The Washington herald., 1913-04-27
connie MACK Tells
HOW HE STARTED GAME
Athletics Manager Broke Into Baseball
with Connecticut State League
Club as Catcher.
TALKS TO THE AMATEURS

Philadelphia, Pa, April 26.-At a meet
ing of the John B. Stetson Athletic Assoc
citation. Connie Mack made one of the few
| baseball addresses of his career At this
meeting were 5000 employees of the COM
pany, who had gathered in the big audi
forum to work up enthusiasm for the
coming season. The Stetson Company has
just completed a new athletic field for
its employees at Fourth and Berks Streets,
where there will be baseball diamond
running track. soccer field, tennis courts,
and places for field events
The first game played by this baseball
club will be on May 3. with the Potter
Athletic Club.
Besides Connie Mack, President J. How
ell Cummings and Chaplain Davis, of the
Athletics, made addresses. In his talk
Connie Mack told how he broke into pro-
fessionaI baseball, and explained the diff
ficulties which beset the way of the
prospective player then compared to that
of today. In part, Mack said:
There can be no doubt that Mr.. Cum
mings, your president, and the officers
of the John b. Stetson Company are firm
and enthusiastic believers in outdoor exer
cises. 1, am more than pleased TO see
that they are on the right track: in fact,
l am told they are always on the right
track, and / hope to see every big manu-
featuring plant in our great city follow in
the footsteps of the John b. Stetson Com
pany.
when was a boy lived in a small
town in Massachusetts called Brookfield.
1t was village. l was obliged to go out
early in life, as there was a big family.
! took up work in a shoe shop, and l had
to work twelve and half hours every
day. That did not give me great deal of
time for outdoor exercise; in fact, in those
days they did not believe in outdoor exer-
else.
Now. ] liked baseball, and the only
time I had to play, along with a few other
boys, was during the lunch hour. They
gave us half an hour, and we generally
took five minutes for lunch and twenty
five minutes for baseball. AS time went
on we at last managed to get little team
together in our village, and we arranged
to play our game on Saturday afternoon.
The boss was very kind, and he arranged
to let us get out at 5 o'clock to start the
game. Anyway, we got considerable prac-
tice, and II was only short time before
we had an opportunity-the pitcher and
myself q was catching at that time)-to
get out.
1--WE received an application at that time
to join the Connecticut League, and, as
told you, 1t was very hard at that time to
leave home. The folks needed me there
but / had baseball on the brain. There
was no use. / could not get away from It,
and l just had to go.
Il did not dream at that time that at
this stage 1 would be in the City of Phila-
delphia ard connected with the plant that
am today.
There is no doubt many young men
here today who will be able to get their
exercises and get their training at the new
Stetson Park. and / only hope that the
time will come when some one among
them. not only some one but many among
you. will come to Shibe Park some day
and say: Il am here. 1 want to join the
Athletic club 1 feel that am able to do
so, and that it is through the Stetson Ath-
letic Association and the company, who
placed this great field at my disposal that
has given me this right to be here today,
and I feel that / am ready and can hold
my position In the Athletic club