1931 Philadelphia Athletics

1931 Philadelphia Athletics / Franchise: Oakland Athletics / BR Team Page

Record: 107-45-1, Finished 1st in American League (1931 AL)

Clinched Pennant: September 15, 1931, vs. Cleveland Indians

Managed by Connie Mack

Coaches: Eddie Collins, Kid Gleason and Earle Mack

Ballpark: Shibe Park

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1931 Philadelphia Athletics were one of the greatest teams in American League history, although they have been relatively forgotten because they were upset by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1931 World Series. They were only the second team in the history of the league to post a winning percentage above .700. They were also outshined by the 1927 New York Yankees, considered by many the greatest team in baseball history, who had come along only a few years earlier. However, their 107 wins were the most by any major league teams between that Yankees team, which win 110 games, and the 1954 Cleveland Indians, who won 111.

Awards and Honors

• AL MVP: Lefty Grove

Standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB
Philadelphia Athletics	107	45	.704	--
New York Yankees	94	59	.614	13½
Washington Senators	92	62	.597	16
Cleveland Indians	78	76	.506	30
St. Louis Browns	63	91	.409	45
Boston Red Sox	62	90	.408	45
Detroit Tigers	61	93	.396	47
Chicago White Sox	56	97	.366	51½

World Series

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

Further Reading

• Associated Press: "ATHLETICS CLINCH THIRD TITLE IN ROW", New York Times, September 16, 1931
• Robert P. Broadwater: Lefty Grove and the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2014. ISBN 978-0-7864-7566-7
• Douglas Jordan: "The .700 Club: Blessedly Good Baseball", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 45, Number 2 (Fall 2016), pp. 26-33.
• Bryan Soderholm-Difatte: "Connie Mack's Second Great Athletics Team: Eclipsed by the Ruth-Gehrig Yankees, But Even Better", in Morris Levin, ed.: From Swampoodle to South Philly: Baseball in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, The National Pastime, SABR, 2013, pp. 178-184.

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Cardinals over Athletics (4-3)