The Philadelphia Athletics were a professional baseball team, one of six charter members of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

, a 19th-century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

. The other teams were the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

Cincinnati Red Stockings The Cincinnati Red Stockings of were baseball's first all-professional team, with ten salaried players. The Cincinnati Base Ball Club formed in 1866 and fielded competitive teams in the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) 1867� ...

, Eclipse of Louisville,

Pittsburgh Alleghenys The following is a history of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. Franchise beginnings (1870s-1899) Early baseball in Pittsburgh and the American Association The earliest mention of "base ball" in the region was found in the journal ...

, and St. Louis Brown Stockings. The team took its name from a previous team, which played in the National Association from 1871 through 1875 and in the

in 1876.

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

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

, finishing one game ahead of the St. Louis team. That same year, however, the National League set up its own team in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Quakers (later Phillies). The Quakers finished last in 1883, but soon improved on the field and at the gate. Their home games were played at

Oakdale Park Oakdale Park is a former baseball park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The field was home to the Philadelphia Athletics professional baseball team in the first season of the American Association, 1882. The site of the park had been used ...

in 1882, and at the Jefferson Street Grounds from 1883 to 1890. In addition, games were also occasionally played at

Gloucester Point Grounds Gloucester Point Grounds is a former baseball ground located in Gloucester City, New Jersey. The ground, roughly bounded by the present day streets: 5th St, Jersey Ave, 7th St, Charles St, and Pine St and then located just behind Thompson's Hotel, a ...

. They had eight different managers, with co-owner Bill Sharsig having the longest tenure. Notable players for the Athletics included future Baseball Hall of Fame member

Wilbert Robinson Wilbert Robinson (June 29, 1864 – August 8, 1934), nicknamed "Uncle Robbie", was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Philadelphia Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Cardinals ...

and

Al Atkinson Allen Edward Atkinson (born July 28, 1943) is a former American football linebacker who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner High School. He playe ...

. Atkinson is one of the few pitchers to throw more than one no-hitter, and he threw them both for the Athletics, on May 24, 1884 and May 1, 1886. In the first no-hitter Atkinson beaned leadoff hitter

Ed Swartwood Cyrus Edward Swartwood (January 12, 1859 – May 15, 1924) was an American professional baseball player and umpire. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily as a right fielder and first baseman. Swartwood playe ...

and then retired 27 batters in a row. In 1888 the Athletics had two no-hitters within a week, with

Ed Seward Edward William Seward (June 29, 1867 – July 30, 1947), born as ''Edward William Sourhardt'', was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for six seasons from 1885 to 1891. Seward made his professional baseball debut in 1884 at age 16 with Terr ...

throwing one on July 26 and

Gus Weyhing August Weyhing (September 29, 1866 – September 4, 1955) was an American pitcher in professional baseball. Nicknamed "Cannonball", "Rubber Arm Gun", and "Rubber-Winged Gus", he played for nine different Major League Baseball (MLB) teams from 188 ...

on July 31.

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 Charlie Mason and manager Horace Phillips.Base ball in Philadelphia: a history of the early game, 1831-1900, John Shiffert, p. 247 (Google Books result)
/ref> After the tour, Phillips jumped ship to the competing Quakers and was replaced on the management team by minstrel show performer

Lew Simmons Lewis Simmons (1838–1911) was an American Major League Baseball manager for the 1886 Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active fr ...

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.

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.Shiffert, p. 248

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. 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

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

. The new team hired Sharsig as manager.Baseball Chronology: 1890

References

External links

Team index page
1882-90 AA Athletics {{Defunct Philadelphia sports teams American Association (1882–1891) baseball teams Defunct baseball teams in Pennsylvania Sports in Philadelphia Athletics (American Association) Baseball teams established in 1882 Baseball teams disestablished in 1890