The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-11
TABLES TURNED ! ON INDIAN BOSS
 BY INFIELD DUO
Peckinpaugh Couldn't See Mack and BOudreau
 Two Years Ago
BY PAUL sCHEFFELs

United Press Stan COrrespOndent)
 New York, Feb. Ill. (UP)-By a queer quirk a baseball fat Roger Peckinpaugr, new manager of the Cleveland Indians, will pilot two of the very players-Ray Mack and Lou Boudreau-he refused to acc cept on option to New Orleans when he managed the Pelicans in 1889.
 Peckinpaugh had a chance to acquire the players for his club when Oscar Witt, then manager of Cleveland, decided to ship Mack and Boudreau to the minors for season. ing. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, Peckinpaugh intimated that New Orleans' fans desided players who were better known.
 Today baseball men credit Mack and Boudreau with a large share in the re-modeling of Cleveland's s infield into one of the American Leagues strongest shortfeld de- fensive units. Mack, although now an established player of ability in his own right, is the lesser known Ot the two.
 All-OhiO Fullback
 Engmeering's loss turned out to be baseball's gain in Mack's case. He starred in football and was picked as all-Ohio fullback for three successive years before he was graduated from the Case School of Applied Science in Cleve- land.
 When he received his diploma, he was drafted by the Chicago Bears of the National professional football league, but declared he had played his last footbll game and either would be an engineer or a major league ball player.
 T never really cared to play football" said Mack. Baseball was the sport lived.
 When entered Case, was aft- CT my engineering degree and wish ed to play baseball in the summer. But the coaches and my fellow stu dents got after me and l turned out for football, anyhow"
 Slugging Rookie in 1888
 After graduation, Mack decided to try baseball for one year and if he was flop, to takeup engineering as a career. He signed with the rgc-Moorehead team of the Northern League in 1888 and bat ted a league-leading .378. He was purchased by Cleveland taken to the training camp at New Orleans in 1889. There he met Boudreau and the two college boys became in- separable friends.
 When Peckinpaugh passed them up, Buffalo's Steve O'Neill stpped in and said he'd be glad to have the two collegianS. That was a lucky move for O,Neill for his two new corners burned up the International League with their rapidf1re work afield and were so sensational that Cleveland recalled them in mid-sea- son.
 Boudreau got away spiendidly but Mack. playing in his home town, acquired buck fever and failed to hit. His slump continued into spring training last March but just when it looked az if he would be farmed out again and Ray Grimes installed at second, Mack began to land solid blows. By the time the season open ed, he was set solidly for second.
 Dickcy Praised Combination
 That Witt made wise move by keeping the Keystone Kids together, is testified to by Bill Dickey, veteran catcher of the New York Yankees. Dickey says grounders that formerly had NAne through the Cleveland in- field for base hits are now turned into double plays.
 Fans attended Cleveland games just to watch the two cooperate in double plays, to see Boudreau make his almost impossible pickupS and Mack pivot most skillfully in shoot ing the ball to first. The latter is able to throw the ball at top speed from about every angle and is too to bump out of the way easily. He is by far the largest second sacker in the American League and also one of the best ground coverers. ',
 My biggest fault last summer" " said Mack, twas in taking too many third strikes. I'm going to stop trying to outguess the pitcher and make myself more valuable the