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. After the team won 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...

 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...

 in , the team dropped all the way to last place with a record of 43 wins and 109 losses.

Offseason

• December 8, 1914: Eddie Collins
  Eddie Collins
  Edward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. , nicknamed "Cocky", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, manager and executive...
  
   was purchased from the Athletics by the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
  .
• January, 1915, Nap Lajoie
  Nap Lajoie
  Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie , also known as Larry Lajoie, was an American Major League Baseball second baseman. He was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island...
  
   was purchased by the Athletics from the Cleveland Indians
  Cleveland Indians
  The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
  
  .

Regular season

The Federal League

Federal League

The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...

 had been formed to begin play in 1914. As the A.L.

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...

 had done 13 years before

1901 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:* American League: Chicago White Stockings* National League: Pittsburgh PiratesWorld Series: Not played due to AL-NL war over player contracts.-Other champions:* Minor leagues** California League: San Francisco Wasps...

, the new league raided existing A.L. and N.L.

National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...

 teams for players. Athletics owner 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...

 refused to match the offers of the F.L. teams, preferring to let the "prima donnas" go and rebuild with younger (and less expensive) players. The result was a swift and near-total collapse, a "first-to-worst" situation. The Athletics went from a 99–53 (.651) record and a pennant in 1914

1914 Philadelphia Athletics season

The Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. It involved the A's finishing first in the American League with a record of 99 wins and 53 losses...

 to a record of 43–109 (.283) and 8th (last) place in 1915. At the time, it was the third-worst winning percentage in American League history.

Season highlights

• June 23, 1915: Athletics pitcher Bruno Haas
  Bruno Haas
  Bruno Philip Haas was a Major League Baseball pitcher, minor league baseball executive, and many other things during a baseball career that lasted 37 years....
  
   set an American League record by walking 16 Yankees
  1915 New York Yankees season
  The 1915 New York Yankees season was the 13th season for the Yankees and their 15th overall. The team finished with a record of 69-83, 32½ games behind the American League champion Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bill Donovan...
  
   in one game.

Roster

1915 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		112	312	85	.272	2	31
1B		119	456	143	.314	0	49
2B		129	490	137	.280	1	61
OF		107	408	101	.248	6	42

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
	68	260	60	.231	0	17
	17	33	11	.333	0	2
	10	26	3	.115	0	2
	8	23	2	.087	0	1
	12	18	1	.056	0	0
	6	11	2	.182	0	0
	5	3	1	.333	0	4
	2	2	0	.000	0	0

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
	43	276	10	22	3.52	157
	25	145.2	5	15	4.14	89
	10	54.1	2	6	5.47	15
	1	2	0	1	22.50	0
	1	0.2	0	0	40.50	0

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
	32	178.1	4	17	5.20	69
	18	100.2	4	6	3.49	24
	8	39.1	0	5	3.43	17
	5	21	0	1	4.71	13
	4	20	2	0	1.35	11
	4	17.2	0	0	3.57	4
	6	14.1	0	1	11.93	7
	2	7.1	0	1	4.91	6

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
	18	0	2	0	4.05	18
	3	0	0	0	3.12	3
	2	0	0	0	6.75	0

League top five finishers

Rube Bressler

Rube Bressler

Raymond Bloom "Rube" Bressler was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1914 to 1916 and Cincinnati Reds from 1917 to 1920, before being converted to an outfielder and first baseman for Cincinnati from 1918 to 1927, the Brooklyn Robins from...

• #2 in AL in earned runs allowed (103)

Bullet Joe Bush

Bullet Joe Bush

Leslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush born in Brainerd, Minnesota was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants...

• #3 in AL in wild pitches (10)

Rube Oldring

Rube Oldring

Reuben Henry "Rube" Oldring , was a professional baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from 1905 to 1918. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees....

• #2 in AL in home runs (6)

Weldon Wyckoff

Weldon Wyckoff

John Weldon Wyckoff was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox . Wyckoff batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania...

• AL leader in losses (22)
• AL leader in earned runs allowed (108)
• AL leader in walks allowed (165)
• AL leader in wild pitches (14)
• #3 in AL in strikeouts (157)