The Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia

By Bob Warrington

As fans slowly trudged out of National League Park (Baker Bowl) on 13 October 1915 following the Boston Red Sox’s World Series-clinching victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, they didn’t realize it, but they had just witnessed the closing chapter of the Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia. Between 1910-1915, the World Series came to Philadelphia five times as the Athletics and then the Phillies brought league titles and post-season play to their faithful fans in the City of Brotherly Love.

The end came definitively as the Athletics and then the Phillies suffered calamitous falls into the second division for prolonged periods. During the remaining years that Philadelphia had two Major League teams, the Athletics would put together one last string of World Series appearances from 1929-31. The Phillies, in their meandering quest for post-season laurels, would return to the Fall Classic only one more time—1950. Never again would the Athletics and Phillies combine to bring a sustained period of baseball brilliance to Philadelphia as occurred between 1910-15. Indeed, when the Athletics were at the top of the American League in 1929-31, the Phillies resided securely in the National League’s second division. The Phillies’ fleeting embrace of the pennant in 1950 was offset by the Athletics last place finish.

In the minds of contemporary fans, the World Series comes so infrequently to Philadelphia that when it does occur, it is perceived more as a remarkable oddity than as an anticipated development. But, between 1910-15, Philadelphia fans believed their city was the Capital of Major League Baseball and came to expect that the World Series would be played there. It was a sublime, yet fitting, belief that so typified the Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia.

The Glory of the Philadelphia Athletics

The Philadelphia A’s had twice won the American League crown before 1910. In 1902 and 1905, the A’s were atop the league at season’s end. However, there was no World Series in 1902—the result of an ongoing “war” between the two leagues—and in 1905 the Athletics were thrashed by the New York Giants four games to one. Between 1906-09, the Athletics evolved as Connie Mack began putting together the pieces of his first dynasty. The heart of the pitching order—Eddie Plank and Chief Bender—was already in place, while key members of his “$100,000” infield and a fine corps of outfielders began to filter into the line-up.

As Mack gathered his forces for another assault on the pennant, the Detroit Tigers reigned as kings of the American League, winning the title three years straight between 1907-09. If Ty Cobb’s Tigers could hear footsteps behind them during the 1909 race, the sound was being made by the Philadelphia Athletics. The rebuilt A’s held the lead for most of August before Detroit came on with a rush to take the crown. Still, the Athletics finished in second place, only three and a half games behind the Tigers. The Mackmen had sent an unmistakable message that they would be a force to be reckoned with in 1910.

The 1910 Philadelphia Athletics were an impressive team. They won the American League title going away, with a 14 and a half game lead over the second place New York Yankees. Detroit’s offense remained strong, but the team’s pitching faltered, dropping the club out of contention and into third place. The 1910 A’s manifested Connie Mack’s five-year effort to reshape the team’s roster. He wisely retained key members of his 1905 league champions, using them as a foundation to build around in forging the 1910 colossus. Changes made to the roster were intended primarily to introduce younger players as replacements for aging veterans. In a couple of cases, however, lack of productivity and quixotic personalities also led to personnel moves. A comparison of the 1905 and 1910 line-ups shows the threads of continuity and change that Mack wove into his first dynasty:

Having won the American League pennant in a cakewalk, the Athletics made short work of the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. A remarkable, but little known, fact about the Series is that the A’s used only two pitchers—Jack Coombs and Chief Bender—in the five games played. Coombs, who had a career year 31-9 record in 1910, was asked by Mack to start three of the games—the second on two days’ rest and the third on three. Coombs was amply supported by Athletics’ firepower, gliding to wins by the scores of 9-3, 12-5, and 7-2. Coombs and Bender both pitched complete games on each occasion, a relic of pitching prowess unheard of in contemporary baseball. As the first World Series victor in Philadelphia, the 1910 Athletics hold a special place in the city’s baseball history.

With the 1910 championship in the record books, the A’s were odds-on favorites to repeat in 1911. Mack, ever mindful of the need to mold a team to changing circumstances and the passage of time, recognized that moves would have to be made to keep the Athletics on top. First baseman Harry Davis and left fielder Topsy Hartsel, both 36, had seen their bast days as ballplayers. Bris Lord, ten years younger than Hartsel, replaced the latter at mid-season 1910. When Lord joined the starting line-up, he was switched to centerfield, with Oldring moving to left—where he would stay for much of his remaining time with the club. Davis, with the years creeping up on him as well, was dropped in June 1911 as the team’s regular first baseman in favor of Stuffy McInnis. The change completed Mack’s famous “$100,000” infield of McInnis Collins, Baker, and Barry.

For a second straight year, the A’s won the American League pennant easily. The race was a two-team affair, with the Athletics jostling with the Detroit Tigers for first place from April through July. In early August, the Mackmen moved ahead of the Tigers and never looked back, outdistancing Cobb and his minions by thirteen and a half games at season’s end. The A’s 101-win total was largely crafted by Jack Coombs, Eddie Plank, Chief Bender, and Cy Morgan, supported by great hitting from Bris Lord, Eddie Collins, Frank Baker, Danny Murphy, and Rube Oldring.

The 1911 World Series brought particular joy to the Philadelphia Athletics because it matched them up against John McGraw’s New York Giants, and thereby presented the opportunity to avenge the 1905 World Series loss. Connie Mack and his crew took full advantage of the opportunity. This time, Mack expanded his pitching ranks to include Eddie Plank. Along with Jack Coombs and Chief Bender, the trio bested the Giants in six games, handcuffing McGraw’s hitters to a combined .174 batting average and allowing them to score an average of just over two runs a game. With two World Series victories in a row fitting neatly in the palm of Philadelphia’s hand, city residents were becoming comfortable with that championship feeling as they cheered the A’s during a parade down Broad Street.

The 1912-13 Philadelphia Athletics were covered in detail in a two-part article that appeared in Issues 47-48 of the A’s Society newsletter. Consequently, the teams’ performances will only be summarized for the purposes of this story. 1912 was the interlude in the World Series’ annual visit to Philadelphia during this period. The Athletics were the odds-on favorite to take their third American League championship in a row, but lethargic play coupled with overconfidence condemned the A’s to a third place finish.

Prodded by an embarrassed Connie Mack to overcome the lackadaisical performance of 1912, the Athletics made the 1913 pennant race not much of a race at all. The A’s moved into first place in late April and never relinquished the position for the rest of the year. The World Series again brought the Athletics into head-to-head competition with the New York Giants. The outcome was a repeat of the 1911 Fall Classic, with the A’s besting the Giants in even grander fashion. In 1911, the Giants won two games in the World Series; in 1913 they could only manage one victory. Philadelphia was on top of the baseball world.

We now come to one of the great conundrums in Philadelphia Athletics’ history—the 1914 season. An in-depth study of that troubled season requires a far more extensive treatment than is attempted in this article. For our purposes, it is enough to note that the Athletics were expected to win another pennant and did so quite handily. The A’s offensive dominance in the American League is illustrated by the fact that the team scored 749 runs in 1914. Of the other teams in the league, the Detroit Tigers came closest to that figure, scoring 615 runs—over 130 less than the Athletics. Those old stalwarts—Chief Bender and Eddie Plank—dominated the pitching staff along with a corps of younger pitchers, Herb Pennock, Bob Shawkey, and Joe Bush. The Red Sox tried to stay in contention with the Athletics, but they were simply outclassed, finishing eight and a half games behind the Mackmen.

In 1914, a third Major League—the Federal League—was making its bid for legitimacy, seeking to snare top stars from the American and National Leagues to fill its ranks. Not surprisingly, the Feds went after A’s players, singing the siren’s song of fatter paychecks. Dissension filled the ranks of the Athletics as pro- and anti-Fed sentiment spit the club asunder. A couple players signed contracts to play for the Federals in 1915 even before the 1914 season was over. Although winners of the American League crown, the A’s were not a joyous or united club as they entered the World Series against the Boston Braves.

The “Miracle” Braves, of course, were the upstarts of the National League, going from last place on 18 July to winning the league title. They came into post-season play as the underdogs, an upcoming victim of Mack’s mighty machine. In a staggering development, the Braves swept the A’s in four straight games—the first sweep in World Series history. The Athletics batted an anemic .172 in the Series, with the ever-reliable Chief Bender getting knocked out in the sixth inning of the initial game—the first time Bender did not finish a World Series game he had started. The A’s collapse immediately raised suspicions of “corrupt play” that remain to this day and, as noted, warrant a thorough, separate examination.

In a series of stunning moves, Mack dismantled his first dynasty following the World Series, releasing or selling many of his stars. Mack’s housecleaning was so complete that the Philadelphia Athletics achieved the dubious distinction of being the first American League team to go from “First to Worst” over two seasons. The A’s finished an astounding 58 and a half games out of first place in 1915, the start of seven seasons in a row they would spend in the cellar. After being a regular visitor to Philadelphia, the World Series appeared a distant memory once the A’s fortunes fell with a thud. But, there were two Major League teams in the city, and the other one was about to emerge from the shadows to claim its moment in the spotlight and add one more chapter to the Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia.

The Phillies Finally Make it to the Top

While the Athletics had won six American League titles between 1901-14, the Phillies had yet to secure a single National League crown despite having played in the circuit since 1883. That does not mean they played poorly. In their first 20 years of existence, the Phillies finished in the first division 14 times. A number of Hall of Famers graced the club’s roster during that period, including Nap Lajoie, Ed Delahanty, and Elmer Flick. The Phillies finished in second place three times prior to 1915 and third place seven times. Clearly, the team had come close to clinching a pennant but could never quite make it happen. That was about to change.

The 1915 Phillies were under the helm of first-year manager Pat Moran. Moran had been with the team since 1910, serving as a reserve catcher and coach. Noted for his baseball acumen, especially in handling pitchers, Moran was given the skipper’s role after the Phillies finished a disappointing sixth in 1914. Off-season trades and a key minor league acquisition would contribute importantly to the Phillies’ 1915 chase for the title.

In a controversial trade, the Phillies sent star slugger Sherry Magee to the Boston Braves for outfielder George “Possum” Whitted and utility infielder Oscar Dugey. Then, the club sent Hans Lobart to the Giants for pitcher Al “Steamer” Demaree and two young players—third baseman Milt Stock and catcher Jack Adams. Stock became the Phillies regular third baseman in August on his way toward a solid Major League career. The last trade sent previous Phillies manager Red Dooin, who was still active as a catcher and unwilling to serve under his former coach Pat Moran, to Cincinnati for infielder Bert Niehoff. To fill a gap at shortstop, the club purchased the contract of Dave “Beauty” Bancroft from the Pacific Coast League. Nobody knew it then, but the fine hitting and slick fielding Bancroft was about to start a professional career that would land him in the Hall of Fame. The moves enabled the Phillies to rebuild their infield, with Niehoff, Stock and Bancroft holding down, respectively, second base, third base, and shortstop.

The newcomers joined an already capable team. Behind the plate, Bill “Reindeer” Killefer was a fine player who aptly handled the pitching staff. Fred Ludeus was a good hitting first baseman who could be counted upon to contribute some power to the lineup. The outfield was led by slugger Clifford “Gavvy” Cravath who during his time with the Phillies would lead the National League in home runs an astounding six times, RBIs twice, and runs, hits and walks once each.

Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander—the greatest pitcher in Phillies’ history—anchored the pitching staff. In 1915, he won 31 games, the first of three years in a row Alexander would win 30 or more games for the club. While with the Phillies between 1911-17, Alexander led the National League on five occasions in the following categories: wins, shutouts, complete games, and strikeouts, and in ERA twice.

Others on the 1915 pitching staff augmented the Alexander spearhead. Erskine Mayer matched his 21 victories of 1914, and the newly acquired Demaree pitched-in with 14 wins. Eppa Rixey notched 11 victories while losing 12. His best years still lay ahead of him, and regrettably, like Bancroft, Rixey would spend most of those years with another ball club as he fashioned his Hall of Fame career.

The Phillies came out of the gate like wildfire, winning their first eight games in a row and 11 of their first 12. Early in the season, the Phillies had to fend off the Chicago Cubs, but the Cubs faded after June, leaving the Phillies alone at the top. The team took firm control of first place on 13 July and would not relinquish the position for the rest of the season. The Boston Braves made a late run at the pennant, but it was too little too late, and the Phillies coasted to the title a full seven games ahead of Stallings’ World Champion Braves. The World Series was coming back to Philadelphia for the fifth time in six years!

The 1915 World Series pitted the Phillies against the Boston Red Sox. The Sox had had a strong year, winning 101 games. With a solid outfield consisting of Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, and with a strong cast of pitchers including Rube Foster, Ernie Shore, Smokey Joe Wood, and Dutch Leonard, the Red Sox were the odds-on favorite to take the World Series. The squad also featured a little-known pitcher in only his second year of Major League baseball. He had gone 18-6 for the team and his name was Babe Ruth.

Game One was played in Philadelphia at National League Park and featured a match-up between Pete Alexander and Ernie Shore. The score was tied 1-1 when the Phillies came up in the bottom of the eighth. The hometown crew loaded the bases and scored two of the runners as the Phillies went on to a 3-1 victory over the visitors. Babe Ruth made his first World Series appearance in this game, grounding out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth. This would be the only World Series game the Phillies would win between their founding in 1883 and their lone World Championship in 1980.

The Red Sox then proceeded to win three games in a row, all by the same score of 2-1. Phillies’ pitchers did an effective job muzzling the bats of the Boston players, but the Red Sox pitchers were even more outstanding. They held the Phillies to a combined batting average of .182. Luderus had a great Series, batting .438, and Bancroft hit a respectable .294. The rest of the team went cold, however. Cravath, Niehoff, and Whitted came to the plate a total of 47 times during the World Series and together smacked out a measly four hits.

Without adequate run support, the team foundered against Boston. Down three games to one, the Phillies returned to National League Park hoping for a comeback against the Red Sox. It was not to be. Boston eked out another one-run victory, edging the hometown squad 5-4. Phillies’ president William Baker contributed to some of the club’s misery. He had lined the outfield with temporary seats to squeeze additional paying customers into the ballpark for the World Series. The seats allowed two Boston fly balls in Game Five to become Series-winning home runs. If Baker wanted to maximize attendance, he should have accepted Ben Shibe’s offer to use the more commodious Shibe Park for the Phillies’ home games during the World Series.

After the Golden Age

And then it was over. The Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia ended on 13 October 1915, with the Phillies’ Series-ending loss to the Red Sox. Unlike the Athletics, who tumbled from grace precipitously, the Phillies remained competitive for the next two years. In 1916-17, the club finished in second place, losing out to Brooklyn by two and a half games in 1916, and to the Giants by a more definitive 10 games the next year. The penurious Baker began dismantling the team after 1917, selling off star players to keep the club afloat financially without having to invest any of his own money in the cause. Alexander and Killefer went first with other key members of the 1915 National League champs following. The results were as devastating as they were long lasting. Starting in 1918, the Phillies and their fans endured 14 consecutive second-division finishes. After a fourth place showing in 1932, the club resided in the second division for sixteen more consecutive years. During their sojourn in the twilight, the Phillies lost 100 or more games in a season 12 times.

The Phillies finally got back on top in 1950, reflecting what author David Jordan accurately calls their continuing search for “Occasional Glory.” The Philadelphia Athletics left town after the 1954 season, removing the city’s opportunity to host the World Series as home of the American League champion. With the Phillies the only Major League team in town, the World Series would, indeed, be an infrequent visitor to the City of Brotherly Love.

Connie Mack had a final and dazzling burst of glory before his Athletics left Philadelphia. Assembling perhaps the finest team in baseball history, the A’s won three straight American League pennants between 1929-31, capturing World Series championships in 1929-30. The Athletics then descended from those heights and never returned to them while in the city, leaving only the memories of the Golden Age of Baseball in Philadelphia.