For more than half a century the Giants were more than just a ball club. They were a way of life and as important a part of New York as Broadway or Central Park. Never did they rise to greater heights than during the three decades when they were managed by John Joseph McGraw, a truculent, swaggering, fiery egotist, who was pure genius. McGraw was the most hated, beloved, envied, admired, feared and respected man in the game.  He made the Giants to his model. Under him they were the most hated, beloved, envied, admired, feared and respected team in the sport. - Arthur Daley, New York Times, Sept. 29, 1957