The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-31
BIRTHDAY OF
 THE ATHLETICS

This is the birthday of the Ath- 1etics, it was ffty-seven years ago today, May 31, 1859, that the first of the. famous Philadelphia ball clubs of that name was organized. The club was originally devoted to town ball. but the new game of baseball made a stronger appeal to the members, and the following year the players adopted baseball. At first the Athletics played on the ground of the St. George Crick- ct Club. but later they obtained a plant of their own.
 Within a few years the Athletics developed into one of the strongest clubs in the pastime. Half a century ago they figured in the first cham pionship game between two cities, de- i feating their closest rivals, the Brook lyp At1anticS, by a score of 31 to 12. In that year, 1s66s the Athletics had three paid playerA Reach, Dockney and Pike, and professional baseball thus really originated with the Ath- 1etics, although the Cincinnati Reds were the first a1l-professional organ ization. Al Reach, now wealthy manufacturer,N was the pioneer pro player. the Athletics offering him a salary to desert the Brooklyn Allan 1 tics. Reach joined the Athletics in June, 1884.
 When the first professional league, fthe National Association, was organ ized in 1871, the Athletes became a charter member, and captured the first league pennant, George w. Thompson was president of the club, and Hicks Hayhurst the manager. In that season the Athletics won twenty two and lost seven games. McBride was the pitcher and Malone the back stop, with Fisler at first Reach at second, Meyer1e at third and Rad c1iffe as shortstop. Cuthbert, Sensen- derfer, Heubel and Bechtel comprised the outfelding staff. with Tom Pratt as a general utility man.
 When the National League was launched in 1876 the Athletics climbed aboard the bandwagon. FisIer, Meyerle and Malone were the only players left of the 1871 champions, Knight having succeeded Mcbride as the pitching staff. The Athletics fin ished second, but at the end of the year the club was expelled from the National League, along with the New York Mutuals
 In 1874 the Athletics and the Bos- tons had made tour of Great Britain and Ireland, the first expedition of it's kind in baseball history. The Bostons won eight and the Athletics six of these exhibition games.
 < After being expelled from the Ma tionaI League the name of Athletics disappeared for a time, but in 1881 it was revived when Philadelphia placed a club in the Eastern Association In 1882 the American Association was launched as a rival of the National l League, and the Athletic club again assumed major league standing, win ming the Association pennant in 1883. I When the American passed out of existence the Athletic club did like i wise, but the famous old name was l resurrected when Connie Mack put an American League club in the Quaker City in 1901. The astute Connie I grabbed the pennant his second year | out, and he has been at it, off and on ever since.
 From the first the Athletics played I wond derfu1 ball, and no club with that I name can long remain near the bot tom of the heap. There is some ttling in a, name, despite all reports to 8Ile 1 contrary, and that of. Athletic is in- spiration to any ball played permitted to display it upon his manly buzzum