The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-11

Among the many questions put to me from day to day is very freqnent: "Who, in your opinion, is the greatest manager in baseball history" And my answer is:
 John McGraw."
 I realize full well the uncanny lead- ership powers of Connie Mack. I have studied the carees of Frank Chance, HHghie Jennings, George Stal1ings, Fred Clarke and the other truly greats. But when all is said and done, I don't think that any of them is in the class with McGraw in ability to build up championship teams, to make them a drawing card and to develop men to be leaders among their fellows. No man in baseball ever has been maligned as much as McGraw; few have known more enemies. But on the other hand, McGraw perhaps has more real friends than any man now identi- fled with the game. They are friends who would go the limit for him. To know the Giants leader intimately is to admire him and to realize that he is one of the few men who feel that no sacrifice is too great to make for a friend.
 Through his long connection with the game, perhaps 400 and more men have worked under the leadership of Mc- Graw. They have been men of vari- ous types and various dispositions. But not one of them ever has risen up to say that John McGraw hasn't given him square deal. McGraw ever has been ready and willing to sacrifice his personal aims and ambitions in behalf of his players. Frequently he has made trades or sales because the engineer ing of such a deal meant the advance ment of one of his men. McGraW needed that man, but he didn't want to stand in the way of that fellow bet tering himself.
 McGraw is a fighter--and he fights for his men as no other leader in the game He protects them and when ever anything goes wrong with his ball club, it is McGraw who assumes the responsibility for it all.
 John McGraw is fiery and aggressive. He is reso1ute. Once he makes up his mind, he goes through with his plans despite every obstacle. When he feels he is in the right nothing can turn him aside. There is nothing vacillating or weak about McGraw. He has the courage of his own convictions. Me- Graw's hot temper sometimes gets the better of his judgment and results in outbursts that have caused his ene- mics to use them in showing that Me- Graw is a menace to the best interests of baseball
 But McGraw isn't!
 Who will dispute me when say that John McGraw was the real savior or the National league? Who will Ques- tion my statement that John McGrdw has been worth more than $2,00O,0O0 to the Giants individually and the Ma tional league as a whole?
 McGraw assumed leadership of the Giants back in 1903 when the team that represented the biggest city in America was a chronic tail-ender, and had landed eighth in 1902. The Giants in those days attracted but cor poraPs guard. Rival club owners used to dislike visits to New York because it nearly always meant financial loss.
 The Giants finished in second place in. his first year as manager and in 1904 McGraw lifted them to the abso- lute top of the National league. "miraole' had happened! In 1905 he performed even a greater miracle by winning the pennant and following it with a worlds championship victory over the Athletics.
 From then on the Giants became the real factors in every baseball fight save that of 1915. Led by the dyna- mic, picturesque, aggressive McGraw, they dominated the game year after year. They didn't always win pen- nants but they always were dangerous. They had more "color" than any ball club in America because they imbibeG the scrappiness of McGraw and so they became the greatest drawing card in base ball. At home or abroad they