Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-12
OLD MACHINES
ARE BREAKING,
SAYS 'MATTY'
Mack, McGraw and Stallinqs
Among Those Who Must
Rebuild Teams
BY cHRIsTY MATHEwsoN.

+ BY CHRISTY MATHEwSoN.
The old machines are breaking Lp
/ this year. Connie Mack has volun-
tarily disintegrated his Athletics. He
himself says that If the Federal league
Lad not come into the field and made
many of his players money mad the
| club could probably have gone ahead
winning pennants for period of five
/ years.
But the most startling break OF all
| appears to be the crack in the Braves.
That ball club was built around John
| ny Evers, and he was The key tn its
success last season There is no
doubt of that in my mind Even George
Stallings admitted this fact when he
said after he first heard Mr.. Gaffney
had obtained Evers for his club:
Now we'll win the championship. :"
Braves Weak Without Evers.
John Eyers is not right now, and
will be surprised if he is able to play
regularly over any long stretch this
season. Perhaps Johnny will never
be fit to hit and retain his old pace.
This fighting ball player has been the
victim of much physical misfortune, as
well as other breeds of i'll luck. With.
out him in the lineup fairly regularly
/ don't believe the Braves can come
through to the pennant.
The Giants began to fade last season.
McGraw is making desperate efforts
tc stand off the ultimate break. The
club has not the speed which carried 1t
to three championships. for it was
the base stealing and dash of the boys
ia those years that landed us out in
front
The surprise of the season to me is
the Chicago Cubs. That team looked
to be about as ripe to elbow" as any.
but good pitching and steady hitting
have kept it buzzing along ahead in a
mediocre field The present team
wouldn't have been in the first .divis..
ion in the National league race of
1908.
Athletics Lack Harmony.
The next few seasons will find some
great managers trying to build up new
teams and keeping little of the rem.
nant of the old machines. Connie
Mack, until this season, has always
looked ahead and prepared for the.
bending and breaking of machine as
II aged and rasted, but it was not age,
which stopped this Athletic club. It
was lack of harmony Mack was not
looking for the crack so soon, but
when it came he faced it and tore his
club apart, turning out some of the
greatest ball players of all time. 1t
will be interesting to see whether he
can develop another great ball team
along the lines he constructed his two
sets of champions.
Heretofore Connie has always kept
his youngsters on the bench for a sea-
son or two, schooling them along and
letting them get used to the team and
the big league and his ways. Collins.
Barry, McInnis, Baker and most OF the
other members of his greatest club re-
ceived the bench preparation. But
this time he has been forced to throw
men who are practically only recruits
right into the game regularly. 1t
means new method for Mack. He
is, however, a genius at making a ball
club.
Must Rebuild the Braves.
1t would not surprise me to see
George Stallings rebuilding the Braves
next year, and he is another great con.
structionist AS | have said. that ball
club grew UP around John J. Eyers,
and Evers is in no sort of physical
shape. At his best he has always been
frail, even when in Chicago, but mis-.
fortunes have increased his fraglity.
The pneumonia last winter left his
health bad, and then he had touch
of his characteristic bad luck in the
accident to his leg early this season.
He does not sit patiently by while he
RECEIVERS, so he will get back in the
game for few days, always too early,
only to be hurt again.
On top Of all this actual misfortune
Johnny has always played on his
nerve. and this is big physical strain. !
II means a man will wilt under il
sooner or later If the Boston club
does fade after championship flash
Of one year, fans will probably express
surprise that young team should go
so fast 1t is a young club in some
ways, but the key to it was not young
in baseball. Johnny Evers has been
through many hard campaigns and
they have told. ... I
Evers Not in Old Condition. -*..' /
What do you think of Eyers' condi- |
tion?" i asked McGraw right after our 7
latest series with the Braves at the I
polo grounds, in which Johnny worked +
in the last game. 49,.
He's not right" declared Mac, "and I
I'm sorry. for it. He is grand ball |
player, but he is in bad shape. What
he showed out there today was just
a flash. You cant tell me those cid I
fellows can come back in shape quick.
ly after an injury. Evers is the kind 7
who will keep trying to come back
too soon until he is hurt so often he
won't be able to go any further. Il