The Philadelphia Athletics

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....

 season involved the A's finishing first in the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 with a record of 107 wins and 45 losses. It was the team's third consecutive pennant

Pennant (sports)

A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...

-winning season and its third consecutive season with over 100 wins. However, in a major upset, the A's lost the 1931 World Series

1931 World Series

In the 1931 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games, a rematch and reversal of fortunes of the 1930 World Series.The same two teams faced off during the 1930 World Series and the Athletics were victorious...

 to the St. Louis Cardinals

1931 St. Louis Cardinals season

The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 50th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 40th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 101-53 during the season and finished first in the National League...

 in seven games.

1931 was also the A's final World Series

World Series

The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...

 appearance in Philadelphia. Their next AL pennant would be in 1972

1972 Oakland Athletics season

The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World...

, after they had moved to Oakland.

Offseason

• November 29, 1930: Homer Summa
  Homer Summa
  Homer Wayne Summa was a right fielder in major league baseball from 1920 to 1930. He began his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but played most of his career for the Cleveland Indians before finishing as a reserve with the Philadelphia Athletics. His career batting average was .302...
  
   and Ossie Orwoll
  Ossie Orwoll
  Oswald Christian Orwoll is a former pitcher & first baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics who had a career 6-7 record in 39 games pitched and a .294 batting average in 94 games. He was part of Connie Mack's 1929 World Series team, but did not appear in any games...
  
   were traded by the Athletics to the Portland Beavers
  Portland Beavers
  The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
  
   for Herb Lahti (minors).
• December 10, 1930: Cy Perkins
  Cy Perkins
  Ralph Foster "Cy" Perkins was an American catcher, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Perkins batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts....
  
   was purchased from the Athletics by the New York Yankees
  New York Yankees
  The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
  
  .

Regular season

1931 was the greatest season of Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove

Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...

's career. He went 31-4, with a 2.06 ERA

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 and 175 strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s, easily winning the pitching triple crown. He was voted league MVP. Combined with the efforts of 21- and 20-game winners George Earnshaw

George Earnshaw

George "Moose" Earnshaw was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in parts of nine seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was the American League wins leader in 1929 with the A's...

 and Rube Walberg

Rube Walberg

George Elvin Walberg was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Giants , Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox . Walberg batted and threw left-handed...

, Philadelphia allowed the fewest runs of any AL team.

Slugger Al Simmons

Al Simmons

Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...

 won the batting title with a .390 average

Batting average

Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 and came in third in MVP voting.

Roster

1931 Philadelphia Athletics
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		valign="top" | Manager

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C		122	459	160	.349	17	89
1B		139	515	150	.291	30	120
2B		130	497	146	.294	5	37
3B		101	355	97	.273	3	46
SS		86	294	79	.269	6	40
LF		128	513	200	.390	22	128
CF		102	440	142	.323	8	56
RF		137	534	150	.281	8	77

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
	49	143	32	.224	2	21
	19	44	10	.227	0	4

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	44	291	20	12	3.74	106
	43	281.2	21	7	3.67	152
	41	288.2	31	4	2.06	175
	30	162.1	15	4	4.21	59
	16	111	10	5	4.22	30

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	19	70.1	2	4	3.71	23
	6	13	0	1	6.23	7
	3	11	1	0	4.09	1

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
	2	0	0	0	19.29	1

League top five finishers

Mickey Cochrane

Mickey Cochrane

Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers...

• #4 in AL in batting average (.349)

George Earnshaw

George Earnshaw

George "Moose" Earnshaw was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played in parts of nine seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, and St. Louis Cardinals. He was the American League wins leader in 1929 with the A's...

• #2 in AL in strikeouts (152)
• #3 in AL in wins (21)

Jimmie Foxx

Jimmie Foxx

James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....

• #4 in AL in home runs (30)

Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove

Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...

• AL leader in wins (31)
• AL leader in ERA (2.06) (Grove’s 2.06 ERA was 2.32 runs below the league average.)
• AL leader in strikeouts (175)

Al Simmons

Al Simmons

Aloysius Harry Simmons , born Aloisius Szymanski in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was an American baseball player. He played for two decades in the major leagues as an outfielder, and had his best years as a member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics during the 1930's...

• AL leader in batting average (.390)
• #3 in AL in slugging percentage (.641)
• #4 in AL in RBI (128)
• #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.444)

1931 World Series

NL St. Louis Cardinals

1931 St. Louis Cardinals season

The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 50th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 40th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 101-53 during the season and finished first in the National League...

 (4) vs. AL Philadelphia Athletics (3)

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance
1	Athletics – 6, Cardinals – 2	October 1	Sportsman’s Park	38,529
2	Athletics – 0, Cardinals – 2	October 2	Sportsman’s Park	35,947
3	Cardinals – 5, Athletics – 2	October 5	Shibe Park	32,295
4	Cardinals – 0, Athletics – 3	October 6	Shibe Park	32,295
5	Cardinals – 5, Athletics – 1	October 7	Shibe Park	32,295
6	Athletics – 8, Cardinals – 1	October 9	Sportsman’s Park	39,401
7	Athletics – 2, Cardinals – 4	October 10	Sportsman’s Park	20,805

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Harrisburg