After his playing career John McHale continued to stay in baseball. Highly respected, he became the director of minor league operations for the Tigers and by 1957 he was named their general manager at age 35.
Shortly after, the reigning National League champion Braves recruited McHale who became their GM in 1959. In the collection is this player transfer of hitting guru Walt Hriniak. McHale signed this document dated August 31,1962 at the bottom as Milwaukee’s GM.
In Milwaukee McHale inherited a team that was coming off of back-to-back pennant-winning seasons. However the Braves had an aging roster. Third baseman Eddie Mathews started to decline. Star pitcher Lew Burdette who averaged over 19 wins per season from 1956-1961 had only two ten-win seasons left. Things got worse and the team moved to Atlanta in 1966. McHale was fired midseason in favor of Atlanta favorite Paul Richards.
McHale wasn’t out of work for long. At the end of ’66 he became Commissioner William Eckert‘s right-hand man. Then in ’68 he was hired as president of the Montreal Expos who had yet to play a game. Two weeks into his presidency Eckert was fired. McHale became the frontrunner for the job.
NL owners preferred McHale’s expertise in their league’s newest franchise and ended his candidacy. Owners agreed on NL lawyer Bowie Kuhn.
McHale then turned his full attention to the Expos. He brought the franchise legitimacy as GM and president. McHale built a team that made the first postseason appearance in 1981. Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, and Gary Carter headlined a roster that included fan-favorite Warren Cromartie, starting pitcher Steve Rogers and reliever Jeff Reardon.
In 1983 McHale added another job title when he became a director of the Hall of fame. Three years later he stepped down as Montreal club president in 1986. McHale’s role in Cooperstown expanded, eventually leading to him serving as a voting member of the Veterans Committee from 2000-2007.
McHale passed away in 2008. He has appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot for his long service to the game.
In the collection is this document signed by McHale in 1962. It recalls the contract of 19-year old Walt Hriniak to the Braves. After a nondescript playing career Hriniak became one of the premier hitting coaches in the game.