The Washington times., 1934-03-03

IOOO1IAAI1B Will E1uSLAIC OOAAhAA6oD
McGraw naturally fell into the
habit Of discussing and reviewing
plays Of the game that day, ana
lying what had taken place, not
ing each others faults and pom
dering on ways and means of cor
rection. But the two young Orioles
were not satisfied to merely talk
over their mutual shortcomings.
Early each morning the pair
would slip off to the ball park
and there practice hours on hand
ling a certain type of grounder
that might have made trouble in
the previous game. Little Won
der, then. that these avid young
Sters were to bloom into great
strategians and drill masters OF
the sport-to lead the New York
Giants to 10 pennants and three
world championships.
Not Satisfied
But McGraw was not satisfied
with developing his baseball edu-
cation exclusively. He realized
that if he was to rise in the strug-
gle of life he would need more
arms than merely the ability to
play baseball, no matter how well.
Except for those public school
days in Truxton, he had gained
his education in the bumps and
knocks of the diamond.
Lacking in the funds necessary
to finance a higher education,
McGraw harked back to Olean
and to st. Bonaventure'S College,
. little Franciscan institution.
Once again showing his business
acumen, he made a deal whereby
Jennings and himself coached the
baseball team during the winter
in exchange for an education.
For four years the two played
side by side with the Orioles dur
ing the summer months and each
winter returned to Olean to coach
baseball and drink of the foun-
tain of education. This associa-
tion with college men left an in
delible imprint on McGraw's mind,
for in all his managerial days he
was ever a bit partial to college
men on his teams.
Player-Manager in '99
The year of 1899 not only saw
the turn of the century, but also
witnessed another momentous
step in the upward path of the
26-year- -old McGraw. This time
the impending debut of the Amer
lean League and the decision to
reduce the National League from
twelve to eight clubs played tre-
mendouS part in his advancement.
Brooklyn, anxious to improve
it's position in face of the coming
storm, had lured Hanlon away
from Baltimore. And when Han
lon departed he took with him
most of the orioles, leaving only
the wreck of once mighty ma
chine with which the young Nc
GraW was to make his debut as
a manager.
Considering the material with
which he had to work, McGraw
gave a splendid account of him
self in his first year as player
manager. He proved a good eX-
ecutive and he knew how to get
the best results out of his
players, he was aggressive and
alert. But he could not win ball
games on genius alone, and his
first trial as a manager was not
crowned with success.
Baltimore was one of the
four teams dropped from the
league that winter and NC
Graw. along with Wilbert Rob-
inson, was sold to the st. Louis
team. Neither player had any de-
sire to play west of the Mississippi,
but after much haggling signed
one year contracts.
It was an unhappy year for both
men-and when they finally did
quit st. Louis at the end OF the
season. each man tossed his suit
case full of clothes into the river.
vowing never to return again to
that city as player.
Helped Organize A. L.
The following year McGraw,
shrewder and more aggressive
than ever. was back in Baltimore