Connie Mack’s Memories and Stories Are Why He Was Baseball’s Living History
The venerable Hall-of-Famer saw more than just about anybody in the history of the sport
Connie Mack seemed to forever be baseball’s grand old man.The long-time catcher, manager and team owner was an integral part of the early decades of baseball. Particularly in the latter portion of his more than 60 years in professional, he was seen as living history, given how his career had spanned so much of the game. His memories and stories remain some of the greatest treasures baseball has ever known.
During his playing career, Mack was a good fielding catcher, but didn’t provide much impact as a hitter. In 11 seasons with three teams (1886–1896), he batted .244 with five home runs and 265 RBIs in 724 games. However, he could run, swiping 127 bases. Like many old catchers, his greatest value to his teams was his glove and ability as a leader.
After spending a few years as a player/manager, Mack became the manager and a partial owner of the Philadelphia Athletics of the fledgling American League in 1901. He never worked again for another team, as he remained as manager and owner through the 1950 season.
During his 53 years manning a big-league dugout, he produced a record of 3,731–3,948 (with…
