Lost Heritage by Rich Lipinski
The majority of baseball fans in Northeast Pennsylvania are understandably, Phillies, Yankees and Mets fans. The Red Sox and the Braves, for younger generation of fans who grew up watching TBS in 90’s, make up a decent percentage of the minority. Smaller percentages are legacy fans. Fans who inherited their passions from their fathers and grandfathers and remained Dodger and Giant fans to this very day. The one team almost totally absent from this list is the Athletics. The Athletics left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1954. The Athletics franchise has been one of most curious of all franchises in any sport. The Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland franchise has won more World Series than any team except the Yankees and Cardinals. They have had four remarkable runs over the course of 110 years that match up with best the sport has ever seen. They have also been one of the most badly managed and underfunded franchises in baseball history. During their time in Philadelphia, their presence was felt in Coal Country.
Historic Bowman Field played host to the A’s affiliate Williamsport Gray’s from 1933 to 1942. The most accomplished player from those Grays team was Eddie Stanky, who like most players were sold off by the A’s, became famous as the first white player on the Brooklyn Dodgers to befriend Jackie Robinson. St Clair’s Joe Holden and Mahanoy City native Ron Northey both played for Williamsport.
Eddie McCrossin of Delmar MD, who follows this column on on-line sent this photo of the 1941 Williamsport Grays. Northey was part of the 1941 team. Northey played in over 1000 major league games for the Phillies, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs and White Sox. There were a number of Players from coal country to play for A’s including Northey’s neighbor was Joe Boley (born John Bolinsky). Boley was the starting shortstop for the PhiladelRon Northey phia Athletics in their 1929 and 1930 seasons when they won the World Series. He was nearly 31 years old when he broke in as a rookie in the 1927 season. By 1931 he was playing less, but appeared in briefly in the 1931 World Series. In 1954 he was elected to the International Joe Boley League Hall of Fame. In 1933 he finished his professional career with Williamsport. Joe Murray of Wilkes-Barre was a 29-year-old veteran minor leaguer when he made the long jump from the West Palm Beach Indians of the class B Florida International League to the last place Philadelphia Athletics on August 17, 1950. He Joe Murray lost all three of his decisions in eight games for the Athletics. This would be Joe's only work in the majors and he finished with a 0-3 record and a 5.70 ERA while pitching 30 innings. Murray had been 20-14 with a 2.94 ERA for West Palm when
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called up by the Athletics. Murray finished his professional career with Williamsport in 1953. Johnny Kucab of Olyphant pitched 15 seasons 1940 to 1958, three in the Major Leagues and 14 in the minors, losing four years to the Military. He served in both theaters during World War II. He pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics from 1950 Johnny Kucab to 1952. Kucab made just three starts in his 59 major league appearances, but one, on the final day of the 1950 season, was his first win, and Connie Mack's last game as an MLB manager. The information and stats are courtesy of baseballreference.com and for more information about the Philadelphia Athletics check out philadelphiaathletics.org.
Railriders Kids Club The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are rolling out their brand new kid’s club program for the 2013 season at the new PNC Field. Fans aged 12 and under are invited to experience all of the fun at PNC Field in a way catered to the younger fan by joining the Quills Kids Club presented by Hildebrandt Learning Center. The Quills Kids Club presented by Hildebrandt Learning Center provides numerous benefits to both parents and children. For just $20, kids will receive an exclusive Quills Kids Club t-shirt, a free pass to the Fun Zone for the entire season, an end of the season party with the team, as well as $10 off a RailRiders birthday party at PNC Field. Kids will also receive a free NEPA Honda Dealers Association Lawn ticket for all six Wednesday night games, which are Kids Eat Free Games.