The Oakland Athletics began their history as a franchise in Philadelphia. When they return to the City of Brotherly Love, they have the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to their second dynasty.
Usually, when fans think of baseball during the 1920s, thoughts turn to the New York Yankees and the legends of Murderer’s Row, particularly Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. However, the Yankees were not the only powerhouse of the time, as Connie Mack had built his second dynasty.
After finishing second to the Yankees in 1927 and 1928, the Athletics broke through in 1929. They would win the American League pennant for three consecutive years, taking home the World Series in 1929 and 1930. Sadly, the Great Depression forced Mack to sell many of the team’s stars, including Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, and Lefty Grove. The team would go into a nosedive after 1933, which spanned three cities and over 30 years.
During the upcoming season, the Oakland Athletics will return to Philadelphia, facing off against the Phillies for a three game set from June 12th through the 14th. Both teams will be wearing 1920s throwbacks, with the Phillies already giving a glimpse of their hats for the series.
At this point, the A’s have yet to reveal any details as to what the uniforms will look like. However, one can get an idea as to what the jerseys would look like with a look back through their history. While the white elephant logo dominated the decade, the A’s returned to their traditional A on the front of the jerseys for 1928, and throughout that second dynasty.
That classic look, with the traditional capital A, encompasses a time when the A’s were arguably the greatest team in baseball history. With five Hall of Famers, and Mack able to spend the money needed to keep the core together, they faced down those mighty Yankees squads, a truly impressive feat.
With a return trip to Philadelphia on the docket, this is the perfect time to pay tribute to those teams. The 1929 team, which finally broke through against the Yankees before overcoming an 8-0 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game Four of the World Series, has become lost in the echoes of history. That needs to change.
The Oakland Athletics can help shine the spotlight back on that second dynasty this season. Their return trip to Philadelphia is a perfect time to bring back the 1929 throwbacks, and honor the memory of those greats.