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Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. McGraw played in 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1965 to 1984, for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. He is often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became the rallying cry for the 1973 New York Mets and has since become a popular slogan for the team and fans.
McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, bringing the Philadelphia Phillies their first World Series championship in franchise history.
McGraw was one of six Phillies players to die prematurely from glioblastoma, a brain cancer.
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was born August 30, 1944, in Martinez, California, the second of three sons of Frank Edwin "Big Mac" McGraw Sr. and Mable McKenna. McGraw got the nickname "Tugger" from his mother because of the particularly aggressive way he breast-fed. The name stuck and McGraw preferred it, even asking to be called "Tug" by his kindergarten teacher. His mother was bipolar and was physically and verbally abusive. She abandoned the family after spending time in Napa State Mental Hospital and the family was raised by Frank McGraw Sr. His father was athletic and was a butcher, trucker, and fireman and then a water treatment plant operator and engineer who encouraged the children to play sports. He was the great-grandson of Irish immigrants. After his divorce in the early 1950s, Frank Sr. moved his three sons to nearby Vallejo. Tug graduated from St. Vincent Ferrer High School, a Catholic school in Vallejo, in 1962. McGraw enrolled in Vallejo Junior College (now Solano Community College).
In 1961, Tug's brother Hank had signed with the New York Mets by scout Roy Partee; Hank later asked Partee to look into signing Tug, threatening to quit if Tug was not signed. On June 12, 1964, McGraw signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, receiving a $7,000 signing bonus. McGraw was used both as a starting pitcher and as a relief pitcher in Minor League Baseball at Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he pitched a no-hitter in his debut in Auburn, New York. He went 6–4 that year with a 1.64 earned run average.
McGraw qualified for the Mets in Spring training in 1965 at age 20, without ever having played double- or triple-A ball. There, he played under manager Casey Stengel, who retired that year. He made his major league debut on April 18, 1965, as a reliever, against the San Francisco Giants. After striking out Orlando Cepeda in his debut, he was given a tranquilizer to calm down.
McGraw made the team as a reliever, and was 0–1 with a 3.12 ERA and one save when he made his first major league start on July 28 against the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a double header at Wrigley Field. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning and gave up three earned runs on his way to a 9–0 loss (the Cubs blew the Mets out in the first game as well, 7–2). On August 22, in his second start, also in the second game of a double header, only this time against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium, McGraw pitched a complete game to earn his first major league win. On August 26, he won his next start, 5–2 over Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It marked the first time the Mets had ever beaten Koufax. McGraw remained in the Mets' starting rotation for the remainder of the season, however, failed to log another win, going 2–6 as a starter, and 0–1 in relief.
The Mets used McGraw as a starter again in 1966, and he was 2–9 with a 5.52 ERA in that role. Though he also made four starts with the Mets in 1967, McGraw spent most of the season, and all of 1968 in the minor leagues with the Jacksonville Suns. In 1968, he went 9-9 with a 3.42 ERA for the Suns. By the time he returned to the Mets in 1969, manager Gil Hodges had a very capable young pitching rotation that included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Gary Gentry and had no need for McGraw as a starter until Koosman went down with an injury in May. McGraw went 1–1 with a 5.23 ERA filling in for Koosman.
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Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 – January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher. McGraw played in 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1965 to 1984, for the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. He is often remembered for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe", which became the rallying cry for the 1973 New York Mets and has since become a popular slogan for the team and fans.
McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, bringing the Philadelphia Phillies their first World Series championship in franchise history.
McGraw was one of six Phillies players to die prematurely from glioblastoma, a brain cancer.
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was born August 30, 1944, in Martinez, California, the second of three sons of Frank Edwin "Big Mac" McGraw Sr. and Mable McKenna. McGraw got the nickname "Tugger" from his mother because of the particularly aggressive way he breast-fed. The name stuck and McGraw preferred it, even asking to be called "Tug" by his kindergarten teacher. His mother was bipolar and was physically and verbally abusive. She abandoned the family after spending time in Napa State Mental Hospital and the family was raised by Frank McGraw Sr. His father was athletic and was a butcher, trucker, and fireman and then a water treatment plant operator and engineer who encouraged the children to play sports. He was the great-grandson of Irish immigrants. After his divorce in the early 1950s, Frank Sr. moved his three sons to nearby Vallejo. Tug graduated from St. Vincent Ferrer High School, a Catholic school in Vallejo, in 1962. McGraw enrolled in Vallejo Junior College (now Solano Community College).
In 1961, Tug's brother Hank had signed with the New York Mets by scout Roy Partee; Hank later asked Partee to look into signing Tug, threatening to quit if Tug was not signed. On June 12, 1964, McGraw signed with the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, receiving a $7,000 signing bonus. McGraw was used both as a starting pitcher and as a relief pitcher in Minor League Baseball at Cocoa Beach, Florida, where he pitched a no-hitter in his debut in Auburn, New York. He went 6–4 that year with a 1.64 earned run average.
McGraw qualified for the Mets in Spring training in 1965 at age 20, without ever having played double- or triple-A ball. There, he played under manager Casey Stengel, who retired that year. He made his major league debut on April 18, 1965, as a reliever, against the San Francisco Giants. After striking out Orlando Cepeda in his debut, he was given a tranquilizer to calm down.
McGraw made the team as a reliever, and was 0–1 with a 3.12 ERA and one save when he made his first major league start on July 28 against the Chicago Cubs in the second game of a double header at Wrigley Field. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning and gave up three earned runs on his way to a 9–0 loss (the Cubs blew the Mets out in the first game as well, 7–2). On August 22, in his second start, also in the second game of a double header, only this time against the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium, McGraw pitched a complete game to earn his first major league win. On August 26, he won his next start, 5–2 over Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It marked the first time the Mets had ever beaten Koufax. McGraw remained in the Mets' starting rotation for the remainder of the season, however, failed to log another win, going 2–6 as a starter, and 0–1 in relief.
The Mets used McGraw as a starter again in 1966, and he was 2–9 with a 5.52 ERA in that role. Though he also made four starts with the Mets in 1967, McGraw spent most of the season, and all of 1968 in the minor leagues with the Jacksonville Suns. In 1968, he went 9-9 with a 3.42 ERA for the Suns. By the time he returned to the Mets in 1969, manager Gil Hodges had a very capable young pitching rotation that included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Gary Gentry and had no need for McGraw as a starter until Koosman went down with an injury in May. McGraw went 1–1 with a 5.23 ERA filling in for Koosman.
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