Earle Mack
Encyclopedia
Earle Thaddeus Mack, born Earle Thaddeus McGillicuddy (February 1, 1890 – February 4, 1967), was an American
player and coach
in Major League Baseball
, and, during parts of two seasons, manager
of the Philadelphia Athletics
when his father, Connie Mack
, was too ill to manage. He also became a part-owner of the franchise. His nephew Connie Mack III
became a U.S. Senator.
Mack was born in Spencer
, Massachusetts
and attended Niagara University
and the University of Notre Dame
. He played only five games for the Athletics between 1910
and 1914
, at third base
, first base
, and catcher
. In his only appearance in 1910, he went 2 for 4, including a triple
. These would prove to be his only major league hits
, as he was not played again until the following year, when he appeared in two games. Again, he would play in two games in 1914, without a hit, though he did get on base (driving in
a run) and steal
a base. This ended his playing career with a career batting average
of .125. Mack's appearances were in the final games of the season; he played after the Athletics had clinched the pennant in each of the three seasons in which he played, and they went on to win World Series
titles in 1910
and 1911
. Since Mack had not been on the Athletics' roster before September 1 as required by the rules, he was ineligible to play in the World Series—even if his father had been minded to play him.
As a minor league
player in 1910, Mack batted .135 in 26 games. From 1913 until 1915, Mack served as player-manager of the Raleigh team in the Class D North Carolina State League
. He returned in the same capacity for the Charlotte franchise in 1917 until the league folded (no doubt a war
casualty) on May 30. Mack then became player-manager of the Hanover (Pennsylvania) Raiders of the Blue Ridge League
, another Class D circuit.
Mack achieved some success as the player/manager of the Moline (Illinois) Plowboys of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
(often called the Three-I, or Three-Eye League). In 1921
, his team, with almost no legitimate major league prospects, won the Three-I pennant. However, in his three years there (1920–22), the team had only a 196-214 record.
Mack's final season as a minor league manager was 1923, returning to the Blue Ridge League and managing the Martinsburg (WV) Blue Sox to a 67-30 record and the pennant. His father, the manager and part owner of the Athletics, hired him as a coach and assistant manager in 1924. During the 1937
and 1939
seasons, Mack managed the Athletics when his father (by then in his mid-70s) was ill. It was widely expected that when his father retired, Earle would manage the team and Connie Jr. (Earle's younger half-brother) would run the front office. This was not to be.
In May 1950, he was moved to the position of chief scout and replaced as coach and assistant manager by Jimmy Dykes
- a disappointment, as he had hoped to succeed his father as permanent manager of the Athletics. In spite of this, in August, with his brother Roy Mack
, he was able to gain control over the franchise, purchasing shares from Connie Jr.
While Roy and Earle Mack announced that their father was free to manage as long as he wanted to, Connie Mack announced his retirement only seven weeks later, at age 88. The team was heavily mortgage
d, though, and continued to perform poorly both on the field and at the box office. Eventually, the Mack brothers were forced to sell, and the team relocated to Kansas City
in 1954
.
Earle Mack died at age 77 in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
player and coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, and, during parts of two seasons, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the Philadelphia Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
when his father, Connie Mack
Connie Mack (baseball)
Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, was too ill to manage. He also became a part-owner of the franchise. His nephew Connie Mack III
Connie Mack III
Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy III , popularly known as Connie Mack, is a former Republican politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida from 1983 to 1989 and then as a Senator from 1989 to 2001. He served as chairman of the Senate Republican...
became a U.S. Senator.
Mack was born in Spencer
Spencer, Massachusetts
Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,688 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer , Massachusetts....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and attended Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
and the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He played only five games for the Athletics between 1910
1910 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award**Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, OF**Nap Lajoie, Cleveland Naps-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:...
and 1914
1914 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics -Awards and honors:*Chalmers Award** Eddie Collins, Philadelphia Athletics, 2B** Johnny Evers, Boston Braves, 2B-MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:...
, at third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
, and catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. In his only appearance in 1910, he went 2 for 4, including a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. These would prove to be his only major league hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, as he was not played again until the following year, when he appeared in two games. Again, he would play in two games in 1914, without a hit, though he did get on base (driving in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
a run) and steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
a base. This ended his playing career with a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .125. Mack's appearances were in the final games of the season; he played after the Athletics had clinched the pennant in each of the three seasons in which he played, and they went on to win World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
titles in 1910
1910 World Series
The 1910 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, with the Athletics winning in five games to earn their first championship.Jack Coombs of Philadelphia won three games and Eddie Collins supplied timely hitting...
and 1911
1911 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 2:Monday, October 16, 1911 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Game 3:Tuesday, October 17, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 4:...
. Since Mack had not been on the Athletics' roster before September 1 as required by the rules, he was ineligible to play in the World Series—even if his father had been minded to play him.
As a minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
player in 1910, Mack batted .135 in 26 games. From 1913 until 1915, Mack served as player-manager of the Raleigh team in the Class D North Carolina State League
North Carolina State League
The North Carolina State League was a "Class D" league in Minor League Baseball. The original version of the league existed from 1913-1917 as the successor to the Carolina Association...
. He returned in the same capacity for the Charlotte franchise in 1917 until the league folded (no doubt a war
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
casualty) on May 30. Mack then became player-manager of the Hanover (Pennsylvania) Raiders of the Blue Ridge League
Blue Ridge League
The Blue Ridge League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of sixteen years, from 1915 through 1918, and 1920 to 1930....
, another Class D circuit.
Mack achieved some success as the player/manager of the Moline (Illinois) Plowboys of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
(often called the Three-I, or Three-Eye League). In 1921
1921 in baseball
-Headline Events of the Year:*First radio broadcast of the World Series.*Babe Ruth breaks Roger Connor's All-Time Home Run record of 138.-Champions:*World Series: New York Giants over New York Yankees -MLB statistical leaders:...
, his team, with almost no legitimate major league prospects, won the Three-I pennant. However, in his three years there (1920–22), the team had only a 196-214 record.
Mack's final season as a minor league manager was 1923, returning to the Blue Ridge League and managing the Martinsburg (WV) Blue Sox to a 67-30 record and the pennant. His father, the manager and part owner of the Athletics, hired him as a coach and assistant manager in 1924. During the 1937
1937 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants *All-Star Game, July 7 at Griffith Stadium: American League, 8-3-Awards and honors:*MLB Most Valuable Player Award**American League: Charlie Gehringer, Detroit Tigers, 2B...
and 1939
1939 in baseball
-Headline Event of the Year:*On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball game. On August 26, the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played the first televised Major League Baseball game...
seasons, Mack managed the Athletics when his father (by then in his mid-70s) was ill. It was widely expected that when his father retired, Earle would manage the team and Connie Jr. (Earle's younger half-brother) would run the front office. This was not to be.
In May 1950, he was moved to the position of chief scout and replaced as coach and assistant manager by Jimmy Dykes
Jimmy Dykes
James Joseph Dykes was an American third and second baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox from 1918 to 1939...
- a disappointment, as he had hoped to succeed his father as permanent manager of the Athletics. In spite of this, in August, with his brother Roy Mack
Roy Mack
Roy Mack was the co-owner of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League with his brother Earle Mack from through . In 1954, the brothers sold the Athletics to Arnold Johnson, who moved the team to Kansas City, Missouri one season later. Mack was the son of Hall of Fame manager and former...
, he was able to gain control over the franchise, purchasing shares from Connie Jr.
While Roy and Earle Mack announced that their father was free to manage as long as he wanted to, Connie Mack announced his retirement only seven weeks later, at age 88. The team was heavily mortgage
Mortgage loan
A mortgage loan is a loan secured by real property through the use of a mortgage note which evidences the existence of the loan and the encumbrance of that realty through the granting of a mortgage which secures the loan...
d, though, and continued to perform poorly both on the field and at the box office. Eventually, the Mack brothers were forced to sell, and the team relocated to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
in 1954
1954 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:* World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians * All-Star Game, July 13 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 11-9-Other champions:* Caribbean World Series: Caguas Creoles [Criollos de Caguas]...
.
Earle Mack died at age 77 in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania
Upper Darby Township is a home rule township bordering West Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Although it retains the term "Township" in its legal name, presumably for historic reasons, it is the largest municipality of any type in Delaware County. Upper Darby is also home to the Tower Theater, a...
.
See also
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career managing record and playing statistics