Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-07-04

he was paid 81 900 per season. Several
players on the team, HiIIyard, john
son and Mayor Roy Grover received pay
checks equal to those paid out to the
boss
/ have in my possession the signed
contracts Of McGinnity and Redpath,
as well as the stock certificates repre-
senting 1000 shares of stock, made out
to Joe and Frank.
Only Grover Went Up
It was generally supposed that Nc
Ginnity and Redpath were the heavy
stockholders in the club, but such was
not the case. The pair owned one
fourth interest in the club, for which
they paid 5000. The Butte Baseball
and Athletic association started the
1915 season with a capital stock Of
$4,000, fully paid, and it was nom
assessable, the theory being that this
sum when exhausted would cause the
curtain to be lowered on league base
ball in Butte. OF course, the association
hoped to make money on the season
through selling players to the majors
as well as from gate receipts. Only one
player was sold TO q club in the big
show. the Athletics purchasing Second
Baseman Roy Grover. The club lost
only a small amount of money in 1915,
as Butte had a fighting team, and Me-
Ginnity had lots of color so as an at
traction the iron men" we're one OF
the best in the league.
Left In 1917
It was in 1917 that the divorce be-
tween McGinnity and the Butte Ath-
letic association took place. The team
wasn't going good. On June B, Mcl1in-
nifty was asked to resign: He had been
paid 81 600 UP to then. Deficits were
piling up. McGinnity was offered IS 600
If he would surrender his stock and
that of Redpath and forfeit his con-
tract. This offer was accepted. The
McGinnity and Redpath stock loss
amounted to $4,000; Joe sacrificed
81 900 In salary and Redpath was out
$500 in salary. Between the two, in
their baseball venture In Butte, their
loss represented $500. One party in
sists that McGinnity lost $4,000 with
the Butte club, but the records show
1t was only one-tenth Of that sum.
The iron man" certainly tried to
prove himself a good investment and
did everything to earn his salary. With
all Of his managerial worries, in some
% box scores Of the 1926 season, there
was line reading, McGinnity, p. At
his advanced age, he was still perform
ing as an iron man."
From Butte, Joe went to Davenport,
Iowa, managing that club in the Three
Eye league. Even in that circuit he
pitched In a number Of games. His sue
ceSsor as pilot Of the Butte club was
McCarI, first baseman.
McGinnity earned the title as iron
man" when he Was pitching for the
New York Giants He was the first
major league hurier to work in and
win doubleheader. He was called upon
to do like job frequently before he
moved out of fast company. Before his
days In Giant uniform, Joe was a
member of the famed Baltimore Orioles
and his companions in baseball crime
then were John McGraw, Wilbert Rob
inson. Willie Keeler, King Kelly, Hughie
Jennings, Dan Brouthers and others
equally famous in their day.
Nowadays when hurler essays to
pitch a doubleheader, the performance
is referred to either as a "McGinnity"
or an iron man" stunt. Joe McGin-
nifty was the first of the iron men,
and he stands out in records and menu