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 2nd 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 98 wins and 55 losses.

Regular season

By this time, the nucleus of the 1929-31 dynasty was in place for the A's. The team featured three starters who were later elected into the Hall of Fame

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...

: catcher 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...

 and outfielders 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...

 and Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb

Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...

. Cochrane was voted league MVP. Simmons led the team with a .351 batting average and 107 RBI. Cobb, in his last major league season, hit .323 in 95 games. 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....

, Tris Speaker

Tris Speaker

Tristram E. Speaker , nicknamed "Spoke" and "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 , and still holds the record of 792 career doubles...

, and Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins

Edward Trowbridge Collins, Sr. , nicknamed "Cocky", was an American Major League Baseball second baseman, manager and executive...

 also saw playing time for the 1928 team.

The pitching staff, led by 24-game winner 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...

, allowed the fewest runs in the AL.

Roster

1928 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		131	468	137	.293	10	57
1B		95	300	78	.260	16	59
2B		126	472	149	.316	6	50
3B		88	314	97	.309	4	58
SS		132	425	112	.264	0	49
OF		139	510	168	.329	8	85
OF		119	464	163	.351	15	107
OF		95	353	114	.323	1	40

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
	118	400	131	.328	13	79
	91	332	93	.280	6	39
	85	242	67	.277	5	30
	64	191	51	.267	3	30
	64	170	52	.306	0	22
	48	74	19	.257	0	7
	28	34	9	.265	0	3
	36	33	10	.303	0	7
	19	29	5	.172	0	1

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
	39	261.2	24	8	2.58	183
	38	235.2	17	12	3.55	112
	31	211.1	18	7	2.90	43
	26	158.1	7	7	3.81	117
	23	139.1	9	8	3.62	34

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
	43	173.2	13	5	3.06	37
	27	106	6	5	4.58	53
	3	14	1	1	3.21	5
	2	8.2	0	1	2.08	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
	11	2	1	1	5.09	15
	9	1	0	2	4.50	4
	3	0	0	0	5.06	3
	3	0	0	0	5.06	3
	1	0	0	0	0.00	0

League top five finishers

Max Bishop

Max Bishop

Max Frederick Bishop was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox . Bishop batted left-handed and threw right-handed...

• #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.435)

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 (24)
• AL leader in strikeouts (183)
• #3 in AL in ERA (2.58)

Joe Hauser

Joe Hauser

Joseph John "Unser Choe" Hauser is a former professional baseball player who played first baseman in the major leagues from 1922–1929, with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians...

• #4 in AL in home runs (16)

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...

• #4 in AL in batting average (.351)