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 was a season in American baseball. The team finished 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 92 wins and 56 losses, winning their first 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...

. They went on to face the New York Giants

1905 New York Giants season

The New York Giants won their second consecutive National League pennant. They beat the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. This team featured three Hall of Fame players -- catcher Roger Bresnahan, and pitchers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity -- along with Hall of Fame manager John...

 in the 1905 World Series

1905 World Series

- Game 1 :Monday, October 9, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA pitchers' duel took place between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank. Both pitchers got out of jams and were able to shut the offense down. In the Giants top of the fifth, Mathewson singled, but was forced by Roger...

, losing 4 games to 1.

The pitching staff featured three future Hall of Famers

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...

: Rube Waddell

Rube Waddell

George Edward Waddell was an American southpaw pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his thirteen-year career he played for the Louisville Colonels , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Orphans in the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns in the American League...

, Eddie Plank

Eddie Plank

Edward Stewart Plank , nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the first left-handed pitcher to win 200 games and then 300 games, and now ranks third in all-time wins among left-handers with 326 career victories and first all-time in career shutouts by a...

, and Chief Bender

Chief Bender

Charles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...

. Waddell easily won the pitching triple crown in 1905, with 27 win

Win (baseball)

In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...

s, 287 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, and a 1.48 earned run average

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...

.

Regular season

The A's offense scored the most runs in the league. Slugger Harry Davis led all players in home run

Home run

In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...

s, runs scored, and runs batted in.

Birth of the Elephant mascot

After New York Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

' manager John McGraw

John McGraw

John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...

 told reporters that Philadelphia manufacturer Ben Shibe

Ben Shibe

Benjamin Franklin Shibe was an American sporting goods and baseball executive who, along with his sons John and Tom, was half-owner of the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League from 1901 until his death. He is credited with the invention of the automated stitching machinery to make...

, who owned the controlling interest in the Athletics, had a "white elephant

White elephant

A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...

 on his hands," manager Connie Mack

Connie Mack

Connie Mack may refer to:* Connie Mack I , Hall of Fame baseball manager, player, owner* Connie Mack III , U.S. Representative , U.S. Senator from Florida * Connie Mack IV , U.S...

 defiantly adopted the white elephant as the team mascot, and presented McGraw with a stuffed toy elephant at the start of the 1905 World Series

1905 World Series

- Game 1 :Monday, October 9, 1905 at Columbia Park in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA pitchers' duel took place between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank. Both pitchers got out of jams and were able to shut the offense down. In the Giants top of the fifth, Mathewson singled, but was forced by Roger...

. McGraw and Mack had known each other for years, and McGraw accepted it graciously.

Roster

1905 Philadelphia Athletics
Roster
valign="top" | Pitchers		valign="top" | Catchers Infielders		valign="top" | 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		123	420	114	.271	0	45
1B		150	607	173	.285	8	83
2B		151	537	149	.277	6	71
3B		147	587	156	.266	0	77
SS		88	325	66	.203	3	29
LF		150	538	148	.275	0	28
CF		120	459	120	.261	1	35
RF		133	492	135	.274	6	59

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
	79	252	67	.266	0	24
	66	238	57	.239	0	13
	40	121	18	.149	0	10
	29	60	10	.167	0	3

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
	41	346.2	24	12	2.26	210
	46	328.2	27	10	1.48	287
	35	255	18	8	1.84	145
	25	183.2	4	11	2.60	82
	1	5	0	0	3.60	5

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
	35	229	18	11	2.83	142
	6	35.1	1	4	4.33	24

1905 World Series

NL New York Giants

1905 New York Giants season

The New York Giants won their second consecutive National League pennant. They beat the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. This team featured three Hall of Fame players -- catcher Roger Bresnahan, and pitchers Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity -- along with Hall of Fame manager John...

 (4) vs AL Philadelphia Athletics (1)

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance
1	Giants - 3, Athletics - 0	October 9	Columbia Park Columbia Park For other places known as Columbia Park, see Columbia Park Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball stadium that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...	17,995
2	Athletics - 3, Giants - 0	October 10	Polo Grounds Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...	24,992
3	Giants - 9, Athletics - 0	October 12	Columbia Park Columbia Park For other places known as Columbia Park, see Columbia Park Columbia Park or Columbia Avenue Grounds was a baseball stadium that formerly stood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...	10,991
4	Athletics - 0, Giants - 1	October 13	Polo Grounds Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...	13,598
5	Athletics - 0, Giants - 2	October 14	Polo Grounds Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...	24,187

American League top five finishers

Andy Coakley

Andy Coakley

Andrew James "Andy" Coakley was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs and New York Highlanders .-Biography:...

• #4 earned run average (1.84)

Lave Cross

Lave Cross

Lafayette Napoleon Cross was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played most of his 21-year career with Philadelphia-based teams in four different leagues...

• #2 runs batted in (77)

Harry Davis

• #1 runs batted in (83)
• #1 home runs (8)
• #1 runs scored (93)
• #4 slugging percentage (.422)

Topsy Hartsel

Topsy Hartsel

Tully Frederick "Topsy" Hartsel was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Polk, Ohio, and played for the Louisville Colonels , Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Orphans , and the Philadelphia Athletics who he won the World Series with in 1910. Having a keen eye, Hartsel led the league in...

• #1 on-base percentage (.409)
• #4 runs scored (88)
• #4 stolen bases (37)

Danny Hoffman

Danny Hoffman

Danny Hoffman , was a professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1903 to 1911. During his career Hoffman played for the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Highlanders, and St...

• #1 in stolen bases (46)

Eddie Plank

Eddie Plank

Edward Stewart Plank , nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the first left-handed pitcher to win 200 games and then 300 games, and now ranks third in all-time wins among left-handers with 326 career victories and first all-time in career shutouts by a...

• #2 wins (24)
• #2 strikeouts (210)

Rube Waddell

Rube Waddell

George Edward Waddell was an American southpaw pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his thirteen-year career he played for the Louisville Colonels , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Orphans in the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns in the American League...

• #1 wins (27)
• #1 earned run average (1.48)
• #1 strikeouts (287)
• #2 shutouts (7)