Evening star., 1909-01-24
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NJ 'G|NN|TY LONG
TRUE TO NJ 'CRAW
Stirring Times in Midseason
of 1902 in Baltimore
Are Recalled.

The announcement that McGinnity is
doomed for the block Ivy New York re-
calls the stirring times i'm Baltimore Of
1902 when john j. McGraw
broke faith with the Baltimore American
League team. and. seeking To wreck II
in violation OF his promise. caused Nc
Bresnahan. Cronin and McGann
to jump from the Baltimore Americans
to the New York Nationals ''twixt day-
light and dawn" while Joe" Kelley and
Seymour hied themselves away to Gin
cinrati. writes Joe Cummings in the Bal
timore News.
OF those six men. whose action startled
the entire base ball world as nothing else
had done before. not one now remains
with the club TO which they went on
that memorable night McGinnity. as
has been said. is slated TO be dropped to
minor leaguedom. Bresnahan has re-
Gently been made manager OF the 81.
Louis Nationals. McGann was shipped
to the Boston Nationals at the beginning
of last season. while Cronin was rele-
gated to Providence some years ago.
Kelley was let go from Cincinnati 70
Toronto two years ago. and during thS
season before that Seymour was shifted
from Cincinnati to New York.
Little Sentiment in Base Ball.
How extremely little sentiment there il
in base ball is aptly illustrated by Nc
Ginnity's case. If ever a man stuck 10
John McGraw through thick and thin,
it was this same Joe" McGnnity. II
might he expected that McGraw would
return the compliment. especially as he
t.
to burn, and has full power 10 take
care of the man whose loyalty to John
McGraw has been marked. McGinnity
came to Baltimore unknown at the
beginning of the 1899 season as result
of the combination of the Baltimore and
Brooklyn National League teams. He
had been picked up by Brooklyn the
previous fall from some western cliio
and straightway figured as a ''cast-off"
to be unloaded on Baltimore. The spring
training was hardly under way at Savan-
nah before McGinnity began to show
signs of real merit. and under Wilbert
Robinson's coaching he improved SO rap
idly that when the Orioles went over to
Augusta for series of practice games
with the former Orioles Ebbitts wanted
Manager Hanon to pull the string on
Mac and spirit him over to Brooklyn.
Manager Hanlon. with the loyalty he has
always shown to Baltimore whenever he
could. positively refused. on the ground
that 1t wouldn't be fair to Baltimore. So
McGinnity stayed and we'll fulfilled his
early promise. He developed an under
hand drop that he called "Old Sail and
for years "Old Salr' was a terror to op-
posing batsmen.
Captured Pennant for Brooklyn.
When Baltimore was frozen out of the
National League in 1900 McGinnity be-
came the king pitcher Of the Brooklyn
club. and 1t almost can be said that
| single-handed he captured the pennant
Brooklyn won that year. In 1901 the
American League expanded, and at the
call of McGraw. who was at the head
of the new Orioles. McGinnity jumped
the Brooklyn club to throw in his for
tunes with what at that time appeared to
be a hazardous undertaking. He re-
mained there during 1901 and 1902. up to
the time of the smaSh-up. when he threw
every consideration over to obey the
wishes of McGraw
Since that time he materially aided New
York in winning two pennants, frequently
pitching two games In one afternoon
and winning them. too-when the double
call on his physical resources became
necessary. And now he is to be cast
aside like worn-out glove. 1t is possi-
BILE. however. that Bresnahan. who is
often moved by real human instincts will
not let his old comrade drift away into
oblivion and will give him a job in st.
Louis. AS McGinnity won eleven games
ont of eighteen he pitched last season. it
does not seem II charity would have
to be stretched very far by Bresnahan 10
give his old side partner a chance
Another instance of how a term will
lose its original meaning is furnished by
the title OF THE Iron Man. given Nc
Ginnity in Baltimore. OF late years he
has been known almost entirely as The
Iron Man" but always in reference to
his strength as shown by his ability to
pitch double-headers repeatedly without
apparent harm. The title was originally
given him, however, because of his
connection with an iron foundry in the
Indian Territory. where he lives when he
is home. His father. it was said. owned
the foundry, and Mac" worked in il
during the winter. Hence the title. 1t
was fixed upon him with no thought OF
the unusual strength in pitching which ne
was to display later.
Known as the bad Man"
McGinnity. while a pleasant and soft
,, spoken chap as a rule. was known by the
players on the Baltimore team as the
bad man. of the entire outfit Imbued
with the principles of the frontier. his
pioneer blood would get so aroused on
occasion that he would go to lengths
that would fill easterners with awe. A
constant chewer Of tobacco qufd throw
ing was a favorite means of retaliation
for affronts. Once. in Milwaukee, all the
players except Schmidt were gathered in
the bus in front Of the hotel ready for
the trip to the ball grounds. But Schmidt
came not for some time, and the other
players became more and more impa-
tient. Schmidt. II will be remembered.
was the pitcher who was well known in
those times over the entire country by
reason OF his eccentricities, and rejoiced
in the prefix "Crazy.'
Schmidt finally sauntered forth. to be
met at the rear step of the bus by Nc
Ginnity. who demanded to know why the
laggard had kept his betters waiting, and
with the question great wad of masti-
Gated tobacco went hurtling through the
air, catching the unfortunate pitcher fairly
in the eye and causing him to emit howls
of pain for some minutes. Not another
player moved muscle. for all secretly
feared McGnnity. and 1t was the com
mon belief that the westerner would not
hesitate to kill any man who sufficiently
angered him.
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