The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-02-15
JOHN J. MGRAW, GIANTS MANAGER, Was JUST AS
SCRAPPY A PLAYER WHEN he Was YOUNG At THE GAME

John j.. McGraw's first professional
engagement Was i'm the New York and
Pennsylvania league.
This league. which witnessed the
debut of the famous manager OF the
Giants. included Bradford, Erie, Will
Transport. Altonna, Johnstown, Mead
willie and Wilkes-BarEe in Pennsyl-
vania. Jamestown, Olean and Elmira,
in New York. and during its short On
istencc it was a whirlwind baseball or
ganization. w. Z. Higgins OF Brad
ford. now of Pittsburg. was secretary
of the league.
The league came into existence
wholly and entirely through love Of
the great outdoor game and Il laudable
ambition on the part OF the towns rep
resented TO maintain and uphold ath-
letic supremacy. Commcrcialism did
not enter into the proposition at all.
Those interested in the game went in
to their pockets freely and frequently
that their clubs might stay the season
out and beat rivals in the race for the
pennant. In addition t this. most
every season witnessed the passing of
subscription papers in all the towns
making up the circuit, appealing to
the local pride of the citizens to keep
in the baseball world.
WAS With Olcan First.
1t was With Olcan that McGraw
played his first engagement. but he did
cot last long. Hc was too intense and
Jealous. so was released. In his
teens and about as big as a pop bottle,
he had the baseball cauldron seething
and boiling over all the time. The
season had not been Il month old when
Billy Simpson, the wne of the Odean
,cluh, had to shoo him away to keep
the exasRerated players and patrons
of the game from going insane.
McGraw showed in the box score as
playing third base. In reality. he at
times cssayed to do all the work of a
Hans Wagner and IL Joe Tinker COM
bined. Fle lowered all over the lot.
Ball players relate that If a Texas
Lacquer Wen to short Quilted he was
crouching under the ficldcr's legs to
grab the ball If it were muffed. He
was ambitious, alert. and far too zeal
GUS. But he was young. very young.
All Over the Field.
At the crack of the bat iielders like
Tommy Leach. Ty Cobb and Sam
Crawford. obeying baseball instinct,
turn and run under Il long hit fly ball,
their eyes not watching its flight.
Well. McGraw seemed to have his in
stinct to a degree on inticld hits. Time
and again he would be in front of the
second baseman or the shortstop and
like as not splitting and mufflng the
ball tina did not belong to him. Kid
as he was he sncered at the opposing
players and his criticism of the errors
Of commission and omission of his
own teammates were caustic and
vifrlnIin and thfc l,of~.- H. .-A -
st. Bo~navcnture college, was couched
In town lot talk and not at all soothing
to sensitive ears. He would block
players twice his size when they were
running bases. and at the bat would
run the chance of getting an arm or
a rib broken to get a base.
Always Loved the Game.
He loved the game and was winning
his way quick. but as stated above,
Simpson was only human and none
but an East Indian pundit could stand
for such an ex%asperating gadiy. and
such a diminutivc one at that. After
McGraw's release from Olean, Fred
kelleher of Bradford. who was rum
ming a semi-professional team in
Wellsvilc. n. Y. picked him up. Anon
he went transforming with AL Law
son to Cuba, and 1t was his playing in
the south. after the transformers re-
turn that the newspaper boys began
to talk of his ability. and these press
notices brought him to the attention
of Ned Hanlon. of tho Baltimore club.
Since that time until the present day
the baseball reporters have kept the
public pretty well informed about Nc
Graw and his baseball career.
McGraw was not the only player in
the Now York and PannSv1yania
league to achieve distinction-not by