If he’d never done anything except discover Honus Wagner, Ed Barrow would hold an important place in the National Pastime’s grand history. No, he wouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame today—which of course he is—but still, an important place.
Barrow did so much more than discover Wagner, though. He’s in the Hall of Fame largely because he presided over a Yankees dynasty that won 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series in his 25 seasons as (de facto) general manager.
By the time Barrow took over as field manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1918, he’d already worked as manager or co-owner of various professional teams and served as president of both the Atlantic League and Eastern League. But the best was yet to come.