The birth of a league

The Philadelphia Athletics become part of a new venture that officially launches 124 years ago today, joining teams from Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Washington to form baseball's American League.

The fledgling A’s hire 38-year-old Connie Mack as their first manager for the 1901 season.

Mack then stays on the job for a record 50 seasons, a span over which the American League’s original franchises in Baltimore and Milwaukee move to New York and St. Louis, respectively, to become the Yankees and Browns.

Connie Mack in his early years with the A’s

The Browns eventually relocate from St. Louis to Baltimore and become the Orioles in 1954, the season before Mack’s beloved A's bolt from Philadelphia to Kansas City.

Since then, the A’s move from Kansas City to Oakland and now Sacramento on their way – eventually – to Las Vegas.

During their time with Mack as their manager from 1901-50, the Athletics win nine American League pennants and five World Series.

The last of those pennants comes in 1931; the last Series title in 1930.

“After all my years,” Mack says, “there are two things I’ve never got used to – haggling with a player over his contract and telling a boy he’s got to go back.”

Mack has plenty of chances to do both over his 50 seasons running the Athletics.