| Joe McGinnity | |
|---|---|
 McGinnity in 1905 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1871-03-20)March 20, 1871 Cornwall Township, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: November 14, 1929(1929-11-14) (aged 58) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1899, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1908, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 246–142 |
| Earned run average | 2.66 |
| Strikeouts | 1,068 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1946 |
| Election method | Old-Timers Committee |
Joseph Jerome McGinnity (March 20, 1871 – November 14, 1929) was an American right-handedpitcher inMajor League Baseball (MLB) in the late 19th and early 20th century. McGinnity played in MLB for ten years, pitching for theNational League's (NL)Baltimore Orioles (1899) andBrooklyn Superbas (1900), before jumping to theAmerican League (AL) to play for theBaltimore Orioles (AL) (1901–1902). He returned to the NL with theNew York Giants (1902–1908). McGinnity continued to pitch in theminor leagues, eventually retiring from baseball for good at the age of 54.
In MLB, hewon 246games with a 2.66earned run average (ERA). He had seven 20-win seasons and two 30-win seasons.[1] Including his time in the minor leagues, McGinnity won close to 500 games as a professional ballplayer.[2] He led MLB in wins five times (1899, 1900, 1903, 1904, and 1906) and ERA once (1904). With the Giants, he won the1905 World Series. His teams also won NL pennants in 1900 and 1904.
McGinnity was nicknamed "Iron Man" because he worked in aniron foundry during the baseball offseasons. His nickname came to convey his longevity and durability, as he routinely pitched in both games ofdoubleheaders.[3] He set an NL record forinnings pitched (434) in a single season, which still stands (and with modern MLB practices which limit pitchers' innings, is considered effectively unbreakable). McGinnity is considered one of the better players in thehistory of the New York Giants.[4] TheVeterans Committee elected him to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
McGinnity's father, Peter, was born inDublin, Ireland. His last name was McGinity before he came to United States. He changed it by adding an "n" after he emigrated to the United States in 1861.[5] Peter worked incoal mines and on the farm owned by John and Rebecca Denning, and they accepted him, allowing him to move in with them in theirHenry County farm.[5] John and Rebecca moved toOregon, leaving the homestead in the hands of Peter and their daughter, Hannah. The two married in August 1865, three months before the birth of their first son, William.[6] Their second son, Peter, was born in 1869, and Joe was their third born. Joseph Jerome McGinnity was born on March 20, 1871, inCornwall Township, Illinois. The McGinnitys had four more children.[7]
Joe received little formal schooling.[8] Due to the transient lifestyle of coal miners, his family moved frequently during his childhood. The McGinnitys moved toGallatin County in 1878.[7] Two days after the birth of their seventh child, Peter died in an accident. At the age of eight, Joe and his older brothers went to work in the mines to support their family.[7] In 1880, the family moved toSpringfield, Illinois, where Joe and his brothers worked for the Springfield Coal Company. They moved toDecatur, Illinois, less than six months later, continuing to mine coal, while their mother cleaned houses.[7]
While living in Decatur, McGinnity began playing baseball with other coal miners in their leisure time.[7] The owner of the Decatur Coal Company founded the Decatur Baseball Association in 1886.[9] Anoutfielder, McGinnity substituted for his team'spitcher in an 1888 game, which he won. He continued to pitch from that point on.[10] He pitched forsemi-professional teams based in Decatur in 1888 and 1889.[10] His family headed west, stopping in theIndian Territory on their way toMontana, where Hannah's sister struck gold in their coal mine.[11] McGinnity and his brothers worked in a coal mine inKrebs.[12] There, he met his future wife, Mary Redpath, the oldest daughter of a fellow coal miner. McGinnity also played baseball for the local team. He increased baseball's popularity in the area, and was later referred to as "the father ofOklahoma baseball" by asportswriter forThe Oklahoman, as he organized, managed, and pitched for teams in Krebs.[12] One of these teams began traveling to other towns along theMissouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad to play against their local teams.[13] He also pitched for teams in neighboring towns.[14]
I have never seen a pitcher with more confidence in himself than McGinnity had. He was so cocksure of his fielding ability that he would take any sort of chance, throwing to any base under any circumstance, and this fielding ability lifted him out of many tight spots.
John McCloskey, themanager of theminor league baseballMontgomery Colts of the Class-BSouthern League, heard about McGinnity's pitching. McCloskey signed McGinnity, who made his professional debut with the Colts in 1893.[16] McCloskey habitually baitedumpires during games, a trait which McGinnity learned.[17] The league folded as a result of financial troubles related to thePanic of 1893.[18]Jimmie Manning, manager of the Southern League franchise inSavannah, Georgia, became manager of theKansas City Blues of the Class-AWestern League for the1894 season, and signed McGinnity to pitch for the Blues.[19] Combined for Montgomery and Kansas City, McGinnity had a 21–29win–loss record, whilewalking more batters than he couldstrikeout, and allowing more than ahit perinning pitched.[3] According to a Western League umpire,catcherTim Donahue tipped McGinnity's pitches to opposing batters due to a personal feud.[20] As McGinnity continued to struggle for Kansas City, he requested his release in June.[20]
McGinnity moved toSpringfield, Illinois, where he worked as acoal miner,bartender, and operated asaloon.[21] McGinnity also pitched locally for semi-professional teams in Springfield and Decatur, receiving a salary between $1 and $3 (between $36.34 and $113.39 in current dollar terms) for each game.[3][21] During this time, McGinnity developed asidearm pitch he nicknamed "Old Sal", described as a "slow curve",[22] which became a feature of his later success.[21][23][24] He also improved his fielding, as opponents attempted tobunt "Old Sal".[25]
While pitching for a semi-professional team, McGinnity defeated theNational League's (NL)Baltimore Orioles in an exhibition game after he had already defeated a team fromChatham, Illinois, earlier in the day.[21]Pat Wright, who managed Springfield's semi-professional team, was named manager of thePeoria Distillers of the Class-BWestern Association, and he signed McGinnity to Peoria for the1898 season, marking his return to professional baseball.[25] Armed with "Old Sal", McGinnity compiled a 9–4 record for Peoria, allowing only 118 hits and 60 walks while striking out 74 batters in 142 innings.[3] He pitched a complete 21-inning game, believed to be the second longest professional baseball game to date.[26] With low attendance and the distraction of theSpanish–American War, the Western Association folded in August.[27]
FormerBrooklyn Grooms playerGeorge Pinkney, who lived in Peoria during his retirement, saw McGinnity pitch, and contacted Brooklyn ownerCharles Ebbets to recommend he sign McGinnity. He signed McGinnity in the spring of 1899 for $150 a month ($5,669 in current dollar terms).[28] The syndicate that owned Brooklyn also owned theBaltimore Orioles.
With the ownership consolidation, Oriolesplayer-managerNed Hanlon, who received an ownership stake in the clubs, moved from Baltimore to Brooklyn and assigned many of his best players to Brooklyn, includingJoe Kelley,Dan McGann,Hughie Jennings andWillie Keeler.[29] Hanlon assigned McGinnity to the Orioles for the1899 season after seeing his unorthodox pitching delivery and slow pitching speed.[21][30] With the Orioles, McGinnity played withJohn McGraw, who succeeded Hanlon as player-manager, andWilbert Robinson, who caught McGinnity. McGraw and Robinson had refused to relocate to Brooklyn due to their investment in a Baltimore restaurant. The two imparted their aggressive style of play to McGinnity.[31] In his first year in the NL, McGinnity had a 28–16 record. His 28 wins led the NL, while he ranked second with 48 games, third with a 2.68earned run average (ERA), and fourth with366+1⁄3 innings pitched.[3]
After the 1899 season, the NL voted to contract four teams, which included the Orioles. Hanlon assigned McGinnity to Brooklyn, now known as the "Superbas". McGinnity posted a 28–8 record for Brooklyn in the1900 season. His 28 wins and 343 innings pitched led the league, as the Dodgers won the NL pennant. McGinnity also pitched twocomplete games in theChronicle-Telegraph Cup, as the Superbas defeated thePittsburgh Pirates.[3] Rather than draw straws to decide who would keep the trophy, the team voted to award it to McGinnity.[32]
With the formation of theAmerican League (AL) as a competitor to the NL, and rumors that the AL'sDetroit Tigers were interested in McGinnity, Brooklyn offered McGinnity a $5,000 contract ($181,712 in current dollar terms) to stay with Brooklyn.[33]
McGinnity considered retiring from baseball, but ultimately jumped to the AL, signing with theBaltimore Orioles of the AL before the1901 season.[34] He received a salary of $2,800 ($101,758 in current dollar terms),[3] choosing less money in an upstart league for the chance to be reunited with McGraw, who was player-manager and part-owner of the Orioles.[35]
Fighting continued to erupt in games McGraw managed. During a brawl that erupted during a game against theDetroit Tigers on August 21, 1901, McGinnity spat onumpireTom Connolly. McGinnity was arrested for the incident and permanently suspended by AL presidentBan Johnson, who wanted there to be no fighting in AL games. Johnson later cut the suspension down to 12 days after McGinnity apologized.[3][36] McGinnity compiled a 26–20 record for the1901 Orioles, and his 48 games, 39 complete games, and 382 innings pitched led the AL.[3]
"It was difficult for a batter to get [McGinnity's] measure. Sometimes his fingers would almost scrape the ground as he hurled the ball. He knew all the tricks for putting a batter on the spot.
McGinnity began the1902 season with the Orioles. However, the franchise began to fall into significant debt.Joe Kelley, star player for the Orioles and son-in-law of part-ownerJohn Mahon, reported that the team owed as much as $12,000 ($436,108 in current dollar terms).[37] Unable to afford that debt, Mahon purchased shares of the team from Kelley and player-manager John McGraw. With this, Mahon became the majority shareholder. On July 17, 1902, Mahon sold his interest in the Orioles toAndrew Freedman, principal owner of the Giants, andJohn T. Brush, principal owner of theCincinnati Reds, also of the NL. That day, Freedman and Brush released McGinnity, McGraw, Kelley,Roger Bresnahan,Jack Cronin,Cy Seymour, andDan McGann from their Oriole contracts.
Brush then signed Kelley and Seymour to the Reds, while Freedman signed McGinnity, Bresnahan, Cronin, and McGann, joining McGraw, his new player-manager, on the Giants.[38] McGinnity attempted to contact Johnson that night, offering to stay with the Orioles if he could receive Johnson's personal assurance that he was welcome to stay. McGinnity did not hear back from Johnson, who had left his phone off the hook that night to avoid being contacted, and joined his teammates with the Giants.[36]
With the Giants for the1903 season, McGinnity won 31 games. He also set MLB records with 48 games started and 434 innings pitched, which remain NL records today.[3][39]Jack Chesbro, pitching for theNew York Highlanders of theAmerican League during the1904 season, set the current MLB records with 55 games started and454+2⁄3 innings.[40] In 1903, McGinnity started both games of adoubleheader on numerous occasions. He performed this feat three times in a single month, winning all six games. On the final instance,The New York Times reported "he seemed fresh enough to tackle the visitors for a third contest if that were necessary".[41] He pitched over 100 innings in the month of August.[39] Wins by McGinnity and fellow pitcherChristy Mathewson accounted for 73% of the Giants' winning games in 1903,[42] setting an MLB record for a pitching tandem.[3] After the season, McGinnity and some of his teammates threatened to quit the Giants, accusing Brush, now the Giants owner, of going back on a promise to pay the team amonetary bonus for having finished among the top three teams in the NL, as well as a share of thegate receipts from exhibition games, for which they were paid $56.35 ($1,972 in current dollar terms), though Brush allegedly had made over $200,000 ($6,999,259 in current dollar terms). McGinnity claimed that he would pitch in theCalifornia League, as he had received a salary offer for "$1,000 ($34,996 in current dollar terms) more than [he] got in New York".[43]Jack Warner eventually joined McGinnity in publicly threatening to quit.[44]
McGinnity set an MLB record during the1904 season, recording his tenth win in 21 team games on May 21, the fewest team games for a pitcher to reach the mark.[45] In 1904, McGinnity had a 35–8 record, leading the NL in games (51), innings pitched (408),shutouts (9),saves (5), and his career-best 1.61 ERA.[3] With the Giants competing for the pennant, McGinnity again won both games in a doubleheader three times in a matter of weeks.[46] Aided by McGinnity, the Giants won the NL pennant.[46] However, they did not compete in the1904 World Series as Brush and McGraw refused to face the AL championBoston Pilgrims, following their altercations with Johnson.[47] After the 1904 season, McGinnity attempted to hold out from the Giants when Brush refused to allow McGinnity to play winter baseball with a team in theSouthern United States.[48]
McGinnity won 21 games in the1905 season, as the Giants won the NL pennant again. This year, the Giants participated in the1905 World Series, against the AL championPhiladelphia Athletics. McGinnity started Games Two and Four of the five game series against the Athletics, winning one and losing one, while Mathewson pitched and won the other three. All five games, including the game McGinnity lost toChief Bender, were shutouts.[49][50] In 1906, McGinnity again led the NL in wins, with 27.[3] This came in spite of a suspension McGinnity served for fighting Pirates catcherHeinie Peitz, whichNL presidentHarry Pulliam described as "attempting to make the ball park a slaughterhouse."[3] TheMayor of Pittsburgh, who attended the game, insisted that McGinnity be arrested.[51]
In the1907 season, McGinnity finished with an 18–18 record with a 3.16 ERA, allowing more than a hit per inning for the first time since the 1901 season. He missed the beginning of the1908 season with a severe fever. In June 1908, Brush put McGinnity onwaivers, hoping another owner would relieve him of McGinnity's $5,000 salary ($174,981 in current dollar terms). He tried to waive McGinnity again in August, but both times McGinnity went unclaimed.[3] Despite this, McGinnity reverted to his old form: from August 22 through the end of the season, he had three wins and two saves as the Giants battled the Chicago Cubs for the NL pennant, falling one game short as the Cubs beat them in a one-game playoff on the final day of the season.[52] Overall, McGinnity had an 11–7 record, five shutouts, a 2.27 ERA, and an NL-leading five saves.[3] The Giants released McGinnity on February 27, 1909,[3] when McGinnity decided to pay for his own release.[53]
McGinnity purchased theNewark Indians of the Class-AEastern League (EL) for $50,000 ($1,749,815 in current dollar terms) in 1909 fromFrank J. Farrell.[54] The press reported that McGinnity would operate the team as afarm team of the Giants, though he denied these reports.[53] When McGinnity could not retain managerHarry Wolverton, he stepped in asplayer-manager for the Indians.[55] That season, he had a 29–16 record. His 422 innings pitched and 11 shutouts set EL single-season records.[3] He also won both games of doubleheaders on August 27, 1909, and July 23, 1912.[3]
McGinnity played for and managed the Indians through 1912. The Indians finished second in the EL in 1909 and 1910.[56] McGinnity sold his interests in the Indians to Ebbets andEd McKeever and purchased theTacoma Tigers of the Class-BNorthwestern League for $8,500 ($276,953 in current dollar terms), spending another $50,000 ($1,629,138 in current dollar terms) on the franchise in renovating the stadium. He served as player-manager of the Tigers at the start of the1913 season, but stepped down as manager, hiringRuss Hall to serve as manager in June.[57] McGinnity sold stock in the team in 1915 in order to afford operating expenses.[58] He also briefly played for theVenice Tigers of the Class-APacific Coast League in 1914.
McGinnity sold the Tigers and purchased the Butte Miners of the Northwestern League in 1916, serving as player-manager and bringing with him several players from Tacoma.[59][60] InJune 1917, he sold his stock in the team and secured his release.[61] He played for theGreat Falls Electrics of the Northwestern League for the remainder of the 1917 season.[62] He later became the manager of theA. E. Staley factory baseball team.[63]
McGinnity served as player-manager of theDanville Veterans of the Class-BIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League in the1922 season andDubuque Climbers of the Class-DMississippi Valley League during the1923 season.[64] With Dubuque, McGinnity won 15 games at age 52.[65] One of those wins was a shutout, pitched in a record one hour and seven minutes.[66] Two years later, he returned to play for Dubuque[64] and theSpringfield Senators of the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League during the1925 season. He pitched in his final professional game on July 28, 1925, after participating in anold-timers game earlier in the day.[3][21]
McGinnity joined thecoaching staff of former teammateWilbert Robinson, along with Kelley, for theBrooklyn Dodgers during the1926 MLB season.[3] McGinnity and Kelley were not retained after the season.[67]
McGinnity acquired hisnickname, "Iron Man", before his doubleheader pitching became widely discussed.[47] According toLee Allen inThe National League Story (1961), a reporter asked McGinnity, while he was still a minor league pitcher, what he did in between seasons. "I'm an iron man", he answered. "I work in afoundry." McGinnity's wife's family operated an iron foundry inMcAlester, Oklahoma, where McGinnity worked in the offseasons.[3]
Because of his nickname and connection to the foundry, John McGraw named McGinnity the starter for the Giants' March 23, 1904, exhibition game against theSouthern Association'sBirmingham Iron Men which was scheduled to raise funds for theVulcan statue then being cast for theLouisiana Purchase Exposition that summer inSt. Louis, Missouri. At his own request, McGinnity was allowed to visit the downtown foundry and personally pour some of the iron into the moulds for the statue.[68]
While working withWilliams College's baseball team in 1929, McGinnity became ill. He had surgery to removetumors from hisbladder, and was said to be incritical condition. After the surgery, he was quoted as saying "it's the ninth inning, and I guess they're going to get me out."[46] He died November 14, 1929, inBrooklyn, New York, at the home of his daughter.[69] He was interred in McAlester.[70]
McGinnity finished his MLB career with 246 career wins, seven 20-win seasons, and two 30-win seasons.[1] He had nearly 500 professional wins including his years in the minor leagues.[2] McGinnity set a career record in battershit by pitch with 152.[71] He revolutionized the fielding of the pitching position, by attempting to makeforce outs at any base, instead of throwing the ball only tofirst base.[15]
After his death, McGinnity was eulogized as a "hard player" and "a fighter with brains" who hated to lose.[21] Jennings described him as an even better fielder than he was a pitcher.[23] McGraw said that McGinnity was "the hardest working pitcher I ever had on my ballcub".Connie Mack called him a "magician".[8]
After failing to receive the necessary votes from theBaseball Writers' Association of America for entry in theNational Baseball Hall of Fame on seven occasions,[1] McGinnity was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame by theVeterans Committee in1946.[72] He was also inducted into theQuad City Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.[70]
Lawrence Ritter andDonald Honig included McGinnity in their 1981 book,The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.[73] TheChicago Tribune included McGinnity in its all-timeIllinois team in 1990.[74] In his 2001 bookThe New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract,Bill James ranked McGinnity as the 41st greatest pitcher of all time.[51]
· Baseball Almanac| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | All-Time Saves Leader 1907–1909 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
