The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-10-11
ATHLETICS To WIN
PENNANT IN 1917
So Says Connie Mack In Talk
ing About His Team.
NOW HOPELESS TAILENDER.
But Leader of the Philadelphia Amer"
leans States His Team Will Be In
Thick of Fight Next Year-Expects
to Have Great Club In 1917.


to Have Great Club In 1917.
American league fans who have seen
the strange combination now passing
off as the Philadelphia Athletics prob
nbly never suspected that they were
watching a future pennant winner in
the early stages of Incubation. A fu-
ture pennant winner is apt to be de-
cciving in appearances when it is real
young, and there is nothing about the
Athletics of today to arouse suspicion.
Rather their performances this season
indicate that the embryo chick is weak
in spots.
However no less an authority and
developer of champions than Connie
Mack, their boss has made a strong
prediction for them. To an intimate
friend, with whom he was recently
discussing the possibilities of his team
and his plans for reorganization. he
said:
I'VE will be prominent in the race
next year. and in 1917 we will win the
pennant."
Thus do we see that while he is TAX
ing the dust in the race this year the
tall leader of the Mackmen has adj
justed his specs and looked over the
top Of couple of years, where he sees
his ball club battling for worlds
championship as five other clubs have
done for him in the past. Two years
ahead Is n long stretch for the eyes,
but the prediction carries weight if for
10 other reason than that Connie Mack
mnde it. Connie is a reticent man.
He seldom talks about himself or his
ball club, and he INDUCES in no idle
boasts. In his quiet way he accom-
pllshes things, and he has perhaps
seen something in the present motley
crew that has escaped general obser-
vation. And there are many who will
string along with him.
For good reasons l purposely wreck
ell a bail club that could have gone on
winning for five more years." he said.
But | knew / could build another one.
have gathered together some promis-
ing players. from which / know now /
can develop winner within two years
Moreover, they are young players, some
of them from colleges without previ
our professional experience. and they
will sfearm af1tls play my kind Of base
ball You know sometimes a player
can know too much baseball, or think
he does. He gets to thinking he knows
more than his manager, and then he is
no longer as valuable to his club. Il
Is teamwork, not individual playing
TINT wins pennants.
Il did not expect 10 do much this
year. l haven't the ball club. B1
it is not nearly as bad a club as yor
think. 1t IS my fault that we have
not won more games. For instance
l have let. young pitchers stay in tht
box when they We're being hit unmer
cifuly. l could have lifted such ;
pitcher, sent in another man and per
haps checked the rally and won out
But you can't win games and expert
ment with young ball players too.
have lost many games, but l hav
found out lot about my new men
which is all important to me just now
We will win the games some othe
time when the developing stage
over"
Connie proceeded to wreck his tear
with elaboration, but since then b
has been reconstructing with caution
Since the season opened he has trie
out upward of twenty new players, an
Of these about dozen remain. He la
collection of six new pitchers VIII
made their big league debut sine
April. They are Crowell, Knowlsol
Haas, Sheehan, Fillingim and Nabor
Nabors is from the Georgia and Al
bama league. He is six feet thTe
inches tall and the same size as b
neck all the way down.