1931 Philadelphia Athletics season


The 1931 Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing first in the American League with a record of 107 wins and 45 losses. It was the team's third consecutive pennant-winning season and its third consecutive season with over 100 wins. However the A's lost the 1931 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The series loss prevented the Athletics from becoming the first major league baseball team to win three consecutive World Series; the New York Yankees would accomplish the feat a mere seven years later. The Athletics, ironically, would go on to earn their own threepeat in 1974, some forty-three years after the failed 1931 attempt.
1931 was also the A's final World Series appearance in Philadelphia. Their next AL pennant would be in 1972, after they had moved to Oakland.

Offseason

1931 was the greatest season of Lefty Grove's career. He went 31–4, with a 2.06 ERA and 175 strikeouts, easily winning the pitching triple crown. He was voted league MVP. Combined with the efforts of 21- and 20-game winners George Earnshaw and Rube Walberg, Philadelphia allowed the fewest runs of any AL team.
Slugger Al Simmons won the batting title with a.390 average and came in third in MVP voting.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C122459160.3491789
1B139515150.29130120
2B130497146.294537
3B10135597.273346
SS8629479.269640
LF128513200.39022128
CF102440142.323856
RF137534150.281877

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
7928076.271533
6722451.228020
6522358.260220
6219748.244544
4914332.224221
4211327.239112
194410.22704
9249.37503

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
4429120123.74106
43281.22173.67152
41288.23142.06175
30162.11544.2159
161111054.2230

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
25118752.9718
1970.1243.7123
616035.062
613016.237
311104.091

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
200019.291

Awards and honors

League top five finishers

Mickey Cochrane
George Earnshaw
Jimmie Foxx
Lefty Grove
Al Simmons
NL St. Louis Cardinals vs. AL Philadelphia Athletics

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Harrisburg