Norman Macht and his Three Volume History on Connie Mack

I was lucky to be a member of the same SABR chapter as Norman Macht for exactly one meeting. It was his last before moving away from the Austin area. And while his name was familiar I couldn't place it until shortly after. I quickly found out the he had written some of the kid friendly baseball biographies of star players I had read as a kid and adolescent but was most known for his work on his multi-volume biography on baseball pioneer Connie Mack. 

Mack had a 65 year career in baseball that begin in 1886 playing for the Washington Nationals and his managerial career begin in 1894 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is most known for being the manager and chief executive of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-1950, an amazingly long tenure with one team that is unlikely to ever be surpassed. 

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently published an article on Macht and his work documenting the life and career of Mack. The three volumes total over 2,000 pages. My favorite line from the article is, "They agreed to do two. Then I had another 1,000 pages, and I was only up to 1931."

If you are interested in the books the can be found here: 
Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball Vol 1
Connie Mack: The Turbulent and Triumphant Years, 1915-1931 Vol 2
​The Grand Old Man of Baseball: Connie Mack in His Final Years, 1932-1956 Vol 3

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