| Show 6 i AICE OS ANGELES two youthful L LOS venerable sprightly ancient members of the sporting fraternity are setting a new record in california this spring both are on active duty and their combined ages reach the tidy total of years their names are connie mack and amos alonzo stagg connie and lonnie As lonnie stagg starts spring practice for his college of the pacific football team connie mack starts a new grantland Crant lind land year as manager of rice the philadelphia athletics connie and lonnie are each 77 years old both have been high lights in competitive sport for over 50 years both go well back into the eighties for their start so far back that only a fading few today remember the period that happened to start them off oaf and away on the long long trail abow about connie mack 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 on this spring trip to anaheim calif he gives you the impression of a young manager anxious to make good yet connie mack has won at least nine american league pennants and he has packed away k CONNIE MACK BLACK more than his share of world series triumphs he has been in baseball as player and manager for 60 years but those 60 years have taken nothing away from the fire that still blazes in his soul the vital spark shows no sign of any smoldering ash in his day he be 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 lie 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 baseballs valhalla he think it will be this year not with the yankees and red sox barring the road lie ile has paid out as much money this season as any other owner has paid out possibly more and connie is no millionaire for above everything else he wants one more american league flag one more world series championship connie mack was 42 years old when I 1 first met him in the giants athletic clash of 1905 the series that lifted christy mathewson to the heights no one could have figured then that this lean middle aged sportsman would still be driving forward 35 years later as young in 1940 as he was in 1905 as he was in 1890 he knots the ganze game what makes connie mack a great manager ile he is one of the greatest I 1 ever knew ty cobb told me recently possibly the greatest when you figure the smaller bankroll ban kroll be has had to work with connie was never a member of the driving hard bit ten type he would rather encourage you but he was never any softy he a always I 1 ways has demanded condition and the hustling spirit also he has known every angle of baseball pitching and catching infield and outfield play baseball strategy baseball psychology and a ball player wh who 0 hustle tor for co connie nnie black alack would never battle for anyone you have part of the answer here you might look back over some of the cast that connie has called to the field catchers mickey cochrane wally cy C perkins and others pitchers rube waddell eddie plank chief bender jack coombs herb pennock bob grove george earnshaw joe bush infielders infield ers stuffy mcinnis eddie C ollins jack barry homerin baker jimmy foxx jimmy dykes and many others and ad star outfielders who are far too numerous to mention by name |
