Evening journal., 1915-09-10
Athletics SPIRIT
DISTRESSES CONNIE
Veterans GluttonOuS and
Lazy, Leader of Old
Champions AffirmS
PITCHERS Widest
IN CLUBS HISTORY

Cornelius Mack, leader Of the Philadel-
phia Athletics, several times worlds
champions. but now occupying the cell
lar in the American League. has put
aside the mantle of silence and given to-
the baseball world a column of informa
tion regarding the trouble with this
years aggregation Admitting that his
pitchers are wild, that players don't keep
in condition, that the spirit was bad and
other faults, Connie resents the allega-
tion that the AS are the worst ball club
on earth.
"If you'll consult the records" said
Mack, you'll find / believe, that my
pitchers this year have established rec
ord for wildness that probably will live
for all time.
Il have young pitchers Of promise who
are wilder than any | ever have seem.
Nothing is more demoralizing ~ a ball
club than a wild pitcher. Therefore my
team has been somewhat demoralized at
times. But ] resent the accusation that
my club is the worst team on earth. We
may be playing bad ball in spots, but
have a pretty good team. There is inner
ent strength in certain of its component
parts-several good players.
"Quite naturally l am disappointed
somewhat this season. I'm not sore be-
cause my club is last / don't mind
losing if we're beaten by better team.
/ can stand that. But I'm sorely disap-
pointed this year in the fact that some
Of my highest priced men have not
shown the spirit OF hustle and stick-to-
itiveness that men of their salary and
experience should.
ut matters not whether ] have torn
down a pennant team. Conditions Of
unusual character now prevailing die
tated that move. Il is hard to maintain
winning spirit on a ball club these
days. When my last good team was at
its best we were as a happy family. We
were one for all and all for one.
'I regret to say that the same condi-
tion hardly exists today. Players of
whom the club should expect most,
measuring our demands from the scale
of wages paid, have done least. In them
/ am disappointed
"Some players haveNnot kept them
selves in a winning condition. You need
not drink or carouse to be out of condi-
tion. You don't have to stay up late at
night to lose condition, either. You eau
get out Of what / choose TO call win
ming condition by eating too much, fail
ing to enthuse over each ball game or
E~rse yet. by becoming lazy, losing your
pep, I might say. Laziness is the worst
sin in baseball
'If club is destined 10 win. every
man must hustle on and off the field.
We must have close harmony, concerted
effort and fraternal spirit of progress
sivoness that will keep a man from
thinking too much Of anything but base
ball He must be obsessed with the idea
to succeed on the diamond. Otherwise
he won't become great.
"This year I have been very busy with
problems aside from my team on the
field have given my team some at
tention. but I won't start to work until
next year.
81 will have a better team next sea.
son--a much better team will have
a club that will be up there fighting.
promise that. How the team viii line
up | don't know 7 put Wallie Schang
at third base this spring and he went
great for 80 days. He went so good that
the outsider was forced to think had
found my third baseman However,
was obliged to switch him to the out.
field When he came back to third he
wasn't so good.
"AIy pitchers disappointed me. Bress
Ter. ! thought, would be sure winner
this season. Indeed. during the winter
regretted that I didn't use him against
the Braves. l planned to start him in
the fifth game, if we had played that
many. I thought after the series that
] erred in not letting him pitch one Of
the first three, but l see i didn't 20 far
wrong.
However, I expect Bressler to CONF
back. He has shown flashes of form
which viii eventually win. have sew
eral other pitchers who will be winners
when they get control. Experience in a
game alone makes for control. which il
only confidence. after all.
"But ] have lines out for some pitch
ers. | have other players coming who
will help. / viii have a team that will
be up there fighting next season, in spite
of our present sad plight.
"But first ] must get that spirit Of
winning which is the biggest factor in q
pennant team. I want every man tc
take a great pleasure in being allowed
to participate in each game | want him
TO be satisfied with his salary, his asso
ciates, his lot in life. Il want him tC
breathe baseball during the baseball sea,
son. Otherwise wen never win.
"The player who believes that he Il
lowering his standard by playing with
a tail-ender after he has been associated
with a winner. won't help me- The
player though who is gratifed to re-
ceive his paw check and always renenl.
bers that he owes his best to the club
no matter what-th conditions are or
the field is the player who viii win.
am looking for the latter brand"