Philadelphia Athletics (American Association)

For the baseball team that played in the National Association 1871-1875 and in the National League in 1876, see: Athletic of Philadelphia.

Related Topics:
National Association - National League - Athletic of Philadelphia

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For the American League baseball team see: Oakland Athletics.

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The Philadelphia Athletics were one of six charter members of the American Association, a 19th Century major league, which began play in 1882 as a rival to the National League. The other teams were the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Eclipse of Louisville, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, and St. Louis Brown Stockings. The team took its name from a previous team, the Athletic of Philadelphia, which played in the National Association from 1871 through 1875 and the National League in 1876.

Related Topics:
American Association - 19th Century - Major league - National League - Athletic of Philadelphia - National Association

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For the ten years of their existence, the Athletics were generally a successful franchise, winning 633 games and losing 564, for a winning percentage of .529. The team won the AA pennant in 1883, finishing one game ahead of the St. Louis Brown Stockings. The same year, however, saw the National League place its own team in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Quakers. Though the Quakers finished dead last in 1883, they soon improved on the field and at the gate.

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The last straw for the AA Athletics, and several other American Association teams, was the creation of the Players League in 1890. The established leagues lost players to the upstart league, player salaries soared (by the standards of the day), and there simply were not enough fans to support three baseball leagues. Though the Players League folded after but one year, it had taken its toll.

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Over the years, some of the better American Association teams had jumped to the National League. After the AA's final season in 1891, Baltimore, Louisville, St. Louis, and Washington abandoned the AA to join a 12-team NL, and the American Association folded. Because Philadelphia had an established NL team in the newly-renamed Philles, the second version of the Athletics died with the collapse of the American Association. The deal was sealed when Phillies' owners John Rogers and Al Reach paid $50,000 to the owners of the A's to obtain exclusive territorial rights to Philadelphia.

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