Getting to Know MLB Hall of Fame Manager Connie Mack
The successful skipper was an interesting man and a baseball force of nature
Connie Mack managed in the majors longer than any man before or after him. In addition to an 11-year big-league playing career, his 53 years spent as a skipper is a record that will almost certainly never be broken. Although he may have seemed taciturn, there was a lot of depth to him for those who got to know him better.
During his playing career, Mack was a good fielding catcher with a light bat. In his 11 seasons with three teams (1886–1896), he hit just .244 with five home runs and 265 RBIs in 724 games. He was swift for a backstop, swiping 127 bases but his primary value was in his glove and as a leader.
Those leadership skills helped Mack transition to a new phase in his career when his playing days ended. He was a player manager in his final three seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He then moved on to be a player/manager for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers for three years, where his most noteworthy act was signing young pitcher Rube Waddell, who became a star and followed his benefactor to the majors.
In 1901, Mack became the manager and a partial owner of the Philadelphia Athletics of the fledgling American League. It became his permanent…
