Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-16

Retirement of John J. McGraw as
manager of the New York Giants is
considered a major event in profession
al sport. Some admirers would place
him among the immortals, while the
whole country feels that he has con-
tributed more to the strategy and popu-
larity of the game than any other player
or manager. His old rival, Connie
Mack, is placed beside him in the Hall
of Fame.
$50 passes McGraw," declares the
Newark Evening News, with the COM
ment that lin professional base ball 1t
is as though a hero were starting on
the road to Valhalla. for in the Hall
waiting for him" The Goshen News
Times states: Quitting the game,
he steps into base balls Academy
OF the Immortals. There, with such
names as Cobb. Mathewson. Chance,
Bresnahan, Evers, Wagner, Young and
the rest. he takes his place among
the legends of the game; the legends
that every youngster hears when
he learns the game, the legends that
help to give the great American game
the color and sparkle that maks its ap-
peal perennial The Portland Oregon
Journal remarks: Base ball will go on
forever. 1t is a great American game.
But it is only once in decades that a
McGraw appears, and it will be with
regret that millions of fans will hear
of his passing from the active stage.
People of this city" says the New
York Sun, ARE as little inclined to be-
believe that he has resigned as they
would if they read that the circus had
decided to get along without elephants
or that Central Park was going to be
sold for building lots. How can an
institution resign? How can the town
get along without a man who taught
thousands to love the Giants and other
thousands to hate them; who was chary
of predictions, but unsparlng in per-
Torrance; who won league and world
pennants only to begin to build for the
next season? The generation
of fans to whom McGraw has been the
first field marshal of the game will
hope and believe that rest and retire
ment will bring return to his old-tlme
vigor."
"Such characters" in the opinion of
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, are po-
tential candidates for the Han OF
Fame-eventually. They are the doers
of things that haven't been done that
way
standing personality is particularly val
liable. John j. McGraw was an or
ganizer of teams and developer OF
individuals. He retires at the dictation
of health with success accomplished.
The Birmingham Age-Herald calls him
"one of the greatest figures the game
has ever known" and fears 1.-THE famous
Giants will never seem the same again
that is, If the man who has led them
for 80 years stays in retirement" With
the thought that 'if it were not for
Connie Mack, John McGraw would be
in a class by himself" but that las 1t
is, the two share honors as the greatest
leaders in base ball history" the Age
Herald hopes to see lust one more
world series between the Philadelphia
Athletics and the New York Giants,
with Mack and McGraw at their re-
spective helmS."
"One has to be actually old" accord
ing to the Hartford Daily Times, ito
recall when John McGraw was not
identified with the diamond. 1t will
not be quite the same without him."
The Toledo Blade says: Nobody ever
thought it possible that John McGraw
would resign the management of the
Giants. How could he resign? Players
might come and players might go. but
as the head of the Giant organization
it was assumed that Mr. McGraw
would go on forever. or to the end of
his days." The Scranton Times recalls
that 1T was McGraw who developed
Mathewson and gave him his chance of
becoming the greatest pitcher in all
base ball history" and that paper views
McGraw as 1.-THE most picturesque. if
not the greatest, manager ever in base
ballv
He steps out Of base ball with the