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1890: Playing at Forepaugh Park, Philadelphia was a natural fit for team in the Players’ League. The league was created by the first unionized labor action in professional baseball. Many stars dissatisfied with their contracts in the National League and American Association banded together to start their own league. Known alternatively as the Philadelphia Athletics and the Philadelphia Quakers, the team was managed by Charlie Buffinton for most of the season. The Philadelphia team finished fifth among the five Players’ League with a record of 68-63. Billy Shindle was the leading hitter with a .324 average with ten home runs and 90 RBI. The Quakers had three solid pitchers as Ben Sanders and Buffinton each won 19 games, while Phil Knell led the team with a record of 22-11 with an ERA of 3.83. On September 15th Pitcher Bert Cunningham set a dubious record when he threw five wild pitches in one inning a record that would not be matched for 110 years. The Players’ League would fold after one season, but the Philadelphia Quakers would be invited to join the American Association replacing the expelled Philadelphia Athletics.

1891: Despite having several players from the American Association team that played as Philadelphia Athletics from 1882-1890, the new team was considered separate and a continuation of the Players’ League franchise despite carrying the Athletics name. The Athletics, managed most of the year by George Wood would finish the season in fourth place posting a record of 73-66. Wood also led the team with a .309 average, while their top hitter was Catcher Jocko Milligan who hit .303 with 11 home runs and 106 RBI, Henry Larkin also had ten home runs with 93 RBI. Gus Weyhing was the team’s top pitcher with a record of 31-20 and an ERA of 3.18. It would be the final season of the American Association as the league was forced to fold due to debts. Since the Philadelphia Phillies were already a National League team the Athletics would folded with AA. The name though remerged a decade later with a team in the new American League in 1901.