Outfoxing Mr. Mack

Connie Mack spends 50 years as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics judging, signing and developing talent.

Does quite well at it, too. Well, most of the time.

One of his worst moves, though, comes 74 years ago today as Mack, believing one of his prospects from St. Thomas, Pa., is too small to play the game, trades the young player to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Joe Tipton, a career backup.

The player Mack gives to the White Sox hits only .247 over parts of three seasons with the A's.

Over the next 14 seasons, though, the player Mack believes is too small to succeed in baseball hits .291 for the White Sox, is named an American League All-Star in 13 of those seasons, wins three Gold Gloves and is voted the American League's MVP in 1959.

The player? That would be Nellie Fox, who in 1997 joins Mack in the Hall of Fame.