Muscle Sport Magazine

Connie Mack Begins His Managerial Career – Sept. 3, 1894

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Auspicious beginnings do take place at times when the foresight may not yet be there, but seems like an obvious oversight in retrospect. Case in point, Connie Mack managing (and winning) his first major league baseball game in the late 19th century and doing so until 1950. On this day in baseball – September 3, 1894 – Mack was a catcher on the Pittsburgh Pirates and they fired manager Al Buckenberger. The future Hall of Famer was tabbed as player-manager before a game against his former team, the Washington Senators. Mack’s debut was a memorable one, a 22-1 rout and the first of his 3,731 career managerial wins. He ended up remaining on the job in both roles for two more seasons before being fired by the Pirates (149-134).

His next stop was with the minor league Milwaukee Brewers as a manager (Mack was also listed as a back-up catcher, but player sparingly) for the next four seasons. In 1901, the American League launched and the Philadelphia Athletics hired Mack as manager, but he also bought into the team and was a part-owner and treasurer, as well.

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For the next half century, Mack was the face of the franchise, one that had great success at times, but more hapless seasons when they had to sell off their star players. The A’s won five World Series (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930), but finished in the ‘second division’ 28 times. Their worst streak came from 1915-to-1921 when the Athletics placed dead last in seven consecutive campaigns.

Shibe Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953 to honor the legend and the A’s moved to Kansas City two years later. Mack passed away in 1956 at the age of 93.

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