By Jim Dunne

The knee injury to star end Don McGraw in the fourth game of the 1949 season made it impossible for him to play football again. Indirectly, it also cost him a promising career in professional baseball. In the Norwich Sun of August 26, 1949 (a month before the Y Giants began their season) it was announced that McGraw had been asked to report to the spring training camp of the New York Giants, the National League baseball team (which was moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season), for further assignment to a minor league team. In addition to captaining the NHS baseball team, Don had played three seasons of semi-pro baseball for the Norwich Bluejays of the Midstate League, and had hit at a .370 clip, leading the league in home runs and runs-batted-in, and playing at first base and the outfield. Despite this record, he probably would not have come to the attention of New York Giants personnel director Mel Ott if his name weren’t McGraw.