Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-08
ny LANES J. CnnnE,rr.


Connie Mack shattered his peerless
ssbaseball machine. The sporting world
was aghast; Many reasons for his act
bHGt Baseball" very carefully RETAINED
sSfrom explaining. Through nearly
1--WE years he has been silent. But the
other day he revealed the real cause
Ifpr his action.
majority felt. that tore apart
tho Athletic machine because | wanted
ITO market the players and make money
iHin that way" declared Mack But
5such guesses were wrong. MCslctary
y gain never would have Influenced me
Ito break up Il club which | had spent
years in developing and which WAS
the proudeSt possession Of my life
Mhen the iirsl AthiGtic machine ,Ss,
seom bed the, minors, the college
Sstars Through 1906. j o7 and 1905
emS4 experiments with moro than 100
started on its way in 1909 and for tive
z seasons ranked as one of the smooth
lest working and most powerful in
baseball.
Teamwork WINS Feature.
II was proud OF that crowd of boys.
: EVERY player was OF nv own develop
Ing, every youngster played the kind
of game that | mad taught him. The
8boys knew about individual play only
,J!bT hearsay, Teamwork was what 7
had preached. and teamwork was what
~.
&diyided We fair became something Of
b "A motto with them. And no one PLAYER
lever considered his self ..bo = his team
Rinterests.
5E"I know of many teams that have
SWorked along IN harmonious fashion
Isbut none where the spirit OF brother
sos, 1910, 1911, 1912. 1913 and 1914
1.-THE boys were like brothers to each
Sother, ever eager and willing 10 help
Sthe other In all those wears there
ana ts,Nl IN
1.-THE team included some high strung
Y younGsters, too. but som ehow or other
they never lost patience with each
Sother. They worked together day
after day and year after year in abXo-
lutte and complete harmony.
Itt-------- Mnck Proud OF His Club.
And ], as the manager CT that team,
SWas mighty proud OF that Kind of a
shall club. and wonderfully happy. 1t
aseemed Ike one great big family.
Gunited firmly by the bonds Of real al
"And then. just when everything
4 seemed brightest and happicst for ali
&of us, along came the Federal League
with its offers OF hr. salaries 10 some
more than was paying. My players
Ecomnared their salaries with those Of
Tered by the outlaw organization and
"a little feeling of discomfort grew
within them.
THE boys who had received tempt.
Sfng offers from the Feds talked things
s.
ssThe faction, whose vision had been
$cloudcd by the offers of the Fedcrals
s9rEucd that the best thing 10 do was
&eithcr to club me into line by meeting
s1hc offer Of the Fedcrals or 10 jump.
1.-The other part Of the crowd was loyal
ISto Inc. 1t argued mat | had treated
&the boys fairly all the time, and That
@As reward Tor this every fellow on
8rhe team should stick 10y Connie.
Ruptures Between Factions.
Eventually these pro and con arEu-
ments caused littlc difference between
a2the players and soon thetc we're open
&ruptlhcs between the tWo factions: one
faction that Was for me and for tn-
.Bswerving loyalty OF the whole team:
55thc other faction which was for jump
ing.
Naturally, | learned Of the dissen-
Esion and !. made me miserable. No
one can appreciate just how disguised
q and how unhappy / became when l
REALIZED tina; Il few offers Of the Fed
8Gral League practically had disrupted
smy ball club and had made a once
H harmonious and happy baseball fam
#ily house divided between Itself.
!Es "As weeks went Oh the condition be-
among the boys became more bitter
isk Then 1 realized lhat things mover
3@couid be the same again. The old
Esprit had been crushed out OF my
&team. l know that the fratcrnalism
&of The Athletics Of I30g-!Gl4 WAS gone
8foreVer. And so ! wrecked tho Atm
&letic machine That had been ny proud
@est possession. Copy gin. 1918. by
4 King Features Syndicate Inc