Here's Hoping A's Honor 1910 Champs
by 67MARQUEZ on Jan 21, 2010 1:00 PM PST
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PrintSometime soon, the A’s will announce their Promotions schedule for the upcoming season, and it is this young man’s wish that the powers-that-be have dedicated a little less time to bobbleheads for players who get traded before the giveaway day takes place (see Giambi, Jason…and yes I know they can’t really control that, which is pretty much my point); rather, I’d love to see a day planned in honor of the 1910 Athletics.
And what’s there to plan, anyway? It’s not like they’d have to send invitations, since the last living member died in 1963, which also eliminates those embarrassing no-shows like last year when only a handful of the 1989 club made the trip to Oakland.
Anyway, what’s so darn special about this team from 100 years ago? Well, aside from awesome names like Topsy Hartsel, Paddy Livingston, and Stuffy McGinnis filling out the roster, those A’s just happened to win the first of nine World Champions our storied franchise has claimed. In the eyes of many, that title kick-started the American League’s very first dynasty, as Connie Mack’s club went on to capture four pennants in five years, including three Series triumphs.
(Photo courtesy of thedeadballera.com)
The Athletics nestled into first place on May 2, 1910, having beaten the Boston Red Sox to improve their record to 7-4. It is in that lofty position they stayed for the remainder of the season, thanks in large part to a 13-game winning streak from April 30-May 18.
Boasting a roster that featured four future Hall-of-Famers- Home Run Baker (who was still a year away from being called by that moniker), Chief Bender, Eddie Collins, and Eddie Plank, the A’s steamrolled to the American League flag by 14.5 games over their nearest competition (the New York Highlanders, now called the Yankees).
Collins was the catalyst for that championship club, as he finished in the top four in batting average (.324), hits (188), on-base percentage (.382), and RBI’s (81). In the first three categories, the same four names emerged, and they made for a pretty decent quartet: Collins, Ty Cobb, Nap Lajoie, and Tris Speaker.
Speaking of foursomes, Collins, who led the league in assists and putouts from his position at second base, was a part of Mack’s famed $100,000 infield that included Baker, McGinnis, and Jack Barry. He also paced the junior circuit with 81 stolen bases, a team record that lasted until some guy named Rickey came along, some 70 years later.
While the Athletics earned all A’s at the bat (first in average, second in runs scored and on-base percentage), their strength was in their staff. How good? Try a team ERA of 1.79. No other American League team has ever been as stingy on the mound for a full season. While Cooperstown-bound Bender (23-5, 1.58) and Plank (16-10, 2.01) were plenty good, the A’s were led that year by Jack Coombs (31-9, 1.30, a league-high 13 shutouts).
It was a Bender-and-Coombs combo that catapulted the Athletics to the top of the baseball world. In that season’s five-game Series against the Chicago Cubs, they were the only two pitchers Mack used. The Chief went the distance in the opener, and tamed the Cubs 4-1 on three singles. Coombs was awarded the victory in the next two contests, both complete-game efforts, even though he struggled mightily (15 hits, 13 walks). But the offense- which saw all nine hitters collect at least one hit in Game 2, a first in the Fall Classic- offered 21 runs worth of support (9 and 12, respectively) to push the A’s to within one game of the title.
After Chicago scored one off Bender in the ninth to tie Game 4, and one in the tenth to extend the Series, Mack turned once more to Coombs, who benefited from yet another offensive outburst in a 7-2 victory that gave the A’s their first World Championship, 100 years ago.
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Gosh!
They really did have great names, didn’t they? Chief Bender has always been one of my favorites, I don’t know why.
Very cool post, 67M.
You wrote this?
I like you.
You write grate.
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
I've always wondered why the A's dont celebrate their ENTIRE history
We do have the 3rd most championships of any franchise, and are only 1 away from St Louis in 2nd place.
Then again this team has pretty much always been run by total assholes (for evidence: see all the HOFers who dissed the A’s by picking a team they played way less time for Foxx, Jackson, Hunter etc).
BTW, I've got one of those team photos from '26 or '27. I should really scan it in one of these days.
I have it framed with a blue background, but I never put it back up on the wall after I moved a couple years ago.
little looey
Look at little Louis Vanzelet in the middle of the front row. Appears to be a midget. He’s listed elsewhere as the mascot. I guess he could be a very Little Stomper.
Better photo here from the next year.
http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=40306&page=12
At any rate, a lucky guy to be in that company.
that site is great, I love all those old pictures
I’m glad the sportswriters-in-their-swimsuits photo didn’t catch on, though.
I love the sweaters ....
in this shot of the 1910 team:
(click the link for a better view…they have big white elephants on ’em)
There is no "i" in Teamocil. At least not where you'd think.
by GreenNGoldSooner on Jan 22, 2010 12:28 PM PST up reply actions
1.79 Team ERA
That’s total insanity.
Awesome again, 67M!
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
You add SO much to this website.
Seriously, it’s just amazing how you pull up the historic stuff…so that those of us who are curious about what baseball (and specifically the A’s) were like in another era can learn a little bit. Nice job!
"Bobby Crosby at third is a bit of an adventure. And not like, here’s some hidden treasure, what fun. More like, gah! poison ants!" --alea iacta est
I can't wait for Evil Don's piece
about the 1915 and 1916 A’s.
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Jan 21, 2010 5:31 PM PST up reply actions
My, oh my, that team was loaded.
We talk about the 70’s dynasty or the late 80’s team, and to be sure those eras were very good.. But this team had 4 Hall of Famers and an unmatched pitching staff. I would have loved to follow them every day through a season where their TEAM era was 1.79. That’s just sick.
JJ Martin
The best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until the ball stops rolling and then pick it up. ~Bob Uecker
Not ONE mention of Philadelphia?
Just playing with you. Great and interesting post.
If you ever find yourself in the Philadelphia area, go check out the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society in Hatboro. Great stuff, even if it’s become a little too much “all of baseball” rather than just the A’s. I did some research there and found out that I’m probably related to Home Run Baker, which is pretty awesome.
For their part, the Phillies have sections of Citizens Bank Park where they honor the A’s history (a statue of Connie Mack outside the park, and a mural/montage in the Diamond Club Area). I somewhat dickishly dressed down a tour guide at the ballpark who was showing everyone an exhibit of “the Philadelphia A’s, Philadelphia’s first major league team.” Kids…
And it’s lost on many people, but the A’s are still the most successful (in terms of championships won) major professional sports franchise in Philadelphia history, and they left over 50 years ago. Which is sad on so many levels. There were many putrid seasons too, no doubt, when Connie Mack decided to sell the team, but the Phillies had the putrid seasons too, minus the Five World Championships.
All of this is why the A’s are and remain my American League team.
http://www.thegoodphight.com
Agreed
I stopped by there when I visited Philadelphia in May. Definitely worth a side trip to the suburbs. The people who run the place were extremely nice.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
Appreciate the post.
I have yet to make it to the Philadelphia area, but when I do, I’ll be sure to stop there. I frequent the website often.
The fact that the A’s won more titles in Philadelphia than have the Phillies, 76ers, Eagles, Flyers, et al, is pretty amazing. In fact I think they’ve won more in Oakland (4) than any Philadelphia team, yes? Which I assume doesn’t make you feel any better.
I'm here to talk about the past.
If you come out to Philly, give me a heads up!
I’ve never been to the A’s museum — we could go together.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Some re-posts from last summer
In the Citizens Bank Park memorial area (somehow, I missed seeing the Mack statue – now I’ll have to go back someday)
At the Betsy Ross House, right before the museum people pointed out the “No Photography” sign (d’oh!)
Hey Al, just go away, baby.
grrrr
Sock puppets have never been able to successfully attack castles. -NM
by Leopold Bloom on Jan 22, 2010 6:34 PM PST up reply actions
If I got that song stuck in your head
i do apologize.
I'll have a sandwich and a draft(sic). - Bill King (RIP)
I think it'd be pretty cool if they did something
100-year anniversaries of your first World Series ain’t something many franchises will get to boast (and, if you’re the Cubs, I guess, not invoke extreme fan rage).
we in the losin baseball binness. and cousin, binness is a boomin.
2010 promotions
Great post 67m. The 2nd pic especially is awesome.
The team has already pit up a list of promo dates on the web, although specifics are TBA in many cases. Looks like more jersey days than bobbleheads. One of bblheads is Roy Steele.
I would love to see a turn back the clock day to 1910. Last year’s for 1929 was a lot of fun.
"It's better to live rich than die rich" -- The Fat Lady
by geogrman on Jan 21, 2010 5:44 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I knew you were a fan from way back in the day
but damn, didn’t know you went THAT far back, haha!
An awesome post! Love the old school unis!
"I am happy because I do not have unrealistic expectations"- Karma Ura...or an A's fan.
Great write-up and pics, 67M
I noticed one typo — Eddie Collins drove in 81 runs in 1910, not 181.
Ugh, and sad news while we’re on the topic of 1910: the fabulous and amazing Cooperstown Ballcap Company has apparently gone out of business. Bleh.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
Nice write-up but I'd say the 1902 Athletics kick-started the Mack era.
Just because they didn’t play a World Series yet didn’t mean they weren’t champions. Rube Waddell, Socks Seybold, Lave Cross, Ossie Schreckengost, Eddie Plank, Highball Wilson…ah those were the days….
But baseball! Fuck yeah! -- lynnzgal
Schreckengost?
That’s my mom’s maiden name, and she’s from Pittsburgh…. I’ll have to look into this!
by LoneStranger on Jan 21, 2010 7:57 PM PST up reply actions
Nice work, 67M, great thought about honoring the 1910 team
I am hardly used to “2010” (though I’ve not written “09” on a check yet….just the “0”, then I put a “1” in front of it :^)) .)
It would be great if the A’s honored the 1910 champions, but I don’t see them doing it. They cannot figure out a “marketing ploy” to increase attendance out of it, I would guess. After all, they’re looking for the placation of family ("do we hafta GO???!!!) who could care less about baseball, but are 3/4ths of the $$$ spent on the seat tickets. So promotions these days are not about baseball, but about “entertainment”.
But, again, I want to thank you for providing this great write up, doing the research, getting the photos. I really enjoy this era of baseball…by the way, gambling on other team’s games was ok in the early 1900s.
Awaiting the start of the 2010 season!
by One won lost won on Jan 21, 2010 11:45 PM PST reply actions
would that the A's will ever be this good again...
But, since we are a cheap organization that is a farm team for both leagues, looks that the glory days are over…for awhile that is!
would that the A's will ever be this good again...
but…with how cheap the organization is right now & as a literal farm team for al of MLB, it ain’t a gonna happen…at least not for a LONG time!
Love these posts, 67.
I imagine I’m like most of the rest of us—we know next to nothing about the Philadelphia A’s. These looks in are fascinating.
Always the summers are slipping away.
Find me a way for making it stay.
I've always found baseball history
to be a fascinating thing to study. I’ve studied it enough in the past that I could list every World Series matchup and winner from every year (going back to the first World Series in 1903), and say who won.
One of my favorite characters in baseball lore is Nig Clarke.
by FloridaownsFSU on Jan 22, 2010 7:45 PM PST up reply actions
Jack Coombs
I believe that during his career, he actually doubled as a part-time outfielder on days he wasn’t pitching.
Alas for the A’s, he wasn’t Babe Ruth-like. No one was/is.
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