New Britain herald., 1930-09-19
No 5-The Turning Point

While Mack was with the Pitts burgh club, big padded mitts were used by ,catchers for the first time, Sunday baseball was initiated by some National League clubs, the flat-bat was abolished and the pitching distance moved back from 50 to 60 feet, inches. Revolutionary, as well, were de- velopments in baseball organiZa- ticn. After the original American Association blew up, cities such as St Louis, Louisville and Cleveland were taken into membership of a new 12-club circuit.
 The split season was tried and a bandoncd but the 12-club forma- tion remained intact until the end ct the 18th century. The goth was ushered in by a drastic upheaval, the organization of the New Ameri- can League as-a rival and a war be- tween opposing magnates that last ed for several years.
 Milwaukee. with Connie Mack as manager, was one of the original teams in the new league, launched in 1900. It finished second to Chi cago followed in order by Indian apolis, Detroit, Kansas City, Cleve- land, Buffalo and Minneapolis. For the first time, baseball fans began to take notice of the managerial ability of the lankN Irishman.
 Looking backward, 90 years later, Mack told me: /
 My experience at Milwaukee was the turning point in my career. l did not know much about handling a clubs affairs, but 1 quickly found out. I was installed as business as well as playing manager. l called the roll, directed the play, paid the bills and handled the other office dealings, besides taKins a frequent turn behind the bat My four years there were most fruitful in their effect upon my later career.
 When, in 1901, Jo!h7son advised me to seize the chance for a part nership with the Shibes in the Philadelphia ball club of the new league, l was pretty well equipped for the job My playing days were over. After coming to Philadel- phia I never so much as. put on a uniform again, and I have seldom even left the bench"
 It was a strugglue for Mack and his partners from the outset in their effort 10 gain q footing with the new Athletics in the Quaker City.
 Comics ma1or league salaries ranged from $2,Go0 10 s3,5OO. He lad married, but had been thrifty. He put every cent he had saved into the venture and acquired a D per cent interest. Eater, when wealth and fame came to him, he was able to increase this to 50 per cent, but there was many month in the early days when the appearance of the players pay envelopes was in doubt and when no dividends what ever were declared.
 Philadelphia entered the new league in 1901 under the one and only man who has ever managed its playing destinies. In the war with the National League for athletes mack assembled mixed collection of veterans and youngsters
 Among the youngsters was Eddie Plank, college ieft-hander just out Of Gettysburg, whose cross fire later vas to become famous. The Cross boys. Lave and Monte; Harry Davis and Dave Fultz were on the roster of the Athletics of 1901. They fin ished fourth inc the race, trailing Chicago, Boston and Detroit, but leading Baltimore, Washington, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
 Clark Griffith, the "Old Fox" was ritcher- manager of the champion Chicago White Sox, starting the American League career that was to lead him to the presidency of a V Torld's championship club in Wash ington in 1924s Billy Sullivan, the famous catcher; Jimmy Burke, Joe Sugden and Fielder Jonfs, anothe. to gain later fame as a manager were mem berssof the winning club
 The popularity of the Athletics in modern times makes it difficult to realize that when Mack first direct cd team there, it was largely re- garded as an outlaw affair, un-