Evening star., 1934-02-26
Game Macs Religion, War.

LEW people" Judge Lands said,
can understand what John Nc
Graw meant TO base ball He
was one of the greatest natural leaders
any sport has ever known. Base ball
to him was more than a game. II
was religion and a war combined.
"A born fighter. he had the fam
ing spirit that any great competition
needs-the spirit that means color and
action along all fronts. In those early
days he was hard-as hard as granite
but he was fair. Few can under
stand how he gave his very soul to
the game he loved so weIl-to the
game that he had followed from a
kid of l8 for 40 years until i'll health
removed most of his old fire
John McGraw was something more
Than The winner Of 10 pennants and
many world series He was emblem
attic of the fire and dash that belongs
to the national game. He knew ball
players and he knew how to handle
them. Could he have been anything
else than a real man if one like
Christy Mathewson had given him his
full loyalty for so many years?
The game of base ball missed the
old McGraw in his retirement" the
Judge continued. The game of base
ball will miss the McGraw that still
took the keenest interest in everything
that took place. Sport loves a fighter
a hustler, dynamic figure that gives
all it has to the game
He was the type Of manager that
every fan secretly or openly admired.
ano I happen to be still a fan above
being commissioner. No one who
loves base ball and understands the
spirit of the game can help from know
ing what the dead Oriole-the dead
Giant-meant to this sport-to the
fighting spirit of all sports and
| games"
There was no mistaking the deep
sincerity of Jude Lands remarks.
Was Greatest Snowman.
TCR after all only a few knew
+ the real McGraw-the man who
loved victory-the leader with
/ the rasping. cutting voice that so often
poured sarcasm and inyective upon
umpires, the enemy and his own
players-and who in turn gave awav
thousands of dollars every year to old
ball players. broken down in the ser
/ vice of the game.
There were many who hated John
/ McGraw and to many of these he
| gave a reason. But when they knew
/ him at closer range-the real McGraw
/ away from the battle line-they
usually switched their judgments.
He came TO the front with the fight
! ing Orioles-the Kelleys and the
| Doyles. the Keelers and the Jennings.
/ He came from them to the fighting
/ Giants-the Donlins and the Bower
mans. the Bresnahans and the
/ McGanns
He had a keen braipEa fighting
/ heart-and a tongue of pure poison
when the battle was on-the greatest
! Snowman on the managerial side that
/ any sport has ever known.
I knew McGraw for 80 years with
out an argument. His opinions al
ways carried the deepest respect-for
he allowed no prejudice to influence
| his opinion. friend or foe.
His favorite pitcher was Christy
| Mathewson. His favorite infielder
! and all-around ball player was Hans
/ Wagner. His favorite catcher was
Roger BreSnahan. When he made a
statement you could quote him to the
| last word. He had nothing to cover up
One Of his main pleasures was
steaming up the hatred and dislike
Of outside cities. hostile camps. They
were all hostile camps to McGraw
when the Orioles and the Giants took
to the road-and if he could insult
an entire hostile community he
minced no words in the attempt.