Evening journal., 1915-04-22

aside nice comfortable berth in the
second division of the American
League for the Athletics, Connie Mack
intends to prove to these experts
through the Athletics that they are
wrong all wrong.
And when the curtain falls Mack
expects to have fooled many of the
self-styled experts" Connie doesn't
claim that the Athletics are "a strong
as they were in 1914. in fact he admits
they are weaker. but the Athletics
were by long odds the class OF the
American League in 1914 The old
machine slipped cog during the
worlds series. and before the series
terminated in favor Of Boston the ma
chine was wrecked. During the win
ter Connie has been tinkering with
the wreckage. and just when he
thought he had everything fixed up.
Frank Baker threw a wrench into the
engine and nearly wrecked every
thing.
The 100000 infeld is on more. and
! the great trio of hurlers-B Bender.
4 Plank and Coombs- have pitched
their last for the Mackmen, but de-
spite these discrepancies in the
championship team. Mack doesn't ap-
: pear to be worrying any gray hairs
I into his head. He has been called
upon TO rebuild the Athletics on
other occasions-and he always
builded well. What he has done be-
fore. Mack opines that he can do
again. Usually the dismissal of as
many stars as Mack turned loose dur
ing the winter would disrupt a ball
club. but in the releases Mack sees
even a greater team than he had be-
fore-or did. until Baker decided IL
stick to the farm.
The turning loose of Bender. Plank
and Coombs was done after serious
consideration, and the sending OF
Eddie Collins to Chicago required
more than FIVE minutes thought, and
Mack planned we'll in advance as tc
those who would ft in the place Of the
heroes of the past. but when Baker
decided that he preferred the cows
chickens, etc. TO the ball field, Mack I
\ plans were rudely shattered. Mack
freely admits that Bakers loss is the
]
Athletics. Any time a player knocks
i'm one hundred runs a year for 1--WE
years and then decides to quit you
can make up your mind he will bt
missed.
When Mack decided that Plank
Bender and Coombs might do better
some other place. he never thought OF
looking outside OF his own club fol
reinfOrcements 10 the pitching staff
He thinks he has the sweetest quinte
; of young pitchers in the world il
/ Bush, Bressler, Shawkey, Pennock
, and Wyckoff. He is basing his 1871
hopes on this STAFF of pitchers. Fo
: years the Athletics have been mad
, the butt of many jokes because o
; their young pitchers and the weak
; ness of the pitching staff has beer
; freely commented upon. And yet il 4
! these weaklings upon whom Mack Il
., depending. And he Is stalking his repu
q tation on their making good. Put
p ting il squarely to the point. Macl
, thinks he has the finest pitching stat
in the American League-not th'
weakest. That's how much faith h
d, has in his yearlings. He should knog
; their capabilities better than anyoni
else, for he watches them closer.
Lajoie is no Collins-and doesn'
! claim TO be. but Larry isn't the poor
: est second haseman in the Americal
League. He won't cover as mucl
ground as Collins did, he won't rui
bases as well. and it isn't likely n
will hit as well as the former Lans
downe resident, but Larry will pu
over many a good wallop for tn
Maekmen this year. One thing tina
Larry will do that Collins never di
will be TO draw people through th
tUrnstiles. With "LajOie Day Wed
nesday the Athletics got back
greater portion of Larry's salary an
Larry was remembered by some c
bis old friends big Boy" brok
into the game here in 1896. iumpe
the Phils in 1901. and TO remain Il
the American League he was force
to leave the Mackmen and joi
another club. and went TO CLEVELAND
His homecoming was properly oh
. served.
Il is the third base position that
causing Mack what trouble he has
, outlining his team. Oldring was give
| serious consideration. but Mack sal
, the other day that he would not cor