Everything Worked Out as He Had Planned in Opening Contest, Athletics’ Manager Declares

CHICAGO, Oct. 9 - Everything turned out in the first game as I expected. I never gave anybody any inkling that I would use Howard Ehmke as my starting pitcher against a great crowd in the enemy’s country. All along I felt sure that Ehmke would deliver for me. The games he won in the American League season were not many, but they were important and helped us. When I talked to Ehmke yesterday morning, I asked him if he was fit and ready. He replied, “Mr. Mack, I will win the game for you, don’t worry.”

I never saw better pitching than Ehmke put over. He was in control of the situation at all times and was at his best in the pinches. Just think what he did. He fanned 13 opponents and beat Ed Walsh’s 1906 record by one strikeout.

I always had great confidence in Ehmke as a money pitcher and he certainly came across for me. He has solved a lot of pitching problems for me by taking the opener. I am taking nothing for granted and realize that we have not yet won the series. We certainly can lose it.

But with Ehmke pitching a winner, I have a lot of aces left. After you analyze it, it was not an easy game to win. Ehmke held the Chicago hitters in check, but Joe McCarthy’s boys gave us a great battle.

Thinks A’s Will Win

I am not making any claims. I have every confidence in my team and think we will win but we know that we have a fight on our hands. I think my team played splendidly.

I want to congratulate Mickey Cochrane for having 14 putouts which breaks a world series record for a catcher. My entire team played commendably. Simmons, Haas and Miller proved that they have no equal as an outfield unit. Simmons ran into the crowd to take a drive and Bing Miller raced all over right field and took everything offered. The same can be said of Haas. Jimmy Foxx came through nicely. He won the game for us when he poled that great homer into the centerfield bleachers. We needed at that time just such an inspiration. I am so glad Jimmy clicked because he has had so much bad luck hitting in the last 10 days of the season, but this boy is a mighty good player and in the big pinch will rise to great heights.

We beat the Cubs because of Ehmke’s wonderful pitching and the fact that we could score a few runs. It was just the way I figured. Everything is in our favor now. I have George Earnshaw, Jack Quinn, Lefty Grove and George Walberg left for pitchers. I am not saying who will pitch for us today but he will be good and right.

Don’t forget we put two pitchers out of commission in Root and Bush. They lost with a pair of stars on the mound. The status of the series is this: we have the jump on the Cubs and with one victory in the satchel we are not worried should we lose today for we have three games in Philadelphia.