Tag Archives: Philadelphia Athletics

A New Baseball Introduced At Spring Training 1931

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Manager Connie Mack Shows Pitchers The New Baseball To Be Used For The 1931 Season

Connie Shows His Men How The New Ball Works
Fort Myers, Fla: Connie Mack, veteran chief of the Philadelphia Athletics explains the new ball to Walberg, Grove, Rommel and Shores as spring training gets under way here. 3/5/1931 photo International Newsreel

With a new lively baseball introduced after 1920, it was no surprise that balls started to travel further. But as the 1920s progressed and hitters kept hitting more and more home runs, baseball writers, fans and those within the game felt that the hitters had achieved too much of an advantage. So after a decade of increasing run production, the National and American Leagues made the decision to try and curb the scoring by changing to a new baseball.

Big Numbers

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Before The Trade Deadline Philadelphia Athletics Acquire 6 New Players -1951

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Philadelphia Athletics Trade For 6 Players – 1951

ATHLETICS SHOW OFF THEIR SIX NEW PLAYERS
Phila, PA – Obtained in trades with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox in the last two weeks, these husky ballplayers are shown in the uniform of the Philadelphia Athletics for the first time as they turned out for the game against the New York Yankees on Saturday. From left they are: Allie Clark, from the Indians; Gus Zernial from the White Sox; catcher Ray Murray from the Indians; outfielder Dave Philley from the White Sox, and infielder Lou Klein and pitcher Sam Zoldak from the Indians. May 14, 1951 Photo: International News Photos-  Sonnee Gottlieb

With the major league trade deadline now August 1, teams have to decide if they are in contention or not. With expanded playoffs it makes it a lot harder for a general manager to stay the course or improve the team while possibly mortgaging the future by trading away potential assets.

The Philadelphia Athletics in 1951 did improve in the standings Continue reading →

Jump, Scooter, Jump! Phil Rizzuto In Action

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Phil Rizzuto – 1950

New York – Bob Dillinger of the Athletics slides safely back to 2nd in the first inning of game with Yanks here, 7/5 as Phil Rizzuto leaps for throw from catcher Yogi Berra. The ball went over Rizzuto’s head . Yanks won 12-8. credit: Acme Telephoto July 5, 1950

As Red Sox great Ted Williams once said the margin of difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox was very slim, but that the Yankees had Phil Rizzuto. “If Rizzuto had been in Boston we’d have won all those pennants instead of New York,” Williams said. Continue reading →

Lou Gehrig, Joe McCarthy & Babe Ruth At Spring Training 1931

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Gehrig & Ruth – The Great Hitting Duo Pose At Spring Training With Their New Manager Joe McCarthy, 1931

A Pair Of Heavy Hitters And A Manager
The New York Yankees are preparing for the coming baseball season at St. Petersburg, Florida. Shown above left to right, are, Lou Gehrig, first baseman who swats homers, now and then, manager McCarthy and George Herman “Babe” Ruth, sometimes described as “The King of Swat.” photo: Associated Press March 5, 1931

1931 would not turn out to be a pennant winning season for the Yankees. But you could not blame Lou Gehrig or Babe Ruth. Gehrig led the league with 46 home runs and 185 RBI’s. Gehrig’s batting average Continue reading →

Lefty Grove Takes A Bat To His Glove – 1931 World Series

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World Series “Action” – Lefty Grove Breaks In A New Glove

What does a star pitcher do between games of the World Series? If you are 31-game winner Lefty Grove you take time to  work on breaking in a new glove.

Breaking In A New Mitt
Robert (Lefty) Grove victor over the St. Louis Cards first battle of the World Series, is seen here in Shibe Park, Philadelphia, October 4th as he breaks in a new glove. Grove will probably be selected to pitch against the Cards in the third game Oct, 5th. photo: Acme 10/4/1931

A new glove didn’t help Grove in game three Continue reading →

As Aaron Judge Chases Roger Maris, Jimmie Foxx Once Chased Babe Ruth

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In 1932 Jimmie Foxx Was On Pace To Shatter Babe Ruth’s 60 Homer Record

Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

If Aaron Judge hits more than 61 home runes in 2022 many will view him as baseball’s legitimate all-time single season home run leader. Officially Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all shattered Maris’s record. But many observers suspect all three cheated by using performance enhancing drugs. Continue reading →

Philadelphia Athletics 1931 World Series Pitchers Grove, Earnshaw & Rommel

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Three Members Of The 1931 The Philadelphia Athletics Pitching Staff

Grove Earnshaw Rommel Athletics 1931 World Series Acme PhotoMay Play In World Series
Here are three important members of the Philadelphia Athletics pitching staff who are bound to figure in the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Left to right, George Earnshaw, Eddie Rommel and Robert “Lefty” Grove. Photo: Acme September 30, 1931

The Athletics had reason to be confident. The previous year, the Athletics defeated the Cardinals four games to two with Grove and Earnshaw each winning two games.

The photo caption writer here was a bit off with “bound to figure”. Rommel pitched just one inning in the 1931 World Series.

Earnshaw and Grove once again carried the load pitching 50 of the 61 innings for the Athletics, but wound up losing the championship to the Cardinals in seven games. Continue reading →

Eddie Robinson The Oldest Living Baseball Player Is 100-Years-Old Today

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Eddie Robinson, Four Time All-Star & The Oldest Living Major League Baseball Player Is 100 Today

Minnie Minoso and Eddie Robinson examine Ted Williams bat

(Eddie Robinson 1920-2021, see update at end of story)

Eddie Robinson, a big six foot two lefty first baseman who played for seven teams in a 13 year major league career, turns 100 December 15, 2020.

Born in Paris, TX, Eddie Robinson is among the few players still alive who played alongside and saw firsthand many of the great players of the twentieth century.

Robinson was in the big leagues from 1942 – 1957, missing three prime seasons to serve in the military during World War II. His career numbers are 172 home runs, 723 RBI’s and a .268 batting average.

The Indians

Playing in the World Series could bring a player a financial bonanza, sometimes nearly as much as a regular season salary, When Robinson was traded after the season from the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians to the perennially terrible Washington Senators, he was surprisingly relieved and happy. Continue reading →

Former NL Home Run Champ Now Works At A City Swimming Pool – 1948

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Hack Wilson, Former NL Home Run Champ Glad To Have Any Job

Hack Wilson 1948Baseball is going to begin its abbreviated season, as if anyone cares. I certainly don’t. The spoiled players and clueless owners are greedy beyond all belief.

So here is a lesson in humility for all the ballplayers complaining about their pro-rated multi-million dollar salaries and owners crying poverty.

72 years ago today Hack Wilson made the news.  Here is what the original news slug says:

Baltimore, MD July 20, 1948 – EX-HERO Of BASEBALL – – Hack Wilson, the former home run king, chats with kids at the city swimming pool where he works. Municipal authorities had put him to work as a park laborer recently when he came in looking for “any kind of job.” Wilson, now 48-years-old, set the National League’s home run record of 56 in 1930 with the Chicago Cubs. AP Wirephoto

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