The Oakland A's will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the 1929 World champion Philadelphia Athletics with a Turn-Back-the-Clock Day this Sunday. Pregame festivities include a Model A car parade, music and entertainment from that era, and ceremonial first pitches thrown out by Kathleen Kelly, the granddaughter of Connie Mack, and Jim Conlin, the grandson of Jimmie Foxx. A's and White Sox players will don 1929 jerseys and caps.The Oakland A's will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the 1929 World champion Philadelphia Athletics with a Turn-Back-the-Clock Day this Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in conjunction with the team's 1:05 p.m. PT game against the Chicago White Sox. As part of the promotion, the A's are offering specially-discounted tickets of $9.29 for Plaza Outfield seats (regularly priced at $18) and $19.29 Lower Box seats (regularly $30), while a bag of peanuts will cost only 50 cents.
Under the reins of Hall of Fame Manager Connie Mack, the 1929 Athletics boasted a 104-46 record, defeating the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Beyond Mack, four players on that team were eventually elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane and Lefty Grove. As a group, the '29 outfield — Simmons, Mule Haas and Bing Miller — hit a collective .336 and drove in 332 runs. Meanwhile, Philadelphia's top two starting pitchers, Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw, combined to post a 44-14 record.
Pregame festivities include a Model A car parade, music and entertainment from that era, and ceremonial first pitches thrown out by Kathleen Kelly, the granddaughter of Connie Mack, and Jim Conlin, the grandson of Jimmie Foxx. A's and White Sox players will don 1929 jerseys and caps. In addition, 10,000 fans will receive a retro 1929 ivory-with-blue-trim A's jersey, sponsored by Cache Creek Casino Resort.
Kelly is the daughter of Roy Mack, Connie Mack's eldest son. She was a Radio City Music Hall Rockette and later ran a dance company called "The Kelly Dancers" for more than 25 years. After raising six children, she is in semi-retirement, however still teaches dance in the Phoenix area. Conlin currently resides in Angels Camp, Calif. He is married with three children and recently retired after 23 years with Save Mart Supermarkets.
Other period touches that will be included on Turn-Bay-the-Clock Day is stadium public address announcer Dick Callahan making announcements with an old-time microphone on the field, game day staff wearing festive retro hats, a jazz band playing 1920's music at Coliseum entry gates as well as throughout the stadium, and a '20s dance exhibition on the field.
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