Volume 11 , Issue 12

Insight Into Grandpa

The following articles were found in an online website called: Sporting Life that had pdf/text files of news articles back to the late eighteen hundreds. The following are a few in the early 1900s concerning my Grandpa W. J. "Bill" McGill. It should give you an insight into my Grandpa.

April 1907 - Minor Leagues -- This article appeared in Sporting Life, dated Apri 6, 1907, with headlines that read: "Minor Leagues. Make A Most Impressive Showing Nowadays. The National Association Embraces Over Thirty Leagues, comprising 219 Clubs and Nearly 5000 Players, Thus Involving Big Money" - written by Francis C. Righter.

It starts out, "The growth of the minor base ball leagues of this country during the last ten years has been remarkable. Organized in 1901 under the name of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, they have come to be regarded as a powerful factor in the government of the game, inasmuch as the National Association is the third party to the National Agreement.

There are thirty-two leagues and 219 clubs in the organization, controlling nearly 4500 players. Patrick T. Powers, of New York City, a man of large base ball experience, is the president of this big association."

In this same article a little further down in the column it mentions the prices paid for players. It is not like what they pay base ball players today, though. My Grandpa Bill "Will" McGill of the Austin Senators of Texas league was bought by St. Louis Browns of the American League (A. L.), for $500 (five hundred dollars).

As far as this NW Okie knows... This was a time in base ball when baseball was played for the thrill of the game and the pitcher determined the play of the game.

In April, 1908 and April, 1909, Grandpa Bill McGill is still listed on the St. Louis Team roster as one of the pitchers: Howell, McGill, Criss, Pelty, Waddell, Dineen, Bailey, Keith, Farris, Graham. I am not sure if Grandpa played, though. I thought he was playing on a team in Guthrie around 1909 and with the Western League in Enid, Oklahoma in 1908.

Aug. 25, 1906 - Sporting Life -- We found yet another mention of Grandpa McGill's base ball news in the Sporting Life dated August 25, 1906, with headlines reading: "South Texas League. The Record of the Championship Race of the Organization."

If you scroll down through the article it mentions, " McGill, the 6ft. 4in. (grandpa's stats show him at 6ft-2inches) southpaw, shut out the heavy hitting Beaumont Club last week with only one hit."

Baseball Stats for Bill McGill -- On May 8, 1906, The Dispatch, was quoted as saying, "(Bill) McGill, the 'cross fire' pitcher, was twirling yesterday and he showed the opposing pitcher up at all stages of the game."

This little tidbit of Grandpa's baseball stats shows up on the baseball Almanac site with the following information: Bill McGill was born on Tuesday, June 29, 1880, in Galva, Kansas. McGill was 27 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 16, 1907, with the St. Louis Browns. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats, career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items of interest are presented as: "Birth name: William Jacob McGill; Nickname: Parson; born: 06/29/1880, Galva, KS; Died: 08/07/1959, Alva, OK; College: Friends University; Bats: Right; Throws: Right (this may be wrong, because Grandpa was a southpaw); Height: 6-02; Weight: 185-198; First Game: 09/16/1907; Last Game: 09/27/1907; Draft: Not Applicable.
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