By Father Jerome Romanowski aka “The Baseball Padre”

Nineteen Forty One could have been the year like 1922 when Connie Mack began to build another winning team. Once the team of that era reached a total of 65 wins, it began a gradual ascent to the top of the American League. The Athletics of 1922 had the outstanding pitcher in the League in Eddie Rommel, who won 27 games, lost 13 and pitched 294 innings in 51 games. He was just twenty four years old. The other pitchers of note were Rollie Naylor, Bob Hasty, Slim Harris and Fred Heimach. The offense was led by Bing Miller, who came to the A’s from the Washington Senators. Bing hit .336 with 21 home runs and 90 runs batted in. His 21 homes runs tied him for fourth in the League behind the leader, B……. R…… no not the Bambino, Ken Williams with 39, Tilly Walker of the A’s with 37, and Babe Ruth, with 35 (he played in only 110 games). Harry Heilman also had 21 home runs that year.

The make-up of the team can indicate the fact that Connie Mack was very serious about becoming a contender again after 7 years in the dungeon of the American League. The team already was anchored by the aforementioned Miller, shortstop Chick Galloway, versatile Jimmy Dykes, catcher Cy Perkins and first baseman, Joe Hauser. All of these would make significant contributions to the ascent of the Athletics into serious pennant contention.

Nineteen Twenty Three saw only minimal improvement in the Athletics’ drive to contend. They won only four more games. Walker, the early home run threat was going downhill and had to be replaced the next year. Miller, Hauser, Galloway and Perkins continued to play good baseball. Sammy Hale became the regular third baseman. He was another dependable player in the years ahead. The pitching staff added Rube Walberg from the New York Giants. He didn’t contribute much this year or next, but Mr. Mack liked something in his make-up and kept him.

Connie Mack now had a good foundation but needed a first class outfielder and he knew where he could get one. There was an outfielder named Paul Strand who had an outstanding year in the Pacific Coast League. Strand was a converted pitcher, 30 years old, but a “can’t miss” addition for Connie Mack’s team or so Mr. Mack thought. In 1924, Connie Mack would add that big bat he needed to contend. It wasn’t Paul Strand, but a young prospect from Milwaukee named Al Simmons. Many of the experts thought he wouldn’t make it as a hitter with his unusual batting style, which had him striding away from the plate. Some of Mr. Mack’s advisors wanted him to change but Mr. Mack would not allow it because he saw the God given, natural talent in the young outfielder.

Mr. Mack also used his friendship with Jack Dunn of Baltimore to purchase the contract of second baseman, Max Bishop, an exceptional lead off hitter. In 1924, the Athletics had the runner-up to Babe Ruth in Joe Hauser with 27 home runs. Many left handed batters played for the Athletics during their 55 year history but none hit as many home runs as Joe Hauser did in 1924. Eddie Rommel continued as the ace of the staff but the Athletics would need better pitching in order to contend.

Connie Mack went to Jack Dunn to see what could be done to remedy that situation. He had a left-handed pitcher who had phenomenal years in Baltimore when that team had the greatest dynasty in Minor League history. The left-hander was 25 years old and had been ready for the majors for about 2 years but Dunn waited for the right deal and sold his contract to the Athletics for $100,600. This was the largest cash transaction in major league history at that time.

Lefty Grove was to be the left-handed tandem with Eddie Rommel that would challenge the Senators and Yankees in 1925, Connie Mack also envisioned the need for a stronger bat behind the plate to replace Cy Perkins, a stalwart defensive catcher. He was impressed by a former Boston University football star at Portland, Oregon of the Pacific Coast League. Connie Mack was so convinced of Mickey Cochrane’s ability that he purchased the entire team to get him.

In 1925, even though Lefty Grove did not reach his potential winning only 10 and losing 12, the Athletics became a formidable rival for Bucky Harris’ and Clark Griffith’s Washington Senators. They finished 8 ½ games behind the Senators. The Athletics got good years out of Slim Harris and Sam Gray to go with Rommel’s 21 wins that tied for the league lead. Rube Walberg appeared in more games in ’25 but still was not a winner. The Athletics starting line-up looked like this:

2B – Bishop

3B – Hale or Dykes

C – Cochrane

CF – Simmons

LF – Lamar

RF – Miller

1B – Poole

SS – Galloway

The Athletics could surely have won the Pennant in 1925 if Joe Hauser had not broken his leg. Connie Mack had to bring in Jim Poole, a veteran minor Leaguer, who did a fair fill-in job. Hauser never regained his early potential in the majors, but became a legendary home run hitter in the minors.

Connie Mack signed a seventeen year old slugger recommended by Frank “Home Run” Baker who scouted him in the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In 3 years, Jimmie Foxx took over as the Athletics’ regular first baseman. The team added George Earnshaw and Mule Haas and won 3 straight Pennants.

The long way back for the Athletics began in 1922 with the addition of Bing Miller and the emergence of Eddie Rommel as a mainstay of the pitching staff.

In 1941 the Athletics added Phil Marchildon to the pitching staff and Sam Chapman became the stellar clean up hitter. Here’s what might have happened had the war not intervened. Sam Chapman, at 25 would have had his best years from 1942 until 1948. Bob Johnson would have given way to a stronger Elmer Valo in 1944 and Wally Moses did not have to be traded and would have continued as a .300 hitter until 1946. Jack Wallaesa could have become the long ball hitting shortstop with a productive career ahead of him. Nelson Fox would have replaced Pete Suder who would have remained as the top utility player in the League. Suder would only play 2 seasons as the regular second baseman because Benny McCoy remained until 1947 as the regular and the lead-off man. The pitching staff by 1944 would have added Bill McCalahan, Joe Coleman, Russ Christopher and 2 lefthanders Lou Brissie and Alex Kellner. Bob Savage would fill out the staff with Jesse Flores in the bullpen. This would have been the line-up in 1944 in a peaceful year:

Projected Statistics

McCoy 2B .280 – 100 walks

Moses RF .310 – 40 stolen bases

Valo LF .300 – 15 home runs

Chapman CF .320 – 30 home runs

Siebert 1B .310 – 47 doubles

Kell 3B .270

Wallaesa SS .267 – 17 home runs

Hayes C .280 – 20 home runs

Bob Johnson would have been the top pinch hitter in the League with 10 home runs and 52 runs batted in. Prospects like Ray Poole, Crash Davis, Joe Gantenbein and Hal Wagner were ready to challenge the regulars.

It’s something to think about. It’s something that never happened, but it’s one of those inexplicable things I think about, and it’s the reason we have