Imperial Valley press., 1939-04-26
Sports Parade
By HENRY McLEMORE

NEW YORK. April 26. (UP)-
Ulysses Simpson Grant was presi-
dent, carpet were having
a field day in the south, Jay Gould
and Jim Fisk had cornered all the
gold, and Germany was teaching
the goose step to AlSace-Lorraine
when Cornelius McGillicuddy start
ed playing baseball.
That was a long time ago. Around
66 years ago, to be nearly exact.
Baseball was a young game then.
players wore funny caps and NOUS
taches to match. There was no
such thing as a glove or mitt, and
the curve ball still was unborn
Spectators watched games from
their surrevS. and the catcher took
the pitch on the second bounce.
1t was yester-year when Cor
nelius McGillicuddy started base
ball. Kings and nations have fall
len. maps have been changed all
around, since the man we know
as Connie Mack took to baseball
Yet yesterday sitting upright. hale
and hardy on the bench of the
Philadelphia Athletics when they
played the New York Yankees,
was Connie Mack.
To me Mr Mack is the most
amazing part of the baseball we
know today. You can have the
centennial, with its hired publicity
men. That baseball is 100 years
old is not half as interesting as the
fact that Connie Mack, at rs, is
out there every day matching wits
with managers who were not even
born when he was heluva catcher
and burning up the league with his
speed on the bases.
I watched him for two days at
the Yankee stadium. running every
bit of the Athletics play from the
| bench. To look at him you would
think he was a rookie manager,
just breaking in. He called every
pitch for the man in the box. He
stationed every outfielder. He suf-
fered the agony of the damned
when the AS. were in trouble and
choked with excitement when they
rallied.
1t didn't seem possible that Mr..
Mack. player in and watcher of
more than 10000 baseball games,
could retain the enthusiasm of a
Schoolboy. But the Philadelphia
writer's with the club say he is
still the greatest fan in the United
States. They will tell you that
not only has he been a part of
10000 games but that he can tell
you the score of each game, and
how the runs we're scored.
On the opening day of the 1899
season, when the AS played the
Washingtons in Philadelphia, Mr.
Mack came within an inch of
throwing a conniption fit in the
seventh inning. With the AS ahead
the WaShingtons put two men on
and sent Sam West up to bat. 1t
was situation that Mr. Mack must
have faced a thousand times. Yet
so excited did he get in signalling
his pitcher to throw a curve that
he moved out on the apron of the
dugout and, with all six feet two
inches of him Silhouetted against
the dark stands began togo thru
the motions of a pitcher throwing
a curve
Mr.. Mack is spryer this year
than he has been in 10 years. He
eats three whopping meals a day
| takes in the game, goes TO an
early movie and is sucker for a
bridge game up until midnight. Al
of this, mind you, despite the fact
that a year ago February the doc
tors gave him up for good. Just
when the medicos had exhausted
their resources in an effort to pul
| him through, spring training tint
came around and up from the bee
he got to go to Florida and run his
| team.
At rs, he is talking of another
great Philadelphia team.
Gee Whillikens," he'll tell you
I'VE have some mighty nice boys or
this team. Mercy, in a few years
we might be UP there in the race.
He will be, too. Tucked away
in his head is more baseball know
ledge than half the managers ir
the league have combined, and ir
his heart is a flame. A love fol-
the game, that will burn until
well, to use Mr. Mack's own words
will burn until Gracious me,
can't go on any more"