Sport: The Old Gentleman Retires

Philadelphia Athletics fans have long lived on their memories of Connie Mack’s last great teams, the American League pennant winners of ’29, ’30 and ’31. “Lefty” Grove and Righthander George Earnshaw pitched to Mickey Cochrane; Al Simmons ranged in left field, batted with his foot awkwardly in the bucket and was always over .300. Slugging Jimmy Foxx covered first base, and bustling over the rest of the infield, playing where he was needed most, was hustling Jimmy Dykes, a crack utility man and Connie Mack’s favorite performer.

But for 18 years Athletics fans have had little worth remembering. The Philadelphia story has been a succession of bush-leaguers who seldom lived up to promise, of dreary teams and second-division finishes. In Philadelphia this year, nearly everybody went out to watch Eddie Sawyer’s Whiz Kids win the National League pennant. Connie Mack’s last-place A’s drew only 310,129 fans; that added up to about half a million dollars in red ink.

Despite his 87 years, Connie Mack, finishing his 50th year as Philadelphia manager, could read the red ink without spectacles. And though financial control of his club had been vested in his sons, Earle and Roy, “Mr. Mack” could still make a decision. Last week, he made the hardest one of his life: he stepped aside. Then he named Coach Jimmy Dykes as the new manager. Said Connie firmly: “I am not quitting because I’m too old. I am quitting because I think the people want me to quit.” Still president of the A’s, Connie added a wistful afterthought: “I’ll travel with the team and watch the games from the stands.”

Connie could have hardly made a more popular choice of a successor. Philadelphia is home to bustling Jimmy Dykes, and the era of Infielder Dykes was a winning one. As manager for the Chicago White Sox for twelve years (1934-45), Jimmy had done wonders by persuading second-rate material that it could win a game now & then. If anyone could help the A’s, perhaps Jimmy could.

Cigar-puffing Manager Dykes, seldom at a loss for words, announced himself overwhelmed by the job of replacing Connie Mack. He soon snapped back into form.

“This team isn’t as bad as its record,” he said. “They finished so far behind [46 games] because they loafed.” The A’s next year, Jimmy implied, would have some of the old Dykes hustle.