Alfred James Reach (May 25, 1840 – January 14, 1928) was an Anglo-American sportsman who, after becoming one of the early stars of
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
in the
National Association, went on to become an influential executive, publisher, sporting goods manufacturer and spokesman for the sport.
Born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
[History for Alfred James Reach](_blank)
at webcemetaries.com Reach was a regular for the champion
Eckford club of Brooklyn in the early 1860s before moving to the
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...
in 1865.
When the National Association began, he helped them win the first professional baseball pennant in 1871.
[Al Reach Statistics](_blank)
at baseball-reference.com Upon his retirement from playing in 1875, he helped found the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
franchise. Reach served as team president from 1883 to 1899.
Later, similarly to
Albert Spalding
Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...
, Reach formed a sporting goods company and earned millions. In fact, he sold his company to
Spalding in 1889.
Reach was the trade name used on the game balls for the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
until 1976.
Reach kept his interest in the Phillies franchise, selling to a syndicate led by
James Potter in 1903. Reach died at age 87 in
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497. , and is interred at
West Laurel Hill Cemetery
West Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1869, is 200 acres in size and contains the burials of many notable people. It is affiliated with Laurel Hill Cemetery in neighboring Ph ...
in
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two separa ...
.
A
Pennsylvania historical marker was dedicated on April 4, 2003 at 1820
Chestnut Street in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
for Reach's contribution to baseball.
File:Alfred J Reach Historical Marker 1820 Chestnut St Philadelphia PA (DSC 3246).jpg, Alfred J. Reach Historical Marker
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reach, Al
Major League Baseball right fielders
Major League Baseball players from the United Kingdom
Major League Baseball players from England
English baseball players
Brooklyn Eckfords (NABBP) players
Philadelphia Athletics (NABBP) players
Philadelphia Athletics (NA) players
Philadelphia Phillies managers
Philadelphia Phillies owners
Philadelphia Athletic players
Baseball executives
19th-century baseball players
1840 births
1928 deaths
Sportspeople from London
Burials at West Laurel Hill Cemetery