The Washington herald., 1916-12-26
connie MACK after
ANOTHER PENNANT
To Switch His Tactics and Grab Of
the Bacon in American League.

New York. Dec. S-Has Connie Mack
decided to switch his tactics and go after
another American League pennant? Or
is the lengthy bench manager merely
kidding US?
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 STEP
ping into berths on his club and deliver
ing the goods. instead of the college
brand who need several years IN the
bushes and at least a year on a big
league bench before they are ready for
regular service
Perhaps Mack felt the criticisms that
we're directed at his misfits of 1916 more
keenly than he would permit any one to
think. Perhaps he has decided that his
rep as a manager should be stimulated
by a winning ball club.
Every baseball fan who has followed
the fortunes of the Athletics for the past
six or seven years knows what Mack can
do with real ball players. Any time he
surrounds himself with a regular ball
club he Is as hard to beat to the wire as
the proverbial streak of slicked up light
ming. And FOR the good of the box office
in Philadelphia it behooves Mack to build
up another winner.
When Mack broke up his famous COM
hination-that wonderful old infeld-he
probably had other than pecuniary rea-
sons for it, He almost admitted as much
some months afterward, when rumor said
he was about to sell "Stuffy" McInnes.
At that time Mack remarked that he
would not think of selling McInnes, even
though "Stuffy'' was slumping, and he
gave as the reason that any player who
worked in perfect harmony with the man.
agerial ideas was sure of his berth. So
1t must have been internal dissension
that caused Mack to tear down his Won
derful combination
Connie says he has picked up some ex-
cellent material from the minor leagues;
that he Is through with experiments.
During the recent season Mack worked
with quite a squad Of newcomers and
he believes he has developed some regu-
lar ball players. who, with players he
has selected from the ivory fields will
give him a winner next year.
The 1917 infield of the Athletics will
probably be composed of McInnis, Gro
yer. Witt, and Bates. Bodie, Strunk, and
Thrasher will probably figure as the reg
ular outfielders.
With Schang. Meyer. Haley, and Pici-
mich to do the backstopping Mack has a
quartet of young catchers, for although
Schang can be called a veteran of the
4A6ShLah AdShlhS hO", Hc 10 sui q young
fellow.
In addition to Sheehan, "Jing'' Johnson
and Majors. who were with the Athletics
last season. Mack has landed Noyes from
Portland and Hill from Waco. in addi-
ton to several promising minor league
slab stars.
According to reports from American
League headquarters in Chicago, the
Athletics alone were financial losers last
season, and figuring that Ban Johnson's g
policy Of seeing to It that the weaker sis
ters Of his league get all the assistance
he can lend them, the 1917 Athletics will
probably deserve watching next summer.
Rrss
Baseball had Iron Man. McGinnity,
and a number OF other iron men. II we
remember correctly. but not to be out
done by the diamond pastime, football
has come to the front with an iron man,
who Is more or less Of bear
This exceedingly husky young iron man
is none other than Heinie Miller, Of Penn
sylvania- Miller has been playing foot
bali for seven or eight years. including,
OF course. his years IN high school and at
Mercersbupg Academy. In all that time
he has never been lifted from a game on
account of injuries. Miller IL an end, and
the duty Of an end has to do with crack
ing Interference by headlong dives at the
ankles Of opposing athletes. At this game
Miller IL a past master. and yet he re-
fuses to wear a head gear, because. he
says. headgears are too hot, and he isn't
afraid OF getting hurt anyway.