Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-03
BY EDDIE COLLINS
(Famous Second Baseman OF the p
ladelnhia .Afhleffcs.l


So many things have been written
and said about Connie Mack before
and since the Athletics latest triumph
over the Giants that anything I might
add now would be nothing more than
repetition. However, l would like to
acquaint the fans and my readers with
an incident that happened in the re.
cent series which goes to illustrate
that there is something more than the
mere titles of manager and player or
boss and employe between Connie
and his team.
) AS many will recall. there was .
great amount OF criticism mostly OF
the adverse kind. about Comics
failure To substitute pinch hitter for.
Plank In the ninth inning of the sec
ond game of the worlds series. At
the time we had man on second and
third and only one out One sporting
writer even had Athe nerve to con-
front Connie" in person with the
query, why In ----- didn't you put
In some one to hit for Plankf,s'
"Why, that's for you 10 wonder and
criticise about in your paper, was
Comics" only retort
Tie H0u lAIllS GOlCcIhE 1OE MllAt ktlG
public thought or said. But In our
meeting before the game the next day
he evidently saw az to refer to it.
I don't care what the papers say
about that play" Connie" said to us,
"but ! want yon to know / do care
what you players think. And ! want
to know in turn, Connie continued
with much feeling, II yon think that
play was o. K II it should ever come
UP again"
consults Players,
Not until we had agreed with him
to man that we had no man avail.
able who we felt would have done bet.
ter against Matty on that day when
himself, did Connie" see at to dis
miss the subject and take up more Inn
portant things
My point In bringingtup this trivial
episode ID only to show one OF Con
ME. Mack's fundamental principles 81
managership, namely, harmony, or q
unity Of purpose. just as you see At
to call 1t.
Many managers would have wor.
rfed" whether his players liked the
way he ordered q play made or not,
but not 50 with sConliie;f he does
care. Do YOU wonder hts players ad,
fnIre and respect him2
Fl want to see al Of Toil smile this
week no argnmenEs. <l1in4 nke
that nom now on. was one or Con
MEG handouts before the big series,
have often heard him remark, Il
like to see my players IN good hu-
NOR; they always play better ball
More Harmony.
Billy Orr. our utility infielder. who
suffered broken hand just previous
to the close Of our American league
season and was thereby robbed OF
any chance he may have had of get.
ting in against the Giants, sat right
next to Connie throughout all the
series games and told me what Con
ME" said and did when Plank dropped
that pop fiy. Of Murray's lin the fifth
inning of the last and deciding game.
Il thought Connie was going to
faint when Baker and Plank came
together Billy told me- why, he
almost fell on the bench as It was.
But that double play was like q dash
of cold water in his face" Bill went
on to say. Not a word now about
that slip-up. Connie yelled to all
on the bench" 81
So when We came in the first thing
we heard was: That's the way,
Bunny to get out OF a hole Keep
a-going; they can't get you now"
That was the way the ever-alert
Connie" bridged over a ticklish stu.
alton. Think what it meant for every
one to be in right In that game Of
all games, the one that made US
champions of 1913.
Turns Tide. .s&
In that game young Eddie" Muir.
ply and Baker pulled OF play on
Merkle that virtually turned the tide
in our favor. At any rate, it netted
Us two runs, making our total three
which was plenty enough to win. In
the writeups the following day the
papers, the New York sheets in par.
ticular, panned poor Merkle as a
"bonehead," etc, but few gave
"Murph" or Bake" credit for any
gray matter 1t only goes to confirm
the old adage. 1T all depends upon
whose bull is being gored." 10
But with "Connie'-do you imagine
for a minute that he overlooked such
situation? Far be it from him.
That tall individual even bumped his
head on the concrete roof of our
bench as he Strengthened up from hia
much famed score card to say word
of encouragement to those two play.
ers as they entered our dugout.
In one of the games-I think it, was
the second one in Philadelphia
Barry was on first with nobody out
and Schang ready to go to bat.
"Wallie' bent over to Connie" and
said, What shall l do-put him over
or hit" 1t is rea$y a baseball ques-
ton what would have been the prop
er play; Schang, a good hitter
should he sacrifice, with a pitcher to
follow?
Can you imagine Connie" Mack's
answer to this query of Schang? I'll
wager the big majority cannot, you
suit yourself, 'Wallie,' use your own
judgment" were the words Connie"