The New York herald., 1922-08-06
Giant Star of Other Days. Though 81 Years Old, Con
tinues to Take His Turn in Box and Says Salts
faction Over Victory Urges Him On

Special Dispatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
DUBUQUE, Iowa, Aug. 5.--When will
Iron Man" Joe McGinnity. famous
hurler, flicker on. of the picture?
Not for another decade, is the guess
Of most Dubuque fans. who have seen
McGinnity lead their Mississippi VAL
ley League club through many hard
fought battles.
For the Iron Man." though 81 years
old, retains all the fire, and his right
arm much of the speed and control.
that made him the idol of New York
fandom twenty years ago.
Once or twice a week old timers are
thrilled by the spectacle OF Joe mounting
the slab and turning In a neat pitching
performance. Thirty years Or continu-
Gus service have failed materially to sap
his strength, while age has merely added
to his fund of baseball cunning.
McGlnnity admits that he finds nearly
as much satisfaction in letting minor
clubs down with six or seven hits in his
fifty-first year as he did In outpitching
Rube waddell in the great Pittsburgh
Brooklyn series In 1900. For some of
these class D batters.i while lacking
polish" brandish mighty menacing
bludgeons.
Still strong I'm Rain.
McGinnitys famed mastery OF the
wet ball has not left him. He demon
strated this recently by pitching a game
on a rain soaked field after he had Wig
orously opposed postponement OF the
contest. Wet ball twirlng was Joe's
forte when with the Giants, John Nc
Graw usually rushing him to the cliff
when a drizzle set In.
Time has not greatly altered McGin-
nitys appearance. He possesses the same
harrel-like chest and broad shoulders
that he did when in the big Show"
The suns of thirty diamond campaigns
have left their imprint and close scrutiny
reveals network of wrinkles on his
face.
His running has deteriorated into a
gallop. His voice has not lost stentorian
quality. however. and his roars during
the heat OF battle rival those of the bull
OF Bashan.
One OF McGinnitys hopefuls boots the
ball. Joe's disgust is poorly concealed.
You're in the bushes now. joe" re-
marks one of the opposing players.
duckirg into the dugout moment later
10 escape the attention drawn TO him by
Joo's beloved rejoinders.
The Iron Man. has acquitted him
self with credit as manager. Taking
the helm OF the Dubuque club In mid
season when that team Nboasted of a
percentage of .077 in the standing OF
the six club league he has transformed
II into a fighting aggregation.
McGinnity drew his first pay check
In professional baseball at Van Buren,
Ark. In 1892. He was with Montgomery,
In the Southern League. the following
year. going 10 Kansas City, in the West
ern League. In 1894.
The panic affected the game and he
conducted n business In Decatur. ILL.,,
during the next three years. performing
weekly on tiA slab for semi-pro teams.
lie returned to professional baseball
IN 1898 with Peoria IN the Two League
the forerunner OF the present Three I
circuit While with Peoria he pitched
a twenty-onc timing game against the
ST.. Joseph. Mo-. club. and his per-
formance attracted the attention OF
George Plngey. Brooklyn scout.
shortly after mis- arrival In Brooklyn
he became involved IN a wholesale trans
fer and landed with the Baltimore club.
which was piloted by John McGraw.
Wnb~rt Robinson. present Brooklyn
manager. was catching for Baltimore,
and 20 him MoGInnlty attributes what
ever greatness he attained in baseball.
McOlnnlty won 25 out OF 35 games
IN his first major league season. In
1899 the National League was reduced
from ~ clubs 10 g. Baltimore was
stricken from the list and McGinnity
was among the players shifted to Brook
iyn.
McGlnnity made another bid for fame
m the fail of 1900 during tho seven
game series between Pittsburgh and
Brooklyn With tho pennant hanging on
the e.s ONE brooklyn entered the se-
risf with every pitcher except Mccin-
nitt on the crippled list.
llc pitched part OF some and all OF the
remainder OF those seven games. Brook
iyn won six and the other was n tie.
The title ~ Iron Man did not have
~ orlxln In NcGlnnity's diamond deeds.
contrary 70 the general belief. although
Il was first used shortly after his re-
marks bic seven game twirllng feat Nc
Glnnity and friend. Brooklyn sport
Ing writer. were swapping yarns In
hotel lobby. whom the writer Inquired
what Joe did during the winter.
n work In my fathcr-in-law's iron
foundry. out In Oklahoma" McGinnity
replied. I'm an iron man" -