The history of the Athletics in Philadelphia is in effect the story of Connie Mack's postplaying career. One of the major figures, with Ban Johnson and Charlie Comiskey, in the founding of the American League, Mack had managed the Milwaukee franchise of the league in 1900, before the AL declared itself a major league. Johnson asked him to lead the new Philadelphia franchise, which would be in head-to-head competition with the NL's Phillies, and Mack was given a quarter-ownership of the Athletics (the name of several former teams in the city). He would eventually become the majority owner of the team (in 1940), and from the start he was the architect of the franchise's growth into a league powerhouse. His 50-year tenure as manager of the club has never been equaled anywhere.

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RELATED LINKS » 1902: Lajoie Jumps to the A's » 1906: Coombs and Harris Battle for 24 Innings » 1914: The Miracle in Boston » 1928: One Game Features Seventeen Future Hall of Famers Photos » Photo: Fair Play in the Fall Classic from The American League Greatest Teams » Greatest Teams: 1929 Athletics Ask The Experts » What is the record for double plays in a season? » How many teams have won 100 games in three straight seasons? » What is the worst winning percentage in baseball history? » What teams have won 100 games three straight years?

The Athletics lost the services of superstar Nap Lajoie after the Phillies, whose property he had been before jumping to the AL, obtained a court order prohibiting him from playing in Pennsylvania (unless for the Phillies, of course). For the good of the AL, he was transferred to the Cleveland club. But the Athletics nonetheless became league champions the next year (1902), and again in 1905, on the basis of the league's best offense, led by Topsy Hartsel, Lave Cross, and Socks Seybold, and the outstanding pitching of Rube Waddell, by far the best pitcher in the league both seasons. Contending most of the time, the team won back-to-back pennants in 1910-11 and again in 1913-14 with the Hall of Fame talents of Eddie Collins and Home Run Baker (half of the $100,000 Infield), Eddie Plank, Chief Bender, and Herb Pennock, as well as Jack Coombs and Bob Shawkey. In three of those years they also won the World Series, but following their upset by the Braves in 1914, Mack broke up the team rather than continue to fight the Federal League for the services of his stars. The Athletics lost an AL-record 117 games in 1916, finished dead last until a seventh-place finish in 1922, and didn't finish above .500 until 1925.

By then, Mack had rebuilt his team, and they finished second that year. After two more second-place finishes behind the Yankees in 1927 and 1928 (Mack liked second-place teams; he said they brought in enough fans to make money, but their stars couldn't ask for high salaries), the new dynasty won three straight pennants and two World Championships, led by four Hall of Famers: sluggers Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Mickey Cochrane, and pitching ace Lefty Grove. The Depression took its toll, however, and once again Mack had to sell off his stars following the 1932 season. This time the slide to the bottom was more gradual, but last place was the Athletics' nine times in the years 1935-46. It looked like Mack was building a new contender following WWII, but it was not to be. In 1946 the aging gentleman skipper divided his club shares among his three children, and he increasingly relied on right-hand man Jimmie Dykes in the dugout. After the rebuilding plan collapsed into a last-place finish in 1950 following three seasons above .500, Mack's sons forced him into retirement. The club struggled to near-respectability under Dykes, but after a last-place finish in 1954, with a corresponding slump in attendance, Mack's sons sold out to Arnold Johnson and the franchise, following the example of the Braves, moved west, taking up business in Kansas City. (WOR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » January 28, 1901: The American League formally organizes: the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Athletics, and Boston Somersets are admitted to join the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago White Stockings. Three of the original clubs—Indianapolis, Minneapolis, and Buffalo—are dropped. League power aggregates in Ban Johnson as trustee for all ballpark leases and majority stockholdings, and with authority to buy out refractory franchises. Player limit is 14 per team, and the schedule will be 140 games. AL contracts give the Players Protective Association what it asked for, with 5-year limits on the rights to player services. » May 2, 1901: Against the Philadelphia Athletics and their untested rookie pitcher Pete Loos, the visiting Boston Somersets score a pair in the first inning, explode for nine runs in the 2nd inning, then do better in the 3rd by scoring ten runs, a major-league record scoring spree of 19 runs for consecutive innings. The aptly named Loos walks the first four hitters in the 2nd, then exits after going 2-0 on the 5th batter. Vet Bill Bernhard relieves with little effect. The final score is 23-12, with a record nine players scoring two or more runs. The A's have four players scoring twice for 2-team ML-record 13, a mark not tied until the same two teams match it in 1950. For Pete Loos, it is his only major-league appearance. Parson Lewis is the winner. » April 4, 1903: The Philadelphia Athletics threaten to strike unless they share in the receipts of last fall's City Series. They don't get the money, but they don't strike. » June 23, 1903: The Boston Pilgrims take-and hold-the AL lead. They will finish 14 1/2 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics. » May 5, 1904: Boston Pilgrim Cy Young pitches the 2nd of three no-hitters, a 3-0 perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics and Rube Waddell. After Waddell flied out for the final out, Young yells at him, "How do you like that, you hayseed!" For Waddell it is one of his 18 losses this year, the most of his career, against 25 wins. He will strike out 349, a record until Sandy Koufax fans 382 in 1965. Today, he strikes out six while allowing 10 hits. Young stretches his hitless inning skein to 18. » June 23, 1915: Philadelphia Athletics lefty Bruno Haas makes his debut against New York a memorable one as he walks a record 16 batters, and throws three wild pitches. He goes all the way in a 15–7 loss, his only ML decision. Haas breaks the record of 15 walks, set by Boardwalk Brown, before he was sold by the A's to the Yankees. Haas will pitch in just five more games before ending up in the NFL as a halfback for Akron. » June 11, 1927: After five wins in a row, the A's lose to the Tigers, 5–4. Despite Lefty Grove being lifted for a pinch hitter in the 8th, for the 9th inning the Philadelphia Athletics field a team of seven Hall of Famers. The outfield consists of Ty Cobb in right, Al Simmons in center and Zack Wheat in left. At 1B Jimmie Foxx, while at 2B. Cy Perkins started as catcher batting seventh, but when Mickey Cochrane pinch-hit for him in the last inning, seven Cooperstown-bound players were in the lineup. On May 24th of next year, the A's will again field seven HOFers and combine with the Yanks to showcase 13 Hall of Famers. » January 14, 1928: Alfred J. Reach, founder of the A.J. Reach sporting goods firm, dies at 87. Before 1860, he became the first ballplayer to receive a regular salary when he signed as a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics for $25 a week. » September 18, 1930: The Philadelphia Athletics win the AL championship for the second year in a row, defeating the White Sox 14-10. » September 15, 1931: The Philadelphia Athletics clinch the pennant, beating Cleveland at home, 14–3. Every starter for the A's has a hit and RBI. Eddie Rommel, veteran knuckleball pitcher for the A's, is the winning hurler, as Connie Mack wins his 3rd successive pennant. It is Mack's 9th, and last, AL championship. The A's went into first place for good on May 5th, when they started a win streak of 17 straight games and 20 of their next 21. In mid-July they won 13 straight. » February 8, 1932: Waite Hoyt is released by the Philadelphia Athletics and will sign with Brooklyn. » March 20, 1934: All-around female athlete Babe Didrickson pitches the first inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She gives up one walk but no hits. Two days later she pitches again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Red Sox. She is less successful this time, giving up four hits and three runs in the first inning. Bill Hallahan relieves her. Didrickson does not have an at bat in either game. She will also play several games for the House of David this season. Didrickson is the 2nd of only two females to play exhibitions with a ML team (1B Lizzie Murphy played for an AL all-star team on August 14, 1922). » August 24, 1943: The Philadelphia Athletics drop their 20th game in a row, losing to Chicago 6-5. This ties the AL record. They dodge the bullet in game two by scoring 8 runs in the 2nd inning to win 8-1. » September 6, 1943: P Carl Scheib of the Philadelphia Athletics becomes the youngest player to appear in an AL game at age 16 years, 248 days. He gives up 2 hits in 2Ž3 of an inning but retires the side. » May 18, 1945: A wet record. The Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics both have seven straight games postponed because of rain in the past four days. In the American League, every game between the 14th and the 17th is rained out. » July 21, 1945: The Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics battle to a 1-1 tie in 24 innings. Les Mueller hurls 192ˇ3 innings for the Tigers. No hurler has matched this endurance feat. » July 10, 1947: In a rain-interrupted game before 47,871, Don Black of the Cleveland Indians pitches a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. It is the first no-hitter at Municipal Stadium. » June 15, 1948: The Detroit Tigers beat the Philadelphia Athletics 4-1 before a crowd of 54,480 in the first night game at Briggs Stadium. The Tigers are the last AL team to install lights. » July 4, 1948: Ted Williams faces three pitchers in the 7th inning, a first in American League history, as Boston snaps a 5–5 tie by scoring 14 runs on 14 RBIs to beat the visiting Philadelphia Athletics, 20–8. A's pitcher Charlie Harris retires one batter in 14 and cough up 12 runs, before Bill McCahan takes over. Williams, who makes the final out in the inning, and Bobby Doerr tie records by drawing two walks apiece. Pitcher Ellis Kinder has two hits, off Harris and McCahan. The 14 runs in one inning is a record, but five years later they will do even better with 17 in one inning. » October 18, 1950: Connie Mack retires after an amazing 50 years as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. Jimmy Dykes replaces him. Mack maintains his position as president of the club. » September 13, 1953: P Bob Trice becomes the first black to appear in a ML game for the Philadelphia Athletics. » November 4, 1953: Eddie Joost succeeds Jimmy Dykes as the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. » May 26, 1954: Slugger Gus Zernial hits the last grand slam in the history of the Philadelphia Athletics franchise, as the A's down the Red Sox 6–5.