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Joe McCarthy’s Boston Years, 1948-1950
“Sure I’m lucky…to have spent the last nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the greatest manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy.” –Lou Gehrig, from his “Luckiest Man” Speech, July 4, 1939.
Forty-six years ago today, January 13, 1978, Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy passed away at age 90. We’re all familiar with Joe McCarthy’s success as the winningest manager in Yankee history from 1931-1946. In 16 seasons at the Yankees helm, all he did is go 1460-867 (.627) with eight pennants and seven World Series championships. And all this came after a pennant with the Cubs in 1929, their first in eleven years.
But how many fans remember that Joe McCarthy was also the Red Sox manager from 1948 to 1950? He continued his winning ways in Boston, compiling a remarkable 229-145 (.606) record. Although he failed to win a pennant in Boston with two heart-breaking second-place finishes, he came awfully close. In 1948, his Red Sox finished in a tie for first with the Indians, but he lost a one-game playoff for the American League pennant to the Tribe; and in 1949, he lost the pennant in the final weekend of the season to the Yankee (detailed beautifully in David Haberstram’s book: The Summer of ’49). Ted Williams felt the two emotionally draining second-place finishes took the heart out of McCarthy, adding “He finally quit during the ’50 season, I think, out of his own extreme disappointment.”
Of course, McCarthy’s overall managerial success over 24 seasons ranks him as one of the greatest managers in baseball history. He’s first in many significant categories, including holding the highest winning percentage during both the regular season (2125-1333, .615) and post-season (26-13, .667); and was the first manager to win pennants in both the National and American Leagues. His 3487 games managed rank eighth all-time and his 2125 wins rank ninth all-time. His teams won 100 or more games six times (a record shared with Bobby Cox). In a total of 32 years managing in the major and minor league level, his 1922 Louisville club was the only team to finish either with a losing record or below fourth place.
McCarthy cited “health reasons” for his resignation from the Yankee helm three months into the 1946 season, but there were also persistent rumors that he resigned due to a personality conflict with new Yankee president, the mercurial Larry MacPhail. After two years out of baseball, McCarthy was hired by the Red Sox, who had finished 14 games behind the Yankees in 1947, for the 1948 season.
Some detractors believed Joe McCarty’s success was simply due to being fortunate enough to have talented teams. He was once described by White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes as a “push-button” manager. Yet McCarthy was an outstanding teacher and developer of talent, and was particularly adept at handling temperamental players such as Babe Ruth. Lou Gehrig, as his above quote attests, would certainly disagree with Dykes’ assessment of Joe McCarthy.
When McCarthy resigned as Boston manager on July 22, 1950, again citing ill health, his critics were ready to pounce. Ed Fitzgerald in Sport magazine wrote:
“The sportswriters of the town, who greeted McCarthy with open arms when he took over the job, have been beating him over the head ever since… They criticized his handling of his players, his relations with the press, his every positive or negative act.”
But he was not without his admirers. Arthur Daley wrote in the New York Times,
“Joe McCarthy failed at Boston. It’s unfortunate that his departure had to come on such a sour note because the small-minded men who don’t know any better will definitely remark that he could never manage a ball club anyway and add that it’s good riddance. They’ll even add that the records are false in proclaiming that the square-jawed Irishman from Buffalo won more pennants than John McGraw and Connie Mack.”
Joe McCarthy, one of the most successful managers in baseball history, was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1957. In a 1969 poll by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, McCarthy finished third in voting for the greatest manager in history, behind John McGraw and Casey Stengel. On April 29, 1976 the Yankees dedicated a plaque to him in Monument Park.
So today, on the anniversary of his death, we gladly shine our baseball spotlight on “Marse Joe,” Joe McCarthy.
Gary Livacari
Photo Credits: “The Baseball Hall Of Fame Collection,” by James Buckley; the “New York Yankees’ Illustrated History,” by the New York Times; and public domain, Getty Images, the Leslie Jones Boston Public Library Baseball collection, and the Charles Conlon collection
Information: Excerpts edited from “Cooperstown, Hall of Fame Players” by Publications International; and the Joe McCarthy Wikipedia page.
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There’s a lot of Yankee history I’m not aware of, and I always thought McCarthy’s only managerial stint was in The Bronx. (Thnx for the history lesson, Gary). So; given this insight, he had; at one time or another, 3 of the G.O.A.T. left-handed hitters in the dugout with him {Ruth, Gehrig & Ted Williams}. I’m sure McCarthy enjoyed his several seasons with Ruth & Gehrig, and it’s great to know that Joe and Ted got to share 2 full seasons {and part of a 3rd} together. McCarthy’s final season in N.Y. {1946} was The Splendid Splinter’s only World Series appearance; one in which he had a performance {despite playing with an injury} that he was always disgusted with {.200 BA {5/25}, 5 KO, 1 RBI}. Although Ruth had already retired by the time of Ted’s debut {1939}, he did get to play against the soon-to-retire “Iron Horse”. They played against each other in only one game; at Yankee Stadium in April, 1939. In McCarthy’s year away from MLB {1947}, Ted won his 2nd Triple Crown. He had won his first TC in 1942, missing his first one in 1941 by a mere 5 RBI’s. The 1950 season was not very positive for either Joe or Ted…..McCarthy called it quits, and Ted only played 89 games due to suffering a left-arm break while making a catch in that year’s ASG. “PLAY BALL ” !
Thanks Tom!
I was lucky enough to meet “Marse” Joe when I was 12 yrs old. He and his wife “Babe” were best friends of my grandmother’s brother & sister, Rob & Clara McLaughlin, in Buffalo. In fact they’re the ones that introduced Joe to his wife. Rob had played Minor League baseball before WW I and was later Director of City Parks in Buffalo. He was a frequent golf partner with Joe in the off-seasons, and he and his sister were special guests of the McCarthy’s at Joe’s induction into the HOF. One winter my great-uncle Rob took me and my father (his nephew) to Yankee Farms, Joe’s home on Grand Island near Buffalo. I was too young to appreciate it, but I remember the umbrella stand in the foyer filled with baseball bats from many of the Yankee and Red Sox greats.
Thanks Mike…that’s all very interesting. I always love the personal stuff like this! Thanks for checking in.
Although Bobby Cox tied Joe McCarthy’s record for teams winning over 100 games in a season “Marse Joe” did it in a 154 game schedule while Cox had 162 games to play with. Thanks for reminding us of McCarthy, he was a great one!