A'S SOCIETY 10 YEARS OLD!

by Max Silberman

They said it couldn't be done! Believe it or not the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society celebrates its tenth birthday in September 2006. Folks often ask how this all began. There are three stories and all of them true. Three forces combined to create what is now the A's Society.

In the late 1970s until the early 1990s, A's Society General Manager Ernie Montella maintained a booth at the Willow Grove Memorabilia show where he sold his famous plaques. Next to his booth was a large walk in closet where A's fans met throughout the show to compare their acquisitions. Eddie Joost was a guest at one show and Montella championed his election to the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. Joost and Montella formed a great friendship. At the same time, Ted Taylor penned a column for the Philadelphia Daily News. Taylor, an A's fan from way back, wrote of the secret society of A's followers.

Jim Lutz, local promoter and dealer had come up with the idea of having breakfasts with the players who appeared at his card shows. While at a show in Holmes, PA, Lutz mentioned to this writer the idea of having an A's reunion.

In March of 1996 all three paths converged at a Holiday Inn in Fort Washington where a breakfast and card show was held with a dozen A's and 85 breakfast attendees. Bobby Shantz, Joe Astroth, Carl Scheib, Spook Jacobs, John Gray, Al Brancato, Wayne Ambler, Mickey Rutner, Eddie Collins Jr., Lou Brissie and Eddie Joost delighted the assembled fans.

The second reunion was moved to Bensalem where a room which was supposed to hold 100 people was modified by Ernie Montella who removed some fixtures and 150 fans were jammed in to see Pete Suder, Ferris Fain, Eddie Joost and a dozen other former A's players.

By this time demand for seats was so heavy that the breakfast was moved to Warrington where 300 guests could be seated. With the appearance of Robin Roberts and George Kell, 335 fans were accomodated. The breakfast is currently held at Williamson's in Horsham where nearly 500 people attend each year.

Following Lutz' initial reunion breakfast, the Society was officially formed in September 1996 with Ted Taylor and Ernie Montella as co-founders. Taylor served as president until 1999 when David Jordan followed him and Montella remains as general manager.

Taylor wrote a Daily News article encouraging members to join and both he and Montella were overwhelmed at the response. At present about 900 members belong.

When the Society began, 135 former players were still alive. That number is now 71.

Undoubtedly the biggest undertaking was the opening of the museum and gift shoppe in Hatboro in November of 1998. Eight years later, it is more beautiful than ever with a "Wall of Fame" displaying the A's plaques that were once hung in Veteran's Stadium.

The number of volunteers who have made this all possible are too numerous to mention but all feel that their time and effort was well spent.

Happy Anniversary to A's fans and players everywhere!

10TH ANNIVERSARY TIMELINE

• March 1996: First reunion breakfast
• December 1997: A's Society debuts at Philly Show
• April 1997: Suder,Joost and Fain at 2nd reunion
• October 1997: Jimmie Foxx statue unveiled, Sudlersville,MD,and Historical marker placed at 21st and Lehigh.
• November 1997: First Warrington reunion, 300 attend
• March 1998: Ron Joyner card set debuts
• March 1998: Vic Power appears at reunion, record attendance
• May 1998: A's Society exhibits at Sports Fest
• May 1998: Connie Mack Marker at his former home on Lincoln Drive
• November 1998: George Kell and Robin Roberts head guest list for reunion. 335 attend breakfast.
• November l998: November 22 marks the opening of museum, gift shoppe and research center in Hatboro making the A's Society the only organization of its type with such a facility.
• March 1999: Senator Connie Mack addresses reunion.
• June 1999: A's Society library opens for public access.
• November 1999: 1954 A's reunion
• March 2000: Oakland A's staff members visit Hatboro.
• April 2000: Second golf tournament
• October 2000: Bob Feller attends art auction and reunion weekend
• October 2001: Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Bill Werber appear at reunion. Attendance is overwhelming.

This is but a brief look at the activities of our past years. Others have included educational symposia, book signings by Bill Campbell, Bill Werber, Don Gutteridge, Virgil Trucks and many others, appearances at the Atwater Kent Museum, Franklin Institute, Veterans and Retirement facilities and many radio and television events.

All of these are made possible by the wonderful support of our members and the volunteers who devote countless hours offering their own special gifts to the Society.

State Historical Marker Program

By Bob Warrington

The Pennsylvania state historical marker program, run by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), is intended to commemorate persons, events, and sites that have had a meaningful impact on history of statewide or national significance. Every nomination for a historical marker is reviewed by a panel of independent historical experts from across the state, which recommends to PHMC whether a nomination is consistent with established guidelines for markers. Once recommended by the panel and accepted by PHMC, a historical marker is erected at a location associated with the person, event, or site being commemorated.

The A’s Historical Society has over the years been an active sponsor of state historical markers intended to remember and honor Philadelphia’s rich baseball past. The Society has sponsored or cosponsored historical markers for the following individuals and sites in Pennsylvania (with location and date of marker installation):

• Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium – Philadelphia - November 1997
• Connie Mack – Philadelphia - May 1998
• Baker Bowl/National League Park - Philadelphia – August 2000
• Eddie Plank – Gettysburg - August 2000
• Nellie Fox – St. Thomas - August 2001
• Alfred J. Reach – Philadelphia - April 2003
• Rube Waddell – Prospect - July 2003
• Chief Bender – Carlisle - October 2003

As a non-profit organization, the A’s Society must pay only half the cost of manufacturing a historical marker, with PHMC picking up the tab for the rest through its grant program. Once erected, maintenance of a historical marker is the responsibility of PHMC.

Historical markers are an important part of the A’s Society’s campaign to preserve, honor, and publicize the history of baseball in Philadelphia. The markers serve as a permanent tribute to the individuals and places that represent the most important parts of the city’s baseball past. Who can doubt the significant places held by Shibe Park, Connie Mack, A.J. Reach, and Rube Waddell in Major League baseball? And, as is the case for every marker sponsored by the A’s Society, the person or site commemorated has had a national impact on baseball that transcends just the city and the state.

The A’s Society is always looking for opportunities to pay lasting tribute to Philadelphia’s baseball heritage. Historical markers are one way to accomplish that. In addition, the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York has a collection of every newsletter published by the A’s Society. The newsletters are on file as part of the Hall’s permanent library collection. Researchers and fans who want to learn more about the history of baseball in Philadelphia will be able to peruse our newsletters in the future.

All of this is made possible, of course, by your continuing support of the A’s Society. If you see any or all of the abovementioned historical markers in your travels around the state, remember that each one was made possible by you. Although a marker honors a specific individual, event, or site, each one also is a tribute to the people who believed that such recognition was deserved, worked to make it happen, and ensured that the history represented by a marker will never be forgotten.