New Britain herald., 1921-09-30
THREE GREAT MEN
 IN BASEBALL GAME
ECGraW, Jennings and Burkett ! Known to Sport Followers

players has brought the New York Giants through this seasons battles Tor the pennant. John McGraw, Hughey Jennings. Jesse Burkett-the names of all three are written at the top of the list of basebalrs heroes.
 McGraw is finishing his goth year as manager of the New Works and In this year he has had as first as- slstant JenninEs. his old teammate on the old team of Orioles of Baltimore and Burkett. as the second deputy. The individual records of this trio at bat and afield stands out among the greatest in the history of the game.
 Burkett has never had tn. good fortune to manage a major league pennant winner but McGraw has pi- loted the Giants to n goodly string of flags and Jennings won three pen- nants with tho Tigers.
 hcGraw was third basehsun, first with tho great Baltimore club and then with St. Louis and when he landed in New York he retired as an active and became a leader-one of the foremost in the annals of tho game. Jennings was shortstop- first with Louisville. then with Bal timore and finally with Brooklyn. His work as manager in Detroit came to a close with the season of 1920.
 Burkett came to the Giants in 1890 as a pitcher but was converted into an outfelder because he could not control his left handed shoots And as an outfielder with New York. Cleveland and St. Louis. Burkett made history as one of tho most able bats men tn tho game.
 The batting records of McGraw. Jennings and Burkett. combined. rep resent 27 years of hitting over the .30o mark in the big show. Burkctt batted better than 300 for II years. McGraw for nine and Jennings for seven. Burkett was the hightiest of the trio and in 1895 he batted .423-- n mark second only to Hughey Duffys .43s of 1891.
 MeGraw's top average was .39O. in 1899, the year that Ed. Delehanty finally succeeded in his long effort to go over the 400 mark with an aver age of .i0s. Jennings did his best work with the bat in 1896. when he hit .397. Titans three. indeed!
 Burkctt went to Cleveland in 1892 and saw his club beaten for the Ma tional league pennant by Boston. It was not until 1895 that Burkett was arrayed against both McGraw and JNuDAlkNs lIIe i1Ilplt cup S8IlGS.
 With Burkott playing a heroic role with the bat the Spiders took the measure Of the pennant winning Ori- oles that fall. Cleveland won four games and Baltimore only one. In 1896 it was Baltimore against Cleve- land again for the Temple cup and once more if was McGraw and Jen- nings against Burkett.
 This time the Orioles cleaned up without losing a game. They took four straight. finishing the series with a to shutout on the grounds of the Spiders. Baltimore was in the series again in 1897 but Cleveland had dropped back and Boston fought the Orioles for the old trophy. The Orioles won that final competition for the Temple cup.
 From that time until he withdrew from active service Inc was one of the best third basemen in the game. at one time being considered the top- notcher of them all. His ability 10 field bunts was uncanny. and no third baseman in the game ever has equalled him in that department. He always was a capable batter but under Hanlon's direction he became one of tho greatest in baseball. For years his average never fell below the .35o mark and he was very fast on the bases. His all-round good work was a big factor in Baltimore's string of pennants.
 Vile n member of the Orioles he was surrounded by n coterie of stars who helped to set off his brilliancy. HuRhic Jennings. who now is asso- ciated with him in the direction of the Giants and wilbert Robinson. manager Of the Brooklyn.s were among them. .
 McGraw and Robinson were sold in 1900 to the St. Louis club for a price reported to be $is.0O0. The sale dis pleased both men.
 When the American league invaded the East In 1900. McGraw was one of tho ablest neutenants of Ban John- son. tho league president. While they were still in St. Louis. HcGraw and Robinson were plotting to place an American team in Baltimore. Finally McGraw obtained backing and as- sembied a good ball team He was ap- pointed manager of the club which was a most popular move in Balti- moro and In 1901 there was no stauncher American leader than John McGraw. now tho premier leader of the National league.
 In 1909 thore was an open split between McGraw and Johnson. Not only were tho Orioles weakened by suspensions but many players were retired with injuries McGraw was spiked three times in 1909. the last causing m ugly wound in his knee. which practically ended his days as an active participant in the game. Tn mid season tho affairs of the Bal timore team became SO dcmoralized that McGruw quit and announced that he was through with the game forever.
 About this time tho Giants were going poorly. It was during the Freedman regime. The team played bad ball and the fans were not att tending the games. McGraw's name was suggested to Freedman and ho r.InncL hIr.. laa cnr.a nA Al tha tnn r.,