Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-08-19
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against U.s." said Connie. He LOOK
ed old and weary. His youthful
team had blown" q good lead;
cracked IN the stretch under the
strain Of q tight pennant race.
Two years later, In 1927. ] sat FOR
an hour in the same office. listen
ing TO Connie label the Yankees
as one of the greatest teams Of al
time in a year in which Babe Ruth
g. Company made the American
league race a runaway,
But for bad breaks we might
have made it closer but / do not
think ours or any other club could
have stopped the Yanks this sea-
SON."
Shift the scenery to indicate the
lapse Of two more years. It's Aug
ust, 1929, and hot; hotter in Phila-
delphia than most places. Connie
removes coat. collar, tie and finally
his shirt, somewhat apologetically,
His visitor perhaps would like TO do
the same.
There is a CLEAN In the Old Mas
ter's eye that wasn't there four
years ago or two years ago. In
his 9th year. Mack's step Is spring
ier, his kindly eyes twinkle. Soft
spoken. quiet and courteous.
This is THE year. You can sea
what it means to Connie in nearly
every word and gesture. Too many
disappointments, the caution Of ar
old campaigner keep Connie some
what ery1A. But 1t takes nc
scientist to tell that to this lean.
lovable man Of nearly three score
and ten. the American league pen
nant that now seems certain to be
his for 1929 means more than any
Of his past achievements.
Does he consider the pennant
wen?
We'll, I'm proud of the way the
boys have gone along. We IRE in q
good position now. We have all the
advantage this year. Last season
we had to do the chasing and
found the strain too much wher
we finally caught up with the YAM
KEGS. The club is playing steady
ball now and ought to win, but va
don't take anything for granted.
You know" and Comics grey
eyes twinkled, I'VE kind of SURPRISED
EN- this year. They didn't thini
much Of us In the spring training
I'll admit we didn't look so good
and / talked pessimistically. But
really felt this was our year and
just wanted to prevent any chance
Of over-confidence or the folks ex-
pecting too much of us"
How do the folks" feel now7
We'll. you know it's sometime:
astonishing. They come TO get
autographs and pictures every day
Some people think we have won al
ready. They send me all kinds o!
gifts" and Connie waved his hand
at an assortment. II get letters
from all over the country, advising
warning, even threatening. A lot
Of them as much as tell me II we
don't win this year they are of
US"
What's the main reason for tho
AS big lead?
We'll, good steady ball. BuI
mostly confidence now. Once the
boys found they could beat tho
Yankees and beat them d~ecisively
they hit their stride. We beat tht
champions in their own ground;
and we beat them here. Anc
when we won II was by good mar.
gins while they just barely beat II,
when they did, like that 81 gams
Jack Quinn lost to Waite Hoyt, due
TO two misjudged flyballs."
Connie dwells upon the littls
things that have meant improve.
ment, greatness in Grove, Earnsha0
and Walberg, his pitching big
three; in Simr ons, Cochrane anc
Foxy" as Mack calls his sensa.
tional young first baseman. Yes
they are all great, but the old mas.
ter deftly parties any attempt u
have him say they are greater, Il
as great as the famous machine N
guided to four pennants and three
worlds championships from 1910 Il
1914.
With the old AS II was speed
and defense. though we also hat
good hitting. Now it's mainly hit.
ting, and we have plenty of that
but We also have good pitching foI
defense"