- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: New York
- Team: Yankees
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Jacob Ruppert Jr. (1867-1939) became the 304th inductee into Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2013, remedying an oversight many assumed had already been handled. This beer & real estate baron, National Guard Colonel & US Congressman took a second-rate NY franchise, hired Miller Huggins to manage it, saw that the mighty southpaw up in Boston had more potential at the plate than on the mound, built Yankee Stadium and tailored it to Ruth’s swing, hired the likes of Gehrig, DiMaggio and a clutch of other future Hall of Famers, and won the franchise’s first 10 pennants & 7 World Series titles. In all, Ruppert created the most storied sports organization in history and forever changed the game as the Dead Ball gave way to the Lively Ball. He died five months before there was a Hall in Cooperstown and now, just 74 years later, he’s in it.
- Was instrumental in creating the office of Commissioner and hiring Landis as czar in 1920
- Initially fought to rename the Yankees as theKnickerbockers after his family’s flagship brew
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 2013
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
John Joseph McGraw (1873-1934) was an innovative player (the hit-and-run, the “Baltimore chop”) but went on to true greatness as a manager for Baltimore and, most noteworthy, the NY Giants. Only Connie Mack’s teams won more games and no NL manager approached him. Not shabby as a hitter (ranks 3rd all time behind Ted Williams and Babe Ruth in OBP), has been called “the best player to become a great manager.”
- Played for and/or managed ten NL pennant winners
- Upon his death, McGraw’s wife discovered a list of all the African-American players he wanted to sign but was prevented
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1937
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Christopher Mathewson (1880-1925) was the consummate right hander of the early 20th Century. His “fadeaway” pitch baffled NL hitters from 1900-16. Mathewson won 22+ 12 straight years, 30+ 4x, and holds the modern NL record with his 37 wins in 1908. He hurled 3 shut-outs in 6 days to gain his sole world championship in 1905.
- One of the “first five” into Cooperstown
- Accomplished all this while honoring his Christian faith by not pitching on Sundays
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1936
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Richard William Marquard (1886-1980) was a dominant left-hander with the Giants, Robins, Reds and Braves from 1908-25. His Hall of Fame plaque highlights his outstanding performance for NY’s consecutive titles 1911-13 with 23+ wins each year and a record 19 in a row. This streak vindicated the outlandish $11K price the Giants paid to get him from the American Assoc.
- The nickname wasn’t a “bumpkin” reference but a comparison to Waddell
- Helped Brooklyn to pennants in 1916 & 1920
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1971
- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
Edward Leslie Grant (1883-1918) had a cup of coffee replacing an ailing Nap Lajoie with the Indians at the end of the 1905 season, upon his graduation from Harvard. Caught on with the Phillies ’07-10, then played for the Reds and Giants thru 1915. An early enlistee for WWI, Grant became the 1st ML veteran to die in that conflict, leading a heroic search for the “Lost Battalion.”
- A Harvard lawyer (’09), Grant refused to holler “I Got It!,” preferring “I Have It!”
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