Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-19
Rr A II. C.. Mitchell.


This Is an interview with Connie
Mack. manager of the Philadelphia
Afrlltics. who have won the cham
7't7ship Of the American League and
~ the world. Connie is considered
he greatest baseball general in the
ga~Is. Much will be written about
him in the next two months. Until
n. began to play ball professionally
he lived his life as a boy in Brook
field. Mass, just the other side Of
Worcester.
Now. this interview with Connie
Mack is a rambling sort of thing. Il
ro.,t he writer four days to get It..
connie isn't exactly a hard man to
interview. He will talk, but he knows
now TO be evasive when the inte--
rfawer tries to pry baseball secrets
out of him.
Mack Called Sphinx of Baseball.
But Connie win talk baseball-the
general topics of baseball-and tell
his experiences freely. For instance,
about umpires, he said:
! never bother my head about
them and l make my players leave
them alone. Occasionally l send a
man up to them with a mild protest,
lvt I have to be very careful, and
sometimes I have to send another
He might go too far and draw d
s,aDenslon. The umpires are just
Ike bah players They try to do
their level best in order to get in
creased salaries. They are compelled
90 give decisions one way or the 9TH
ar and they can not change them.
Umpire's Position Not Easy.
Losing clubs find fault with UNI
pares. and perhaps 1t is natural. After
rsfaats. they review certain plays and
ind that some of the decisions that
went against them cut a figure in the
result
But they do not appreciate the
fact that as many verdicts were rem
aared against the club that beat
them
WHY. | have seen umpirese make
decisions against us that have caused
difference of opinion in our own
camp. Some Of our players have as
serted on the bench that these de-
..s.0ns were wrong, while other play
-rs have holly disputed them. So
You see that kicking against the UNI
pre is bad stuff
About ]. coombs.
"Will Jack Coombs come back?' l
asked
II think So" replied the manager.
II think SO now. / DelleNe he VIII De
all right next year. If Jack had been
right this season We would have
beaten the record Of games won last
year by the Red Sox
He was a man l could send
against the big ones OF the other
clubs-men like Ed Walsh, Walter
Johnson Joe Wood and so on. Eight
times out Of ten Jack would win his
games
Handling the Players.
Each player has to be handled in
a different way. When they are go
ing good'-hitting well and fielding
we'll rverything is lovely with them.
There's nothing they wouldn't do
for me. Never kick. Never a com
plaiut Even an upper berth doesn't
disturb them. But when they are not
hitting The ball and their fielding is
away off, they are altogether differ
enr peIsuns.
"At such times I keep away from
-Hem s. much as possible for they
arc grouchy, and they think ] have it
iu fir them, and they miscOnstrue
every word ! say.
IF ] make q general criticism Of
my team they think I said It for their
rSprria. benefit. Finally they get
a-goin' again and everything is love-
ly once more"
Does your team take morning
practice when at home?' Connie
was asked.
t is up to the players themselves.
B geo not insist on 1t. There are al