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By Ben Jones
Rappahannock News Writer
Odds and ends: It was 50, years ago that I saw Connie Mack. Not the recent Senator from Florida, but his grandfather, the more famous Connie Mack. His real name was Cornelius McGillicuddy and he was born during the Civil War. He played big league baseball in the 1880’s and was for decades the owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletes.
At the end of spring trainEtg
in 1951, the American eague Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies, reigning National League champs, barnstormed North from Florida by train, playing exhibition games along the route.
Their coming to Portsmouth was a big deal for me. It still is a big deal for me. I saw Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts of the Phillies and Bobby Shantz and Eddie J^ost of the A’s. And I saw Connie Mack. He had turned 90, and had recently given up the day-to-day management of the team to his son Earle. But they couldn’t keep him away from the ballpark.
“Mr. Mack”, as everyone called him, stepped out of the third base dugout into the sunlight and the cheers of the assembled. He was rail thin, lean and handsome in his dark suit with a starched collar, a bjack bow tie, and a vest with a watch fob.
He stood as straight as a hickory pole and he carried himself with that dignity that commands respect. He was a 49th century gentleman of the old school, who had dressed that way and walked that way through all the years he had managed the Athletics. If
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