The Washington herald., 1917-06-10
ECONOMIC POLICY is
FAILURE WITH MACK
Philadelphia Athletics Have Failed
to Set League on Fire This Season.

New York, June s.-Connie Mack 8
economic baseball system may be all
right. but after receiving several
years treatment under It the Athle-
badly as ever.
Maybe Comics prescription would
be eflcacious in a case Of seyen-year
itch, but 1t Is beginning to appear
that as a remedy for q chronic loser
In the major leagues Macks economy
has f1iyyered. 10y
When the season Of 1917 began
there were those who predicted the
Athletics would be q tremendous sur
the scribing fellows picked them for
as good as seventh place. The Athle-
ties have been a surprise-they have
surprised the critics who thought they
were due to come to life and crowd
out clubs like the Browns, Indians
and Yankees.
During the first few laps Of the
American League race the Mackmen
crowded everybody else out of the eel
lar and threatened to dive into ninth
place. The only thing that kept them
from It was the scarcity Of ninth place
In the American League.
There Is still hope for the Mack
men to hnfsh better than last, for the
season has some ways to run and
many strange things happen in q sea-
son. But in face Of the prediction
made by Mack when he broke up his
famous machine, and all joking aside,
It seems doubtful that the Athletics
the Ban Johnsonian circuit while the
economic policy Is applied to them.
Three years ago Mack predicted
that he would build up another great
ball club II given sufficient time, and
at practically as little cost as the
championship team he had torn to
pieces. Mack then pulled the economy
brake and went out after some good,
cheap youngsters to wear the boots
Of Barry, Collins, Baker and q few
others. So far these boots have
proven away too large for their new
owners. Mack has some good young
sters, and a club that becomes muir
derous with the bludgeon at times.
He also has some mighty capable
pitchers, a very bright star in Joe
Bush, but still he isn't plotting q win
nef,
Thrasher, Mack's new outhelder,
Grover, Witt. Lawry, Bates and some
Of his young pitchers show Champion
ship flashes now and then. On the
field and at the bat they often make
some OF the stars OF the American
League look like novices for a day.
But they are not consistent with 1t
against clubs like the White Sox, Red
SoX and Yankees.
In Amos Strunk, Mack has one Of
the greatest outfielders in the bust
ness In Jack McInnis he has a first
baseman who need lot doff his Kelly
to, any initial bagInan in either
big league, In Wallie Schang he has
a wonderful backstop. Old Ping Bodie
is playing better ball for Mack than
he did for the White Sox, and at
that Mack had to pay some real dough
for Bodie, which is not in line with
the economy he breaches.
Glancing at the Athletics from some
angles, one finds it hard to see why
they are not a good ball club, yet
they have not been proving II, and the
Surest sign of a good ball club shows
In the left hand side Of the PERCENTAGE
column every time.
Baseball men have bewailed the fact
that good college players are almost
thing OF the past, and that the on
coming crop Of phenoms from the
bushes has been badly mildewed in
spots. Perhaps the alleged scarcity
Of crack young ball players within the
past two or three years is the an
swer in the case of the Mackmen.
Perhaps the youngsters were more
plentiful when Mack built his erst-
while champions than they are now.
and better ball players along with
1t, and perhaps Mack will have to go
out and peel on some Of the big
money for players before he turns out
club like the old Athletics. 1t is
our guess that he will have to do
this very thing.