The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-08-12
SPORT
,S1antS
ALAN J.6oulD

tIlC TUuT YEARS dRU l SdG Will
Connie Mack in the lowered. neatly
ordered office he occupies at Shibe
park when not poised on the edge Of
the dugout. scorecard In hand. di-
,scting the field play OF the Philadcl-
phia Athletics.
Il thought this was to be our year.
but is seems that fate is against U.s."
said Connie. He looked old and weary.
His youthful team had blown a good
lead: cracked in the stretch in the
strain Of a tight pennant race.
Two years later. in 1927. ] sat for
all hour in the same office. listening
to Connie label the Yankees as ono
Of the greatest teams Of all time in a
year in which Babe Ruth and COM
pany made the American league race
a runaway.
But for bad breaks We might have
made it closer. but I do not think our
o. any other club could have stopped
the Yanks this season"
! 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. collar. tie. and finally his shirt.
somewhat alphabetically. His visitor
perhaps would like to do the same.
There is a glcam in the Old Mas
ter's eye that wasn't there four years
ago. or two years ago. In his sixty
seventh year, Mack's step is SPRINGER,
his kindly eyes twinkle. Soft-spokcn.
quiet and courteous.
This is THE year. You can sec what
it means to Connie in nearly every
word and gesture. Too many disap-
pointments. the caution of an old
campaigner keep Connie somewhat
reserved. But 1t takes no scientist to
tell that to this lean, loyable man Of
nearly three and ten the Ameri-
can league pennant that o 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 arc in a
good position now We have all the
advantage this year. Last eason We
had to do the chasing and found thu
strain too much when we finally
caught up with the Yankees. The clul
is playing steady ball now and ought
to win, but we don't take anything f0l
granted.
) You know" and Comics grey eye
} twinlsled. we kind OF surprised ien
this year. They didn't think much o
us in.the spring training. I'll admi
We didn't look SO good and l talket
; pessimistically. But I really felt thi
J was u year and I just wanted t.
; prevent any chance Of overconfidenc
J or the folks expecting too much Of us.
How do the folks feel now?
) We'll, you know it's somcthin,
astonishing. They come to get auto
graphs and pictures every day. Som
people think we have won already
They send me all kinds Of gifts" an
Connie waved his hands at al assert
: ment. Il get letters from all ove tn
country. advising, warning. eve
| threatening. A lot of them az much a
tell me if we don't win this year the
are off us"
What's the main reason for tn
AS big lead?
: We'll good steady ball! But mostl
0 confidence now. Once the boys foun
0 they could beat the Yankees, an
beat them decisively. they hit thel
stride. We beat the champions in the
own grounds and We beat them her
And when VIC Won it was by goo
margins. while they just barely bea
us when they did. like that 81 gam
Jack Quinn lost to Waite Hoyt, du
to two misiudged fly balls"
Connie dWelt upon the little thinl
that have meant Improvement, great
ness in Grove, Earnshaw and Wa,
{. berg. his pitching big three; |
IS Simmons. Cochrane and foxy 9
" Mack calls his sensational young fir
basemen. Yes. they are all great, b,
IS the Old Master deftly parties ar
4 attempt to have him say they are ar
2 greater. If as great as the famous ms
1 chine he guided to four pennants an
a three worlds championships from ~
to 1914.
With the old AS 1t vat speed an
defense. though we also had goc
o hitting. Now it's mainly hitting, an
/ we have plenty Of that, but we all
!. have good nitrhinr for defence