Evening star., 1940-02-26
The
SPoRTLIGHT
Mack Just Warming Up
After so Years on Job
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

Suecial CORRESPONDENT Of The Star.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 (N.A.NA.).
Two youthful, venerable, spright-
". ancient members of the sporting
fraternity are setting q new record
in California this spring. Both are
on active duty and their combined
ages reach the tidy total of 1854
years.
Their names are Connie Mack and
Amos Alonzo Stagg-Connie and
Lonnie.
As Lonnie Stagg starts spring
practice for his college OF the Pa
cific football team, Connie Mack
starts new year as manager of
the Philadelphia Athletics.
Connie and Lonnie are each II
years old. Both have been high
lights in competitive sport for over
80 years. Both 60 well back into the
Dos for their start, so far back that
only fading few today remember
the period that happened to start
them of and away on the long, long
trail.
The amazing point concerning
Connie Mack is the youthful spirit
and the youthful keenness he still
holds about his job of managing a
ball club.
Expects Another Pennont
Before He Is Through
On this spring trip to Anaheim,
Calf, he gives you the impression of
q young manager anxious to make
good. Yet Connie Mack has won at
least nine American League pen
nants and he has packed away more
than his share Of World Series tri-
umphs. He has been in baseball
as player and manager for 60 years.
But those 60 years have taken moth
ing away from the fire that still
blazes in his SOUL The vital spark
shows no sign of any smoldering ash.
In his day he has had at least
three great teams. For one reason
or another, largely financial, he has
had to break them up and build
again. Today he is just as keen and
eager to build another as he ever
was before.
Connie expects and hopes to win
another pennant before he marches
into baseball's Valhalla. He doesn't
think it will be this year-not with
the Yankees and Red Sox barring
the road.
But he has been around long
enough to know that even the YAM
KEGS can't go on forever. There al
ways Is a roads end for everything
that happens to be human.
He has paid out as much money
this season as any other owner has
paid out-possibly more. And Con-
ME Is no millionaire. For above
everything else he wants one more
American League f1ag-one more
World Series championship.
Connie Greotest Manager
That Cobb Ever Knew
Connie Mack was AZ years old
when I first met him in the Giants
Athletic clash of 19O5-the series
that lifted Christy Mathewson to
the heights. No one could have
figured then that this lean, middle
aged sportsman still would be driv.
ing forward IS years later, as young
In 1910 as he was in 1905-as he
was. in 1890.
What makes Connie Mack a great
manager?
HE is one of the greatest I ever
knew" Ty Cobb told me recently.
'Possibly the greatest, when you
figure the smaller bankroll he has
had to work with. Connie never was
. member Of the driving, hard-bit-
ten type. He would rather encour-
age you. But he was never any
softy. He always has demanded
condition and the hustling spirit.
Also he has known every angle of
baseball-pitching and catching, in
field and. outfield play, baseball
strategy, baseball psychology. And
. ball player who wouldn't hustle for
Connie Mack never would battle for
any one.