conventionally. He would use his fourth and fifth outfielders to pinch-hit for his pitcher when he was behind in the late innings.
Was There Anything Unusual About His Lineup Selection?
For years he used Eddie Collins, who had leadoff-hitter type-skills, as a number-three hitter. Also, it was Mack who broke the convention of hitting the catcher eighth. Of course, he had Mickey Cochrane, who was the best-hitting catcher since Buck Ewing, so I would assume that almost any manager would have done the same.
Did He Use the Sac Bunt Often?
Very little.
Did He Like to Use the Running Game?
Very little. He had some good individual base stealers, but only two of Mack’s teams ever led the league in stolen bases, and one of those was in 1950, when Mack’s lieutenants were in complete charge of the team.
In What Circumstances Would He Issue an Intentional Walk?
In 43 World Series games, Mack issued only two intentional walks, both in conventional circumstances—late innings, score tied. The two intentional walks were in 1914, Game Three, and 1930, Game Six.
Did He Hit and Run Very Often?
Not much.
Were There Any Unique or Idiosyncratic Strategies That He Particularly Favored?
His handling of his starting pitchers in World Series games was very odd, and is essentially inexplicable. In 1910 he used only two pitchers, Jack Coombs and Chief Bender, not using his veteran superstar Eddie Plank (16–10) or anyone else. In 1911 Plank went 22–8—and still pitched very little in the World Series. Again, he used only three pitchers in the series.
In 1913 he had five starting pitchers who won 14 games or more, yet he again used only three pitchers in the World Series.
In 1929 he didn’t start the best pitcher in baseball, Lefty Grove, instead starting Howard Ehmke in Games One and Five, George Earnshaw in Game Two and again in Game Three, and forty-five-year-old Jack Quinn in Game Four. Grove pitched relief.
In the main, Mack was a straightforward strategic manager. He did not believe that baseball revolved around managerial strategy.
How Did He Change the Game?
Mack was one of the first managers to work hard on repositioning his fielders, shifting to one side if he didn’t feel this batter could pull this pitcher, telling the third baseman to guard the lines/not guard the lines, etc.
Like McGraw, Mack was something of an anomaly in his own time and did not have the broad, sweeping impact of a Branch Rickey or a Harry Wright. His greatest impact was in establishing orthodoxy in how the game was played.
An odd thought—Mack would have had greater impact on succeeding generations, if college baseball had achieved greater popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. Mack liked college players, and for that reason many of his players became college coaches. Jack Coombs, Mack’s best pitcher in 1910–1911, became a college coach, and wrote the most popular “How-to-Play-Baseball” type of book published between 1900 and 1940. Andy Coakley, a twenty-game winner for Mack in 1905, was the longtime coach at Columbia, where he coached Lou Gehrig. Dick Siebert, who played for Connie Mack from 1938 to 1945, also wrote the most popular How-to-Play-Baseball type of book in his era.
HANDLING THE PITCHING STAFF
Did He Like Power Pitchers, or Did He Prefer to Go with the People Who Put the Ball in Play?
His best pitchers had exceptional fast balls. Rube Waddell, Jack Coombs, Lefty Grove, Bullet Joe Bush—these were among the hardest throwers of their time. George Earnshaw was a hard thrower.
On the other hand, he had Eddie Rommel, a knuckleball pitcher, and Eddie Plank, whose strongest points were control and composure.
Did He Stay with His Starters, or Go to the Bullpen Quickly?
He was more inclined to stay with the starter. He got as far as using his top starting pitchers to finish out the wins of the other starters. Mack did that, as most managers did, in the years 1925–1940. He never really got beyond that.
Did He Use a Four-Man
Was There Anything Unusual About His Lineup Selection?
For years he used Eddie Collins, who had leadoff-hitter type-skills, as a number-three hitter. Also, it was Mack who broke the convention of hitting the catcher eighth. Of course, he had Mickey Cochrane, who was the best-hitting catcher since Buck Ewing, so I would assume that almost any manager would have done the same.
Did He Use the Sac Bunt Often?
Very little.
Did He Like to Use the Running Game?
Very little. He had some good individual base stealers, but only two of Mack’s teams ever led the league in stolen bases, and one of those was in 1950, when Mack’s lieutenants were in complete charge of the team.
In What Circumstances Would He Issue an Intentional Walk?
In 43 World Series games, Mack issued only two intentional walks, both in conventional circumstances—late innings, score tied. The two intentional walks were in 1914, Game Three, and 1930, Game Six.
Did He Hit and Run Very Often?
Not much.
Were There Any Unique or Idiosyncratic Strategies That He Particularly Favored?
His handling of his starting pitchers in World Series games was very odd, and is essentially inexplicable. In 1910 he used only two pitchers, Jack Coombs and Chief Bender, not using his veteran superstar Eddie Plank (16–10) or anyone else. In 1911 Plank went 22–8—and still pitched very little in the World Series. Again, he used only three pitchers in the series.
In 1913 he had five starting pitchers who won 14 games or more, yet he again used only three pitchers in the World Series.
In 1929 he didn’t start the best pitcher in baseball, Lefty Grove, instead starting Howard Ehmke in Games One and Five, George Earnshaw in Game Two and again in Game Three, and forty-five-year-old Jack Quinn in Game Four. Grove pitched relief.
In the main, Mack was a straightforward strategic manager. He did not believe that baseball revolved around managerial strategy.
How Did He Change the Game?
Mack was one of the first managers to work hard on repositioning his fielders, shifting to one side if he didn’t feel this batter could pull this pitcher, telling the third baseman to guard the lines/not guard the lines, etc.
Like McGraw, Mack was something of an anomaly in his own time and did not have the broad, sweeping impact of a Branch Rickey or a Harry Wright. His greatest impact was in establishing orthodoxy in how the game was played.
An odd thought—Mack would have had greater impact on succeeding generations, if college baseball had achieved greater popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. Mack liked college players, and for that reason many of his players became college coaches. Jack Coombs, Mack’s best pitcher in 1910–1911, became a college coach, and wrote the most popular “How-to-Play-Baseball” type of book published between 1900 and 1940. Andy Coakley, a twenty-game winner for Mack in 1905, was the longtime coach at Columbia, where he coached Lou Gehrig. Dick Siebert, who played for Connie Mack from 1938 to 1945, also wrote the most popular How-to-Play-Baseball type of book in his era.
HANDLING THE PITCHING STAFF
Did He Like Power Pitchers, or Did He Prefer to Go with the People Who Put the Ball in Play?
His best pitchers had exceptional fast balls. Rube Waddell, Jack Coombs, Lefty Grove, Bullet Joe Bush—these were among the hardest throwers of their time. George Earnshaw was a hard thrower.
On the other hand, he had Eddie Rommel, a knuckleball pitcher, and Eddie Plank, whose strongest points were control and composure.
Did He Stay with His Starters, or Go to the Bullpen Quickly?
He was more inclined to stay with the starter. He got as far as using his top starting pitchers to finish out the wins of the other starters. Mack did that, as most managers did, in the years 1925–1940. He never really got beyond that.
Did He Use a Four-Man
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