On June 12, 1939, an awe-inspiring collection of baseball’s greatest stars and legendary figures gathers in Cooperstown, New York for the official dedication of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner and the late Christy Mathewson, all of whom had been elected to the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class…
For the first time in club history, the A’s wear numbers on their uniforms. Connie Mack, the owner and manager of the team, believed the sale of scorecards would suffer because players could be identified by their jerseys.
1938 – On Connie Mack Day at Shibe Park, the A’s win a doubleheader from the White Sox, setting a league record by playing their seventh successive twin bill in 8 days.
Five of baseball’s pioneers are added to the Hall of Fame: Connie Mack‚ John McGraw‚ Morgan G. Bulkeley‚ Ban Johnson‚ and George Wright.
1937 – Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack is interviewed by Boake Carter, one of the most famous journalists of the period, in a television demonstration by the Philco company to display its new technology. It is the first-ever baseball interview on television, although the audience consists only of selected guests at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, a few miles away from Philco’s studio.
1934 – An All-Star team led by Babe Ruth and Connie Mack sails on tour to Hawaii and Japan. Players with wives include Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer, Lefty Gómez, Earl Averill and Lefty O’Doul.
Connie Mack is still selling. First he sells Lefty Grove, the A’s top winner in each of the past five seasons, along with Max Bishop and George Walberg, to the Boston Red Sox for $125,000 and two players, pitcher Bob Kline and infielder Rabbit Warstler. Next, catcher Mickey Cochrane goes to Detroit, then George Earnshaw and backstop Johnny Pasek, just acquired from the Tigers, go to the White Sox for $20,000 and catcher Charlie Berry. Berry once led the NFL in scoring and will become a major league umpire in the 1940s. The day will be known as “Black Tuesday” in Philadelphia.
For the second time, Connie Mack begins to dismantle a dynasty he has built, deciding to sell Mickey Cochrane to the Tigers for $100,000. Although the A’s have won three American League pennants and two World Series titles, dating back to 1929, with the Great Depression looming, the Philadelphia owner needs cash in the face of a failing economy.
White Sox veteran hurlers Sad Sam Jones (41) and Red Faber (44) are the starting pitchers in a doubleheader split with the A’s at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park. It will be another 53 seasons before another pair of 40+ year-old teammates (Yankees Tommy John and Joe Niekro) start both ends of a twin bill.
On July 6, 1933, the first major league All-Star Game is played at Comiskey Park. Babe Ruth third-inning two-run home run off Bill Hallahan proves to be the difference to give the American League a 4-2 win over the National League. Connie Mack manages the AL team while John McGraw comes out of retirement to…
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