Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-19
c. Connie Mack ,-. BY 1':e , asss .
M HIS SO YEARS IN BASE BALL
No. 5-The Turning Point.

Wv WHILE Mack was with the
AAI Pittsburgh club, big pad
v v ded mitts were used by
catchers for the first
time, Sunday base ball was init
ated by some National League
clubs, the fiat bat was abolished
and the pitching distance moved
back from so feet to so feet 6
inches.
Revolutionary, as well, were de-
velopments in base ball organiza-
ton. After the original American
Association blew up, cities such
as st. Louis, Louisville and Cleve-
land were taken into membership
of a new 12-club circuit.
The split season was tried ana apan-
| doned. but the l2-club formation re-
| NAMED intact until the end OF the
nineteenth century. The twentieth was
ushered in by drastic upheaval, the
organization of the new American
League as a rival and war between
opposing magnates that lasted for sew
eral years.
Milwaukee, with Connie Mack as
manager. was one of the original teams
in the new league, launched in 1900.
It finished second to Chicago, followed
in order by Indianapolis, Detroit, Kan
sas City, Cleveland, Buffalo and Min.
neapolis. For the first time, base ball
fans began to take notice Of the man
agerial ability of the lanky 1rishman.
r ooKING backward. so years later.
IL Mack told me:
my experience at Milwaukee
was the turning point in my career.
did not know much about handnng
clubs affairs, but I quickly found out
l was installed as business as well as
nlaying manager. / called the roll, di-
rected the play, paid the bills and ham
died the other office dealings, besides
taking a frequent turn behind the bat.
My four years there were must fruitful
in their effect upon my later career.
when, in 1901, johnson advised me
TO seize the chance for a partnership
with the Shibes in the Philadelphia club
of the new league, was pretty well
equipped for the job. My playing days
were over. After coming TO Philadel-
phia I never so much rs put on q uni
form again, and have seldom even
left the bench"
TT was q struggle for Mack and his
i partners from the outset in their
effort to gain a footing with the
new Athletics in the Quaker City.
Comics major league salaries ranged
from 81, 500 to SO ,500.' He had married,
but had been thrifty. He put every
cent he had saved into the venture and |
acquired 4 IS per cent interest. Later, |
when wealth and fame came to him, he |
was able to increase this to so per cent, |
but there was many a month in the |
early days when the appearance OF the |
players pay envelopes was in doubt |
and when no dividends whatever were |
declared
Philadelphia entered the new league |
In 1901 under the one and only man |
who has ever managed its playing deS- |
TIMES. In the war with the National |
League for athletes, Mack assembled q |
mixed collection Of veterans and young |
sters.
Among the youngsters was Eddie |
Plank, a college left-hander just out |
of Gettysburg, whose croSs-flre later |
was to become famous. The Cross boys, |
Lave and Monte; Harry Davis and |
Dave Fultz were on the roster of the |
Athletics of 1901. They finished fourth |
in the race, trailing Chicago, Boston |
and Detroit, but leading Baltimore, |
Washington, Cleveland and Milwaukee.
Clark Grifnth, the "Old Fox" was |
pitcher manager Of the champion Chi |
cago White Sox, starting the American |
League career that was to lead him to |
the presidency Of a world championship /
club in Washington In 1924. Billy Sui |
livan, the famous catcher; Jimmy |
Burke, Joe Sugden and Fielder Jones,