1928 Philadelphia Athletics season
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox baseball team season
| name = Philadelphia Athletics
| season = 1928
| misc =
| league = American League
| ballpark = Shibe Park
| city = Philadelphia
| owners = Connie Mack, Tom Shibe and John Shibe
| managers = Connie Mack
| television =
| radio =
|}}
The 1928 Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing second in the American League with a record of 98 wins and 55 losses. The team featured seven eventual Hall-of-Fame players: Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Al Simmons, and Tris Speaker.
Offseason
- February 5, 1928: Tris Speaker was signed as a free agent by the Athletics.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/speaktr01.shtml Tris Speaker page at Baseball Reference]
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: catcher Mickey Cochrane and outfielders Al Simmons and Ty Cobb. 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, Tris Speaker, and Eddie Collins also saw playing time for the 1928 team.
The pitching staff, led by 24-game winner Lefty Grove, allowed the fewest runs in the AL.
The A's were in a hard fought pennant race with the New York Yankees this season. After trailing the Yankees by 13.5 games on July 1, the A's caught fire with a 25-8 record in July and a 19-9 record in August. In September, the A's won the first 6 out of 8 games and on the 8th pulled into first place by 1/2 game by sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park in a doubleheader. However, on the very next day, the A's were swept by the Yankees in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium to fall back into second place. The A's kept close on the Yankees heels, but couldn't overtake New York.
= Season standings =
{{1928 American League standings}}
= Record vs. opponents =
{{1928 AL Record vs. opponents|team=PHI}}
= Roster =
| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| colspan="10" style="background-color: #4169e1; color: white ; text-align: center;" | 1928 Philadelphia Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| colspan="10" style="background-color: #4169e1; color: white; text-align: center;" | Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| valign="top" | Pitchers
{{MLBplayer | Joe Bush}}
{{MLBplayer | Art Daney}}
{{MLBplayer | George Earnshaw}}
{{MLBplayer | Howard Ehmke}}
{{MLBplayer | Lefty Grove}}
{{MLBplayer | Jing Johnson}}
{{MLBplayer | Ike Powers}}
{{MLBplayer | Jack Quinn}}
{{MLBplayer | Eddie Rommel}}
{{MLBplayer | Bill Shores}}
{{MLBplayer | Rube Walberg}}
{{MLBplayer | Carroll Yerkes}}
| width="25px" | | valign="top" | Catchers {{MLBplayer | Mickey Cochrane}}
{{MLBplayer | Cy Perkins}}
Infielders {{MLBplayer | Max Bishop}}
{{MLBplayer | Joe Boley}}
{{MLBplayer | Eddie Collins}}
{{MLBplayer | Jimmy Dykes}}
{{MLBplayer | Jimmie Foxx}}
{{MLBplayer | Sammy Hale}}
{{MLBplayer | Joe Hassler}}
{{MLBplayer | Joe Hauser}}
{{MLBplayer | Ossie Orwoll}}
| width="25px" | | valign="top" | Outfielders {{MLBplayer | Ty Cobb}}
{{MLBplayer | Walter French}}
{{MLBplayer | Mule Haas}}
{{MLBplayer | Bing Miller}}
{{MLBplayer | Al Simmons}}
{{MLBplayer | Tris Speaker}}
| width="25px" | | valign="top" | Manager {{MLBplayer | Connie Mack}} |
Player stats
= Batting =
== Starters by position ==
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||||||
| style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="5%" | Pos
! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="16%" | Player ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | G ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | AB ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | H ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | Avg. ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | HR ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | RBI | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
| C | {{sortname|Mickey|Cochrane}} | 131 | 468 | 137 | .293 | 10 | 57 |
| align="center"
| 1B | {{sortname|Joe|Hauser}} | 95 | 300 | 78 | .260 | 16 | 59 |
| align="center"
| 2B | {{sortname|Max|Bishop}} | 126 | 472 | 149 | .316 | 6 | 50 |
| align="center"
| 3B | {{sortname|Sammy|Hale}} | 88 | 314 | 97 | .309 | 4 | 58 |
| align="center"
| SS | {{sortname|Joe|Boley}} | 132 | 425 | 112 | .264 | 0 | 49 |
| align="center"
| OF | {{sortname|Bing|Miller}} | 139 | 510 | 168 | .329 | 8 | 85 |
| align="center"
| OF | {{sortname|Al|Simmons}} | 119 | 464 | 163 | .351 | 15 | 107 |
| align="center"
| OF | {{sortname|Ty|Cobb}} | 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
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="16%" | Player
! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | G ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | AB ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | H ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | Avg. ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | HR ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | RBI | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Jimmie|Foxx}} | 118 | 400 | 131 | .328 | 13 | 79 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Mule|Haas}} | 91 | 332 | 93 | .280 | 6 | 39 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Jimmy|Dykes}} | 85 | 242 | 67 | .277 | 5 | 30 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Tris|Speaker}} | 64 | 191 | 51 | .267 | 3 | 30 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Ossie|Orwoll}} | 64 | 170 | 52 | .306 | 0 | 22 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Walter|French|Walter French (baseball)}} | 48 | 74 | 19 | .257 | 0 | 7 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Joe|Hassler}} | 28 | 34 | 9 | .265 | 0 | 3 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Eddie|Collins}} | 36 | 33 | 10 | .303 | 0 | 7 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Cy|Perkins}} | 19 | 29 | 5 | .172 | 0 | 1 |
= Pitching =
== Starting pitchers ==
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="16%" | Player
! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | G ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | IP ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | W ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | L ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | ERA ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | SO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Lefty|Grove}} | 39 | 261.2 | 24 | 8 | 2.58 | 183 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Rube|Walberg}} | 38 | 235.2 | 17 | 12 | 3.55 | 112 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Jack|Quinn|Jack Quinn (baseball)}} | 31 | 211.1 | 18 | 7 | 2.90 | 43 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|George|Earnshaw}} | 26 | 158.1 | 7 | 7 | 3.81 | 117 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Howard|Ehmke}} | 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
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="16%" | Player
! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | G ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | IP ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | W ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | L ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | ERA ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | SO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Eddie|Rommel}} | 43 | 173.2 | 13 | 5 | 3.06 | 37 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Ossie|Orwoll}} | 27 | 106.0 | 6 | 5 | 4.58 | 53 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Bill|Shores}} | 3 | 14.0 | 1 | 1 | 3.21 | 5 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Carroll|Yerkes}} | 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
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="16%" | Player
! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | G ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | W ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | L ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | SV ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | ERA ! style="background:#0C371D;color:#ffc322;" width="9%" | SO | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Joe|Bush|Bullet Joe Bush}} | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5.09 | 15 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Ike|Powers}} | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4.50 | 4 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Jing|Johnson}} | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.06 | 3 |
| align="center"
| {{sortname|Art|Daney}} | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
Awards and honors
- Mickey Cochrane, AL Most Valuable Player
= League top five finishers =
- #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.435)
- AL leader in wins (24)
- AL leader in strikeouts (183)
- #3 in AL in ERA (2.58)Baseball's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records, p.51, Kerry Banks, 2010, Greystone Books, Vancouver, BC, {{ISBN|978-1-55365-507-7}}
- #4 in AL in home runs (16)
- #4 in AL in batting average (.351)
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/PHA/1928.shtml 1928 Philadelphia Athletics team page at Baseball Reference]
- [http://baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1928&t=PHA 1928 Philadelphia Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com]
{{1928 MLB season by team}}
{{Oakland Athletics}}