Hitting by Al Simmons, a season-long gold-pitching performances by George Earnshaw and Lefty Grove and the brilliant play of catcher Mickey Cochrane brought the A's the World Championship

Philadelphia rolls over Cubs in 1929 World Series 4-games to 1

World Series Lineup - Philadelphia Athletics 1929:

Max Bishop, Second Baseman, collected four hits in 21 at-bats, 2 walks, scored twice and had one RBI in Series... The team's leadoff batter, he was nicknamed Camera Eye, and rates as baseball's greatest batting eye. In five different seasons while playing in over 100 games, Bishop drew more walks than hits - and no other major leaguer has done this feat more than twice. In the 1929 regular season he led the AL with 128 walks, lined 110 hits, scored 102 runs, batted .232 and posted .398 on-base-pct. Max Bishop career: .271 BA, 236 Ds, 35Ts, 41Hr, 966 Runs, 379 RBI, 1,216 hits in 4,494 at-bats, 1,153 Walks, 452Ks.

Joe Boley, Shortstop - went 4-for-17 in the five-game Series, and scored one run and had a RBI. Batting second in Mack's lineup, Boley excelled at hit-and-run batting. A top-of-the line fielder, he posted the league's best fielding percentage among shortstops in '30 - .970, committing just 16 errors in 120 games, with 296 assists and 221 putouts. And, played on three straight A's pennant winners - 1929-1931. Career stats: .269 BA, 88Ds, 22Ts, 7Hr, 203 Runs, 227 RBIs... 6-year major league career - Philadelphia 1927-1932; Cleveland 1932

Mickey Cochrane, Hall of Fame Catcher - batted .400 in Series with 6-hits in 15 at-bats, walked 7 times, one double, and scored 5 runs... batting third in the lineup during the regular season, he hit .331 and scored 113 runs in 1929, and a the next year batted a resounding .357 in 130 games, lined 42 doubles, 10 homers scored 110 runs with 85 RBIs - and struck out just 18 times in 487 at-bats. Gordon Mickey Cochrane's lifetime .320 batting average is the highest for any catcher in baseball history. A golden pitch-caller, he handled more 20-game winning pitchers than any catcher in the history of major league baseball except for Cleveland's Jim Hegan.

Jimmy Dykes, Third Baseman - a popular team leader, he led all batters in the '29 Series with a .421average, with 8-hits in 19 at-bats, hit one double, scored two runs and drove in 4 teammates... In the '29 season, Dykes batted .327, with 34 doubles, 6 triples, 13 homers and had 79 RBIs in 119 games. He played 22 seasons - from 1918-1932 with Athletics and from 1933-1939 with Chicago White Sox and then managed in the majors another 20-some seasons. Career stats: .280 BA, 453 doubles, 90Ts, 108Hr, 1,108 Runs, 1071 RBIs.

Jimmie Foxx, Hall of Fame First Baseman - just 22-years-old during the '29 season, he already had been in the majors since May of 1925... in the Series, he batted .350, with 7-hits in 20 at-bats, lined a double and hit two game-turning homers, scored 5 runs, with 5 RBIs. Foxx, who hit 534 career homers, batted .354 in the regular season, the 5th best in the NL, and blasted 23Ds, 9Ts, 33Hr, 123 Runs, 118 RBIs, walked 103 times, struck out 70 times and posted a silvery .463 on-base-pct... Jimmy Foxx career stats: .325 BA, 458Ds, 125Ts, 534 Hr, 1,751 Runs, 1,922 RBIs, a .609 slugging pt.

Al Simmons, Hall of Fame Outfielder - one of the top clutch-hitters of all-time, he batted an even .300 in the Series, going 6-for-20, lined one double of two long home runs, including a shot on the roof that 'rocked Shibe Park' in Philly off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root in Game 4 and had 5 RBIs and led all players with 6 runs scored. Using a odd-looking 'foot in the bucket' batting stance he batted .365, busted 41 doubles, 9Ts, 34Hr, scored 114 runs and led the AL with 157 RBIs during the 1929 regular season. Al Simmons hit .308 in 1924, his rookie season, and the next season, set a still standing AL record with 253 hits, while batting a torrid .387 and led the league with a .599 slugging percentage. Simmons collected over 200 hits six times in his 20-year career spanning from 1924-1944.

George 'Mule' Haas, Outfielder - one of the strongest men in baseball, the 6-ft, 1-inch, 175-pounder went 5-for-21, and muscled two key homers, scored 5 runs and led all players in the Series with 6 RBIs. In the regular season, Mule Haas batted .313, hit 41 doubles, 9 triples, 16 homers, scored a career-high 115 runs, had 82 RBIs, walked 34 times, while striking out 38 times. Mule Haas career stats: .292 BA, 254Ds, 45Ts, 43 Hr, 706 Runs, 496 RBIs, 433 Walks, 299Ks, 1,257 hits in 4,303 at-bats spanning 1,168 games... Pittsburgh 1925; Phil A's 1928-32, 1938; Chic White Sox 1933-37.

Bing Miller, Outfielder - in the Series, he batted .368 with 7-hits in 19 at-bats, scored once and drove in 4 base runners. A fast runner, who was popular with the fans, he lined almost 2,000 hits in 1,820 games in 16 big-league seasons, 12 in Philly... Edmund Miller career stats: .312 BA, 389 Ds, 96Ts, 116 Hr, 948 Runs, 383 RBI, 383Ws, 340Ks, with 1,936 hits in 6,212 at-bats, 128 stolen bases.

George Burns, Outfielder - a part-time player in '29, the aging veteran was in his last major league season of a solid 16-year career, in which he posted a .307 life-time batting average. He twice led the AL in hits - with 178 in 1918 and 216 in '26 when he lashed 64 doubles - the second highest in baseball history... in the Series, Burns pinch-hit and then stayed in the game - going 0-for-2.

Walter French, Catcher - a fine hitting backstop, he rang-up a .303 career batting average in 6 big-league seasons, all with the Athletics. Played over 100 games in both '26 and '27, hitting .305 and .304. In the 1929 Series, Walt French was 0-1 in one game.

Homer Summa, Outfielder - he was traded to Philadelphia prior to the '29 season, after a stellar seven seasons in Cleveland during baseball's 'lively ball era'... in the Series, he was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter. A left-handed slap hitter... Homer Summa career stats: .302 BA, 166Ds, 34Ts, 18Hr, 414 Runs, 361 RBI, 166Ws, 88Ks, 44SB, 905 hits in 3,001 at-bats.

Game 4 - 1929 World Series

The Chicago Cubs were aiming to tie the Series at 2 games apiece in Game 4. And Cubs pitcher Charlie Root had a commanding 8-0 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. However, Al Simmons led off the bottom of the inning with a massive homer that sailed onto the roof of Shibe Park. His blast rocked the stadium before 29,921 hometown fans in Philly.

Root, who posted a 201-160 life-time record, and was 19-6 during the regular season, then was greeted with five singles by the next six batters. Art Nehf was brought in from the bullpen by Cubs manager Joe McCarthy.

The first batter to face Nehf was the ever-popular Mule Haas, who lifted a high-fly to center, which Hank Wilson lost in the sun... which resulted in a three-run inside the park homer... making the score 8-7 -Cubs leading.

Nehf then walked Mickey Cochrane, and immediately Cubs manager, McCarthy, summed reliever Sheriff Blake, who yielded two singles and the game was all knotted up at 8-8. Pat Malone relieved Blake with two men on base.

Malone hit a batter and Jimmy Dykes lined a hard-hit double, and the Athletics led 10-8. Malone struck out the next two batters he faced.

The final score - Athletics win 10-8, and led the Series 3 games to 1... en-route to a 4 games to 1 win over the Cubs.

Note: Well-known in baseball lore is Babe Ruth's called home run in the 1932 World Series when Ruth pointed to center and then lined one into the Wrigley Gum Field center-field bleachers... it also was hit off Cub pitcher Charlie Root.