The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-05-05


 Editors Note: Here is the seventh
 chapter of series of articles con- cerning Connie Mack. The entire story
 is based on interview with the remark able leader of the Athletics It is a
 story which reveals many inside in-
 cidents and theories of Connie Mack,
 which heretofore have never been
 given to the public by the 'Sphinx of
 Baseball" The next chapter will ap-
 pear in this column tomor-ow)
 This question was put to Connie Mack. Who was the greatest pitcher you ever saw in action?'
 The Athletic leader hesitated-and then replied:
 "Oftentimes, when thinking back over my baseball days, I have tried to settle in my own mind which twirler was great est of them all. But I have never been able to reach any definite conclusion. There have been different periods in baseball since 1884. during which one pitcher or another dominated the situa- tion. Radbourne was the particular star of his own time; Rusie was the outstand- ing genius of his day. Then came Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter John-
 
 Tt is quite inconsistent for any man to say that Radbourne was greater thar Mhthewson; that Rusie was greater than Johnson; that Young was greater than keefe or that Alexander was the greatest of them all. Each worked in the differ ent ages of baseball; each under differen. conditions. Each had different ball clubs behind him and faced different opposi- tion. There is no telling just how well Mof vi1iy he fA,v- xrr;fI, <oi1 ender nor how we'll Johnson might have done with a championship club. Every great pitcher had different things to con tend with and so there is no basis for comparison.
 But added Mack after some delibera- tion, "I'll go so far as to say that if Rube Waddell had been possessed of the brains of Mathewson, Johnson or Alex ander, the whole world would rank him as the er-pitcher of all time. I have never seen any man in 35 years who had the natural ability of Waddell. He had speed that eclipsed anything left handler has ever shown; curves that were be- wildering and control that was uncanny. ''The first real instance of Waddelrs control was shown during his early days with the Athletics when we were play ing an exhibition game. Waddell had been joshed by the fans. He decided to convince them that he was really a great pitcher. So when it came our turn to take the field the next inning, Waddell insisted that the entire infield and out field remain on the bench. We acquiesei. Then, with only Rube and Ossie Schrec.S- engost-the catcher-on the field, play was started. Waddell famed three bats men in a row, and it is my recollection. that he threw only about dozen balls. On several occasions thereafter Waddeli repeated the trick in exhibition games and frequently begged me to let him try it in regular championship clash. But I refused.
 Waddell was different man to handle because of his eccentricities-but he cer- tainly was not the most perplexng human problem I was oAlled upon to solve. Hu- moring and betting Waddell, and catering anyone's patience-but those who attempt ed it usually were rewarded with Wad- dell's best efforts. "The end of each season found most of Waddells salary due him. When he first joined my club he was in the habit of drawing weeks in advance of regular pay day I talked to him once on the folly of this practice, much as a father would do to an erring son. The lesson seemed to go home to Rube and he prom ised thereafter that he wouldn't spend his money before he got it. Through the balance of his days with the Ath- letics he kept that pledge. His method of procedure was to touch me each day for g spending money. He never ap- peared at the club office on regular pay days and wouldn't collect the balance due him until the end of the season.
 "But Waddeu occasionally would rush in and demand $100 or 500. I learned quickly that the best plan was to give him what he asked for, provided l couldn't get him to wait until tomorrow. If could put him off until the next day I knew he would forget all about it. But if it was apparent that Waddelt wanted the money and that tomorrow would not do, there was just one thing he asked for. Otherwise there woulc have been strange happenings
 "Rube tested my patience very greatly