Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30
MACK IS SATISFIED
WITH THE ATHLETICS
Plans Few Changes in Team,
and Hopes to Bring Third
Pennant Home.

Pennant Home.
PHILADELPHIA. January 2e.-The
sensational fight made by the Athletics
In the American League championship
race last year. when they finished Sec
ond after forcing Detroit to its utmost
to win the pennant, has satisfied Man
ager Connie Mack that his team Is COM
posed OF championship material, and for
this reason the Athletics will enter the
1910 race with practically the same men
as last year.
With both Manager Mack and Man
ager Doom following the ''standpat"
policy this year. the supporters Of the
two clubs will have the opportunity Of
studying the system laid down by the
Athletics shrewd leader. who has al
ready won two pennants with teams
which were not considered to have a
chance of finishing first. as compared
with the plan the Phillies' young man
ager tries with a bunch Of players who
were picked to have a very strong look
In for the National League pennant last
year.
When Connie Mack began the 1909 cam
paign the Athletics looked like a misfit
aggregation of youngsters. with q few
these credited with being ready for this
scrap-heap. while the Philles. under
Manager Murray, had speed to burn,
opened UP like machine under perfect
control In the spring series, which they
won handily. and were pointed out all
along the line as the team that was to
be watched
At the finish of the season the Ath-
letics were going like a race horse. run
ming Detroit almost off its feet In the
scramble for the championship bunting.
and finished very good second in a
race that was not decided until the last
week of the season, while the Phillies
Hoped in most ensational manner.
hung on to the bottom round of the
first division ladder, and then dropped
back into the second division, finishing
fifth.
Useless to Predict.
Local base ball history for the season
Of 1909 proved how useless it Is to figure
on a teams chances OF winning a pen
nant on the way the team looks when
the season opens. There were many re-
verses last year, but none more remark
able than those displayed by the Ath-
etics and Phillies. The former proved a
big surprise, the latter bitter disap-
pointment. Now the same teams are
preparing to start another championship
race with practically the same men in
planning their hardest to frame up
winning team and looking forward 10
landing the pennant in their respective
leagues, the experience of the past shows
that early-season dope is poor excuse
for figuring a teams pennant-winnins
chances.
The success of the Athletics in the past
under the guidance of Connie Mack, how
ever, must be given some consideration;
Undoubtedly one OF the greatest base ball
generals and tacticians the game has
ever known. Connie has sprung more than
one surprise in the American League and
none of them more sensational than that
of last season. The Athletics enter the
1910 race with a team made up of players
who worked together the better part OF
last season and have the confidence OF
knowing the ability of each other.
On the form displayed last year no
position on the team can be considered
very weak. The weakest points Manager
Mack has tried to strengthen by making
one or two changes, and II he secures the
results he has planned there seems no
good reason why he should not be figured
as having as good chance of winning
the pennant this year as any other team
in the league. 1t must not be forgotten
that other managers have been trying to
strengthen their teams and the Athletics
must be expected to meet opponents that
have improved in form just as much or
more than they have.
Manager Mack is looking for general
Improvement this year. He proved, In
1909. that a supposedly weak team could
be whipped into championship caliber.
and no doubt figures that the same team,
with a seasons experience, ought to Inn
prove fully as much, If not more, than any
other team in the league. Mack has con-
fidence in his men and they have the
most implicit faith in his ability to pilot
them through the battle for the cham
pionship title. This means a lot to ball
club. ard the Athletics can be expected to
start the coming campaign full of fight
ing spirit and determined to finish at
the top of the ladder at the end of the
season.
Although he will have at least a dozen
pitchers on his list when the spring train
ing seasons opens. Manager Mack will de-
|pend upon the men who kept the Athletics
in the race all last season. He is pinninS
his faith on Plank, Bender. Coombs. Nor
gan and krause. with Dygert added. II
the latter shows up to the form expected
of him. There will be six or seven young
sters to try out on the preliminary train
ing trip, and Connie hopes to discover at
least one among the lot who will show
enough to warrant his being carried along
with the team to be used in case of emer-
gency. If he can get one good man out of
the surplus lot he will be satisfied and
will probably let the others out to minor
league teams for developing during the
season.
Strong Staff of Pitchers.
The veteran Eddie Plank is being count
ed on for another good season. The Get
tysburg southpaw has been the mainstay
of the Athletics through several hard sea
sons, and Mack is confident that his ster-
ling left-hander will be just as good as
ever this year, which is enough for any
manager to look forward to. Harry
Krause will be Mack's other southpaw as
running mate for Plank, and with these
two Connie expects to hold down the
teams which are known TO be weak
against southpaws.
Bender, Coombs, Morgan and Dygert
form a quartet of right-handers which
Mack figures ought to keep the Athletics
in front all the way. Bender MADE good
last year after the little misunderstand-
ing. and proved his worth. He took part
in thirty-six games and had eighteen
victories to his credit being tied with
Krause for fourth place in the winning
pitchers averages for the season. Bender
worked hard and took excellent care or
himself last year, and IL he does the
same this year he ought to have just
as good luck
While Coombs had eleven defeats
against twelve victories in the average
for last season. he pitched good ball, and
Manager Mack Is banking on some good
work from him this year. Morgan proved
Of great help. and will be given his reg
MAR turn in the box. Connie expects