John McGraw Quotes

#1. The main thing is to win.

John McGraw

#2. No club that wins a pennant once is an outstanding club. One which bunches two pennants is a good club. But a team which can win three in a row really achieves greatness.

John McGraw

#3. There is but one game and that game is baseball.

John McGraw

#4. Cobb would have to play center field on my all time team. But where would that put Speaker? In left. If I had them both, I would certainly play them that way.

John McGraw

#5. The team that gets off to a good start wins pennants.

John McGraw

#6. Get in front of the ball, you won't get hurt. That's what you've got a chest for, young man.

John McGraw

#7. He (Honus Wagner) was the nearest thing to a perfect player no matter where his manager chose to play him.

John McGraw

#8. If I had to pick the greatest team player in baseball today-and I have some of the greats on my own club-I would have to pick Pie Traynor.

John McGraw

#9. I think we can win it if my brain holds out.

John McGraw

#10. The boy's (Hack Wilson) got talent and desire, but he ain't got no neck.

John McGraw

#11. My boy, one small breeze doesn't make a wind storm.

John McGraw

#12. The way to get a ball past (Honus) Wagner is to hit it eight feet over his head.

John McGraw

#13. In playing or managing, the game of ball is only fun for me when I'm out in front and winning. I don't give a hill of beans for the rest of the game.

John McGraw

#14. Why shouldn't we pitch to Babe Ruth? We pitch to better hitters in the National League.

John McGraw

#15. You think the greatest thing in the whole world would be to become a baseball player - if best things already happened, what's next?

John McGraw

#16. One percent of ballplayers are leaders of men. The other 99 percent are followers of women.

John McGraw

#17. With my team I am an absolute czar. My men know it. I order plays and they obey. If the don't, I fine them.

John McGraw

#18. Sportsmanship and easygoing methods are all right, but it is the prospect of a hot fight that brings out the crowds.

John McGraw

#19. (Bill) Terry, you can ask for more money in the winter and do less in the summer than any ballplayer I know.

John McGraw

#20. Learn to know every man under you, get under his skin, know his faults. Then cater to him - with kindness or roughness as his case may demand.

John McGraw