Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-14
I'm NO GUTTER
I NOR AM | CRYING
FOR AID"
Athletics Manager Declares
He Will Make Good
His Promise to
Rebuild
MORE NEW MEN COMING

q, -, not CRYING for mercy or making
W, nlea for patronage for the Athletics
,.,rN nor do 1 believe that have made
mistake in tearing apart the greatest
N.ssball machine of the day. 1t is said
~ critic who has been bitter toward
u. Athletics for years that we must
.ov see that we have made mistake.
,ta points to the present season Of the
Athletics as a monument to Connie
.sock,s folly, but 1 still maintain that
aid right and will again say that
viii have a greater team in two years
than the one broke up"
This statement was made by Manager
+ Connie Mack of the Athletics, after read
ing an article intimating that he be-
studged the Philles the success that team
Il having and that the public and Man
soer Mack must at last realize that IL
was a serious mistake to tear apart the
famous Athletics machine.
1--WE are losing ball games every day
and probably will finish the poorest last
Of any team in either major league in
wears, but I have made considerable
nrogress along the lines of reconstruction
II the fans will look back to the 1908
season. they will realize that my prog
ress was slow then until the combination
was complete, and then the team came
like lightning. My progress must be slow,
because the only part that 1 have now
that l am banking on for my new ma
chine are pitchers, and they don't know
ANYTHING yet and cannot be expected to
show until next season.
AZ will have almost an entirely new
team in the field in two weeks time, and
then the fans will be able to get a line
on nv future championship team. To
date l have rot a single youngster,
barring one, who will be part of the
new machine. My best prospects will be
here in a short time, and think the fans
will be satisfied
",rhe poor attendance has not worried
us In the least. because the least atten-
ton we attract right now the better 1t
will be for the team. l am convinced
thar the fans will suddenly awaken to the
fact along about the middle of next sea-
son. and then they will be satisfied that
have done the right thing.
81 have made no plea for mercy, as my
critic would have people believe He has
roasted the Athletic Club numerically
for years, and without cause. We have
always played fair with the public and
newspapers, and because we could not
conscientiously give him the best of it at
the expense of the others, campaign
was started against the club.
"If I thought that there was anything
TO any suggestion from carping critics
which would do the team good or aid
the public, l would be only too glad to
adopt it.
II have not seen that I have made a
serious mistake. In fact, l am more
convinced than ever that 1 did exactly
right. l made the remark last winter
that did not think the Athletics as they
finished the 1914 season could repeat in
the American league, and after what l
have seen of the other teams l am sure
that 1 was not wrong. My 1914 team
with its 1918 spirit could have won PEN
nants for several years, but with the
spirit that prevailed in 1914, it could not
have finished better than fourth this year.
"Others may disagree, but contend
that l know that team better than any
one else. We have always given the fans
good baseball and pennant-contending
teams, and will do so in the future. do
not begrudge the Phillies the money they
are making or the success they have had.
The club deserves the success, and l am
pulling hard for them to win the PEN
nant. l have not seen anything of the
National League teams and therefore my
opinion is valueless, but l should say
judging by the existing conditions, that
the Phillies will win out with little g
spare
"At the Sporting Writer'S banquet last
winter Moran and / wished each Other
success during the present season. and
am glad TO say that l feel happy be-
cause man like Moran. who is a credit
70 The game, has been so successful, an
VIII be pulling for him till the finish.
Why should we envy the Phillies'
we have had years of success and 1t Il
tneir turn now. / have never been &
gutter and / won't quit now. Nor will
! allow the attacks of an unfair critic
70 sway me. The public may be misleC
Tor time, but you can't fool the peo
PIE all the time. l could have broker
Up my team in a manner that would have
oaused but little excitement, but that II
not my way of doing business Had thu
team been broken up in another manner
me fans would have had TO be conten
with losing team for a longer period
than they will under existing conditions
repeat that We will have anothe
wonderful club before the close of mex
season. Everything depends on hov
soon my pitchers develop. They will
surely be right by the middle of mex
season. They are slow finding them
serves but they will come around. Th'
Isst or my combination has been com
peted and will be shared up betweei
now and the spring training season.
Just at present / prefer TO keep th'
names or the new men to myself, bu
,ney Will all be here within two weeks
snbt remember we don's care II there ar
not hundred people present. The wa.
ne team Is playing we are getting al
" patronage that could be expected
pGt tne public likes winner, and l WI
give them that"