Sam Crane explained in 1903, "Manager McGraw has originated a new plan which he will put into operation when the championship season begins, and will be an entirely new departure in base ball. He intends to work his pitchers throughout the season as he has during the Southern trip, that is, he will use two pitchers in every game, one being in the points five innings and the other four. No manager but one who has originality and nerve would attempt any such innovation, but McGraw has both, and has made up his mind to adopt the plan. There are many things, too, in its favor. The pitchers can surely do more work and go in the box oftener than under the old plan, for a half game will hardly be more pleasurable exercise for them. Then, again, most games are lost on one or two inning, and any ball player knows that any change of delivery during a game is more or less puzzling. McGraw says that the only thing to fear in adopting the plan is the 'roasting' he will get if the second pitcher should lose his game after the first pitcher had his opponents tied up. But he will take chances, just the same, and there is not a player among the Giants who does not favor the plan. It will be a radical and sensational plan" (Sporting Life, April 18, 1903).
Sporting Life editor Francis Richter commented disapprovingly: "McGraw's idea is by no means new, so far as the suggestion is concerned, although it has never yet been put into practice. no manager has yet had the nerve to try it out, and we have little doubt that McGraw will quietly weaken on it should he be bold enough to try it in championship games. It always was a poor scheme to swap horses crossing a stream, and it would be a still greater mistake to take out a pitcher who happened to be pitching winning ball just because he had completed five innings. The new pitcher would not be warmed up, and the change of style might be just what the batsmen were looking for" (Sporting Life, April 18, 1903).
As it turned out, Christy Mathewson pitched a complete game victory for the Giants on opening day, and Iron Man McGinnity followed with another the next day. McGraw essentially abandoned his scheme at that point, yet he does not appear to have entirely forgotten about it. For example, in a 5-2 loss to Chicago on May 23, 1907, he used the unheard of total of six pitchers.
– A Game of Inches, Peter Morris. 2006
