Evening journal., 1916-07-03
ATHLETICS seem DUE
FOR HIGHER Place
Rebuilt Club Will Show lis
Speed Next Season
Experts Say
RECRUITS ARE
DOING WELL

Connie Mack has the right idea
about managing a ball team. He does
only one thing at time. Never has
he attempted building a club and
finishing up in the race at the same
time. II he has a combination that
he thinks has a good chance for the |
pennant he bends all energies toward |
making that team win games. II he |
feels that his outfit is TO weak to win
the flag. he pays practically no a
tention to the winning Of games, cen
tering his attentions instead on add
ing strength to the club.
From 1909, when the Athletics fin
ished second. on through 1914, when
the famous White Elephants won
their last American League champion
ship, he put his mind entirely on the
proposition OF getting the greatest
possible percentage Of victories with
the material at hand.
When the 1914 season closed and
because of various reasons he felt i'm
PEELED to get rid Of Eddie Collins.
Jack Barry, Chief Bender. Eddie
Plank. Jack Coombs and Frank Baker,
he realized he had no chance at all
to win a pennant with the remaining
material. So he set out upon COM
paign Of building up a new ball club
He is still engaged in the building
process. but is not so far from success
in that line as some casual students OF
baseball may imagine. He probably
will have a pretty strong team to be-
gin next seasons campaign. perhaps
one that strikes him as strong enough
to win the pennant II 1t seems
powerful enough to him, he will 60
after games right away, putting his
strongest available combination into
the field every day. If he decides
more building is necessary, he will
continue to use weaker arrangements
for the purpose of trying out or de-
veloping youngsters he picks up here
and there.
Right now the Athletics shape up
as strongly as the average American
League club in half of their games
on the days when Elmer Myers and
Bullet Joe Bush pitch Bush is the
XOu0EEItI WIZ Ndn sum n NNAA'NN-N-
in the worlds series with the Giants
hack in 1913. For the next two years
he failed to fulfill the wonderful
promise he bore on that occasion. ou'
he now is conducting himself like q
star Of the first magnitude. Myers Is
a youth serving his first regular sea
son in big league company. II any
thing he has more stuff on the pal
than Bush and should prove an ever
greater star henceforth.
Elmer Myers performed a feat re
Gently that is equaled by few pitchers
in the major leagues winning three
games in a single week. To do II ~
had 10 beat three of the best hurler
in the league. In the first game, or
Monday. he downed the great Waite
Johnson He allowed Washington tou
hits in that game. Two days later h
LET Detroit down with three hits, evel
with Ty Cobb among those present
He wound up the week by beating tn
Browns on Saturday. letting ther
have only five hits. He was as siron
at the end of the ninth inning o
Saturday as he was when he first steT
ned into the box on Monday. II look
as IL this kid will be the Iron Ma
of the new pitching staff Connie
moulding. He halls from Raleigh,
C.. where Mack's young son, Eai
McGillicuddy. was manager.
A Young catcher named Meyers p
same name as the pitcher except fc
the els another of the tall tact
clans finds His work has been s
effective that Philadelphians hay
dubbed him Young Chief Meyers, a
ter the famous Indian now wit
BROOKLYN. Meyers has done sue
good work that he will make an alb
alternate for Wallie Schang when u
ouest for the pennant finally begin
youth named Witt. at shortstop, al
another dubbed Pick. at third bas
seems certain to be fixtures in the ne
Athletics. Stuffy McInnis, of cours
will stay at first base. Amos Strur
and Jimmy Walsh, holdovers from q
old Athletics. are young enough mi
TO make good for several years mol
Rube Oldring is the only outfield
on the team who does not rate high
enough. When Mack can land son
fellow TO take the Rube's place a.
also a second baseman to suppla
aged Nap Lajoie he will be ready
make his bid for the flag. Those a
the only weak spots now remainir
He had enough strength everywhe
else to land up in the first divisi'
including sufficient reinforcements
his two pitching stars. If he gets
halfway decent break in luck fro
now on Connie will send his chare
into the first division next year
yond the slightest doubt.