Tug McGraw: The Mets First Star Relief Pitcher- Fireman / Closer (Part One: 1965 - 1972)

Frank Edwin McGraw was born August 30, 1944, in Martinez, California.

Nickname: When he was just a baby, he would firmly nurse on his mother’s breast as she fed him. "he's a real tugger" she said & the name stuck with him forever.

Quotes- Tug McGaw: "On my first day of kindergarten, the teacher asked if there was anyone's name she didn't call? I raised my hand & said my name is Tug McGraw. She looked at the role & said "I have a Frank McGraw" I said No, that's my dad. He already went kindergarten."

His mother Mabel was manic depressive, she was verbally & physically abusive. She ran away on the family while on a weekend pass from Napa State Mental Hospital. Tug & his brothers were raised by their father, Big Mac. The boys attended Catholic schools & played sports, all the time.

Family: Tug’s brother Hank, was an outstanding catching prospect that was signed by the Mets scout Roy Partee in 1961. A couple of years later, he told the team to sign his brother Tug, or else he wouldn’t play. Hank was considered such a good prospect the team gave Tug $7,000 signing bonus. 

Frank spent 12 years in the minors but would never reach the big-league level. A real hippie type, Frank was once famously suspended for not cutting his hair.

Tug was a left-handed pitcher who was still developing his pitching style. In 1964, the Mets signed McGraw right out of junior college as a bonus baby. He made his pro debut pitching a no hitter at Cocoa Beach.

In April of 1965 he made the Mets big league squad, as not to get drafted away which was the rule for bonus babies at that time. 

MLB Debut: On April 18th, 1965, in the first game of a Shea double header, Tug made his MLB debut at the age of 20. He came into a 4-1 loss to the Giants & struck out his first batter, Orlando Cepeda. He was so excited he needed a tranquilizer to calm himself down.

On April 28th, Tug came into a game with the Astros, behind 9-6, with bases loaded He walked two batters & was removed, taking the loss.

First Career Save: On May 24th, in the second game of a double header, he earned his first save, coming at Philadelphia pitching one inning of relief of a 4-1 win.

In three months, he made 29 relief appearances & then got his first start. 

First Career Start & Complete Game: On August 22nd, McGraw pitched a complete game victory, beating Ray Washburn & the reigning World Champion St. Louis Cardinals to earn his first career win. He struck out five & walked five, giving up a HR to Ken Boyer.

Beating Sandy Koufax: His next outing was a significant win for the Mets as well as for McGraw. On August 26th, he earned a 5-2 win over the Dodgers, beating Sandy Koufax in front of 45,950 fans at Shea Stadium. Koufax already had 21 wins that season & had beaten the Mets four times. In his career Koufax had beaten the Mets in 13 of 14 decisions up to that point.

 McGraw allowed two first 1st inning runs, then settled down to shut out the Dodgers into the 8th inning, then Jack Fisher came on to save it. Ron Swoboda & Joe Christopher led the way with HRs.

After winning those two back-to-back starts he lost his next five decisions finishing the year at 2-7 with a 3.32 ERA. Tug struck out 57 batters & walked 48 in 97.2 innings of work in 37 appearances. The 1965 Mets lost 115 games finishing tenth.

Military Service: In the off season, McGraw served in the Marine Reserves.

1966: The next season, Tug struggled; after winning his first decision, he lost five straight games giving up 16 runs in 23.2 innings pitched.

In May he was sent to AAA Jacksonville for three months, where he went 2-2. 

 The Screwball: There he met former New York pitcher Ralph Terry, who had been sent to the minors to learn how to throw a knuckleball. 

Terry had been on the other end of some big World Series pitches.

In Game #7 of the 1960 World Series, he served up the Pirates, Bill Mazeroski's walk off HR to seal the Championship at Forbes Field. In Game #7 of the 1962 World Series he got the final out, which was a screaming liner off the bat of Willie McCovey.

It was Terry who helped turn around McGraw's career when he learned to throw a screwball. It took Tug the rest of that season & the next as well, to learn how to perfect it. 

The screwball changed Tug’s career, becoming his signature pitch. It would cut inside to right-handed batters & cut away from left-handed hitters making it very tough to hit the left hander Tug McGraw.

Tug was back with the Mets in August going 1-5, to end the year at 2-9 with a 5.34 ERA in 15 appearances making 12 starts.

Two Hit Victory: On August 21st he got the start in the second game of a double header at Philadelphia. Tug gave up a 3rd inning single to the pitcher Jum Bunning, then a 5th inning single to Harvey Kuenn. After a wild pitch & Met error Kuenn reached third base. Bill White then hit a sac fly giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The two hits where all Tug gave up, then the Mets put up two in the top of the 9th to give him a 2-1 lead. He closed out the 9th inning for one of five career complete games.

1967: A Jacksonville, Tug had a hard time convincing his strict Suns manager, Sheriff Robinson about the pitch. Robinson didn't like his young pitchers throwing any new pitches. In 22 games he was 10-9 with a league leading 1.99 ERA striking out 167 batters in 161 innings.

In September, he got called up to the Mets going 0-3 in four games.

His Son Tim McGraw: That same season Tug had an affair with a high school girl named Betty D'Agostino. She became pregnant & her parents quickly moved her to Louisiana. She had a son who grew up to be Country music star, Tim McGraw. Tim didn't have a relationship with his biological father until he until he was 17 years old.

1968: McGraw spent the entire season at AAA Jacksonville, pitching for manager, Clyde McCullough. There he won nine games, second in wins on the staff to Gary Gentry (12 wins). 

First Marriage: That season Tug married his first wife Phyliss. They would have two children & remain married for twenty years, divorcing in 1988.

1969 Amazing Mets Championship Season: On April 9th, Tug got the Mets first win of the 1969 season, pitching six innings of relief in the second game of the season, beating the expansion Montreal Expos at Shea Stadium. 

On April 27th, Tug came into a scoreless game with the Cubs in the 6th inning. He pitched four scoreless innings & struck out six earning his first win of the year. Cleon Jones won the game with a three-run walk off HR off Rich Nye, giving Tug his second win. 

On May 4th he got a start at Wrigley Field, McGraw beat the Chicago Cubs & Dick Selma 3-2 pitching the complete game victory.

Gil Hodges Turns Him into a Reliver: McGraw was 3-0 being used mainly as a starter in mid-May, when Gil Hodges called him into his office. Hodges told Tug, he thought he could be a huge asset to the club as late inning stopper out of the bullpen. Hodges felt his screw ball would fool hitters late in the game, and that Tug could be very successful making himself a lot of money in that role. But Hodges left the decision up to Tug. McGraw agreed & the rest is history, as he went on to become one of the first superstar relief pitchers in the game.

On May 28th, Jerry Koosman shutout the Padres for ten innings at Shea Stadium. McGraw came in the 11th walked two but held down the friars scoreless. Ron Swoboda's walk off single won it in the 11th. On May 31st, he earned his first save, pitching two scoreless against the Giants.

In June Tug saved four games in the month of June. 

On July 2nd, in St. Louis he came into a tied game in the bottom of the 9th inning. McGraw pitched six scoreless innings of relief, striking out eight as the Mets won the game in the 14th inning, with an RBI single from Ken Boswell & a bases loaded walk to Wayne Garrett. 

Military Service: He would be out of action until July 20th serving in the reserves at Garden City. There he was a barber learning how to cut hair. He would shave the boys' heads at the base. He would later volunteer to cut hair for the homeless men on the lower East side, at the Bowery. 

Tug once cut Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiners hair, on a Kiners Korner post-game show. Kiner later joked, that it took him four months to grow it all back.

On July 24th, he took a loss to the Reds at Shea, serving up a 10th inning HR to Tony Perez.

From August 2nd to August 30th, Tug didn't allow a run in 18 consecutive innings over nine games. He picked up two wins, both coming over the Giants & collected four saves.  By now he appearing in more games serving time as the team's stopper or closer, with Ron Taylor. 

On August 16th he earned his fifth win o the season, coming in the second game of a double header sweep over the Padres. The Mets moved to withing eight games of the first place Cubs & would only gain ground from there. 

 

 On August 19th, the Mets faced the Giants at Shea Stadium to just under 50,000 fans. Juan Marichal held the Mets to a run into the 14th inning, when Tommie Agee hit a walk off HR to win it for the Mets. McGraw had relieved Gary Gentry in the 11th & earned the victory. He was now 62 with a 2.69 ERA.

In the final two months of the season, during the pennant stretch drive, McGraw gave up just two earned runs in 34 innings over 17 appearances. He saved seven games, going 4-1 with 24 strike outs & 12 walks.

On September 2nd, he earned his tenth save of the year & saved three games in a row, without allowing a run. On September 15th, he earned his eight win, coming against the Philadelphia Phillies the night Steve Carlton set a record, striking out 19 batters. Ron Swoboda hit two HRs that night providing all the offense. 

On September 23rd, Bud Harrelson hit a 10th inning walk off single off Bob Gibson, McGraw had relieved Jim McAndrew in the 8th inning & pitched four scoreless to earn the win, his 9th of the year (9-3). That win put the Mets magic number at one, the next night they clinched the NL Eastern Division.

Overall, in 1969 McGraw was 9-3, with 12 saves (8th most in the NL). He struck out 92 batters in 100 innings pitched with a 2.42 ERA in 42 appearances.

Ron Taylor was still the Mets main closer that season going 9-4 with 13 saves & a 2.72 ERA in 59 games.  

1969 Post Season: NLCS: His only post season appearance was in Game #1 of the NLCS where he earned the save pitching three innings, allowing no runs, one hit & a walk to the Atlanta Braves. Nolan Ryan was used in long relief in the post season.

Tug McGraw Celebrates as Mets Sweep the Atlanta Braves in 1969 NLCS

Ed Sullivan Show: He joined his Mets team mates on the Ed Sullivan show after the World Series victory, singing "You Gotta have Heart". He got a big ovation.

The Flake: Tug McGraw quickly earned a reputation as a flaky guy, a free spirit who enjoyed living life to the fullest. He was a whole lot of fun to be around, like to party & spend time with the ladies.

Quotes- Tug McGraw:  When he signed his next contact he said-” I’ll probably spend 90% of this on good times, women & Irish whiskey. The other 10% I’ll probably just waste.”

When asked if he preferred natural grass or Astroturf, he replied: “I don’t know, I never smoked Astroturf”. 

One story says when the Mets team toured Vietnam in 1970, Ron Taylor had to slap a joint out of Tugs mouth, as he attempted to light up.

After the Championship- 1970: In the winter of 1970 McGraw injured his ankle on a toboggan run with teammate Ron Swoboda. He told the club he hurt it slipping on ice while throwing out the garbage at home. 

Tug began the season, earning a save on Opening Day against the Pittsburgh Pirates as the Mets raised the World Championship banner. It was also the first Opening Day game the Mets franchise had ever won.

He didn't allow a run thru his first six appearances thru ten scoreless innings. On April 29th, he blew his first save, giving up three runs to the Giants in the bottom of the 8th Inning at an Francisco. He gave up three runs including hitting Willie Mays with a pitch with the bases loaded.

Through May, would save four games & blow a save in Montreal, where Rusty Staub tied the game. Tug loaded the bases, exited the game & Cal Koonce gave up a walk off grand slam to Bob Bailey. At this point he was still sharing the closing role with Ron Taylor. 

By the All-Star break McGraw had seven saves posting a 3.64 ERA with a 1-3 record.

In August, he took losses to the Reds & the Astros, to fall to 2-4. He didn’t have many more save opportunities earning just one more save until the end of August. He started out September with two straight saves, to reach ten on the season.

Multi- Three RBI Game & a Victory: On September 8th, Tug pitched five-innings of relief at Shea giving up three runs (two earned) to Montreal. He struck out six & still got the win as the Mets scored six runs in the bottom of the 8th. Tug helped his own cause clearing the bases with a three-run single off pitcher Claude Raymond. Tug would bat .308 on the season with five RBIs.

In his next appearance he pitched six scoreless against the Cardinals but earned no decision. On September 20th, McGraw took his sixth loss of the year, then two days later, earned a win in Philadelphia pitching 2.2 scoreless innings.

There were no repeat miracles for the Mets in 1970. Tug finished the year at 4-6 with ten saves (second on the staff to Taylor) 81 strike outs, 49 walks 90 innings & a 3.28 ERA in 57 appearances.

1971: By 1971, Ron Taylor was 33 years old & was in the twilight of his career. Tug was now sharing the closer duties with righthander Danny Frisella. Frisella had been with the team since 1967 but this was his first full season.

In 1971, the two relievers made for one of baseball’s best righty / lefty relief combos in the league. In 53 games Danny Frisella was 8-5 with a team leading 12 saves.

For Tug McGraw, he would then have his best season up that point in his career. 

On April 11th, Tug came into a scoreless game with the Reds in the 10th inning. Tom Seaver had
shut out the Reds thru nine innings. McGraw earned the win when Jerry Grote won the game with a walk off HR.

On April 18th, he took a loss to the Pirates in the second game of a double header, as Willie Stargell had the game winning base hit. On April 30th, he threw four shutout innings at the Astrodome, earning an extra inning victory. 

In May he was 1-1 with a save & a hold, keeping his ERA under two until late in the month. 

Things picked up as the summer came on, from June1st to July 20th he made 18 appearances going 3-1 with three saves. He posted a 1.56 ERA as batters hit just .144 against him.

On June 13th, Ken Singleton hit a walk off sac fly scoring Bud Harrelson to beat the Giants, Tug earned the win, as he struck out two & pitched a scoreless 10th. 

On June 19th, Tug pitched five shutout extra innings against the Phillies at Shea Stadium but got decision in the 6-5 Mets win on Donn Clendenon's walk off HR. The next day he earned a win when Duffy Dyer hit a walk off two run single to beat the Phillies 7-6.

On July 15th, he struck out eight Astros while pitching six scoreless innings of relief, where he gave up just one hit. By the All Star break he was 6-3 with six saves and a 1.90 ERA.

In the second half of the season, he never had his ERA climb above two & as he was very effective going 5-1 with three saves the rest of the way. His screwball made him especially tough on right-handed hitters, and overall, the league just hit .189 against him.

9 K's: On August 10th, in a 6-4 win at San Diego he struck out a season high nine batters, pitching four innings to earn his 8th win of the year. 

In late August Tug earned two wins in two days against the Dodgers. On August 28th Cleon Jones hit a walk off HR off Jim Brewer in the second game of a double header with Tug earning the win. The next day, it was Tommie Agee's Walk off single winning it for Tug & the Mets.

On September 15th, he made a rare start, he matched his season high nine strike outs as went six innings in a no decision in a loss to the Cubs. 

He earned one more save in September as the Mets finished third at 83-79. 

For the 1971 season, McGraw had eight saves, but more importantly he won 11 games (3rd most wins on the staff) going 11-4. He posted a .733 winning percentage & a 1.71 ERA. He struck out a career high 109 batters in 111 innings while walking just 41 in 51 appearances.

1972- All Star Season: The season was delayed by a short players strike but then tragedy struck even worse, when Mets manager Gil Hodges died of a heart attack at the end of Spring Training. The organization was in shock. Yogi Berra was named manager & the Mets tried to focus on baseball.

McGraw started out 1972 with an Opening Day save, as he combined with Tom Seaver on a shutout against the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates. On this day the Mets honored Gil Hodges by retiring his uniform #14. 

Tug started out the year 2-0, earning wins against the Padres & Dodgers on a May home stand. Tug would earn three more saves before taking his first loss on May 23rd. At the end of May he was 3-1 with seven saves & a 0.56 ERA until blowing a save in St. Louis.

In June he saved six more games, having just one blown save, where he gave up four runs in Atlanta taking a loss. At the end of June, he had 13 saves with a 1.54 ERA as the Mets were tied for first place.

By now Yogi Berra was using Tug as the main reliever / closer on a regular basis, Danny Frisella would still post nine saves while finishing off 31 games.

1972 All Star Game Winning Pitcher: By the All-Star break Tug already had 13 saves and an ERA of just 2.01, as he was named to his first All Star team. 

He & Tom Seaver represented the Mets. It was the only time in his career he would pitch in the midsummer classic.

He pitched two innings at the All-Star Game in Atlanta. He entered in the 8th inning, then struck out the side in the 9th inning, which included Reggie Jackson, Bobby Grich & Norm Cash.  

McGraw earned the victory for the National League when Cincinnati’s Joe Morgan drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

For the second half of the season, McGraw was even better than the first half. To start out August he had two games where he struck out a season high six batters. 

After an August 7th loss in St. Louis, where Ted Sizemore hit a walk off inside the park HR, he would blow just one save opportunity through the rest of the season. 

From August 12th to the end of the season, he was 4-1 recording eleven more saves allowing five earned runs in 32.2 innings of work. He posted a 1.38 ERA with opposing hitters batting .159 against him.

On September 2nd & 3rd, he earned wins in back-to-back games at the Astrodome, finishing off both games without allowing a hit.

The next day, in the second game of a double header at Chicago, he gave up his first earned run dating back to August 13th. He still earned the pitching the 9th inning, of the 7-2 win. It was his 20th save of the season, the first time he reached that milestone.

Tug had a busy September, making 15 appearances. In the final regular season three game series at Montreal, he earned a win & two saves to close out the year.

 

Franchise Save Record: Tug finished the year with a club record at that time; 27 saves (2nd in the league) a Mets mark that that stood until 1984. He posted an 8-6 record with an identical 1.70 ERA from the previous year. Tug struck out 92 batters & walked 40 in 106 innings in 54 appearances. He allowed just three HRs in 106 innings pitched and was being recognized as a star player, as relief pitchers were first earning some recognition. 

Quotes- Even Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson called him “the Seaver of saves”.