New York Giants · St. Louis, Missouri · 1903

This is the famous Iron Man of McGraw's team

The Republic sent its own photographer to shoot Joe McGinnity, the pitching marvel of the National League, waving to St. Louis. The very next month the Iron Man pitched both ends of three doubleheaders and won all six.

When the Giants came through St. Louis in July 1903, The Republic ran a nearly full-column photograph of Joe McGinnity under a headline that needs no story to go with it: “THIS IS THE FAMOUS IRON MAN OF M’GRAW’S TEAM.” The credit line, “By a Republic Photographer,” carries some pride. This was not a wire photo. They went and got him themselves.

The caption calls him “the pitching marvel of the National League” and notes he is of Springfield, Illinois. The nickname came from his offseason trade working iron, and he spent his career making it literal. The month after this photo ran, McGinnity pitched both games of a doubleheader three times in August 1903 and won all six games.

He waves at the camera like a man with no plans to ever come out of the game, which was accurate.