Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-13
MACK FINDS TIME
NETS ITS REWARD
Connie and "FoIks" Feeling
Much Different Than Two
Years Ago.
BY ALAN J. GOULD.
. oMET1MEs the FIRST IS year

- oMETIMES the first 66 years are
the hardest -Four years ago
sat with Connie Mack in the
~ lowered, neatly ordered once he
occupies at Shibe Park when not
poised on the edge Of the dugout, score
card In hand, directing the field play
of the Philadelphia Athletics.
II thought this was to be our year
but it seems that fate is against US. y
His youthful team had blown" q good
lead; cracked in the stretch under the
strain Of tight pennant race.
Two years later, in 1927, sat for an
hour in the same ofdce, listening to
Connie label the Yankees as one of the
greatest teams Of all time in year in
which Babe Ruth 81 Co. made the
American League race runaway.
But for bad breaks we might have
made 1t closer, but do not think ours
or any other club could have stopped
the Yanks this season."
Conditions Are Changed.
Shift the scenery to indicate the lapse
Of two more years. It's August, 1929,
and hot; hotter in Philadelphia than
most places. Connie removes coat, col
lar, tie and finally his shirt, somewhat
apologetically. His visitor perhaps
would like to do the same.
There is a CLEAN In the Old Master
eye that wasn't there four years ago or
two years ago. In his sixty-seventn
year, Mack's step Is SPRINGER, his
kindly eyes twinkle. Soft-spoken, quiet
and courteous.
This is the year. You can see what
it means to Connie in nearly every
word and gesture. Too many dissp-
pointments, the caution Of an old cam
paigner keep Connie somewhat reserved.
But 1t takes no scientist to tell that to
this lean, lovable man Of nearly three
score and ten, the American League
pennant that now seems certain to be
his for 1929 means more than any OF his
past achievements.
Does he consider the pennant won?
We'll. I'm proud Of the way the boys
have gone along. We are in q good
position now. We have all the ad-
vantage this year. Last season we had
to do the chasing and found the strain
too much when We finally caught UP
with the Yankees The club Is play
ing steady ball now and ought to win,
but We don't take anything for
granted.
you know" and Comics gray eyes
twinkled, I'VE kind Of surprised 'em
this year. They didn't think much Of
us in the Spring training. I'll admit
we didn't look so good and talked
pessinlistically. But I really felt this
was our year and just wanted to pre-
the folks expecting too much Of U.s."
Very Different Now.
How do the folks feel now?
well, you know it's sometimes as
tonishing. They come to get auto
graphs and pictures every day. Some
people think we have won already. They
send me all kinds Of 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 on u.s.
What's the main reason for the AS
"Wen. good steady ball. But mostly
confidence now. Once the boys found
they could 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 it was by good margins
they did, like that 2-1 game Jack Quinn
lost to Waite Hoyt, due to two mis-
judged fly balls"
Connie dwells upon the little things
that have meant improvement, great
ness in Grove, Earnshaw and Walberg,
his pitching "big three; In Simmons,
Cochrane and Foxy" as Mack calls
his sensational young first baseman.
Yes, they are all great, but the old mas
ter deity parties any attempt to have
him say they are any greater, II as
great as the famous machine he
guided to four pennantS and three
worlds championships from 1910 tc
1914.
with the old AS it was speed and
defense, though we also had good hit
ting. Now it's mainly hitting, and we
have plenty Of that, but We also have
good pitching for defense"