John McGraw

"After 30 years of continuous services, John Joseph McGraw has resigned as Manager of the New York Giants. At the age of 59 Mr. McGraw steps down because of failing health, with his Giants in last place. Mr. McGraw was a product of the old school of Baseball, when fist fights were common, when red liquor was sold at all the parks, when only ladies of questionable social standing attended the game. To the end he was faithful to his truculent creed. The last official act he performed as Manager of the Giants was to file a protest with the league against Bill Klem, the umpire." Joe Williams, New York World Telegram, June, 4 1932.
If you are a Baseball fan you should know the name of John McGraw. In this day and age it is understandable that every Baseball fan might not know who McGraw really was, mainly because he retired from managing almost eighty years ago. John McGraw was the greatest manager in the greatest era of our great game, the game of Baseball. McGraw managed for over 33 years but also had a great career as a player for over ten Major League seasons.
As a player McGraw was one of he standard-bearers of Major League Baseball in the dead-ball era of the 1890s. Known for having fists as quick as his temper, McGraw used every advantage he could get as a player and later a Manager. He took full advantage of baseball's initial structure that only provided for one umpire, becoming notorious for tripping, blocking and impeding a base runner in any way he could while the umpire was distracted by the flight of the ball. These tactics of Mcgraw may have led to additional umpires being assigned to monitor the base-paths. McGraw played for the old Baltimore Orioles of the American Association and a year later the Orioles moved to the National league in 1892. McGraw was a third baseman for the Orioles for eight seasons while the team won four National League Championships. His career on-base percentage of .466 remains third all time behind only Ted Williams(.482) and Babe Ruth (.474). His life time batting average is .334. Although McGraw was a great player and would of made the Hall of Fame as a player alone, he is most well known as a manager.
His total of 2,763 victories ranks second all-time behind only Connie Mack who happened to manage for over 50 seasons; he still holds the National League record with 2,669 wins in the senior circuit. In his book The Old Ball Game, Sports Illustrated writer, Frank Deford calls McGraw, "the model for the classic American coach, a male version of the whore with a heart of gold. A tough, flinty so and so who was field smart, a man's man his players came to love". Managing the New York Giants from 1902-1932, McGraw won ten National League pennants, three World Series championships and had 11 second place finishes while posting only two losing records in all of those years. McGraw led the Giants to first place each year from 1921-1924, becoming the only National League manager to win four consecutive pennants. McGraw is second all time with a total of 131 total ejections. Bobby Cox set the record as the Atlanta Braves manager in 2007. McGraw was inducted in to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937; his plaque stated that he was considered the greatest assessor of baseball talent. McGraw died in 1934 two years after he retired as manager of the Giants. He was mourned by all as the greatest manager of all time. After his death, his wife found among his affects a list of all the black players he secretly wished he could of hired over the decades, but was unable to because the Majors were not integrated until 1947.
In reading this blog I hope you the reader now knows who John McGraw is and has an appreciation for Mr. McGraw as the greatest baseball manager of all time.