On June 24, 1908, Clark Griffith stood before reporters at Hilltop Park and said he was done. The man who'd managed the New York Highlanders since their earliest days in the American League -- who'd survived a near-breakdown the previous April -- had reached his limit. "Maybe I'm a hoodoo," he told the press, using the era's slang for a jinx. His record stood at 24-32. The team had lost 12 of its last 13 games. And Griffith, rather than waiting to be fired, chose to walk away on his own terms.
The Breaking Point
June 1908 destroyed the Highlanders. They went 7-21 during the month, a collapse so thorough it left no room for optimism. The pitching staff couldn't hold leads. The offense couldn't manufacture runs. The defense committed errors at critical moments. And Griffith, who'd been managing through problems for years, couldn't find the lever that would stop the losing.
The Jimmy Williams trade haunted him. Griffith had sent Williams away for a prospect who didn't deliver, and the critics didn't let him forget it. Every loss invited another round of second-guessing, another newspaper column questioning whether Griffith had lost his touch. By mid-June, the question wasn't whether Griffith could turn the season around. It was whether he could survive the week.
A Manager's Self-Doubt
The "hoodoo" comment wasn't just colorful language -- it revealed a manager who'd internalized the failure. Griffith genuinely seemed to believe his presence was making things worse, that the team needed someone else's energy and approach. This wasn't the bluster of a man deflecting blame. It was the confession of a man who'd been ground down by years of declining returns.
Griffith had managed the Highlanders since 1903, building the franchise from an expansion team into a legitimate AL contender. The 1904 team came within a wild pitch of the pennant. The 1906 team finished second with a run that included a 15-game winning streak. But the trajectory since then had been downward -- fifth in 1907, and now this disaster in 1908. Griffith watched his life's work eroding and couldn't stop it.
Kid Elberfeld's Inheritance
The man who replaced Griffith was Kid Elberfeld, the team's shortstop turned interim manager. Elberfeld inherited a 24-32 record and a roster that was already broken. He went 27-71 the rest of the way, a .276 winning percentage that makes Griffith's tenure look competitive by comparison.
Elberfeld didn't have the pieces. The pitching was thin beyond repair. The offense, without a fully engaged Hal Chase, couldn't score. The defense was unreliable. The managerial change was organizational window dressing -- replacing one man at the helm of a sinking ship didn't address the structural problems that had made the ship unseaworthy.
| Griffith's 1908 Record | 24-32 (.429) |
| Elberfeld's Record | 27-71 (.276) |
| Combined Record | 51-103-1 (.331) |
| June Record | 7-21 |
| Resignation Date | June 24, 1908 |
| Griffith Tenure | 1903-1908 |
| Losing Streak | 12 of 13 games before resignation |
After New York
Griffith's departure from the Highlanders wasn't the end of his baseball career -- it was the beginning of a different one. He'd manage other teams, learn the business side of the sport, and eventually purchase the Washington Senators in 1920. As an owner, Griffith ran the franchise for over three decades, building a legacy that extended far beyond his days as a pitcher and manager in New York.
The Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Griffith in 1946, recognizing contributions that spanned every level of the game. The man who called himself a "hoodoo" in June 1908 ended up in Cooperstown. But the sting of that resignation -- the public admission of failure, the 7-21 June that broke him -- never fully disappeared from the story of his career.
What the Resignation Meant
Griffith's departure was more than a managerial change. It was the end of the Highlanders' founding era. He'd been there since the beginning, building the franchise from nothing into something that occasionally contended. His exit signaled that the organization needed to start over -- new management, new direction, new identity. The "Yankees" name was already creeping into newspaper headlines. The franchise was becoming something different, and Griffith's resignation was the first step in that transformation.
Griffith Becomes Manager
Clark Griffith takes over the Highlanders as player-manager, guiding the franchise through its formative years.
Near-Pennant
The Highlanders come within a wild pitch of winning the AL pennant, the franchise's closest brush with a championship under Griffith.
Near-Breakdown
Griffith nearly collapses from the strain of playing and managing simultaneously, foreshadowing his eventual departure.
7-21 Collapse
The Highlanders' catastrophic June record, including 12 losses in 13 games, pushes Griffith past his breaking point.
Resignation
Griffith resigns as manager, calling himself a "hoodoo." Kid Elberfeld takes over.
Buys the Senators
Griffith purchases the Washington Senators, beginning a new chapter as an owner that lasts three decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Clark Griffith call himself a 'hoodoo'?
Griffith used the term -- era slang for a jinx or curse -- when he resigned on June 24, 1908. After the team lost 12 of 13 games and went 7-21 in June, Griffith suggested his presence was making things worse and that the team needed a fresh start without him.
What was Griffith's record as Highlanders manager?
Griffith managed the Highlanders from 1903 through June 24, 1908. His final season produced a 24-32 record before his resignation. His overall tenure included a near-pennant in 1904 and a second-place finish in 1906.
Who replaced Griffith as manager in 1908?
Kid Elberfeld, the team's shortstop, took over as interim manager and finished the season with a 27-71 record. The combined 51-103-1 season remains one of the worst in franchise history.