He has been called the greatest manager in the history of baseball.  He was either the most loved or most hated man ever to put on a uniform. The success of John Joseph McGraw is legendary.  Not many managers can say they drew fans to the park just to see him, but McGraw did just that.  His fans came out to see his battles with opposing managers, players, and umpires -- and even his own players.  Opponents loved to beat him, though they didn't do it often.

McGraw's record of 2,840 managerial wins is second only to Connie Mack. He came over to the Giants from Baltimore in July of 1902, taking over a team that was foundering in last place with a 23-50 record.  Within two years, New York had their first pennant of the 20th century.  It wouldn't be the last. With the Giants, McGraw won 10 National League pennants and finished second 11 times.  Only twice in 30 years did the New Yorkers finish out of the first division.  They won 3 World Series (in 1905, 1921, and 1922), though it was disappointing they lost the series six times.

McGraw demanded unquestioning obedience from his players.  Once, he sent Irish Meusel in to pinch-hit in the ninth inning of a close ball game and two runners on base.  Meusel slammed a 3-run homer to win the game and celebrated with his teammates.  When he arrived in the clubhouse, however, Meusel learned that McGraw had fined him $200 for disobeying orders.  It seems that prior to the pitch Meusel belted for the game-winning blow, McGraw had flashed the "bunt" sign.  The end result didn't matter.  McGraw's authority had been challenged and the perpetrator must pay.

The 1904 Giants won the flag with a 106-47 record, 13 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs.  Even without a .300 hitter on the club, two 30-game winners, Joe McGinnity (35-8) and Christy Mathewson (33-12) dominated the league.  McGraw, though, refused to play the Boston Pilgrims in the World Series, stating "We don't play minor leaguers."  The American League champions had upset the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1903 series, the first such "world championship playoff" between the two rival leagues.  Perhaps McGraw didn't want to be embarrassed.  It would take 8 years for Boston, by then known as the Red Sox, to make McGraw pay for his derogatory remark.

In 1905, the Giants (105-48) outdistanced the Pittsburgh Pirates by 9 games.  Mike Donlin supplied the offensive punch with a .356 mark, while Mathewson (31-9) became a 30-game winner for the third straight year. Matty excelled in the World Series as the Giants agreed this year to meet Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics.  Mathewson pitched 3 shutouts as New York prevailed, 4 games to 1.

Christy Mathewson was the major factor in the success of the Giants during the McGraw years.  In 17 years, Matty fashioned a 372-186 record for the Giants, then added 1 more victory as player-manager for the Cincinnati Reds.  "The Christian Gentleman" is tied for third place on the all-time list with Grover Cleveland Alexander with 373 wins.  Only Cy Young (511) and Walter Johnson (416) won more.  Mathewson was one of the "Class of 1936" original five members of the Hall of Fame.

When Joe McGinnity commented to a sportswriter, "I'm an iron man", he was referring to his off-season job in an iron foundry.  The nickname "Iron Man" seemed appropriate, though, when the workhorse righthander hurled 434 innings in 1903 and pitched and won both games of a doubleheader 3 times in one month that year, 5 times in his career.  He also hurled a shutout in that 1905  World Series.  McGinnity was 247-142 for his career and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1946.

Catcher Roger Bresnahan is recognized as one of the most innovative players ever to play the game.  In a game in 1907, Bresnahan introduced his latest invention: wooden shinguards to protect his legs and knees. In a 16-year major league career, Bresnahan had a career batting mark of ..279.  With the Giants, he batted .313 in the 1905 series.

Other Hall of Famers who played for the Giants during the McGraw years were shortstop Dave Bancroft, second baseman Frankie Frisch, shortstop Travis Jackson, first baseman George Kelly, third baseman Fred Lindstrom, outfielder Mel Ott, first baseman Bill Terry and pitcher Rube Marquard.

After the 1905 championship team, the New Yorkers experienced a few disappointing years before coming back to win three straight National League pennants, 1911-13.  The 1911 club practically "stole" the pennant.  They pilfered an all-time record 347 bases, led by Josh Devore (61), Fred Snodgrass (51), Fred Merkle (49), and Red Murray (48).  The mark has never been equalled.  "Chief" Meyers (.332) and Larry Doyle (.310, 13 home runs) led the batting, while the mound corp was again headed up by Christy Mathewson (26-13) and Rube Marquard (24-7).  In a World Series rematch, Connie Mack's Athletics evened the score with McGraw, 4 games to 2.

The 1911 season was interrupted when an April 14th fire destroyed the wooden bleachers at the Polo Grounds.  The Giants accepted an offer from the American League entry, the New York Highlanders to use Hilltop Park, at 168th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, until the Polo Grounds could be rebuilt.  Two years later, the Giants returned the favor when the Highlanders, now known as the Yankees, vacated Hilltop Park.  Both clubs were co-tenants at the Polo Grounds for the next ten years.

Two more pennants in 1912 and 1913 were spoiled when the Giants suffered World Series losses to the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics, respectively.  Another defeat to the Chicago White Sox in 1917 continued the string of disappointing series performances.  It wasn't until 1921 McGraw was finally able to claim another world championship, beating the rival Yankees.  The "friendly" relations between landlord and tenant soon became strained.