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Template:Infobox MLB retired John Joseph McGraw (April 7 1873 – February 25 1934), nicknamed "Little Napoleon" and "Muggsy", was a Major League Baseball player and manager. Much-lauded as a player, McGraw was one of the standard-bearers of pre-Ruthian major league baseball. Known for having fists as quick as his temper, McGraw used every advantage he could get as both a player and manager. He took full advantage of baseball's initial structure that only provided for one umpire, becoming notorious for tripping, blocking, and impeding a baserunner in any way he could while the umpire was distracted by the flight of the ball. His profligacy in employing such tactics may have led to additional umpires being assigned to monitor the basepaths.

However, even with his success and notoriety as a player, he is perhaps most well-known for his record as a manager. His total of 2,763 victories in that capacity ranks second overall behind only Connie Mack; he still holds the National League record with 2,669 wins in the senior circuit. McGraw is widely held to be the greatest player to become a manager in the history of baseball.

Personal life

Early years

McGraw's father, a widower whose name was also John, moved to Truxton in 1871. He and his older brother Michael had immigrated from Ireland more than fifteen years earlier. As a widower and an Irish immigrant, life was not easy for the man who would become the father of one of the first great baseball managers. He and his brother had arrived in time for the Civil War, and were drawn into the conflict as part of the Union army. Shortly after the war, he married and McGraw's older half-sister was born. The first Mrs. McGraw died in childbirth, and McGraw's father began moving around looking for work--a search that ultimately led him to Truxton, New York. It was here that the elder McGraw married young Ellen Comerfort, and where the younger John McGraw was born on April 7, 1873.

The younger John McGraw was named "John" after his father, and "Joseph" after his grandfather back in Ireland. Even as a baby, young Johnny (as he was called) had raven hair, and eyes so dark that many people thought they were black. The boy's birth was the first of many to the family, as seven more children were born over the course of the next twelve years. The sheer number of children, combined with the paucity of well-compensated work led to hard times for the large family. It was often a struggle simply to have ample food for everyone and clothing enough to protect them all from the harsh winters of upstate New York.

Tragedy struck the family in the winter of 1884, when a debilitating fever swept through the family. Johnny's mother was the first to succumb, and his half-sister Anna, 13, died shortly thereafter. By the time the month of January in 1885 had passed, three more McGraw children had died. The devastated family moved from their house in the country into a hotel in town. Johnny's father, understandably bitter, heaped even more responsibility on the young boy's shoulders, and had very little patience for his son's passion for baseball. He became abusive toward the boy, and later on in 1885 (still only 12 years old), Johnny ran away. From that day onward, he was raised by a kindly neighbor, Mary Goddard, under whose care he did quite well.

During his years as part of Mrs. Goddard's household, he took on several jobs that allowed him to save money to buy baseballs and the Spalding magazines that chronicled the rules changes in the rival major leagues of baseball, the National League, and the American Association. He quickly became the best (though not the largest, by a far sight!) player on his school team. Shortly after his 16th birthday, he began playing for his town's team, the Truxton Grays, making a favorable impression on their manager, Albert "Bert" Kenney. While he could play any position, his ability to throw a big curve ball made him the star pitcher. It was McGraw's relationship with Bert Kenney that would precipitate his professional playing career.

Marriages

McGraw, then 23, married Minnie Doyle, the daughter of prominent Baltimore politician Michael Doyle, on 3 February 1897. This was at the height of his fame as a player for the old Baltimore Orioles of the National League. Two years later, while McGraw was on a road trip with his team, she contracted appendicitis. An emergency appendectomy was performed, and McGraw was called back from Louisville, Kentucky. However, her condition worsened and, surrounded by not only McGraw, but other members of the family as well, young Minnie, only 23 years old, died on 1 September 1899.

His second wife, Blanche, outlived McGraw by nearly thirty years. She died on 4 November 1962. Even after her husband's death, Mrs. McGraw was a devoted fan of the team he had managed for many years. In 1951, she threw out the first pitch during a World Series game in which her beloved Giants played the New York Yankees. Sadly for Mrs. McGraw, the hated Yankees won that day, 6-2, and would go on to win the championship--their third in a row--in six games.

Later years

McGraw retired as manager of the New York Giants in the middle of the 1932 season. He died of uremic poisoning at age 60 and is interred in New Cathedral (Roman Catholic) Cemetery in Baltimore, Maryland.

Connie Mack would surpass McGraw's major league victory total just months later. After his death his wife found, among his personal belongings, a list of all of the African-American players he wanted to sign over the years, but was unable to.

Baseball career

In the minor leagues

In 1890, Bert Kenney bought a portion of the new professional baseball franchise in Olean, New York. The team was to play in the newly-formed New York-Pennsylvania League. In return for this investment, he was named player/manager of the team (this was called "captain" at the time).

When McGraw heard the news, he immediately went to visit his former coach, begging him for a chance to play on the new team. Kenney had seen a lot of baseball by this time, and doubted that his former pitcher's one great pitch (the "outcurve", as it was called) would work as effectively against professional competition. Yet the man liked the teenaged McGraw very much, and when the boy insisted that he could play any position available, Kenney decided to give him a chance. McGraw signed his first contract to play professional baseball on 1 April 1890.

Olean was located two hundred miles from Truxton, and this was the furthest the youngster had ever traveled from his hometown. His debut with his new team was auspicious and short-lived. He began the season on the bench. After two days, Kenney inserted him into the starting lineup at third base. McGraw would describe the moment of his first fielding chance decades later:

or the life of me, I could not run to get it. It seemed like an age before I could get the ball in my hands and then, as I looked over to first, it seemed like the longest throw I ever had to make. The first baseman was the tallest in the league, but I threw the ball far over his head.

Seven more errors in nine more chances followed that day, a debacle that McGraw would not soon forget. After the team opened with no wins in six contests, Kenney and the other members of the ownership of the team--in the face of attendance that had dwindled to nearly nothing--were forced to overhaul the team. McGraw was given his release from the team, but Kenney also loaned him $70 and wished him luck if he wanted to try to catch on with another squad. McGraw could not bear the thought of going home a failure, as both his father and Mary Goddard had urged him to stay home and take a regular job, instead of chasing his dream of being a ballplayer. McGraw was resolute in his determination to make a name for himself as a professional baseball player, even if that meant struggling along in poverty for a time.

Thus it was that he began his journey again, this time in Wellsville, New York, a team that played in the Western New York League. The level of baseball played there was the lowest of the minor leagues, and McGraw still struggled with his fielding. But during his 24-game stint with the club, he managed to hit .365, flashing a glimpse of what would later become his hitting prowess. On 1 October 1890, he finished his first season as a professional baseball player, still only 17 years old.

After that first season, McGraw caught on with the traveling team of flamboyant promoter and fellow player, Al Lawson. Then only twenty-one himself, Lawson had gathered a ragtag group of players. These he took to Gainesville, Florida, in February of 1891, hoping to play against major league teams who were training in the area. After defeating a team from Ocala a couple of times, Lawson began calling his team "the champions of Florida", and was able to convince the major league team from Cleveland to play against his team. It was during this game that McGraw gained his first notoriety as a player. The Cleveland squad was led by Denton True "Cy" Young, who had already become famous for his "cyclone"-like fastball.

While the young Gainesville club lost the game 9-6, McGraw managed three doubles in five at-bats. He also scored half his team's six runs, crossing the plate three times. He played error-free defense at shortstop as well. Reports of the game--and his masterful play in it--made it to the Cleveland papers. McGraw's name began to become widely-known after other daily papers as well as some national baseball weeklies, such as The Sporting News. McGraw heard from many professional clubs requesting his services for the upcoming season within around a week.

Lawson acted as the boy's agent, and advised him to request $125 monthly and a $75 advance. The manager of the Cedar Rapids club in the Illinois-Iowa League was the first to wire the money, and McGraw decided to make that his next stop. It was later claimed by several other clubs that McGraw had signed with them, and had accepted their $75 advances. Though they threatened to sue, the clubs were never able to substantiate these claims, and McGraw was allowed to play in the league.

It was with the Canaries--as his Cedar Rapids club was called--that his greatest opportunity would arise. The Chicago White Stockings arrived in town for an exhibition game against McGraw's team. The White Stockings were led by Adrian "Cap" Anson, the major league's first true superstar. Unfazed by his famous opponents, the brash young McGraw led his teammates in giving their foes a hard time. During the game, on a field covered in mud, McGraw made a dazzling play at shortstop, leaping high to steal a hit from Cap Anson. After the game, Anson--impressed with the 18-year-old's solid play--asked him whether he would like to play for Chicago's team some day, which greatly increased the young man's confidence.

When the call came for McGraw to report to the major leagues--the Baltimore club specifically--his teammates accompanied him to the rail station. McGraw arrived at Camden Station in Baltimore on 24 August 1891, still only 18 years old, but now a major league baseball player. McGraw described his new home upon his arrival as "a dirty, dreary, ramshackle sort of place."

In the major leagues

He made his major league debut in 1891 in the American Association with the Baltimore Orioles. After the Orioles moved to the National League a year later, he remained with the team until 1899. In this time, McGraw established himself as an astute batsman with a keen eye, and an excellent third baseman. He walked over 100 times in a season three times, scored over 100 runs in a season five times, batted .320 or higher in every year from 1893 on, and also boasted an on base percentage of .400 or higher in every year from 1893 on, including a career high mark of .547 in 1899. McGraw also took on managerial duties for the 1899 Oriole team and posted an 86–62 record.

McGraw's playing time diminished over the following years as he played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1900), the American League Baltimore Orioles (1901–1902), and the New York Giants (1902–1906). He effectively retired after the 1902 season, not posting more than 12 at bats in any season thereafter. He retired having accumulated 1,024 runs, 13 home runs, 462 RBI, a .334 batting average, and a .466 on base percentage. His .466 career on base percentage remains third all-time behind only baseball legends Ted Williams (.482) and Babe Ruth (.474).

As a manager

Despite great success as a player, McGraw is most remembered for his tremendous accomplishments as a manager. In his book The Old Ball Game, National Public Radio's 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 despite themselves." McGraw took chances on players, signing some who had been discarded by other teams, often getting a few more good seasons out of them. Sometimes these risks paid off; other times, they did not work out quite so well. McGraw took a risk in signing famed athlete Jim Thorpe. Alas, Thorpe was a bust, not because he lacked athletic ability, but because "he couldn't hit a ball that curved."

Over 33 years as a manager with the Baltimore Orioles of both leagues (1899 NL, 1901–1902 AL) and New York Giants (1902–1932), McGraw compiled 2,763 wins and 1,948 losses for a .586 winning percentage. His teams won 10 National League pennants, 3 World Series championships and had 11 second place finishes while posting only two losing records. In 1918 he broke Fred Clarke's major league record of 1670 career victories. 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 (at least 14 of these came as a player). Bobby Cox set the record as the Atlanta Braves manager on August 14, 2007.

In 1919, McGraw became a part-owner of the Giants when Charles Stoneham bought the club, becoming vice president and general manager as well as field manager--giving him total control over the baseball side of the Giants operation. He retired as manager midway through the 1932 season.

Posthumous honors

McGraw was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937; his plaque stated that he was considered the greatest assessor of baseball talent. In honor of the days he spent coaching at St. Bonaventure, St. Bonaventure University named its athletic fields after McGraw and his teammate, fellow coach, and fellow Hall of Famer Hugh Jennings.

Although McGraw played before numbers were worn on jerseys, the Giants honor him along with their retired numbers at AT&T Park.

Official Career Statistics

The following playing career statistics for John McGraw as officially recognized by MLB.com.

The following managerial career statistics for John McGraw as officially recognized by Retrosheet.org.

• ' * ' denotes stats that were not officially recognized during parts or all of his career, and are incomplete.

See also

• Inside Baseball
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases

References

• Alexander, Charles C. (1995). John McGraw. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803259255.
• Threston, Christopher (2003). The Integration of Baseball in Philadelphia. McFarland. ISBN 0786414235.
• Markoe, Arnie. The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. ISBN 0684806657.

Notes

1. "Manager records index". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 2008-05-03. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
2. Baseballlibrary.com profile of McGraw
3. John McGraw by Charles C. Alexander, Copyright 1995 by U of Nebraska Press.
4. "Manager McGraw's Wife Dead". The New York Times. 1899-09-01. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
5. "Mrs. John J. McGraw, 81, Dies". Archives. The New York Times. 1962-11-05. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
6. "Mrs. John McGraw, Wife Of Former Giant Manager, Tossed Out First Ball", by Whitney Martin, for The Hartford Courant, 6 October 1951.
7. The Hartford Courant, "John McGraw Long Baseball Leader Dies", 26 February 1934.
8. Markoe, pp. 87
9. Threston 2003, pp. 11
10. Alexander 1995, pp. 16
11. Alexander 1995, pp. 22
12. The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball, by Frank Deford, Copyright 2006, Grove Press (p.3).
13. The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, and the New York Giants Created Modern Baseball, by Frank Deford, Copyright 2006, Grove Press (p.3).
14. "John McGraw's career playing stats". MLB.com. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
15. "John McGraw's career stats". retrosheet.org. Retrieved 2008-07-28.

External links

• Baseball Hall of Fame
• Baseball-Reference.com - managing record and playing statistics

Template:Persondata

• 1873 births
• 1934 deaths
• 19th century baseball players
• American Roman Catholics
• Baltimore Orioles (AA) players
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• Baltimore Orioles (19th century) managers
• Baltimore Orioles (1901-02) managers
• Baseball Hall of Fame
• Baseball managers
• Baseball player-managers
• Irish-American sportspeople
• Irish-Americans
• Major league players from New York
• Major league third basemen
• New York Giants managers
• New York Giants baseball players
• People from New York
• St. Bonaventure University alumni
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