Twenty-five years ago—on July 19, 1902, to be exact—nine men representing New York City and being called the "Giants" were playing baseball against Philadelphia. Most of them had sonorous Irish names—Brodie, Bresnahan, McGinnity, McGann, McGraw. They lost the game, 5 to 3. But the crowd of some 10,000 was not entirely displeased. The new manager and shortstop* of the Giants, John Joseph McGraw, seemed to be a fighter and a leader who knew the difference between first base and home plate. New Yorkers predicted that he would get the Giants out of the "cellar" (last place) of the National League. He failed to do so in 1902; but he put the Giants in second place in 1903 and made them pennant winners in 1904. Everyone knows the subsequent history of the Giants— nine more National League pennants and three world's championships. Manager McGraw could develop comparatively green players into luminaries—the late Christopher Mathewson,† Lawrence Doyle, Ross Young, George Kelley, Francis Frisch. But he also knew enough to spend fortunes to buy other teams' luminaries. He began his high-priced acquisitions in 1908 by paying $11,000 for Richard Marquard. In later years the price went up—$50,000 for "Irish" Meusel, $100,000 apiece for Hugh McQuillan, David Bancroft, Henry Groh. Said Manager McGraw: "You can't bring the money into the box office without spending some of it first." Last week, approaching the celebration of his Silver Anniversary as Manager of the Giants, Mr. McGraw was having troubles. His team, even though it is captained by that mighty slugger, Rogers Hornsby, was in fourth place, losing games with exasperating regularity. After suffering four straight defeats at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the Giants lost two out of four games to the St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, a newspaper despatch quoted Mr. McGraw as saying: "I am getting tired of traveling and I expect to step out as manager. Hornsby is the man to carry on. The members of the club all swear by Hornsby." Mr. McGraw quickly branded this despatch as false, said: "They always start that report when the team is losing." However, McGraw had praised Hornsby highly on Hornsby Day in St. Louis and he had hinted at retirement "some day." McGraw is 54. It would not be surprising to see him give up baseball when his contract as Manager of the Giants expires in 1929. On that "some day" Coogan's Bluff will lose its nabob, President Nicholas Murray Butler of Columbia University (see p. 16) will lose an old neighbor and Manhattan will lose one of its most significant Irishmen.
*McGraw later played third base. †His son, Christopher Jr., was graduated from Bucknell University this month.