In 1901, American League president Ban Johnson convinced Connie Mack to move his Western League Milwaukee franchise to Philadelphia, strategically placing the team in the same market as the National League Phillies' and making the City of Brotherly Love a two-team town. The Athletics thus began their 54-year history. They won nine pennants and five World Series, yet finished last 16 times; they raided the Phillies roster in 1901, and later stripped themselves in a couple of baseball's first great fire sales; and they boasted the illustrious "100,000 dollar infield", yet were barely solvent. This account, written by a long-time fan of the defunct team, relates the Athletics to the city of Philadelphia and tells the stories of the organization's signature seasons, from the championship days to the days when the A's were synonymous with baseball's cellar. The book also details the exploits of such Hall-of-Famers as Chief Bender, Eddie Collins, Lefty Grove, Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons, and considers the unique achievements and personality of Connie Mack, baseball's "Tall Tactician".