New Reference Book Chronicles Forgotten Philadelphia A’s Past
"Boardwalk" Brown | 
It has been 56 years since the A’s left Philadelphia; that’s longer than Connie Mack’s team played in the City of Brotherly Love (1901-1954), and for the last two decades of their run at Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, they were pretty much a non-entity in the American League, finishing higher than fifth just twice. And after a very unsuccessful 13 years in Kansas City, the franchise moved again, to Oakland.
So who even remembers this franchise, and why should anyone care?
Ted Taylor remembers, and fans who love baseball history should most definitely care. Thanks to Taylor’s new book, The Ultimate Philadelphia Athletics Reference Book: 1901-1954 (XLibris, 457 pps.), this long-forgotten, twice-removed franchise gets new life in a thorough but readable work.
The best feature of the book is the exhaustive biographical listing of what Taylor prefaces as “key front office personnel, major-league players and coaches and bios, where possible, of players who were under contract” but didn’t make it to the big club. The “bios” for many of the players with short careers are really just re-tellings of their statistics, but there a few good notable stories along the way, like Dick Armstrong, the former Princeton star who later graduated from the school’s Theological Ministry; Lena Blackburne, whose claim to fame is having discovered the special Delaware River mud that is used to rub up baseballs to this day; and Joe Hauser, who blamed Ty Cobb‘s “instruction” for his own poor hitting.
Some young
er baseball fans may not be aware of the unique history of the franchise owned and managed by Mack. After assembling dynasties in the early 1910s and early 1930s, both times “The Tall Tactician” sold off his stars to “pay the bills,” sinking the team into instant and enduring trips to the bottom of the league. Taylor chronicles these moves, but gives even the players on those last-place teams their due.
This is best illustrated in his entry for George Erb, who played in just two games. Taylor writes that Erb’s “…inclusion here is a tribute to all the George Erb’s who had a pro dream, pursued it, and at least got a ‘taste’ of it.”
Eddie Plank
Collections of lineups, uniform numbers, “one-game wonders,” and other lists enhance the work, as do a few fun items that trivia fans will enjoy such as:
- the last former Philadelphia A’s player to remain with the franchise was infielder Joe DeMaestri, who played with Kansas City until 1959. The last to compete on a major league roster was Vic Power, who retired in 1965 as a member of the Angels
- Babe Ruth played one Spring Training game with the A’s in 1925, going 0-for-3
Numerous historical photographs also fill the book, highlighting mostly individual players, some more accomplished than others. While a lot of the information included can be found on Websites like baseballreference.com, mere lists of statistics can’t match Taylor’s fascination with this long lost team that comes through on every page.
Topics: 1910s, Babe Ruth, Baseball Fans, Baseballs, City Of Brotherly Love, Claim To Fame, connie mack, Connie Mack Stadium, Delaware River, Dynasties, History, Joe Hauser, Lena Blackburne, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Athletics, Readable Work, Reference Book, Shibe Park, Short Careers, Tactician, Ted Taylor, Ty Cobb
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