Norwich bulletin., 1912-03-09
CONNIE MAcKs BOOK.
This Baseball Wizard Said to Have All
 the Players TabuIated.

Why Cornelius McGillicuddy com bined his two nicknames and as sumed publicly the alias of Connie Mack, nobody knows, unless 1t be his eternal desire to stay out of the lime light. R that was his intention, ne failed miserably He who cannot tell you Connie Mack's real name is not worthy of the title fan. For Connie Is one of the most talked of men in the public eye today, This Is due entirely to deeds, and not words, excepting the words of others.
 Connie Mack is about as self-reliant a man as there is in baseball He does not depend on anybody else's dope, but keeps his own dope book. This not only figures actively but literally. He has collected facts on the strong and weak points of every player in both big leagues, most Of the prominent minor leagueTs and many leading stars of colleges and semi professional teams. He keeps notes of these and adds to them from time to time. His score book records practically every ball pitched against his team. Connie Mack is careful and sure going, and he sell dom overloeks a bet. During the sea- son he calls his men together an hour before each game and points out the vital facts concerning the opposition, telling his men individually and col lectively exactly how to go about the task of beating them. With his notes to help him out, Connie figures about as near to a walking encyclopedia of baseball as anything that goes on two legs.
 He spends more time and thought in working out the personnel of his team than any other manager. If he has his eye on a youngster who looks promising, but needs further experi- enee in the bush leagues, Connie sees to 1t that the stripling gets that ezpeTi- ence. And while he Is getting 1t he IS under optional contract to play with the Athletics at some future time. Mack has youths planted for delivery In 1912, 1918, 1914 and 1915.
 Others release youngsters outright with this statement: The boy is promising enough, but he lacks eX- perience He must be taught the ways of the big league" Not SC with Con- nie Mack. When he recognizes un- developed talent he keeps hold of it in some way or other. Had Eddie Collins, Jack Barry and Jack McInnes started with any other major league teams the chances are strong that they would have been canned inside of q month. For a bunch of jokes there never had been any to compare with the trio when they first joined the club. If anybody but Connie had been the man ager they would have been quickly shunted to the bushes. Collins fielded like an absent minded camel, and Bar ry would turn handspTings in the ef- fort to get a bunt MCInnes looked so little. fnriorn and dejected that 1t seemed pity to separate him from his family.
 Unlike fans, Connie had an eye that could see the 1S-carat stun while the fans saw only the dross. He Kept the trio working patiently, and their rec ords today bespes.k volumes of praise for the sound JudGaAent of their man ager.
 Connie has a system of winning pennants that, at first blush. seems somewhat grotesque, but that it works all right is attested by the gonfalons of 19oG, 1905. 1909 and 1910 won by the Athletics. His theory is to beat the tailenders, He's willing to break even with the first division teams if he can waIlsp the taiIenders good and plenty. He does not shove in weak pitchers when meeting supposedly weak teams, but sends forth the same team to do battle that he would against the near est contender for the title. During the season of 1911 the Athletics barely vrorr q majority of their games with the three closest teams, but they made q show of ths lowly second diyiSioners. Had Det tcoit been as successful against the weak teams as was Philadelphia. the Tigers would have beat out the 8Iacamen, as their record against the Sther leadeFs was appgeeiably better.