The Single Toughest Decision Connie Mack Made

By Max Silberman

Few men have gained such universal admiration and respect as Connie Mack. His nine pennants and five world’s championships ensured his place in the Hall of Fame. But one decision, so shocking and outrageous at the time, changed the course of baseball history and helped create the last Athletics dynasty.

The 1929 A’s were arguably the greatest team of all time. Scholars continually argue the point, some claiming the 1927 Yankees are more deserving of that accolade. The 1929 Athletics had many heroes, but Howard Ehmke was not among them. The 35-year-old right-handed pitcher had appeared in only 11 games that year with a 7-2 record. Near the end of the season, Connie Mack removed Ehmke from the field and had him scout the Chicago Cubs who would oppose the A’s in the World Series.

On October 8, 1929 at Chicago, the Series opened, and to the amazement of the Athletics team and the baseball world in general, Mack named Ehmke to start the game. Had the almost 67-year-old Mack gone mad? Certainly, Lefty Grove, George Earnshaw, Rube Walberg, Jack Quinn or even Bill Shores would have been more understandable choices to start the first game. Mack, in an act of genius, figured that the right-handed, side-armed Ehmke would baffle the right-handed Cubs batters. Was he ever right! Old Howard struck out 13 Cubs to set a World Series record that stood for years. The Athletics won the game 3-1 behind Ehmke’s magnificent pitching and Jimmie Foxx’s home run.

Our readers need not be reminded that the A’s went on to win the World Series in 1929 and again in 1930. What if Ehmke had bombed? Would the members of that great 1929 team have lost confidence in their manager? Would the fans of Philadelphia have thought Mack should retire? Of course, those questions will forever be unanswered.

Ehmke also started the fifth game of the World Series, giving up two runs to the Cubs in the fourth inning and making way for Rube Walberg to continue in relief. A’s bats, which had been silent throughout the game, came alive in the ninth inning, scoring three runs and giving the Athletics both the game and the Series.

What became of Howard Ehmke? In 1930, he returned to the A’s team for only three games, losing his only decision. As it turned out, Ehmke’s victory in the first game of the 1929 World Series was his last! Connie Mack had squeezed the very last drop of juice from the orange. His naming of Ehmke was matched in audacity by the decision of Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer to start reliever Jim Konstanty in the opening game of the 1950 World Series against the Yankees. Sawyer’s decision was prompted in part by injuries to other members of the Phillies pitching staff. Konstanty pitched well but lost 1-0 to Vic Raschi of the Yankees.

After retirement, Ehmke went into the canvas business in Philadelphia and died in 1959 just prior to his 65th birthday. Unlike many of his teammates, Howard Ehmke is not found in Cooperstown’s Hall of Fame. But, because of a courageous and brilliant gambit by Connie Mack, he occupies a place of honor in A’s history for his last great hurrah.