He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1896 to 1910, and won the World Series in 1905 with the New York Giants.

[1] In August 1896, the Boston Beaneaters of the National League (NL) purchased McGann from Lynchburg to fill in for injured second baseman Bobby Lowe.

[1] The Washington Senators of the NL purchased McGann, Butts Wagner, Bob McHale and Cooney Snyder from Toronto for $8,500 ($311,304 in current dollar terms) on September 22, 1897.

[1] When Orioles manager Ned Hanlon was hired to manage the Brooklyn Superbas during the 1899 season, receiving an ownership stake in the team to do so, he assigned several of his star players, including McGann, Joe McGinnity, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings and Willie Keeler to the Superbas.

[1] McGann batted .243 for the Superbas through July 14, 1899, when they traded him with Aleck Smith to the Senators for Deacon McGuire.

[1] Short on money, the Senators sold McGann and Gus Weyhing to the St. Louis Cardinals for $5,000 ($183,120 in current dollar terms) on March 9, 1900.

Joe Kelley, star player for the Orioles and son-in-law of part-owner John Mahon, reported that the team owed as much as $12,000 ($422,585 in current dollar terms).

[8] Unable to afford that debt, Mahon purchased shares of the team from Kelley and John McGraw.

McGann and Jack Warner were rumored to join McGinnity in an outlaw league in California.

Brush and McGraw refused to face the AL champion Boston Americans, following their altercations with Johnson.

[21] Before the 1907 season, a report surfaced that the Giants would shift Mike Donlin from the outfield to first base, in order to replace McGann.

[22] McGann suffered a broken wrist when he was hit by a pitch thrown by Andy Coakley of the Cincinnati Reds during spring training in 1907.

[23] Instead, the Giants traded McGann to the Boston Doves with Frank Bowerman, George Browne, Bill Dahlen and Cecil Ferguson for Al Bridwell, Tom Needham and Fred Tenney on December 13, 1907.

[25] Agreeing to terms with George Dovey, president of the Doves,[26] McGann played 135 games during the 1908 season, but batted only .240.

[1] After the game, McGann went to the Giants' hotel, waited for McGraw to return from the theatre, and fought him in a billiard room.

[1] There were reports McGann might sign with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League or a team in Louisville, Kentucky, near his Shelbyville home in 1911.

[1] At the time of his death, his property was assessed to be worth approximately $40,000 ($1,308,000 in current dollar terms).