Frank Edwin “Tug” McGraw Jr. (August 30, 1944 â January 5, 2004) was an American professional baseball relief pitcher and long-time Major League Baseball (MLB) player, often remembered for coining the phrase “Ya Gotta Believe”, which became the rallying cry for the 1973 New York Mets. He recorded the final out of the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, via a strikeout of Willie Wilson, thereby bringing the Philadelphia Phillies their first such championship and ending a 97-year drought. He was the last active big league player to have played under legendary manager Casey Stengel.
After one season in the majors with the Mets, McGraw reported to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on September 23, 1965, along with fellow New York Met pitcher Jim Bethke. He was trained as a rifleman on the M14 rifle and M60 machine gun. McGraw later reported to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, where he (in his own words) became a “trained killer.”
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