Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
The Last Hurrah: The 1913 Victory Banquet 5
Connie Mack: The Architect of the A's (Part 1) 7
Connie Mack: The Architect of the As (Part 2) 13
Connie Mack's First Dynasty: 1910 to 1914 20
Prelude to Disaster: Spring Training 1916 33
April: Despair and Hope 46
May: Hope and the High-Water Mark 55
June: Reality Tramples Optimism 70
July: The Depths of Ineptitude 84
August: The "Little Tonic Team of Baseball" Rises from Its Nadir 104
August 26: The Masterpiece Among the Rubbish 120
August 28 to Seasons End: Playing Out the String 126
Heroes and Pleasant Surprises, Villains, Disappointments and Busts 149
The Aftermath and Beyond 154
Whatever Happened To…? 165
Were the 1916 As Really the Worst MLB Team of the 20th Century? 170
The 1916 Philadelphia Athletics Season 175
Chapter Notes 179
Bibliography 180
Index 181