The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-02-17
JOHN M'CRAW'S PAY
OF $4,000 AST0UNDS
SPORTIVE POPULATION
By FRANK G. MENKE

A SpOTl1V0 WOIlu Is VII d6hooI
over the fact that the Giants have just
concluded new contract with John
McGraw which will net the peppery
Irishman $4,000 in annual wages.
It's figure without parallel in base
ball history; sum of money twice or
three times greater than ever was
paid to any living man; it's within
few thousand dollars of being equal to
the entire payroll OF. WHOLE major
league ball club few years ago.
Is McGraw worth it?
The question Immediately provokes
debate; one faction, which reckons
McGraw the greatest baseball leader
of all time, chants an echoing yes;
the other group, which never could
See McGraw, thinks he is very much
overpaid
Its true that McGraw has done
great things during his leadership of
the Giants" they'll tell you. But al
most anyone else, having an unlimited
| bankroll at his disposal for the pur-
chase of star players, have &C
complished about the same thing"
Perhaps-and perhaps not.
CoorfuI Career
! McGraw's career with the Giants
has been colorful, picturesque, SEN
| sational. At one and the same time
| he has been the best liked man in
| the game-and also the most hated.
-, Those who know him intimately insist
| he is one of natures noblemen, ever
ready, ever willing to go to the ends
of the earth to help a friend. Others
claim he is "baseball's stormy petreT',
a man of 'ungovernable temper" and
an exponent of rowdyism."
But no matter from what angle Nc
Graw is viewed, no one can take from
him the credit of leading a club to
greater heights than any other base
ball outfit ever knew; of accomplish
ing more in the matter of pennant win.
nings and ''runnerups" than any leader
of all time.
McGraw was placed in charge of the
Giants, mid-season of 1902-at a time
when the team was hopeless tail.
ender. In the very next year he land
j ed in second place, with practically
/ the same club which finished in the
ruck in 1902. And a year afterward
.i-1904-he won flag.
lawn Draws Away
\ Once upon time-up to 1914
Connie Mack gave McGraw a close bat
/ tie for the managerial championship
And then McGraw started. to draw
away. In the seven years since then
Mack has finished last exactly seven
times. And McGraw, meanwhile, has
won one worlds championship, two
remnants and finished second on three
} other occasions.
The Giants, under McGraw, have
} been the biggest money makers base
ball ever knew. They used to lose
thousands annually - before McGrav
arrived With his advent, conditions
changed. Instead of being a colorless
club, the Giants became filled will
fire. Instead of being down-trodden
} they became consistent pennant chas
ers.
Soon Packing Crowds
Soon the Giants were packing
, crowds into the home grounds-anC
became the best road drawing care
in baseball. And so it has been veal
after year. John T. Brush made for
tune out of his connection with the
: McGraw-led Giants: Harry Hempstet
: did the same thing. And Charlie:
Stoneham, present owner, has beef
! wallowing around in a gulf of golt
: which McGraw has created for him.
McGraw's salary when he first start
ed with the Giants was big for thos,
days-insignificant in this era It wa
in the neighborhood of 1880 Brush
quick to realize McGraw's worth, boost
!, ed the figures considerably when
new contract was signed and through
the years McGraw's income grew great
4 er and still greater
: Boost His Salary
Back in 1915, at the time the Fedora
? league warfare was raging, HempsteC
signing up McGraw for three years
l gave him a salary of s35, 900 Tw
y years later Hempsted tore up that cor
tract. even though it had year to gc
and voluntarily boosted the figures {
$4,000.
: And now Stomham has made it S65
y 900.
? McGraw has been hornswoggle
= quite often in trades-an has permit
ted some starts to get away from hin
He has, at times, made some blunder
!, with his team. But, in the final ana
i ysis there is no disputing the fact tina
Z he is the greatest leader of all tim,
the managerial genius without CON
pare-and worthy of every one of tn
$4,000 which Stoneham has agreed t
pay him.
Copyright 1921 by King Features
Syndicate, IDc.)
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