The Legacy of Connie Mack, the“Grand Old Man of Baseball”
A Project Proposal
Sweating profusely, I stare up at the 12-foot tall statue in front of me at the Connie Mack Stadium in north Philly. “How many greats is he again?” is the only question my 11 year old brain could come up with as I learned for the first time about my famous great-great grandfather, Connie Mack.
Cornelius McGillicuddy, one of nine children in a poor Irish immigrant family, born amidst the American Civil War, is the most-winning Major League Baseball manager, and an icon for the sport of baseball itself.
I never took much interest in baseball, so the only information about my ancestor that I could store from that day at his statue was that he always wore a three-piece suit, and that he is dearly loved in the sports world. However, a more in depth analysis of his effect on my life would show his impact on my grandfather, Dennis McGillicuddy, lovingly dubbed Pop-pop. Passed on from Connie to Pop-pop to me has been the lesson of the power of kindness. My great-great grandfather, the “Grand Old Man of Baseball”, not only dressed sharp, but also changed the course of my family’s history, as well as the history of baseball.
Humble Beginnings
Born in Brookfield, Massachusetts in 1862 as Cornelius McGillicuddy to Irish immigrants Michael McGillicuddy and Mary McKillop, Connie’s story has humble beginnings. Earning $2 a day as a wheelwright, Connie’s father was making much less than he needed to support a pregnant wife and two children. So, when the Fifty-first Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry came through Brookfield with a $150 bounty for 9 months of service in the Civil War, Michael seized the opportunity. However, it was this service which led to Michael’s extremely poor health at age 26. These ailments prevented Michael from a steady job and so he began to draw out a monthly disability check to support his family. Due to this lack of income, Connie at the age of 9 began to work summers in the Brookfield Manufacturing Company cotton mill. Earning up to $6 a month, little Connie contributed what he could to aid the family. His brother Michael Jr. recalled “He always brought mother his pay envelope. He was always ready to give or share what he had”.
Relief from this adult world for young Connie came through baseball. In a large open field Connie would play “four-a-cats”, an early form of America’s favorite pastime, with neighborhood kids. Nicknamed, “Slats”, lanky Connie continued to develop his skills as a ball player throughout his youth. However, his childhood came to an abrupt end in 1877 after he quit school in 8th grade to pursue full time work at a farm adjacent to the town’s ball grounds. His town was still recovering from the panic of 1873 when he entered the workforce. Yet, East Brookfield’s bustling industries kept the town afloat. After 3 years of farm work, Connie took the opportunity to join the industry world for higher wages at a local shoe factory.
Connie always regarded his childhood in a positive light, despite some serious hardships. Similar to the plight of many Irish immigrant households at this time, Connie’s father suffered from alcoholism. This is what most likely influenced Connie’s open aversion to alcohol. Alcohol abuse has sadly continued to descend throughout the generations, affecting many of my relatives. However, following in Connie’s footsteps, some members of my family, including my mother and Pop-pop, have chosen to stop drinking alcohol all together. Maintaining self-respect has been an important lesson learned through this more tragic aspect of my family’s past.
“Slats” Makes the Big Leagues
Connie Mack did not let his tragedies define him. Instead, he built himself up from poor Irish kid to a venerated position in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In the summer of 1879, at age 16, he was awarded a spot as catcher on East Brookfield’s town team. It was that summer that he wore a glove for the very first time, after the team chipped in for the $2 purchase. This opportunity led him to the minor leagues for the Connecticut cities of Meriden and Hartford. Following that, in 1886, Mack made it to the major leagues for a total of 11 seasons before ditching his glove for team management.
“the Tall Tactician”
He wasn’t regarded as the greatest player, so he found a different way to continue his passion for baseball. In 1901, Connie Mack became manager, treasurer and part owner of the new American League’s Philadelphia Athletics. He remained with this team for 50 years, the longest time any manager or coach has stayed with one team in North American professional sports. It is here where he earned nicknames like “the Tall Tactician” and “the Grand Old Man of Baseball”. With a record of 3,582–3,814 (.484), he has managed more games than any other person in baseball history. Before his retirement at age 87, he earned a total of nine AL pennants and five World Series titles.
Connie’s Code of Conduct for the Philadelphia A’s post 1916:
I will always play the game to the best of my ability.
I will always play to win, but if I lose, I will not look for an excuse to detract from my opponent’s victory.
I will never take an unfair advantage in order to win.
I will always abide by the rules of the game — on the diamond as well as in my daily life.
I will always conduct myself as a true sportsman — on and off the playing field.
I will always strive for the good of the entire team rather than for my own glory.
I will never gloat in victory or pity myself in defeat.
I will do my utmost to keep myself clean — physically, mentally, and morally.
I will always judge a teammate or an opponent as an individual and never on the basis of race or religion.
Connie’s Impact
In his obituary, the New York Times wrote, “He was a new type of manager. The old-time leaders ruled by force, often thrashing players who disobeyed orders on the field or broke club rules off the field. One of the kindest and most soft-spoken of men, he always insisted that he could get better results by kindness. He never humiliated a player by public criticism. No one ever heard him scold a man in the most trying times of his many pennant fights.” Even with all of his achievements in baseball, it is this kindness that has made me most proud to be apart of my family. Following the path started by my great-great grandfather, my grandfather continues to demonstrate and teach the power of kindness. He has taught me what it means to be apart of our family. We work hard for what we love. We follow our passions, despite failure. We are kind, without exception — we also dress pretty sharp too.
For my project I’d like to research the life of Connie Mack and his impact on the rest of my family. I want to learn more about his personal life and about why he chose kindness over harshness. Choosing kindness over harshness is difficult to do, I myself have struggled to show kindness when it doesn’t seem “fair” to do so. So often it seems as if kindness is a privilege. It is up to the person giving the kindness as to who deserves it. Connie Mack didn’t shout or attack players who messed up, instead he would guide and instruct, even if that player didn’t necessarily deserve it. I am eager to explore the benefits and drawbacks of nonselective kindness. It is easy to show kindness to a friendly face, but what about to an umpire who has just made a bad call against your team? Connie knew how to keep a level head, despite many difficulties, and I am excited to research just how he did it, so I can implement this tactic into my own life. An interview with my grandfather, Pop-pop, could give me an inside look into the life behind this famous manager.
- When and where were you born?
- Why did your family leave Philadelphia?
- What was your family life like growing up?
- What lessons have you learned from your family?
- How would you describe your relationship with your family?
- Did you ever have an interest in baseball?
- What lessons have you learned through baseball?
- How has baseball impacted your life?
- How do you think your grandfather has shaped baseball?
- How important do you think baseball is to our family history?
- What traits stuck out to you about your grandfather?
- Do you have any stories about your grandfather? If so, please share
- What moral values do you consider most important?
- How would you describe your relationship with your father?
- How would you describe your father’s relationship with your grandfather?
- Can you recall a time in which your grandfather lost his temper?
The Man Outside the Dugout
An Annotated Bibliography
The smell of hotdogs and popcorn will forever remind me of skinned knees and sweat thanks to my abundance of time spent at the ballpark. Whether it was me or one of my brothers out on the field, the sights, smells, and sounds remained the same. Loud cheers would erupt from my mother when our team made a good play, and when the ump made the wrong call, a cheeky comment was guaranteed to be heard from the stands. When I was younger, every spring, these sights, smells, and sounds dominated my family’s life.
Baseball is a good sport to be raised on. It teaches work ethic and patience. Even though we may grow out of the sport itself, many of my family members, including myself, built the foundation of our characters in the dugouts of Little League. You strike out, you try again. You fall, you get back up. You get a run, you get your very own slushy.
My family’s love for the sport can be traced back to its beginnings, as my great-great grandfather, Connie Mack, played a hand in shaping it from a strange form of England’s cricket to America’s favorite pastime. As a member of the baseball hall of fame, Mack’s contribution to baseball’s history cannot be questioned, but just how he became involved, and how much he contributed is the basis of my research. My research also includes the man outside the dugout, and what sort of person he was. This insight helps me as I seek to learn more about my family’s history, the history of baseball, and the development of my own personal morals and ideals.
“Connie (McGillicuddy) Mack.” Irish Heroes & Heroines of America, Feb. 2004, pp. 107–108.
To begin my research, I first came across this short article summarizing my great-great grandfather’s contribution to baseball. Within this article lies many of his accomplishments as well as some of his failures in baseball. This information proved itself useful as it created a condensed, easy to understand, outline for the life of Connie Mack. The article even quotes Mack saying that managing,
“is twelve and a half percent strategy; twelve and a half percent is comprised of what a manager can get out of his team. The other 75 percent is talent.”
Connie Mack had a knack for finding talent, but what he did with that talent is what led him to success. He was able to lead his teams to nine pennants and five World Series championships. He worked with baseball legends such as Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Eddie Blank, Bobby Shantz, George Kell, Jack Coombs, Lefty Grove and Chief Bender.
The article’s referenced stats show a career full of high points and low points, but what remained constant was his half-century long passion for baseball and the Philadelphia franchise. Beyond the stats, his love for the sport held a special place in his character. He would later say that if he had to write his own epitaph it would read,
“He loved his God, his home, his country, his fellow men, and baseball.”
A difficult life with passion, is far better than an easy life without. I believe my great-great grandfather would agree with me. Most of the time, pursuing what you love is not going to be the friendliest route, but it will be the most rewarding.
Macht, Norman L. (2007). Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978–0–8032–3263–1.
It was shocking to see a book I had seen a million times on my grandfather’s coffee table appear within my research. Norman L Macht’s book had always caught my eye, but never once had I opened it, until I began to investigate Connie Mack’s life. Once I did finally turn its pages, I was taken aback at the wealth of information about my great-great grandfather this stranger knew. Meticulous details from the price of Mack’s first glove to the wage of his father were spelled out for the reader to learn about. Macht created a portrait of Connie Mack, as well as a portrait of the time he lived in.
Macht dives into the story of Connie Mack by first telling the story of the plight of Ireland in 1846 and his parents. From here, Macht continues with detail after detail of Mack’s life and the world surrounding his life all the way up to his death in 1956. Macht gathered all the knowledge he could on Mack and used it to showcase what his character was truly like. Macht makes connections to what was known and unknown about Connie’s life. For example, when discussing Connie’s relationship to his parents, Macht remarks,
“His memory edited out the unpleasantness of his father’s declining years, as he watched his mother put up with her husband’s drinking, nurse him as his various ailments debilitated him, and raise five children while losing two others, all without complaining or losing her spirit.”
This intimate evaluation of Connie Mack’s life shows just what he had to go through in order to become the man many people came to know as the “Grand Old Man of Baseball”. With this information, I could more accurately see the personal life of my great-great grandfather.
O’Loughlin, Joe. “Ex-Hurler Lou Brissie: Recalls His Battles to Pitch in the Majors: World War II Veteran Overcame Injuries to Get His Chance in the Big Leagues, Playing for Connie Mack in Philadelphia.” Baseball Digest, no. 4, 2005, p. 74. EBSCOhost
Lou Brissie has come to be known as a man of valor. He was first scouted by Connie in 1941 when he was just 17 years old playing in the same mill leagues that the tall man played himself at that age. However, Brissie’s baseball career had to be placed on hold in 1942, when he enlisted in World War II. Just a year before his return home to Mr. Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics program, shrapnel shattered his left tibia and shinbone into thirty pieces. Brissie faced 23 operations on his leg. During this time, Connie Mack sent 15 handwritten letters to this wounded soldier. Brissie recalls that,
“I received a letter written on December 28, 1944 from Mr. Mack. He told me that he was looking forward to having me make the fans forget players like Grove and Walberg. He said that when I was ready to play ball he would see to it that I would get my chance.”
Connie Mack was dedicated to his players. He knew talent when he saw it and he wasn’t willing to watch it waste away. Mr. Mack’s efforts to give Brissie his shot inspired the soldier to work hard for the team that didn’t abandon him. Brissie has also stated,
“I would not use any excuse for not working hard and pitching. I owed everything to Mr. Mack. He gave me my chance to pitch.”
Connie Mack knew how to inspire. He commanded respect through honest actions and advice, not through aggressive demands. This skill demonstrates his exhaustive experience. He was a kind man who loved his sport.
His patience and slow to anger personality has been passed on to his grandson, my grandfather. To this day, I have yet to hear my grandfather raise his voice. Kindness comes from this kind of patience. Just as Mr. Mack waited and supported Brissie, so has my grandfather waited and supported me and my family throughout many bumps in the road.
Jordan, David M. The Athletics of Philadelphia : Connie Mack’s White Elephants, 1901–1954. McFarland, 1999.
Obviously, I was not around during the time my great-great grandfather dominated the field. I did get a chance to visit the Connie Mack Stadium, but the stands were filled with 21st century fans, an atmosphere very different to the one Mack would have known. Jordan M. David’s book offers a more interactive experience to baseball during the time of Connie Mack.
1901 to 1954 was time quite unlike our own. It is hard to imagine this era without a visual aid. Back in Connie’s day long sleeves and long pants were the expected attire for a player. As manager, Connie had the option to wear what he wanted. What was his choice? A three piece suit, every game, without exception. His personality shone through his photographs as the composed man he was. His height singles him out in many images as an intimidating figure, but his expression shows a calm demeanor. Today, in my family, the tall gene continues to be passed along. In-laws are easily spotted at family reunions — almost a head shorter than everyone else. Not only that, but from a young age I was taught to dress my best for special occasions. Through these photographs, I could see my family’s relation to this tall, nicely dressed man.
Pop-pop’s Grandfather
An Oral History with Dennis McGillicuddy
My Pop-pop is one awesome guy. He has constantly supported me, as well as the rest of my family, with love, kindness, and patience without fail for my whole life. My grandmother, Mimi, and Pop-pop have not only expressed this tremendous love for me, but also to their community. Together they have started their own charity organization to help abused children and heal the foster care system. The All Star Children’s Foundation’s mission is “to create a safe place for children to heal from the trauma of child abuse”. Their 5 acre facility is currently in construction and will house up to 60 children victimized by abuse. I am incredibly proud of them and the work they have done to make the world a better place. I was very excited to get a chance to interview my grandfather on his family history so I could get an inside look into where this awesome guy came from.
When were you born?
December 10,1941
Why did your family leave Philadelphia?
When my grandfather retired from running the Philadelphia Athletics in 1950, both my Dad, Connie Mack Jr. and his older half brother Roy Mack wanted to buy the team from the rest of the family. Because he was the oldest son, he had the first opportunity to find backers to support his purchase of the team. He succeeded and, consequently there was no place for my Dad in the organization. He decided to start a new life in Florida and he picked Ft. Myers, where the A’s had trained in the 1930’s.
What was your family life like growing up?
We had a traditional family, in that my Mom stayed home and my Dad worked. Both were very much involved in our lives with my Mom focusing on our school work and our Dad playing a role in our athletic activities. When we moved to Florida, I was one of 4 children and then my Mom had 4 more children so we all pitched in raising the younger 4 children. Ft. Myers was a very small town so we knew almost everyone. Television was not a big thing back then and there was so much opportunity to do things outdoors so my memories of are playing a lot of sports and fishing.
What lessons have you learned from your family?
Being from a large family, I learned how to share and how to be patient. I appreciated the closeness of our family and have tried to bring that sense of stability and belonging into my own family. My Dad instilled a sense of confidence in me that allowed me to think deeper about my place in the world and what I might be able to accomplish.
How would you describe your relationship with your family?
As a child I didn’t think much about my relationship with my family. It just was what it was. Later I realized the profound impact of having such an amazing family filled with all kinds of personalities and talents. It clearly enriched my life being a part of this family. As we all grew older, we all have come to realize what a special gift it is to be a part of a family that cares for each other.
Did you ever have an interest in baseball?
I played football, basketball and baseball growing up but baseball was my favorite. When I was in high school, I had hoped to pitch in the major leagues but an arm injury kept me from pursuing a career in baseball. I did later become a part owner of a Triple A minor league team in Phoenix, Arizona.
What lessons have you learned through baseball?
I learned a lot from baseball and sports in general. Teamwork first comes to mind. I also learned what it was like to persevere through sports. The value of hard work and not giving up have played an important role throughout my life.
How has baseball impacted your life?
See the answer above. Also, because my grandfather was such a famous person, one day my Dad sat me down and said, “As you grow up, people are going to look at you a little different because your grandfather is so well known and loved. Never be ashamed of that but also never think that makes you something special. Being the grandson of a famous person might open some doors for you, but it is entirely your responsibility to walk through that door and make something of yourself.” This moment stands out for me when I first started to understand what humility means.
How do you think your grandfather has shaped baseball?
He was one of three men that founded the American League in 1901. This transformed baseball forever. He also was one of the first managers to bring good management practices to running his team including delegating some responsibilities to his players. He fully engaged his players and focused on having the naturally leaders on his team participate in decisions he had to make. He also brought a dignity to the game by virtue of his demeanor and how he conducted his own life.
How important do you think baseball is to our family history?
There are several ways to answer this. My grandfather was, at one time, one of the most famous people in our country. As time has gone on, the impact of this becomes less and less but at least in my generation, it did open avenues that might not have been otherwise opened to us. I think of the election of my brother, Connie, to public office, including the US Senate. The name recognition that Connie enjoyed because he was the namesake certainly was a great plus in his election campaigns. But, as my Dad had said, it was then up to Connie to do something with it and he certainly did! In his last statewide election, he won with over 70% of the votes. This happened because of who he was and certainly not because his grandfather had been a very famous person!
The other way to answer this by acknowledging that the values that came from my grandfather that were passed down to my Dad and ultimately to us all grew out of the life experiences that were shaped by my grandfather’s career in baseball. So when I think about perseverance, hard work, honesty and decency and respecting others were all traits that my grandfather was known for and for which he was so revered.
What traits stuck out to you about your grandfather?
I think I just answered that in the question above! I will add one that is not as flattering. He was also very parsimonious when it came to player salaries and he lost the talents of some very good players because he wouldn’t meet their salary demands. He came from a very poor family and I am sure this shaped his view of things. Having said that, he was very generous to his siblings who struggled in life.
Do you have any stories about your grandfather? If so, please share
My grandfather was a catcher in his playing days. Remember this is back in the 1870–80’s. When he first played, the catcher stood well behind home plate and caught the pitch on the first bounce. And, initially, he used no glove and then only a thin piece of leather as a glove. His hands in his later years were all crooked and gnarled.
What moral values do you consider most important?
I do my best to live a life in which kindness and compassion are at the forefront. Respect for others, openness and honesty, being non-judgmental and generosity are also moral values that I am committed to.
How would you describe your relationship with your father?
In my early years, my Dad seemed distant and mostly, but not entirely, an authority figure. As I mentioned earlier, he did instill in me, by his words and his actions, a solid sense of self-confidence. He did this, however, in such a way that I never became cocky and for that I am so grateful. Later in life, we became very close and opened up to each other in ways that were very beautiful!
How would you describe your father’s relationship with your grandfather?
I really can’t describe that in anyway that I would be confident of. I do know that my grandfather was gone from home at least half the time because the team traveled around the country. So I do not think they were close in the way that I became close with my Dad.
Can you recall a time in which your grandfather lost his temper?
I never saw him lose his temper and, from all that I have heard over the years and read about him, he didn’t lose his temper. I do have a story relating to that:
He had a first basemen, named Ferris Fain, who was a very good hitter and fielder. In one particular game, Ferris tried to make an almost impossible play and ended up overthrowing the ball to third base, causing a run to score. Back in the dugout after the inning was over, my grandfather said to Ferris “ Now, Ferris, why in the world did you try to make that play?” To which Ferris replied in a somewhat angry voice “ Well, Mr. Mack, what did you want me to do with it, stick it where the sun don’t shine?” The story goes that my grandfather calmly replied
“That would have been a better place for it, Ferris!!”
Impact to the World
It’s hard not to think of the motif of the American Dream when thinking of Connie Mack’s story, and subsequently my grandfather’s story as well. They both built themselves up to be great men in their own right. Today, Connie Mack’s name is revered. Though less popular than he was in his time, his contribution to baseball has forever impacted the sport. My grandfather has continued this tradition of making an impact on the world with his work in fixing the foster care system. I am proud to bear this history in my genes, and uncovering it has risen my own expectations for myself. I wonder what I can do to make an impact on the world.
Before this interview, I did not know much about my grandfather’s relationship with his family, but it does explain my grandfather’s propensity for emphasizing the importance of family. Also, before this interview, I did not think I would learn anything that would affect my life at all. I thought that my family’s life was their own and mine was separate, but throughout this entire project I have found connections that have excited and inspired me. I feel closer to my family through knowing our history.
It wasn’t easy completing this project. In the beginning, it was overwhelming as I found mountains of information that I didn’t think I could narrow down into a formatted article. I also struggled with the Oral History as I had never conducted a formal interview before. However, my grandfather was very patient with me and was kind enough to fit me into his busy schedule. It was a few faulty questions that I wish I could’ve worked out before our interview, but I am happy with the way it ended up turning out.
My family is chock full of interesting stories. From legends like escaping Nazi Germany to U.S senators to public nudity arrests, we are a unique bunch. When the time comes for me to pass on the tales passed on to me, I will happily reiterate their importance to the identity of our family name. Connie Mack will most definitely be highlighted, and maybe I’ll even get around to sharing that arrest story. Both the good and the bad stories play a hand in creating our identity. It’s what you do with that identity that matters most. I am proud of my family history, and can’t wait for when it’s my turn to impact the world.