Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-06
M'GRAW'S ACT
HELPED WHITE SOx
Giants Manager UnwiIIingIy
Helped Chicago and the
American League.

From the Chicago Tribune.
One Of the stories of the base ball season
of 1906 which, SO far as known, has not
been written, and which will bear repeating
il 1t has, is how John j. McGraw. manager
of the New York National League team,
helped the White Stockings win the worlds
championship.
1t is not often the leader Of a club In one
big league can be accused Of aiding and
abetting club in rival league to annex
the highest honors In the base ball arena.
and incidentally to humble his own league
and club in the eyes Of the public. yet 1t Is
true McGraw did more than any other one
person not connected with the Sox them
selves to land the worlds pennant at the
top Of Comiskey's fagpole this year.
"Muggsy" didn't mean to do it-probably he
doesn't realize himself that he ever turned
finger to help the Sox-it was SO long ago
and because he never could have had the
slightest idea of the results.
No Discredit to Jones.
This is not to be taken as any indication the
White Sox would not have become worlds
champions except for McGraw, nor any ef-
fort to belittIe the gallant fight Fielder
Jones men made, nor to remove iota Of
the glory which is theirs by right of might
and unparalleled gameness. They won the
worlds series by margin sufficient to in
dictate they could have won it even without
McGraws assistance, and the sole purpose
of the story is to demonstrate the far
reaching and ultimately important results
which may arise In base ball from a COM
paratively trivial incident.
Naturally enough the presumption is the
Giant leader was prompted by spite, and in
this case presumption Is right But the spite
Of the doughty little leader Of the shrunken
w cd in 10 cit hnr
at Manager Chance, his team or the Ma
tional League. At that McGraw had plenty
OF reason for venting his spite on Chances
men, and did show it after the worlds
series by roasting the Spud manager
through the press for alleged bad judgment.
That was his way Of getting back at Chance
couple of hours to make McGraw, Brush
and the whole New York team look like
counterfeit money on desert island The
Giant leader never has forgiven the Chicago
team and all connected with it for calling
his bluff about locking Umpire tombstone
out of the Polo Grounds, and calling 1t so
hard McGraw never will be able to live
down the incident and the opprobrfum 1t
tons.
Does Not Do It Knowingly.
But McGraw's spite against Chance never
helped the White sox little bit. Much as
he dislikes anything wearing the name Chi
cago." he would not do anything intention
ally to give the public occasion to believe
the club with which he Is connected belongs
to any league except the premier organiza-
ton of the country. And by helping the
Sox he was doing just that But McGraw's
assistance was wholly unintentional.
1t was performed long before the White
Sox were conceded chance to win even the
American League pennant, without which
title they never could have played in the
worlds SERIES of course. At that time Nc
Graw himself expected to win the National
Leagues and the worlds pennants again.
And his spite work was directed wholly at
minor league club and a minor league
manager.
Properly to understand the incident 1t is
necessary to turn back few pages Nc
Graw's Giants. by sundry acts and pranks,
have contracted the territory open to them
for spring training trips until 1t is not an
easy task to find a desirable southern city
which Is not closed to them. A couple Of
years ago the players themselves closed the
doors Of Birmingham Ala. against them
selves. Last spring a few happenings,
! which included the breaking Of plate glass
Memphis, made 1t certain the Giants would
not be welcomed any too warmly If they re-
turned to that city next spring. Conse-
quently McGraw began that early to cast
| his eyes about for q location for another
training stunt. He found the reputation of
his men and their camp followers had been
disseminated widely through the alleged
land Of sunshine.
Giants Not Popular.
New Orleans seemed to -him-a highly de-
sirable location, because 1t contained a
couple Of winter race tracks. and, learning
| that Comiskey was intending to change his
training camp from the crescent city
| largely account Of the tracks, McGraw
opened negotiations with Manager Frank
Of the New Orleans club to secure that
| clubs plant and desirable dates for the use
Of the Giants in 1907. His offer was re-
fused and the refusal raised huge bump
of spite in McGraw's pate against Manager
Charles Frank 1t was that spite bump
which prompted John ]. to help the Sox I'M
Intentionally to win not only their own
| leagues pennant, but the worlds too and
perhaps some thanks ought to be extended
by President Comiskey to Manager Frank
for raising the bump
While the swelling was 'argest, way back
before the opening Of the Championship sea-
son of 1906. the master Of the White Sox,
having deal or two in sight, asked for
waivers on some of his substitute players,
among them George Robe. THE plot thick
ems" Perhaps 1t is necessary to explain
that before any major league club can make
a deal whereby player purchased from a
minor league club be traded or sold
| back to a minor league club in the follow
ing year the consent Of every club In both
| the American and National leagues must
be obtained This is to prevent any major
league club which does not feel the need
of certain players services from keeping
that player away from some other major
league club which may need him.
Robe Case Bobs Up.
McGraw did not need George Robe for the
Giants. At that time they were conceded
the National League pennant by every one
outside of Chicago and were not looking
for recruits from anywhere. But when
McGraw read Comiskey's request for a
waiver on Robe he Immediately spotted
scheme whereby the "Old Roman was to
give Manager Frank back the captain of
the New Orleans club, from which the play
err had been purchased the previous fall, it
will be recalled Instantly the leader of
the Giants wired his refusal to waive claim
to Robe. thereby compelling the White