Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-17
CONNIE SWITCHES
HIS TACTICS AGAIN
Announces He is Through Ex-
perimenting with Uncer-
tain Talent from Bushes.
FEELS THE CRITICISMS
By JACK vEIoCK.

new OIk, DCS, lO'-~iids Soihi'N
Mack decided to switch his tactics
and 90 after another American league
pennants Or is the lengthy bench
manager merely kidding u.s.
Mack is reported to have announced
himself through experimenting with
SO much college talent, He is going
to spend more of his time hereafter
in trying to land players who will be
capable of stepping into berths on his
club and delivering the goods, instead
of the college brand who need several
wears in the bushes and at least a
year on big league bench before they
are ready for regular service.
Perhaps Mack felt the criticisms
that were directed at his mishts of
1916 more kecnly than he would per
nit anyone to think. Perhaps he has
decided that his rep as manager
should be stimulated by a winning
ball club.
Every base ball fan who has fol-
lowed the fortunes OF the Athletics
ior the last six or seven years knows
what Mack can do with real ball play
ers. Any time he surrounds himself
with a regular ball club he is as hard
10 beat 10 the wire as the proverbial
streak OF slicked up lightning. And
Tor the good OF the box Office in Phila
delphia il behooves Mack to build up
another winner.
Other Than Money.
When Mack broke up his famous
combination-tha wonderful old in
field--he probably had other than pc
cuniary reasons for it. He almost
admitted as much some months after
ward, when rumor said he was about
10 sell "Stuffy" Mclnnis. At that time
Mack remarked that he would not
think of selling Mclnnis, even though
"Stuify' was slumping, and he gave
as the reason that any player who
worked in perfect harmony with the
managerial ideas was sure OF his
berth, So il must have been internal
dissension that caused Mack to tear
down his wonderful combination,
Connie says ne has picked up some
excellent material from the minor
leagues; that he is through with cx-
pcriments. During the recent season
Mack worked with quite squad OF
newcomers, and he believes he has de-
veloped some regular ball players,
who, with players he has selected
from the ivory fields, will give him a
winner next year.
Two New Ones.
The 1917 inheld Of the Athletics
will probably be composed Of Nc
Innis, Grover, Witt and Bates. Bodie,
Strunk and Thrasher will probably
figure as the regular outhelders.
With Schang, Meyer, Haley and
Picinich TO do the backstopping Mack
has a quartet of young catchers; for,
although Schang can be called vet
eran OF the Mackian machine now, he
is still young fellow.
In addition to Sheehan, ling John
son and Majors, who were with the
Athletics last season, Mack has landed
Moves from Portland and Hill from
Waco, in addition to several promis-
ing minor league slabstcrs.
According to reports from Ameri-
can league headquarters in Chicago,
the Athletics alone were financial
losers last season, and figuring that
Ban Johnson's policy of seeing to il
that the weaker sisters OF his league
get all the assistance he can lend
them, the 1917 Athletics will probably
deserve watching next summer.
Iron Man Of Gridiron.
Base ball had Iron Man McGin-
nifty, and a number of other iron men,
il we remember correctly, but not to
be outdone by the diamond pastime,
foot ball has come to the front with
an iron man who is more or less OF
a bear.
This exceedingly husky young iron
man is none other than Heinie Miller,
OF Pennsylvania. Miller has been
playing foot ball for some seven or
eight years, including, OF course, his
years in high school and at MERGERS
berg academy. In all that time he
has never been lifted from game on
account Of injuries. Miller is an end,
and the duty of an end has to do
with cracking interference by head
long dives at the ankles OF opposing
athletics. At this game Miller is a
past master. and yet he refuses to
wear a head gear, because, he says,
? headgears are too hot, and he isn't
afraid OF getting hurt anyway.