Evening star., 1942-12-13
Boe Second Week War Savings Tournament Face Many Easy Targets
Connie Mack, Approaching 80, Hopeful as Ever
Of Turning Out Another Pennunt Winner
Boss Of As, in BqseboII> :
So Years, Declares He
Never Felt Better
BY TED MEIER,


Mack will celebrate his 80th BIRTH
day anniversary December % "in
the pink" of condition and hopeful
as ever of winning another American
League pennant with his now last
place Athletics.
A grandfather OF IA children, IL
boys and three girls. the grand old
gentleman Of baseball, an idol to
thousands of kiddies and grown-up
fans throughout the country, en-
phatically has not given up hope of
building another winner to rival his
great clubs of the 1904 and 1929
81 eras.
IF I had that thought in mind,
I wouldn't be here" he declared
in an interview in his tower ONCE
at Shibe Park. Il know our club
next year will be weak, but we're
not breaking it up. The war is
breaking it up for U.S."
Il thought we might do some
thing last summer" he went on. Il
thought we would be pretty good
out that was before the armed serv-
ices took Sammy Chapman, Jack
Wallssea. Benny Mccoy, AL Bran
cato and Don Richmond. That was
the ball club"
Saw Greatness for Richmond.
Richmond. rookie from Williams
port Of the Eastern League, was re-
parSed by N6ock &c q "oo,,,;,r oroot
third baseman." Wallasea was
rookie from Wilmington, Del, whom
Mack called "the shortstop of the
league" Chapman was a heavy
hitting outfielder and Mccoy and
Brancato veteran infielders.
Seated in an Office chair from
which he has passed judgment or
thousands of ball players. Mack
smiled and continued: Still you
never know what will happen when
things are like this. The other
clubs will be affected, too"
Mack has spent So years in base
ball, during which time the national
pastime has survived three wars and
the World Series scandal of 1919.
He expressed the opinion that base
ball would continue as usual in
1943 and that after the war the
game will be better than ever"
Il have been getting word" he
explained, that there are thousands
OF young soldiers in camps who have
the makings of good players. The
boys, I understand, look first at the
sports pages of the newspapers they
get. The businessman at home looks
first at page one, then turns to the
sports section. I believe the peo-
pie will want baseball as usual next
year. In travelling, think 1t can
be arranged so that one club will get
one Pullman car fer all it's players.
In the past we had two or three
cars
Gives Tip an Batting
A photographer asked: Would
YOU mind standing over here, Mr.,
Mack and hold a bat SOP"
The gracious old gentleman took
bat out of a closet and started
swinging it, perhaps thinking back
to the days when he caught. and
was permitted to catch the bali on
one bounce behind the plate He
grasped the bat with two hands at
the end to get full swing.
Always hold the bat high"
Connie said. giving a tip to future
sluggers. Many minor league play
ers hold the bat low But you see
by the time you swing the bat bach
in position they'll get the ball by
you.
Il don't know how I look" he con-
tinued, walking around the office,
but l never felt better in my life.
I'm in the pink, You know I was
in pretty bad shape four years ago.
but have improved gradually every
year since. I was lucky in over
coming an illness like that stomach
ailmenJ at my age.
The secret is treating yourself
right" Mack explained. ANY man
over so should be careful not to
evereXert himself; he should be
careful about food and careful about
rest"
CONNIE, tall ana lean, never
smokes and hasn't had a drink of
Intoxicating liquor in the last seven
or eight years" The only exercise
he gets is his mad dash" from the
AS dugout Immediately after a game
to an elevator that whisks him to
his office. This involves climbing
about IL steps from the dugout and
negotiating a distance of some Is
yards to the elevator.
Il used to play golf until about
six or seven years ago.' he grinned.
Il liked to play with Mickey Coch-
rane and Jimmy Dykes. They
walked fast and I liked to keep up
with them. I don't exercise any
more"
AS in the past. Connie puts in
full day at his Office. winter and