Evening star., 1923-02-01
.eurh the North American Newspaper Alliance,

ing but a short while when l discov-
cred that j could not get along with
Johnson. AS president Of the league
ne was constantly picking on the
baltimore club-setting me down for
frequent suspensions and frequently
dlsciplinfnS other players. His sever
ity was unusual and unjust, thought.
rms crippled us considerably. | am
not exactly fool, and / soon discov-
cred what l thought to be the cause
of this
johnson Had Eye On New York.
Johnson's ultimate ambition was to
get club in New York. II he sue
ceeded this meant. of course. that
Baltimore again would be dropped
and some one would be left holding
the bag. Baltimore was the weakest
team in attendance. If it failed to
hold Its own that would be good
excuse to the public for dropping it.
we had many run-ins and argu-
ments-Johnson and |. 1t was certain
that we would not work in harmony
together: would not build success
fully.
We finished out the season and be-
gan the season of 1902. To me II was
quite obvious now that johnson in
tended to drop the Baltimore club
and to put team in New York.
Under those circumstances, and thus
forewarned. any man with business
left with the bag to hold
In 1902 the Baltimore club was
losing money. Though we operated as
stock company, | had been paying
salaries to some OF the players out
of my pocket. had advanced be-
tween six and seven thousand dollars
was keeping the club up. To use a
sporting expression. nobody else had
kicked in.
Put 1t Up to Stockholders.
1 called a meeting of the stock
holders and put the matter squarely
up to them.
Gentlemen. fere is the situation"
told them. II have advanced nearly
$1,000 TO keep the club going. The
company is in debt to me that much
personally. Now, l think / should be
paid that money back or j should be
given my unconditional release. It's
not up TO me to carry the club. We've
got to have a showdown. You can do
either one thing or the other"
We discussed the matter at length.
but nobody seemed willing to relm
burse me for what / had paid out. At
the end of the discussion il was de-
cided to give me my unconditional re-
lease. That was done. ! was free to
90 as l pleased. L did not jump. as
has been so often said, and neither
did l deceive the stockholders in any
manner whatever. That transaction
is also a matter of record.
In the meantime Fred NJ Knowles.
then secretary Of the New York
Giants. owned by Andrew Freedman.
made an appointment to meet me in
Baltimore. An emissary of Mr.. Freed
man. he offered me the management
of the Giants. This ! agreed to con-
slider. My duty to myself was pretty
clear.
Signed Four-Yenr Contract.
! agreed TO accept the management
OF the Giants on the condition. stipu-
lated in a contract that | was to have
field: that l be empowered to purchase
or trade for players and make releases
as | saw fit; that my authority in that
respect was TO be absolute and that
under TO circumstances was / to be
interfered with. The contract was to
run for four years.
That was pretty big order. I knew.
though. that it was the only way.
Without such authority I could never
organize a team to suit myself. After
some deliberation Mr.. Freedman
agreed to the terms. Ny salary was
about $1,000.
l reported to the New York club on
July : 1902.
Much was made Of this deal. The
papers were full of it. The American
leaguers. naturally. attacked me.
was accused of leaving the Baltimore
club in the lurch. The stockholders
hHt"y HON ever, lHdl Hdu dcleu III
good faith. l had simply protected
myself as any business man would do.
That was the beginning OF my real
career as a manager. Before me is
the sporting page of a New York pa
per dated Thursday. July 10. 1902. 1t
has a four-column headline and
two-column photograph of me. with
this under the caption: 'McCraw, who,
it is said will get $4,000 a year. is
probably the best player-manager in
the business. He is twenty nine years
of age. weighs 155 pounds and stands
feet 612 inches high
That will give you a tip as to my
age. They might have added that I
didn't have a gray hair in my head.
either. l have many now. II you
could realize what l was up against
for the next year or two-and more
you would understand why.
] brought with me to New York
Bresnahan. McGinnity, McGann and
also got Mertes and Billy Gilbert.
Immediately things began to hum.
Copyright. 1928 United States and Canada
by the Christy Walsh syndicate.)