The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-05-20
Sports Roundup
sy GAYLE TALRoT

/ NEW YORK az -Everyone whc
knows his baseball history is aware
that back in 1902 The great Johr
j. McGraW, incensed at president
Ban Johnson of the American
League, deserted" the Baltimore
Orioles in midseason and jumped
to the New York Giants Of the rival
National League, whom he drove tc
10 pennants in the next % years.
The fight between McGraw and
Johnson, their repeated clashes
over policies, md the explosive
outcome of their feud, have been
described in detail In all the bio.
graphies of the Little Napoleon
and in the official history books on
the game. One Immediately al
hand, telling of MctiraW's mount.
ing anger at his league president,
continues:
''In midseason Of 1902 the iras-
chile McGraW sold out his Balti-
more holdings and jumped back
to the National League, Johnson's
answer was to move the Baltimore
franchise to New York for 1903. y
Another historian relates, II was
a situation without parallel. John.
son and the American League
seemed trapped by the trickery Of
McGraw. !"
It's good story, says Mrs. John
J. McGraW Ia her biography Of
her distinguished husband, The
Real McGraw, " appearing this
week, but ii simply isn't true. Writ
ing in collaboration with Arthur
Mann, one Of the games better
Authorities. Mrs. McGraw declares
that:
Her husband and johnson were
not enemies, mortal or mild. and
never even had row. johnson not
only was aware Of every move Nc.
GfaW made leading to his Iegen-
Diary .'deserti0n of the younger
league, but actually advised him
behind the scenes on how to make
them johnson planned all along
to wreck the Baltimore club and
move the franchise to New York,
and he realized that the Giants,
under McCraw. would supply the
red-hot intracity rivalry his team
would need to prosper.
Mrs. McGraw not only says al
this, she produces i photograph d
4 letter written BY Johnson to her
husband Jan. "a, 1902, five months
before McGraW made his ceIebrat.
ed jump, advising hun guardedly
.Of the way things are shaping
up and again urging you to be
very guarded ii your dealings with
the New Yorker. The letter
leaves no doubt whatever that the
two were in canoots.
All this tthe stories Of the feudl
was undoubtedly written ii good
faith, = writes Mrs. McGraw, land
from the same distorted yellow
clippings Of long ago. John never
protested for the reason that base.
ball could be helped only by vigor-
Gus competition on the field and
rivalry between two strong leagues.
John was the KEY To making this
competitive situation i reality. and
Il came with a suicidal struggle
among National League owners
threatening the very existence 81
baseball as ! game and IS . bus
mess.
The facts have remained hidden
over the years as i salye to indi-
vidual pride and so-cglled National
League prestige, which was con,
sidered important 1t the time. John
never fell free 10 correct the i'm.
preston over the years. The facts
remained locked Id an old red.
leather trunk to which be claimed
he had no key.
Greater than gold tto himl was
the satisfaction Of having delivered
baseball from bondage To the
threshold Of its greatest ascent. ]
am not sure that II ever made up
for the abuse he took and the brand
be had to wear for the rest Of his
life"