, of the Class D Ohio State League in 1941. He made the jump to Triple A when the St. Louis Cardinals purchased his contract and assigned him to their Columbus, Ohio, squad. Griffore reported to the Cardinals’ spring training camp the following year and remained with the big league club until he was called to duty by the U.S. Army. While in the service from 1942-45 he played with a baseball team in the South Pacific composed almost entirely of Major Leaguers. After being discharged, he was reassigned to Columbus by the Cardinals. The Cards ultimately traded him to Louisville – a Boston Red Sox farm club in the American Association. Griffore won 96 games and lost 95 in his AAA Minor League baseball career and sported an earned-run-average of 3.77 for his nine seasons. The right-handed Griffore averaged 91.5 strikeouts a year. While with the Louisville he threw a two-hit, 4-0 victory against the Minneapolis Millers. At 28, he recorded the longest game victory in the International League with a 17-inning win against Rochester, winning 4-3. Twice in his career he made it into the ninth inning with a no-hitter – once with Louisville against Minneapolis and against Milwaukee while toeing the rubber for Columbus. In 1951 he moved on to the Syracuse Chiefs who were in affiliation with the New York Yankees of the International League. In 1954 his brother Tom talked him into leaving baseball and opening Glamour, Inc., a barber and beauty supply in Saginaw. He also worked for Kerns Great Lakes in Saginaw. Griffore passed away on October 8, 1994, at the age of 74 and is buried at St. Andrew Cemetery.