John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934), nicknamed “Little Napoleon” and “Mugsy”, was a Major League Baseball player and manager of the New York Giants. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. While primarily a third baseman throughout his career, he also played shortstop and the outfield in the major leagues.
McGraw was elected to The Lambs in 1914 when he was with the world-champion New York Giants club.
Much lauded as a player, McGraw was one of the standard-bearers of dead-ball era baseball. He was known for his quick temper and for bending the rules, but he also stood out as a great baseball mind. McGraw was a key player on the pennant-winning 1890s Baltimore Orioles, and later applied his talents and temper while a captain (playing)-manager, transitioning in 1902 to the Giants, for whom he became a bench manager in 1907 until his retirement in 1932.
Even with his success and fame as a player, he is best known for his managing, especially since it was with a team as popular as the Giants. His total of 2,763 victories in that capacity ranks second overall behind only Connie Mack; he still holds the National League record with 2,669 wins in the senior circuit. McGraw is widely held to be “the best player to become a great manager” in the history of baseball.
“In playing or managing, the game of ball is only fun for me when I’m out in front and winning,” said McGraw. In 1937, he became a member of the Hall of Fame’s second induction class.