The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-26

Back in 1914 Mack broke up what was known at that time as the greatest baseball team in history. II Included such stars as Eddie Plank Charles Bender, Frank Baker, Eddie Collins, John Barry, Jack Coombs John McInnis, Wally Schang, Boh Shawkey and Joe Bush. They had brought Mack four American league and three world championships in | five years.
 But the stars were getting old Mack decided to start over again, He broke up his famous infield com bination. still hailed as the greatest the game has ever seen. On the Up Grade Long, lean years followed. For seven consecutive seasons his Phila- delphia team finished last. Then it started to .climb--seventh In 1922, sixth in 1923, fifth in 1924, second in 1925, third in 1926, up to second in 1927 and again in 1928.
 And then came the Athletics of 1929-Gfove, Earnshaw, Simmons, Foxx, Cochrane. Miller, Walberg, Dykes, Boley. Bishop and the rest. They won the league title and went on to win the world championship from the Chicago Cubs.
 No, it wasn't as good a ball club as the one he had in his first cham pionship years, Connie said.
 But his men carried on to another league and world title in 1880. It still wasn't his greatest team, Connie said.
 In Nice Position
 And in 1881 the same men are still carrying on. They are at the top of the American league and have a five-game advantage over the Washington Senators. They have won IF straight games--the longest winning streak recorded by major league team since 1916. It is within two games of the longest American league winning streak--19 consecu- tive victories by the Chicago White Sox in 1906.
 These men still may not form Connie's greatest ball club. But even the old master is weakening. He says he may have to change his mind about what team was his greatest one. But even if he doesn't change his mind, the Athletics have proved that Connie turned out a pretty good job in the 25 years it took him to build his second cham pionship club.
 Two at a Time
 They showed Connie yesterday that all teams were alike to them. They took both ends of double header from the New York Yankees, 4 to 2 and 16 to 4. Lefty Grove pitched the first game against the team considered as the Athletics most dangerous rival and was in- vincible in the pinches. In the ninth inig with the tyig runs on second and third he struck out Ruth and Gehrig, two of the greatest hitters in the league to end the game.
 A barrage of base hits gave Phila- delphia the second game. Roy Sherid was clubbed from the mound in the first inning as the Athletics scored nine runs to sew up the con- test. Leroy Mahaffey coasted to vic- tory and shut out the Yankees for the first seven innings.
 The defeats dropped the Yankees to third place, a half game behind Washington's Senators, whose sched- uled contest with Boston was post poned because of rain.
 SOx Lost, Cubs Won
 Cleveland defeated Chicago, [ to 6 in the only other American league game. The Indians knocked Tommy Thomas from the mound In the eighth inning when they scored nve runs on six hits.
 In the only other National league game, the Chicago Cubs defeated Pittsburgh 9 to and moved into fourth place in the National league standings. Sweetland allowed the pi- rates only eight hits but five errors by his mates kept him in constant trouble.