Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-05

PHILADELPHIA, July Sin an arti-
Gle. the facts of which were related by
himself, Connie Mack tells the why's
and wherefores of the breaking up OF
his pennant-winning combipation,
which he admits was good enough 10
go on winning pennants for several
years and which he characterizes as the
greatest base ball machine ever put
together. The latter is said not as a
boost to his own genius as builder
and manager, but more to Impress upon
his readers the necessity that was
forced upon him to part company with
the star players of his great team. 10
sum.up Mr.. Mack's remarks. it was the
golden bait angled by the Federal
League that brought about condition
of things that made 1t imperative to
release number of his best and most
popular players. not only for the fu-
ture good of the Athletic club, but Or
ganized base ball generally.
According to Mr.. Mack, money had
nothing to do with the breaking up OF
the team, SO far as he and the Athletic
club was concerned, but when. as he
claims. he found that his players
thought more of money than they did
of playing base ball. he decided that the
time had come when the usefulness OF
several players ceased to be an asset.
Therefore, the shifting in the person
mel of the team. And blame for all
that liz laid to the Federal League.
which by its lavish offers to players
made them discontinued with their lot.
About the middle of last season the
for the players of the Athletic team
were signed to new contracts more
binding and more mutually equitable
than the old form of contract. At that
time many of the players held out for
Increased salaries. AS it was more or
less OF an open question just how the
old form Of contract would be consid-
cred in a court Of law, the demands for
salary boosts were generally mel.
Frank Baker was one of the exceptions
And Baker is one of tho teams famous
PLAYERS whom the Athletics have not
sold or traded. Baker just retired him
self and became high-salaried semi
pro" in the ranks of abe Delaware
County League.
Of the other members of the famous
500, 900 infield McInnis Is the only one
remaining with the team; Plank and
passed to the Feds. and Coombs became
a member Of the Brooklyns, for whom
he is doing effective work. Eddie Col
Inns Joined the Chicago White sox.
much that the Sox bid fair to win the
American League pennant The latest
depletion in the ranks was the dis
missal Of Jack Barry ry TO The n. Boston Rs 20
looks good to him. Thus have the two
leading teams in the American League
been strengthened at the expense of
built up. And, according to all reports,
the end is not yet
So, at the age of ffty-three, Connie
Mack the only man who ever brought
a pennant to this city since the days of
the old American Association. and has
brought not only one; but six ct them
starting to build up another greatest
team" And he promises to do 1t in
about two years time. 1t is all very
Mr s9d sp s have WHAT cenns
says about the reasons for disrupting
his team are easily believed. but It
would have been much more satisfying
lions and left less to imagination. Had
the explanations been made At the time
Collins was sold to Chica go there might
have been less reason for the criticism
resent the releasing of one of the great
est ball players and further pulling
down bf. the great pennant- winning
combination. However, there Is another
side. to that story.
1t was in about August of last year,
when there were more vacant than oc-
cupied seats at Shibe Park. that Con-
ME Mack remarked that he thought the
time was fast arriving when the fans
were firing of seeing his team win.
The remark was certainly natural
one under the circumstances. The PEN
nant-winning combination was not ap-
preciatsd. 30 far as the box once was
concerned. And with the continual
boosting OF salaries to hold the team
together II was an expensive one to
maintain, So, possibly, Mr.. Mack rea-