Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-04
MACK REGRETS HIS
TEAM WON EASILY
Would Have Preferred to Have Ath.
letics in Grueling Struggle
to Finish.
IS CONFIDENT CUBS
WILL BE BEATEN
Says There Is No Comparison Be-
tween This Years Team and the
One Giants Beat in 1905.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


Special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA. October 4.-Connie
Mack is not a man who boasts, nor does
he ever make predictions for his team,
though just now ne is expressing a lot Of
confidence in the Athletics ability to beat
the Cubs for the worlds title.
1T would have been far better had we
been kept on the anxious seat longer
said he today. Take. for instance, the
Tigers of Detroit in the last couple of
races. They were pushed to the very
wire and forced to win to land on top.
There surely must have been a lot of
satisfaction in being the victor after
fight like that. That's the kind OF a race
1 would have liked to win.
Now that doesn't mean that every
manager doesn't try to win IL lie can.
You know as we'll as / do that if l could
have won by fiftygame margin l would
have done 1t. So would !ery other man
ager. But now / am talking from the
standpoint OF a sportsman. l really feel
that there isn't much glory In winning the
way we did. It's just like foot race in
which one man greatly. outciasses an
other. The winner can hardly feel very
proud if he pulls up under the wire when
the other man still has another lap of the
track to make.
My team? Yes. I like it.
how We will figure in the series with
the Cubs and I am not. holding back
anything. I have the best reason in the
world for refusing to say what I think
the outcome of the games will be. That
reason Is the fact that 1 have never seen
the Cubs. So how can / make compari-
son Of something that I don't know any
thing about? The only thing l know
about Chances team is what other people
tell me and what have read.
though. the Athletics will enter the 1910
worlds series better prepared to do them
selves justice than they We're in 1905,
when We won our last American League
pennant. We have been generally credited
with being inferior to the Giants of New
York. who beat us for the worlds base
bali title. But l feel that the facts were
proven that we were unprepared and not
outcfassed in that series.
1t was a close fight that year We
had been forced too much. The players
were actually worn out. Ny strongest
proof of this claim is in the fact that In
one Of the final series in the American
League race. the one with the Washing
of the five games played and came very
nearly losing the pennant.
Proof of Unftness.
Now 1t only stands to reason that
we were out to win. We really didn't
fear the Washington club. 1t wasn't
like facing the Giants or maybe one of
the leading clubs In our race. The Wash
ington club was In the very last position
In the race, the weakest club in the
league. yet 1t won three out of five
games from U.S. That's proof that we
Why were We pushed SO closely? Be
lot in putting US in the fight was
hurt early in September. He was not
available in the final stages of the race
and, Of course. he didn't pitch in the
big series. That left the burden of the
work to the other men. Had Waddell
not been injured. he could have made
the finish easier and would have left us
better prepared to oppose the Giants
II am not exaggeratine when say that
had hardly a man in that set Of games
really able to play up to his standard.
The race In the homestretch was a try
ing out The result was that we had to
put forth every ounce of strength in the
league games to win the pennant AS q
result We had no reserve force left for
the big games.
Giants Had Snap.
81 had to pitch Andy Coakley, a twirler
who really shouldn't have been in that
series. He. too. had proven that he wasn't
the man for the Giants. AS said before.
We had met the Washington team just a
short time before. In that same series
Coakley had started two games against
the tail-enders, but had been knocked out
Doth times.
But because he had been the leading
pitcher OF our league and had done SO
much toward helping us to the pennant,
i decided to send him against the Giants
Ii was a sort Of an honor or tribute to
Coakley to let him oppose the National
League champions because of his ex-
celient work during the season. That and
the fact that l really had no one else in
condition to pitch was the reason for per-
hitting Coakley to go to the mound in
the worlds series
Il believe my present team il stronger
than the ones with which / won pen
nants in 1902 and again in 1905. There
may have been individuals in different
positions on those clubs who were strong
er than some of the players who are oc-
cupying their old places this year. The
same thing works the other way also-I
have certain individuals on my team now
whom l consider better men than some
OF the other fellows
But, speaking Of the team as a whole,
believe that we will enter the fight bet
ter prepared to win. OF course it must
be taken into consideration that accidents
may happen between now and the time We
meet the Cubs that will weaken us RICH:
now kuoe Oidrfng Is laid up with an in
jured ankle. l am pulling for him to get
well. He has been one Of my most vaiu-
able players this year. and it will handi-
cap me greatly If he is forced to remain
out of the series with the Cubs
When a team gets to working like
machine the absence OF one of the play
ers who has been working like a cog in
perfect unison with the other parts hurts
Better Prepared in 1910.
What do I think of the Cubs? AS l
said before. I know only what l have
heard and read about them 1t only
stands TO reason, though, that the Chi
cago team Is a great one. You only
have to look at the record Of the club
and the players TO be convinced Of that
Unless the Cubs formed formidable ag
gregation they wouldn't be leading the
league now. nor would they have made
a great fight last year and won three
pennants before that. It's a great team
Chance Is directing.
Yes. l have read what Ty Cobb and
Hdgiey Jennings have said about my
team. Its very nice to read that
Cobb picks US as the probable winners
oyer no Cihg. htlf didp't in iuro IN