Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-05

connie went into the business OF
ball playing in the days when they
called it a profession. Perhaps it
is still one, but the salaries to
players have increased so enor-
mously that it has become Gus
tomary to classify the industry as
one of higher finance.
Mack first played base ball In the
hills of Massachusetts-on the slope Of
the big grade that comes before you
reach Worcester, If you are travelling
from the West toward Boston.
Every time that a team went East in
the days when Mack was catching for
Washington the manager Of q major
league team who might happen to be q
passenger with his players called them
to the window, pointed to the North
east and said: THAT Is where Connie
Mack was born"
Connie Had a Trick.
Mack had a great reputation among
managers for being shrewd and dex-
ferrous. I'm always fouling the ball
when that tall gink Is behind the bat"
said one of the better batters to his
manager one day. "Yeh," said the
manager dryly, Il guess you are. That
tall gink Is always reaching under your
bat and fitting it over the ball"
How can a guy pick pears? BY
reaching for 'em, amt it?"
Tom LOTUS, who was one Of the best
managers to get into major league COM
pany and do something with nothing,
and who died all too early, was q great
admirer of Mack. LOTUS had thinner
catching for him in Cleveland. The
latter was one of the most perfect ma
chimes that ever stood behind home
plate The ball sank into his mitt like
cows hoof into mud and he could
throw on an air line.
thinner was one of the most honest
ball players who ever lived. He could
even engage a batter in conversation to
distract his attention.
You watch that Mack" said LOTUS
to thinner. and you will learn lot
about playing behind the bat"
thinner watched Mack. One day he
went to LOTUS and said:, Say, do you
know Mack can make Il noise exactly
like foul tip and every now and then
he gets an "out" because the umpire
can't tell the difference. Some day
they'll put him out of game for that"
Foftus looked at thinner commiser.
atingly and replied: you're learning,
Zim, your learnin'. Some day you'll
keep o pillow strapped around you 90
that the runners viii have an easy
time Of it when they try to slide to
home plate"
Knew Where They'd Hit.
Mack knew more about the probable
outfield hooks to where batters might
hit than any catcher in the National
League. Not even Buck Ewing was
ahead of him III that. He carries the
knowledge with him to this day and
when he unlimbers his long legs and
gets Off the bench in the dugout TO
stand outside and wave q score card
to direct his players it is trait just
like that which he had when he caught
for Washington.
He caught for Washington when
Hank O'Day was pitching for Wash
ington. Other Washington pitchers
were Person, Haddock, Healy Keefe (not
TIM and Krock. Records were based
on the average number Of runs per
game. ODay's record was 500 and I'VE
was good.
When the players league was formed
for 1890, Mack went with Buffalo. That
team was sort of Niagara Falls for the
players league because it tumbled all
one way. When the players league
died with its one year of misfortune,
Mack went to Pittsburgh and he never
did have much hard luck after that
until he blew up his own team in 1914
because it won too much.