Home > Connie Mack (baseball)

Born in East Brookfields, Massachusetts to Irish immigrants, Mack was a journeyman catcher who played 11 seasons in the National League beginning in 1886, before he managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1894 to 1896 and then, in 1901, took ownership of the fledgling American LeagueThe American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. It developed from a minor league, the Western League, that aspired to's Philadelphia AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. They are in the Western Division of the American League. The team is often called the A's . Founded 1893, as the Indianapolis, Indiana franchise in the minor Western Leag. When New York GiantsBaseball teams The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California. They are in the Western Division of the National League. Founded either 1879 or 1883. The Troy Haymakers (or sometimes Trojans) were expelled from manager John McGrawAmerican Tobacco Company baseball card. John Joseph McGraw ( April 7, 1873 February 25, 1934), nicknamed "Little Napoleon", was a Major League Baseball player and manager. His total of 2763 victories as a manager ranks second all-time behind only that of called the Athletics "a white elephantA white elephant (also albino elephant is a rare kind of elephant. In Myanmar two have been found and caught, the second one in 2002 after an elephant finding team had searched for one month. In Thailand, white elephants are sacred and a symbol of royal p nobody wanted," Mack adopted a white elephant as the team's logo, which the Athletics have used off and on ever since.

On the field, Mack was quiet, even-tempered and gentlemanly, serving as a father figure to his players as much as a coach, and was universally addressed as "Mr. Mack". Once, when he visited the mound to remove notoriously hot-tempered pitcher Lefty GroveRobert Moses "Lefty" Grove ( March 6, 1900 May 22, 1975) was one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, and in the opinion of many including noted baseball historian Bill James the best pitcher ever. Born in Lonaconing, Maryland, Grove from the game, Grove said, "Go take a [expletive]", when Mack held out his hand for the ball. Mack looked Grove straight in the eye and calmly said, "You go take a [expletive], Robert."

Mack was also tight-fisted. Seeing baseball as a business, he once confided that it was more profitable to have a team get off to a hot start, then ultimately finish fourth. "A team like that will draw well enough during the first part of the season to show a profit for the year, and you don't have to give the players raises when they don't win," he said. The most famous example of Mack's tight-fistedness came on July 10July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. Events 48 BC Battle of Dyrrhachium, Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. 1778 American Revolution: Louis XVI of Fr, 19321932 is the leap year starting on Friday. see link for calendar) Events January-February January 3 British arrest and intern Mohandas Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel January 8 In Britain the Archbishop of Canterbury forbids church remarriage of divorcees Jan, when the Athletics played a one-game series with the Cleveland Indians. To save train fare, Mack only brought two pitchers. The starting pitcher was knocked out of the game in the first inning, leaving only knuckleballing relief pitcher Eddie Rommel . Rommel pitched 17 innings and gave up 33 hits, but won the game, 18-17.

Mack managed the Athletics through the 1950 season, when he retired at age 88.

Through his unequalled 53 seasons as a manager, he won nine pennants, appeared in eight World Series and won five of them. He built two dynasties: from 1910- 1914 (which featured Mack's famous "$100,000 infield" of Eddie Collins, Home Run Baker, Jack Barry and Stuffy McInnis ); and again from 1929- 1931 (which featured Hall of Famers Grove, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons). His 1911 and 1929 teams are considered by many to be among the greatest baseball teams of all time, and his 3,776 lifetime wins are a major league record—as are his 4,025 losses and 7,878 games managed.

Mack twice dismantled his dynasties; the first out of outrage when some of his star players started signing lucrative contracts with upstart Federal League teams, and the second due to financial difficulties due to the Great Depression. Besides his five World Series wins and four AL pennants, Mack's teams also finished last 17 times.

Mack was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.

Mack's grandson Connie Mack III was a member of the United States Congress from Florida from 1983- 2001.