The Athletics have an extensive history of baseball yard sales that continue to this day. The first great selloff was after the conclusion of the 1914 season after the A’s had lost the World Series to the Beantown predecessor of the Red Sox, the Boston Braves. Owner-manager Connie Mack was a rather parsimonious sort who treated even a nickel like the proverbial manhole cover.
A new league – The Federal League – was being formed and enticing players to jump. A repeat of just what the American League had done to the National League in 1901.