Sad news in the world of sports: Tug McGraw, a relief pitcher for the Mets and Phillies, died yesterday of brain cancer. He was only 59.
McGraw was before my time–I started watching in ’86, so I only know him from interviews and one of the Mets history videos I own (yes, I am a baseball geek)–but he’s a Mets legend. From the NY Times obituary:
“In 1973, McGraw helped the Mets climb from last place to first in the National League’s Eastern Division, then reach the World Series and come within one game of beating the Oakland Athletics. That was the season that McGraw coined the Mets’ war cry: “You Gotta Believe.”
The modern baseball players I have most often seem compared to him are John Franco and Al Leiter, two of my very favorites. And the articles usually say that Franco and Leiter almost live up to McGraw, but not quite. Maybe that’s just because he was eminently quotable, or because sportswriters are some of the most nostalgic people in America, but my guess is it wasn’t only that.
Didn’t even know he was ill. Tug was a great baseball player and competitor (though I was always rooting for my Cincy Reds.) It was a poignant moment a couple of years ago to see Tug tell the story of his reconciliation with son and country music star Tim McGraw. They were estranged for most of Tim’s life, but all he asked was permission to call him “Dad”. Tug broke down in tears when he told the story.
Tugger was one of the good guys and one of baseball’s marvelous characters.
Ah, hell. Gone to soon.
RIP.