The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-15
Stuffy McInnes
 Fancy Youngster
 Grabbed By Mack Philadelphia Athletics Utility Man BlOSSOmed Out Sud-
 denly as Hitter

If the Athletics win the pennant | this season, and every baseball ex- pert has made a prediction along this | line, crafty Connie Mack will have | to thank the start that he played | John "Stuffy' McInnis in place of Capt. Harry Davis at a time when | the team was in desperate straits. The | hardworking first-sacker has bolster | ed up the White Elephants by his | great hitting.
 Having two months grace before he | reaches his majority, McInnis has ! sprung a surprise on the ,nonsuspect- l ing baseball populace that they won't | forget for a long while. A natural born player, "Stuffy'' looks the part on the ball field. and he is whaling l away at the ball at a 1875 clip, and | before the curtain is rung down ev- l cry one looks to him to be battling | with Cobb and several others for the premier honors.
 McInnis's life story is worth the ex- tended space. It gives an insight into character that is striking a personality that is essentially boyish imbibing craft and generalship.
 Born of well-to-do parents in the city of fisheries known as Gloucester, Mass, on September 19, 1890, McIn- his tossed one of those fve-cent balls and wielded a bat that was much larger than himself, barely before he reached his teens.
 During his freshman year at school he played shortstOp. He made such success of it, that instead of talk ing vacation, the ball-tosser decamp- ed to Beverly, where he asked for a job. They shied at him first, and the manager thought the best place for him was home. He persisted though and 'butted in" on the field when ever the chance presented.
 One afternoon he took the regular shortstop's place and his great field ing and smart hitting won a game for Beverly that they were sorely in need of. Then he was given a reg ular berth.
 Tn the meantime a schoolmate nam ed Perkins had seen McInnis play and he tipped Billy Hamilton, the former Philadelphia and Boston major lea guer. who was managing the Haver- hill, New England, team. to grab him. Hamilton saw the kid play and he immediately got stuck on him. He was offered contract and that brought him into the professional ranks.
 Immediately his stickwork began to count The Haverhill team got out of its slump and began to win games. That year-to be more exact it was during 1907-McInnis led the New England league in hitting.
 I Billy Madden, who had first given McInnis a chance at Beverly, and whos by strange coincidence, IS at this time scouting for Mack's outfit. kicked himself because he let him go, but got the satisfaction of having him play for the Beverlys every Saturday and Sunday.
 When the season closed Hamilton tried to get McInnis ito sign another contract, but the energetic ball tosser figured that he was good enough for bigger company and refused to affix his signature to the papers. McInnis had hardly reached his home after long absence before he found con- tract from Mack, left there by Mad den, He didn't waste any time sign- ing it.
 When the Athletics got into a losing streak, Mack decided to replace Mo- Innis with Barry. McInnis then did the utility act. He played in thirty eight games in 1910 and finished among the 300 hitters with .3o1. He secured twenty-two hits and slammed in a great number of runs. His work altogether was very pleasing to foxy Mack
 The Athletics manager didn't figure McInnis this year when he made up his team. He thought he could act as uLll1Ly man, ana pdlQ put llLLIG attention to him. On June 1, McIn- his got his first chance of the year. His hitting won the game. Right af- ter the celebration of Harry Davis day in Philadelphia, the old-time first sacker was laid off indefinitetly. That was on June 13. Mack looked around for available substitutes and his eye fell on McInnis.
 Mac, I'm going to give you the chance of your life, he told the young ster in the clubhouse that afternoon. You're to take Davis's place, and if you make good it's yours for the rest of the season."
 told this that he lost no time in in- forming all his friends in the Quaker City. Gee. I'm going to take liar rvs place. he laughingly declared. T hope I'll make good.''
 In fifty-f1ve games in which McInnis has participated he stands sixth in the batting order, with .373. He has been at bat 193 times. scored A runs, hit safely 72 times, included in which are 8 doubles, triples and 3 home runs. He is only seven points behind Eddie Collins, his teammate.
 If that isn't going some for ''kid," then what in the world is?
 It's worth the price of admission to see McInnis play. A little over five feet in height and carrying about 15O pounds, "Stuffy'' is the whole works around one of the greatest in- fields ever gotten together. He wears a uniform that has been through many a battle and his glove appears to the onlooker to be bigger than him. self.
 He is always working. While his teammates are going up to bat he scampers around the coaching lines, begging of them to connect with the ball. When his time arrives he rush es to the bench, picks up a bat and without any ceremony walks right up to the ball. He has a fancy way of meeting it-chopping it right on the nose-and whenever he connects you can depend upon seeing it take a long route.
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