Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-08-19
Sport
1S1antS
ALLAN ]. GouLD
BY ALAN j. GOULD
ASSOCIATED Press Sports Editor

ASSOCIATED Press Sports Editor
Sometimes the first sixty-six
years are the hardest. Four years
ago, 1 sat with Connie Mack in
the lowered. neatly ordered office
he occupies at Shibe Park when
not poised on the edge Of the dug
out, score-card in hand. directing
the field play of the Philadelphia
! Athletics.
Il thought this was to be our
year but IL seems that fate IS
against US" said Connie. He looG-
ed old and weary. His youthful
team had blown a good lead;
cracked in the stretch under the
strain of a tight pennant race.
Two years later. In 1927. / sat for
an hour in the same office, listen
ing TO Connie label the Yankees
as n Of the greatest teams of all
time in a year in which Babe Ruth
e. Company made the American
league race a runaway.
But for bad breaks w might
have made it closer but I do not
think ours or any other cub 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 alphabetically.
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. III
his 9th year. Mack's step is spring
i-r, his kindly eyes twinkle. Soft
spoken, quiet and courteous.
This is THE year. You can SCI
every word and gesture. Too many
disappointmentS. the caution Of an
old campaigner keep Connie some
what ! .crvcA. But it takes no
scientist TO tell that to this lean.
lovahle 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 are in 4
good position now. We have all the
advantage this year. Last season
We had TO do the chasing and
found the strain too much when
we finally caught up with the YAM
KEGS. The club is playing steady
ball now and ought TO win, but We
don't take anything for granted.
SOU know" and Comics grey
eyes twinkled, we kind OF surprised
EN- this year. They didn't think
much Of us in the spring training
Ill admit we didn't look so good
and l talked pessimistically. But J
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 now?
Well. you know it's sometimes
Astounding. They come to get
autographs and pictures every dag.
Some people think We have won al
ready. They send me all kinds .!
gifts" and Connie waved his hani
at an assortment. Il get Letters
from all over the country. advising.
warning, ever threatening. A lot
Of them as much as tell me If we
don't win this year they are off
US"
What's the main eason for the
AS big lead?
We'll, good steady ball. But
mostly confidence now. Once the
boys found they c'uld beat the
Yankees and beat them decisively.
they hit their stride. We beat the
champions in their own grounds
and we beat them here. And
when we won 1t "a by good mar
gins while they just barely beat us
when they did. like that 81 game
Jack Quinn lost to Waite Hoyt. due
TO two misiudged flyballs."
Connie dwells upon the little
things that have meant improve
ment. greatness in Grove. Earnsha
and WalDerg, his pitching big
three; in Simr ons. Cochrane and
Foxy as Mack calls his sensa-
tional young first baseman. Yes.
they are all great. but the old mas
ter deftly parties any attempt 10
have him say they are greater, II
as great as the famous machine ne
guided 10 four remnants and three
worlds championships from 1910 10
1914.
With the old AS 1t was speed
and defense, though we also had
good hitting. Now it's mainly hit
ting. and we have plenty Of thar,
but We also have good pitching for