McGraw loses battle with cancer

PHILADELPHIA -- Tug McGraw, the zany relief pitcher who coined the phrase "You Gotta Believe" with the New York Mets and later closed out the Philadelphia Phillies' only World Series championship, died Monday. He was 59.

McGraw died of brain cancer at the home of his son, country music star Tim McGraw, outside of Nashville, according to Laurie Hawkins, a family spokesperson. He had been battling the disease since March when he underwent surgery for a malignant tumor.

McGraw's illness came as a shock to fans and friends alike last spring. He was at Phillies' training camp in Clearwater, Fla., as a special instructor, looking fine and acting as funny as ever. Then, he was suddenly hospitalized on March 12.

"We lost a part of Mets history tonight," Mets owner Fred Wilpon said. "Tug was a battler on and off the field. I know he fought the disease with every ounce of energy he had. We'll all miss him dearly."

Especially former Phillies teammate and Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt.

"He put up a gallant fight," Schmidt said. "Publicly, he never let on that he had gotten a raw deal. He was Tug through the entire thing. As he always said, 'I front-loaded my life, just like my contract.' His passing is hard to take because his presence meant so much to people around him."

Bob Boone, who was the Phillies' catcher from 1972-81, remained a close friend, too.

"I know he got more living out of his 59 years than anybody," Boone said. "What you saw was what Tug was. There was no phoniness at all. He loved people and loved life."

A left-hander who threw a screwball, McGraw could be a bit of screwball himself.

McGraw's playful personality often overshadowed his talent. He was an outstanding big-game pitcher during his 19-year career.

In 26 postseason games, he had a 2.23 ERA and was 3-3 with eight saves.

McGraw was 96-92 with a 3.14 ERA and 180 saves, and was a two-time All-Star. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 1965 at age 20 and finished with the Phillies in 1984.