Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-01
ATHLETICS WILL BE CONTENDER
FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE FLAG,
SAYS MANAGER CONNIE MACK
BY CONNIE MACK
Manager Of the Athletics

use an outhelder and an nflelder at the start
of the season and may find them among the
recruits, but even If l fail l will be in
excellent shape. as I have a pretty good
line on what the other men can do.
1 will not have weak hitter on the
team aud really believe 1t will be the best
batting club in the American League. Ne
Innis and Witt will be at their regular
positions, while / will start with Bates at
third and Grover at second, but Otis Lawry
will be heard from before the season is
very old.
Lawry reported sick and underweIght, but
l know that he is great ball player and
will be a star in another season. Lawry
has recovered from his Illness and is rapidly
putting on weight have put him on a diet
to fatten him up this winter and he is lIv-
ing outdoors. When he reports in the
spring he will be a different looking man
You might recall that the fans said Eddie
Collins was too frail when he Joined us in
1907 but Eddie filled out rapidly, and now
is pretty big fellow, though they still call
him Little Eddie"
The outfieId will be "A hard-hitting COM
blnation. Bodie and Thrasher may not field
as well as a Speaker, but any outfield with
Amos StrunlS in Centerfield is going to be
pretty strong In fielding. Amos covers so
much ground that he lightens the work OF
the left and right field, and | look 10 see
Thrasher and Bode hold up their end.
Counts on Thrasher and BOdie
There isn't any question in my mind
about the batting ability Of Thrasher and
BOdie. They will hit all pitchers alike.
Bodie had a weakness for a curve ball when
he was with the White Sox but / satisfied
myself that his return 10 the Pacific coast
had broken him of the habit of pulling on
curved balls and swinging on bad ones
before / purchased him.
Thenwe also have Johnson. the Chicago
semi-prO, who was with us during the lat
ter part of last season. I liked this young
ster quite lot and would not be at all
surprised If he came through In great shape.
He is at least an excellent prospect
Our catching department win be well
taken care OF with Wally S. Schang again
behind the plate and Bill Myers helDinR
him out Schang will do the bulk of the
work because We need his batting and base
running In every game possible. but Myers
will prove capable substitute The
latter was not well from mldseason on and
finally was taken with typhoid fever. He
has recovered and is now heavier than at
any time last season. He should have a
great season He is clever smart
youngster and handy man TO have about.
With this team ] expect to keep the team
In the race and win do it II I get the pitch
ing l want. Last fall We gave all the lead
ters q great battle with a team that was
not as strong as my 1917 team will be and
they Will be very much surprised at our
strength.
In the last series played with Detroit we
put them out of the race. T he same thing
happened to the White SOx. while only the
comfortable lead Of the Red Sox saved
them, as our two victories out of -four
games played against CaFrgan's team wor-
ried the Bostonians quite lot out Of the
twelve games played against the leaders
IN the last three weeks Of the season 1 can
truthfully say that We should have won
all but one. We Outplayed them All the
way. but tossed away games because OF in
experience
The fans can rest assured that they will
see a good ball team and good ball games
al Shibs Park in 1917. We may fan :
tribe shy Of the mark 1 expected 10 attain
but the loyal fans Who have Stuck b. Us
viii be very well sat Ahed.