McGraw went down the list with a pencil and crossed off nine names.
“You can begin by releasing these,” he said.
Freedman screamed. The nine, he protested, had cost Freedman $14,000.
“They’ll cost you more if you keep them,” said McGraw. “You’re in last place, aren’t you? I’ve brought some real ballplayers with me and I’ll get some more.”
- An exchange between John McGraw and Giants owner Andrew Freedman in the summer of 1902. - From The Giants of the Polo Grounds by Noel Hynd
Little, if anything, is being written about the 100th anniversary of the Giants great season in 1905. New York clinched the pennant on October 1 and went on to win the World Series in five games.
For manager John McGraw, it was one of his finest campaigns. Upon his arrival from Baltimore in 1902, he inherited an inept organization. The ’02 Giants’ 48 and 88 finish was the franchise’s worse record in its 20 year history and is a mark that still stands as the franchise lowpoint in terms of winning percentage.
McGraw took charge and put together one of the most dramatic turnarounds in baseball history. The ’04 Giants went 106 and 47 and beat the Cubs by 13 games. The ’05 squad were 105 and 48 and finished 9 paces ahead of the Pirates who had won the pennant in 01, 02 and 03. The two winning percentages (693 and 686) are the franchise's modern day top marks.
McGraw assembled a thunder and lighting attack on offense. The scoring machine was led by Mike Donlin (167 OPS+), Dan McGann (143), Roger Bresnahan (132) and Sam Mertes (127).
The pitching was second best in the league. The four starters were Joe McGinnity, Christy Mathewson, Red Ames and Dummy Taylor. Mathewson had his best season in 1905, leading the league in wins 31, strikeouts 206, shutouts 8, and adjusted ERA+ 230.
The Giants faced Connie Mack’s A’s in the first officially sanctioned World Series. Philadelphia, like the Giants, led the league in runs and was second best in pitching. They had a great rotation with Rube Waddell, Eddie Plank, Andy Coakley and Chief Bender. Waddell, however, had an injured shoulder towards the end of the season and did not return.
Pitching ruled in the series. All five wins were shutouts. Mathewson blanked the A’s in Game One and Three. After Joe McGinnity’s 1-0 win in Game Four, an overflow crowd of 24,187 filled the Polo Grounds for Game Five. This gave the New Yorks a three game average of 20,925. By way of comparison, this figure was not exceeded until the Pirates averaged 27,295 in 1909.
Mathewson put on the finishing touches to his masterpiece. He gave up no walks and just four singles and a double. The Big Six retired the final 10 Philadelphia batters.
McGraw, who had dressed his ball club in intimidating black uniforms for the Series, arranged for another change the following season. On Opening Day the Giants sported collarless jerseys. Emblazoned in black lettering across their home whites was “World’s Champions.”
Author Charles C. Alexander said it best.
McGraw was on top of the baseball world.
