McGinnity, Joseph J. [McGinty]
Baseball
b. March 19, 1872, Rock Island, IL
d. Nov. 14, 1929
McGinnity got the nickname "Iron Man" because he worked in his father-in-law's iron factory during the off-season. It turned out to be appropriate for a pitcher who led the National League in innings four times, twice working more than 400 innings.
A 5-foot-11, 206-pounder, McGinnity depended primarily on a blazing fast ball in his minor league career, but he retired because of a bad arm to run a saloon after the 1894 season. He began pitching again in semi-pro baseball and he developed a slow underhand curve ball that he called "Old Sal." It was so effective that he got back into professional baseball and joined the Baltimore Orioles in 1899.
He led the league in victories with a 28-16 record that season, then went to Brooklyn. McGinnity helped lead the team to a pennant, leading the league in victories again with a 28-8 record, in winning percentage with .778, and in innings pitched with 343.
When the American League became a major league in 1901, McGinnity was the first player to sign a contract, joining the Baltimore team. He led that league with 39 complete games and 382 innings pitched, compiling a 26-20 record in the process.
During the 1902 season, Baltimore manager John McGraw jumped to the New York Giants, taking McGinnity and several other players along. McGinnity had a league-leading 31 victories, 44 complete games, and 434 innings pitched in 1903. He proved himself a real iron man in August of that season, winning complete game victories in both games of a doubleheader three times.
His best season was 1904, when he was tops in the league with an .814 winning percentage, 35 victories, 9 shutouts, 5 saves, 408 innings pitched, and a 1.61 ERA. When the Giants won the pennant the following season, he was 21-15 with a 2.87 ERA. Although he didn't give up an earned run in New York's five-game World Series victory over the Philadelphia Athletics, he had a 1-1 record, losing the second game 3-0 and winning the fifth game 1-0.
McGinnity led the NL in victories for fifth and last time in 1906, when he had a 27-12 record and a 2.25 ERA. After going 18-18 in 1907 and 11-7 in 1908, he was released at his own request so he could manage in the minor leagues. He continued to pitch during his managing career. At the age of fifty-four, he had a 6-6 record in 1925 with a Dubuque team of which he was part owner as well as manager.