▁because ▁he ▁was ▁" so ▁straight - arrow " ▁and ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁f ined ▁or ▁e ject ed ▁from ▁a ▁game . ▁ ▁Multiple ▁accounts ▁support ▁the ▁widely ▁public ized ▁claim ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁never ▁f ined ▁or ▁e ject ed ▁from ▁a ▁game ▁and ▁describe ▁Mc Gu ire ▁as ▁" p lac id , ▁easy - going , ▁hard - working ▁and ▁thoroughly ▁cons cient ious ." ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁" De acon " ▁nick name ▁appears ▁to ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁of ▁that ▁year , ▁The ▁Sport ing ▁Life , ▁a ▁national ▁baseball ▁newspaper , ▁reported ▁a ▁dispatch ▁from ▁Michigan ▁that ▁Mc Gu ire ▁" has ▁experienced ▁religion ▁at ▁a ▁rev ival ▁meeting ▁and ▁is ▁thinking ▁of ▁giving ▁up ▁baseball ▁and ▁dev ote ▁his ▁time ▁to ▁pre aching , ▁perhaps ." ▁ ▁The ▁Sport ing ▁Life ▁closed ▁with ▁this ▁observation : ▁" ▁If ▁Mac ▁felt ▁bent ▁on ▁doing ▁mission ary ▁work ▁his ▁duty ▁is ▁to ▁remain ▁right ▁where ▁he ▁is . ▁But ▁he ▁will ▁be ▁back ▁next ▁April ▁doing ▁just ▁as ▁brilliant ▁work ▁behind ▁the ▁bat ▁as ▁last ▁year . ▁He ▁will ▁have ▁no ▁red ress , ▁however , ▁if ▁he ▁is ▁addressed ▁here after ▁as ▁' De acon ' ▁Mc Gu ire ." ▁ ▁Washington ▁Sen ators ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁Mc Gu ire ▁jump ed ▁from ▁the ▁Ro chester ▁Bron cos ▁to ▁the ▁Washington ▁States men . ▁ ▁He ▁played ▁the