The Washington times., 1909-08-08
ATHLETICS ALWAYS
NEAR THEPENNANT
" Pop Fleming Recalls
Teams Representing Phila-
delphia in Old Days.
By '.Pop" FLEMING.

Philadelphia has been the home or Z
great ban club from the inception Of
the game, and generally a good one,
fighting 20 the last and always finishing
well in the running There may have
been exceptional wears. but as rule
Athletics have not been a second
division club. 1t maltered not whether
there were eight or twelve clubs in the
league
The Athletics were a great team in
1858, they are a great team today. One
Of that IS team holds the same position
in the American League as Albert Q.
Spalding does in the National-in that
he holds the contract for the manufac-
ture OF the balls used in American
League games. OF course 1 refer TO Al
Reach, the head Of the great sporting
goods house of A. Reach Company,
Philadelphia.
Reach was one of the best second
basemen Of his day, and as a batter he
was given place at the head OF the
Athletics batting list. As I recall him
back in the late SOS. and 1 have net
seen him since, to my knowledge, he
was rather understood, square shout
dered, and high browed. Spalding and
as a result Of the activity in baseball
through il leading sthem into the sport
ing goods business.
G. Mcbride, Pitcher.
The pitcher of the Athletics in those
days was George Mcbride, and he fol-
lowed Reach In the batting list. Rad
cliff. the catcher; Fisler, first base;
Cuthbert, left. and Foran. right. were
all of about the same heighth and build
and as 1 recall the team, Sensenderfer
and Mcbride were the only tail mem
first baseman. a good batter, and a
clever little fellow
Ned" Cuthbert came to the Chicagos
In their first year as professionals, two
years later. and made good. He then
joined the Philadelphia team, not
known as the Athletics, as die most Of
the Chicago nine Of 1871, including Cap
tain Wood, after the great IRE of Il,
and later played with St. Louis. Cuth-
bert remained long in the game. Sen
senderfer was A tail. slim, good-natured.
young man, and a fielder of high repu-
tation.
have the box score of a game played
Friday, September II, 1865, between the
Athletics anu the AtIantics of Brooklyn.
the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1870,
taking the cream off from the Chicag0's
victory a week later
No nine of the early years of the game
contained as many names of famous
stars of the next decade than the At
lantics.
In the lineup we find the names Of
John Start, afteTWard one OF the ia
nous first basemen OF the National
League, playing with Washington, Chi.
Ferguson. a great captain and third
baseman of the later days later con-
nected with many league clubs; George
Lettleln. for many years a pitcher OF
the Chicago club, capable of going IL
day after day, and repeating the next
Never Tired.
zettlein. who never tired, and who
Travelled long and straight in the Ma
tionaI game Then there was "Dickey'
Pierce. the famous little shortstop, who
later won many honors, and Chapman
and Crane, VINO, with Mcdonald, Of
whom I have no remembrance, cbmpIet-
ed One outheld. I DO not know Ehether
the Atlantic Crane is the baseball writer
Of today, but 1 think ne is one and the
same Crane.
In the game referred to, Mcbride, he
of the sideburns, had all the advantage
of Zettlein. The latter was pounded for
43 hits for a total Of Sc bases. while
Mcbride got away with - hits for a
total of % bases. The 66 bases netted
the Athletics 81 runs. The Atlantics
turned their IS hits into Is runs. The
box score shows the Athletics 10 have
been the better batteTs, and this con-
firms my impression of the team, and
yet there were more latter-day stars
on the AtlantiCs than on the former
team.
This game was played in New York
city. Friday. September IL, 1868.
The Score:
N~rurrvcs a7-rrv r~r-srr-e,