Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-27
MACK WILL BE HOME TOMORROW
WITH HIS NEW ARRAY OF YOUNG
BLOOD FOR THE 1917 MACHINE
Collegiate Stars With Athletics Display Natural
Hitting Ability and May Bolster Up Strong
Team for Next Year
BY CHANDLER D. RICHTER

MANAGER MACK, of tho Athletics, will
lVI hiring his sauad of recruits back to
this CITY tomorrow and real work of con-
structinr another famous baseball machine
will start with one or two exceptions All
of tho recruits Mack is counting upon ior
the new machine have reported ana uuI u
Ing the long home stand all Will pe seen
In action. -.
Mecks youngsters have made great
irnpresslon in Boston, and the scrlbes ana
fans of the New England city believe Una.
the Athletics will he in the running heN.
season II Mack can uncover a ptcneF vi
two out of the squad of college hurleIs
who have been picked up The oT,llIal. lsL..
pitching of Sheehan and Nahors In bostoi,
presaRes good things for the future anu
bears out the prediction of Mack that poth
men would develop at a surprising rate late
this season.
The most encouraging thing about the
work of the recruits tried out to date mas
been their hard hitting, Mack always nus
been strong for youngsters with hitting pos.
sibilities, and earlier in the season remarked
that he never paid any attention 10 tne
fielding ability of young players, but that
what he wanted was hitters. He SAID ne
would take chance on being able 10
teach a youngster to field and would Keep
them so long as they looked like htters
Every one of the youngsters tried out IN
Boston showed great natural batting hoil-
ity. Perhaps after the major league pitch.
ers have pitched to them once or twice all
will fall shy OF the mark, but Mack does
not think So He Is enthusiastic about the
outlook, according to reports from Boston,
and when Connie enthuses over anything
he must be very we'll satisfied
Youngsters Crude
The Youngsters are still trife crude In
the field but that was to be expected They
probably will toss away many games this
season through unsteady fielding and In
experience, but the impression Is general
that Mack has the material at hand which
will be developed into pennant winner
within two years.
Another pleasing feature of the work of
the Mackmen during the last week has been
the brilliant work of Lawton Witt. The
youngster has been batting at terrific
clip most of his drives being timely, while
his fielding in Boston has been sensational.
witt is n great hitter and is Just beginning
to take chances the bases, his work In
this department bringing great praise from
Boston scribes.
Mack told the writer before the Athletics
departed for the West that Witt had gone
beyond the experimental stage and would
soon start to acquire the necessary finish.
He said that he was not quite certain that
shortstop was the proper place for witt.
but that the youngster was very much like
Collins and some position must be found
for him.
The work Of the Mackmen will be fol-
lowed with interest by baseball fans
throughout the country and 1t is likely that
the attendance will be better than in two
or three years
Alexander Today
1t is likely that Manager Moran will
depart from his usual custom and that
Alexander the Great will be on the mound
In the final game with the Braves this
afternoon, The three straight defeats at
the hands of Stallings' team makes this
move necessary as there apparently Is no
other pitcher on the Philly staff capable OF
stopping the Braves now.
George Chalmers is the only other twtrl-
er available, and as he Is generally more
effective against the Giants than any other
team in the league, whereas Alexander has
seldom been beaten by the Braves 1t Is
likely that a switch will be made.
few weeks ago Manager Stallings, OF
the Braves, made the remark that he was
through sending star twirlers against Alex
ander as he was about convinced that II
was wasting his best pitching talent In
hopeless attempt TO beat the wonderful Ne
braskan. We are anxious to see whether
Stallings follows out his idea, as Dick Ru-
dolph is slated to work on the mound for
the Braves
II Stallings goes through with his present
plan, he will take chance on youngster,
or a pitcher looked upon as an uncertainty.
In preference to wasting Rudolph. Stallings
followed out this plan In the first game OF
the SERIES when he sent Jess Barnes In to
oppose Alexander
Barnes had not pitched for three weeks