Philadelphia Athletics (American Association)
Philadelphia Athletics | |
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American Association | |
Founded | 1882 |
Folded | 1890 |
Former ballparks |
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Ownership |
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Manager |
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The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the
Overview
Over the nine years of their existence, the Athletics were a successful club on the field, winning 633 games and losing 564, for a winning percentage of .529. The team won the AA pennant in
Their home games were played at Oakdale Park in 1882, and at the Jefferson Street Grounds from 1883 to 1890. In addition, games were also occasionally played at Gloucester Point Grounds. They had eight different managers, with co-owner Bill Sharsig having the longest tenure.
Notable players for the Athletics included future
Beginnings
The Athletics were founded by businessman Bill Sharsig in September 1880. In 1881, the team went on a barnstorming tour, and Sharsig took on two partners: player
Success
The Athletics were successful both on and off the field during the early part of their existence. After winning the AA in 1883, in 1884 it was said that Sharsig, Simmons and Mason had cleared between $200,000 and $300,000 in just three years, then the greatest financial success scored in baseball.[2]
Ownership shuffle
After the 1887 season, Sharsig bought out Mason and Simmons, selling their shares of the club to H. C. Pennypacker and William Whittaker.[3]
Collapse of 1890
The last straw for the AA Athletics, and several other American Association teams, was the creation of the Players' League in 1890. The established leagues lost players to the upstart league, player salaries soared (by the standards of the day), and there simply were not enough fans to support three baseball leagues. The Athletics also had problems with their own payroll, with the salaries of Pennypacker and Whittaker causing additional financial trouble.[3]
Though the Players' League folded after a single season, it had taken its toll. In September 1890, the Athletics released or sold their players and finished the season with a pick-up team, losing the final 21 games. The Athletics were expelled by the league at the end of the season and was replaced by a new Philadelphia Athletics team, which previously played in the Players' League as the
See also
- 1882 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1883 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1884 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1885 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1886 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1887 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1888 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1889 Philadelphia Athletics season
- 1890 Philadelphia Athletics season
- Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) all-time roster
References
- ^ a b Base ball in Philadelphia: a history of the early game, 1831-1900, John Shiffert, p. 247 (Google Books result)
- ^ Hidden History of Kensington and Fishtown, Kenneth W. Milano, p. 131 (Google Books result)
- ^ a b Shiffert, p. 248
- ^ Baseball Chronology: 1890 Archived 2009-05-06 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Team index page, 1882-90 AA Athletics