Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1940-04-11
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To Newark in general the
name of Benny Mccoy is only of
passing interest. To the young
people of Newark, particularly
students of Newark Hi, the
name Mccoy is hardly familiar.
To most of Newark Hi officials
the name of Benny Mccoy means
not a thing, but if they knew
who he was and how he rose
from being just an average
young man to become one of the
nations outstanding pro base
ball players their ears would
perk up with interest. For the
story of Benny Mccoy is a
promissory note to all aspiring
sandlot sluggers of today.
Mccoy is now the young sec
ond baseman for Connie Mack's
Philadelphia Athletics of the
American League. Years ago,
however, Benny Mccoy was just
a boy in high school with natur-
al athletic ability just as many
boys who are enrolled in Newark
Hi. But the school which Ben
ny attended had a baseball team
and manager. Benny made the
team but he was just a plain ball
player. However, smart coach
ing from his manager made
Benny Mccoy more than just
an ordinary ball player.
After graduation Benny play
ed semi-pro baseball and then
entered professional baseball.
Mccoy worked his way from the
smaller minor leagues to Toledo
of the American Association
which is a Class A league. Here
the competition is very tough,
but Benny stuck with the Mud
Hens and was the regular sec
ond baseman. Before playing
with Toledo Mccoy was signed
to contract by the Detroit Tig-
ers without approval of base
ball's high commissioner, Judge
Kenesaw Mountain Lands. De-
troit had a working agreement
with Toledo and Mccoy was op-
toned there.
Last season Mccoy was recall
ed from the Mud Hens by the
Tigers as an understudy to the
greatest of all second basemen,
Charley Gehringer. Then Nc
Coy got his first real break.
Gehringer was injured and
Benny jumped into the Tigers
regular lineup. McCoy's hitting
and fielding was sensational, to
say the least. Baseball writer's,
fans, and players were alike in
their praise of Mccoy. Some
called him the second Gehringer.
Then came McCoy's big break
and it was even bigger than the
first. Judge Lands investigat-
ed the signing of the contract by
which Detroit claimed young
Mccoy. The Judge found that
the Detroit club had not legally
signed Mccoy and therefore Nc
Coy did not belong to the Tig-
ers. Mccoy became what base
ball calls a free agent. Nc.
Coy did not belong to any club
and he could sign with any club
in baseball but Detroit. Imme-
diately offers for his services
began pouring in. Almost every
major leapue team offered Me-
Coy so much money to sign with
them.
But wise old Connie Mack,
building a young team, with
which he expects to win the
American League pennant in the
next few years, was more i'm
pressed by Benny's fine play
than anyone and was determined
to obtain his services no matter
what the cost. And the grand
old man of baseball did sign Nc
Coy to Philadelphia contract.
Mack gave Mccoy exactly
$45,000 to sign with the AS.
And a two year contract calling
for $4,000 a year. There is ex-
actly $65,000, small fortune,
and more to come. Mccoy must
play under the handicap of much
publicity as one of baseball's
must-make-good players, but ev-
eryone thinks he can make the
grade.