Atlanta Daily World

You Can't Stay In Baseball All Your Life--Joe McCarthy

BY CHARLES EINSTEIN
International News Service
Sports Writer

NEW YORK - (INS) - Three years ago this week, Joe McCarthy, the winningest manager in baseball history, said, "I'm sick and tired."

And suddenly, dramatically, he quit.

Today, "Marse Joe," now recuperating on his large suburban farm outside of Buffalo after nine weeks' hospitalization for a virus infection, says:

"You can't stay in baseball all your lifetime. Naturally, I miss the game but I follow it on the radio and in the papers. I'm very happy here on the farm."

He stops for a minute, and goes on:

"I miss baseball most in the spring, when the rookies are breaking their backs to click in the majors."

This is the one-time minor league player who compiled the greatest managerial record on the books. His accomplishments included nine pennants and seven world series victories. He never finished in the second division in the 23 years he managed in the majors.

In five seasons with the Chicago Cubs, 1926 through 1930, McCarthy was first once, second once, third once, and fourth twice.

In 16 seasons with the New York Yankees, he was first eight times, second four times, third twice, and fourth once.

In his two years with the Boston Red Sox, McCarthy finished second, a game out, both seasons.

When he quit the game, he had seen his club lose the pennant on the last day of the season two years in a row-to Cleveland in 1948, in a playoff game, and to New York in 1949, when a victory on either of the last two days of the season would have given Boston the pennant.

McCarthy's nine pennants and seven world series victories were enclosed within a space of 15 years. His 1936-37-38 and 39 Yankees won four straight series, losing only three games while they were at it. Even Casey Stengel's modern-day Yankees have lost six games while winning four straight series.

Of today's Yankees, McCarthy says:

"It looks like they'll take it, but anything can happen. Nobody knows that better than Casey Stengel. He could lose eight or ten straight and somebody else could win that many, and there you are."

Speaking as much from personal experience as anything else, McCarthy adds:

"But it's a nice feeling being ten games in front."

And the winningest manager of all times has this to say, too:

"Baseball in general is okay. It goes through certain cycles, but I feel nothing will ever happen to change the game and its basic rules. It will survive all lawsuits and farm club fluctuations.

"No team can always be on top. All clubs in both leagues could have nine Cobbs and nine Walter Johnsons, but somebody always has to be last."