| Show Are impoverished Bunch By GRANTLAND RICE RICE- 1 HAPPENED to be hanging around I when Connie Mack had one of I his great teams the teams the Athletics of 1910 He won d four out of five pen pen- pennants pennants nants through that blazing march He had his famous infield Infield Infield- w now an bunch at least at present prices I recall that one of the main reasons Grantland Rice Connie broke roke up his brilliant squad was lack of patron patron- age ge He was barely breaking even with ith ballplayers such as Eddie Col- Col Coins Collins lips lins ns Stuffy McInnIs Jack Barry run tome Baker Eddie Plank Chief Bender and Jack Coombs At Athe Atthe Atthe the he time one reason offered for poor loor attendance was the fact that Mr Hr Mack had a team that was en- en entirely entirely irely too good for business Today I believe that the Athletics of 1910 1914 would draw at least a year ear in the small ball park But not then not hen not 40 years ago So Connie had bad to disband his great squad Collins left for lor the White Sox Mcinnis went to Pittsburgh Barry moved to Bos Bos- Boston ton Most 1 of them were scat scat- scattered scattered scattered over baseballs baseball's map Ive I've heard h ud that t Connie sold a big bf part of this tills squad because of shady rumors In connection with the 1914 world series which series which the Braves m n in four straight games Ive I've never believed this was true Connie simply had bad a team that couldn't draw up to toUs toUs Us its playing ability at that time Today Mr Mack has no such all all- allstar star tar array TJI Yn place of a pennant winner or a pennant contender he heas has as a cellar contender He is down with the Browns and White Sox So Soils his ils Athletics are even further down downin In n attendance figures You dont don't run a big Jg league ball club lub today with a few thousand dol dol- lars ars Your scouting alone costs you youver over ver At least these are the he figures big league owners give me Pay rolls roUs have risen from 00 to In those days there were no Ted or Joe oe I l dont don't believe they grit nt that much Wagner and Mathewson lathe were and men Few got over Joe Jackson and Ed Walsh Jackson hit and Walsh won 40 games picked up a year year one one year Their average was under Today a busher or a near busher can knock over Or a a. kid can get a to bonus more than Wagner or Mathew 1 Mathewson son or Alexander or Cy Young drew In 12 years Or Walter Johnson J Mr Mack cant can't face the toll toU any His Athletics over overboard longer must go over overboard board to someone else This year Mr Macks Mack's will will be the most most disastrous financially he has ever known A Strange Career Connie Mack has been the living proof of what can happen in base ball He has won nine pennants II my figures are correct he has fin finished last 16 times Umes When he had fine material he hewon hewon hewon won flags lags When he had poor mate material rial he finished last No one can cansay cansay cansay say that Connie Mack hasn't been beena a fine manager One of the best He knew ballplayers He knew how to run teams He knew how to han handle handie dle die men But he never knew enough to lift lUt poor material out of last place Look at his record His one weakness was lack of a big bank bankroll bankrolL roll When this 1950 season opened hIs his year with the Athletics Athletics- he had faint dreams of first place Faint Paint dreams dreams but but ms-but but possible dreams lie ITe had definite dreams of finishing In the first division These dreams were were based upon high grade pitching pItching headed beaded by Brissie and Kellner Also the addition of Dillinger The first thing that collapsed was his pitching staff Then the tho thorest rest of his bis team followed the the Big Big Flop Connie Mack has always been a sportsman and a gentleman But Bui baseball is a matter of winning 01 ox losing material Nothing else Hit Hi 1950 team team his his final dream of move moving moving ing up with McGraw as a 10 time pennant winner winner winner-Is is already over The Other Boston Team Back last March when the mock mockingbirds were singing on the west coast of Florida the team given the best chance to win a pennant was the Red Sox Sox rated rated about level with the Dodgers It want the Braves Bravel who were shoved in well back of the Dodgers the Cardinals Car and the Phil Phil- lies Yet it has been the other Boston team team not not the Red Sox that Sox that has been in the thick of the pennant scramble all the way The Braves arc are an odd outfit They are seventh in batting be be- below b below o olow low the Reds and Pirates They arc just a bare notch above the Cubs They are arc supposed to havo have kept their place through the pitching of 01 Sam Sain Spahn and BIckford But Spahn has lost about as many games as he has won at this spot You have to give more than nor mal credit to Billy Southworth who keeps his clubs shooting at the top no matter where he works South South- Southworth worth is a great leader He is also a close inspector of details |
