Gettysburg Times - October 24, 1980

McGraw May Enter Free Agent Market

NEW YORK (AP) – Tug McGraw, whose steadfast and emotional pitching performances helped the Philadelphia Phillies win their first World Series in 98 years of trying, says he still has not made up his mind about testing the free agent market.

“I have two weeks from the end of the season to officially declare myself a free agent and I’ve got a meeting scheduled with the Philadelphia people on Monday,” McGraw explained Thursday. “But this is a poor time because there’s the general managers’ meeting and my schedule is suddenly filling up.

“I might be forced into a free agency because of the time. I might have to submit the letter just to protect myself. But if I do declare myself a free agent and test the market, it’s only fair to Philadelphia and me to get a ballpark figure about my value. And the Phillies will have the first shot at me anyhow.”

McGraw, who saved to World Series games and won another, added, “After the strength I showed them in the last month and a half of the season and the playoffs and the World Series, they can’t have any doubts about my ability to help them.”