Oakland A’s Weekend

Friday, June 6, 7:05 p.m.

• Pre-game: Philadelphia A’s video, produced by the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
• Introductions: former Philadelphia A’s--Bobby Shantz (LHP), Al Brancata (INF), Joe Astroth (C), Randy Gumpert (RHP), Spook Jacobs (2B), Lou Limmer (1B), Gus Zernial (OF), Eddie Joost (SS), Irv Hall (INF).
• Grandchildren of Connie Mack will also be introduced as the Mack family is having a reunion that includes nearly 70 people.
• Ceremonial first ball: Ruth Mack Clark (Connie Mack’s daughter) presents ball to Connie Mack III (grandson), who throws to Joe Astroth.

Saturday, June 7, 1:05 p.m. (FOX telecast)
FUJIFILM-Ritz Camera Center Photo Day

• A’s Alumni will be on the field for Photo Day, 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at which time the 2003 Phillies will take the field.
• Pre-game: Philadelphia A’s video.
• Induction ceremony of last A’s player in the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame (Rube Oldring); Phillies rep is Sherry Magee. Relatives of the respective families will receive the plaques.
• Ceremonial first ball: Eddie Joost to Spook Jacobs.

• Pre-game: Philadelphia A’s video.
• Ceremonial first ball: Gus Zernial.
• All men 15 and over will receive a T-Shirt displaying the 10 different uniform patches the Phillies have worn in their first 32 years of Veterans Stadium. T-Shirts are courtesy of Chevrolet.

All three games

• Philadelphia A’s trivia will be featured on the scoreboard.
• Ball girls will wear Philadelphia A’s jerseys.
• There will be a display of Philadelphia A’s memorabilia in the 200-level concourse, courtesy of the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society (Tuesday-Sunday, June 3-8).
• Fans interested in becoming members of the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society may sign up in the 200-level concourse (Thursday-Sunday, June 5-8).
• Phillies Magazine will contain a feature article on the A’s. The Phan Photo for the weekend (included with the purchase of a Magazine) will relate to the A’s.

Back home in Philadelphia.

Forty-nine years after leaving their birthplace, the A’s are returning to their roots. It’s been a quite a journey since they departed after the 1954 season. The A’s went from the east coast to the midwest in Kansas City for 13 years before landing on the west coast in Oakland. The Athletics have been in Oakland since 1968.

A charter member of the American League that was formed in 1901, the A’s were a dominant club in the early years of the new league. They won six pennants and had two close second-place finishes in their first 14 years.

Between Philadelphia and Oakland, the franchise has compiled an impressive postseason portfolio.

There have been nine World Championships (Philadelphia 5, Oakland 4) and 15 AL Championships (Philadelphia 9, Oakland 6). Only the New York Yankees have more World Series titles (26).

The Oakland A’s have also won 12 AL Western Division titles and qualified as a wild card team in 2001. Under first-year manager Ken Macha, the A’s are trying to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

The Philadelphia A’s easily won AL pennants in 1929-30-31. The streak remained untouched until the Baltimore Orioles matched it, 1969-70-71. The Oakland A’s set a new standard for the franchise by winning three consecutive World Series titles starting in 1972.

The franchise has produced 11 Most Valuable Players, five Cy Young Award winners, five Rookies of the Year and 13 Hall of Famers.

The Manager

Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy (Connie Mack) became part owner (25 percent) and manager when the Philadelphia Athletics were granted a franchise in the newly formed American League in 1901.

He managed the A’s for 50 of the 54 years they played in Philadelphia. It is one baseball record that may never be broken. His record with the A’s was 3,627-3,891. Unlike other managers, Mack wore a business suit on the bench, complete with a starched collar. He always held a scorecard in his right hand and directed the team on the field by waving the scorecard.

He was universally and affectionally known as “Mr. Mack.”

The Ballplayers, baseball’s ultimate biographical publication, described Mr. Mack: “Behind the saintly, grandfatherly appearance of the 6’1”, 150-lb., ramrod-straight, blue-eyed Mr. Mack, there was a complex personality, a blend of patience and impetuosity, kindness and stubbornness, tightfistedness and generosity. He never raised his voice and seldom confronted a player in front of his teammates, but he could put a man in his place with a cutting sarcastic comment.”

Jimmy Dykes, a native Philadelphian, replaced Mack in 1951 and ran the A’s for three seasons. Eddie Joost piloted the A’s during the final season in Philadelphia. Tony La Russa has the best record of any A’s manager in Oakland, 798-673, from 1986-95.

A’s Insignia

When the A’s were granted the franchise, New York Giants manager John McGraw said a team in Philadelphia would be a “white elephant,” implying that Mack shouldn’t be allowed to spend money without supervision.

Mack defiantly adopted the white elephant as the team’s insignia. For 60 years the Athletics’ elephant was one of the most popular and colorful logos in major league baseball. When Charley Finley bought the team in the early 1960s, he replaced the elephant with, of all animals, a mule. Prior to the 1988 season, the A’s brought back the elephant and it is featured on their current uniforms.

Hall of Fame

Mack was the first member of the A’s to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, being inducted in 1937. Other Philadelphia A’s in Cooperstown, NY, are second baseman Eddie Collins, third baseman Frank “Home Run” Baker, catcher Mickey Cochrane, first baseman Jimmie Foxx, outfielder Al Simmons and four pitchers, Chief Bender, Lefty Grove, Eddie Plank and Rube Waddell.

Three Oakland A’s are in the Hall: outfielder Reggie Jackson and pitchers Jim “Catfish” Hunter and Rollie Fingers.

Another Hall of Famer played for both the Phillies and A’s, second baseman Nap Lajoie.

City Series

While the Phillies and A’s are meeting for the first time during a championship season, they are no strangers to each other. Starting in 1903 and running through 1954, they met 240 times. Many were termed “City Series Games” as the two teams played exhibitions before, during or after their respective seasons. Others were spring training exhibitions.

The Phillies and A’s also shared the same home. From 1887 through half of the 1938 season, the Phillies called Baker Bowl their home. Once it became dilapidated and beyond repair, the Phillies left Baker Bowl and moved permanently to Shibe Park, home of the A’s since it was built in 1909. The two teams played there until the A’s left town. Prior to the 1953 season, Shibe Park was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in honor of the Hall of Fame manager.

Rooftop Seats

Between 1925 and 1933, the lowest finish in the American League for the A’s was third place. Fans flocked to their games at Shibe Park, where the right field wall stood only 12 feet high.

The rowhomes on 20th Street became places where fans could see the games without paying for a ticket. Fans peered out of second floor windows and many homeowners built bleachers on the roofs of their homes. The homeowners began charging 25 cents per seat and also sold hot dogs and sodas.

Prior to the 1935 season, the A’s built a “spite wall,” raising the wooden right field wall an additional 22 feet, thus eliminating the rooftop seats. The Phillies are recreating the rooftop bleacher seats in their new ballpark that opens next April. These special seats will be located beyond the center field wall in Ashburn Alley.

A’s Historical Society

There will be a display of Philadelphia A’s memorabilia in the 200-level concourse, courtesy of the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society (Tuesday-Sunday, June 3-8). Fans interested in becoming members of the Philadelphia A’s Historical Society may sign up in the 200-level concourse (Thursday-Sunday, June 5-8). Annual dues are $30.00.

The Society has a museum/library/gift shoppe at 6 North York Road in Hatboro. The website is: www.philadelphiaathletics.org.

Mack Reunion

Some 85 members of the Connie Mack family will be guests of the Phillies at the Friday night game, June 6.

The list includes 18 grandchildren of Mr. Mack, some great-grandchildren, some great-great-grandchildren (there are no great-great-great-grandchildren yet) coming to Philadelphia from Florida, Colorado and North Carolina. Others live in the Philadelphia area.

In honor of their grandfather, the 18 grandchildren will wear straw skimmer hats when they are introduced on Friday night.

Among the reunion group are Connie Mack III and Connie Mack IV.

First Game	Attendance	Opponent/Score	Park
April 26, 1901	16,000	Washington Senators 5, A’s 1	Columbia Park
Last Home Game Sept. 19, 1954	1,715	New York Yankees 4, A’s 2	Connie Mack Stadium
Last Game Sept. 26, 1954	11,670	A’s 8, New York Yankees 6	Yankee Stadium

Championship Seasons

A’s Ballparks

Franchise Season Records