Alfred James Reach (May 25, 1840 – January 14, 1928) was an Anglo-American sportsman who, after becoming one of the early stars of

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...

in the National Association, went on to become an influential executive, publisher, sporting goods manufacturer and spokesman for the sport. Born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

,History for Alfred James Reach
at webcemetaries.com Reach was a regular for the champion Eckford club of Brooklyn in the early 1860s before moving to the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakl ...

in 1865. When the National Association began, he helped them win the first professional baseball pennant in 1871.Al Reach Statistics
at baseball-reference.com Upon his retirement from playing in 1875, he helped found the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has been Citize ...

franchise. Reach served as team president from 1883 to 1899. Later, similarly to

Albert Spalding Albert Goodwill Spalding (September 2, 1849 – September 9, 1915) was an American pitcher, manager, and executive in the early years of professional baseball, and the co-founder of A.G. Spalding sporting goods company. He was born and raised ...

, Reach formed a sporting goods company and earned millions. In fact, he sold his company to Spalding in 1889. Reach was the trade name used on the game balls for the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

until 1976. Reach kept his interest in the Phillies franchise, selling to a syndicate led by James Potter in 1903. Reach died at age 87 in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...

, and is interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two separa ...

. A Pennsylvania historical marker was dedicated on April 4, 2003 at 1820 Chestnut Street in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

for Reach's contribution to baseball. File:Alfred J Reach Historical Marker 1820 Chestnut St Philadelphia PA (DSC 3246).jpg, Alfred J. Reach Historical Marker

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reach, Al Major League Baseball right fielders Major League Baseball players from the United Kingdom Major League Baseball players from England English baseball players Brooklyn Eckfords (NABBP) players Philadelphia Athletics (NABBP) players Philadelphia Athletics (NA) players Philadelphia Phillies managers Philadelphia Phillies owners Philadelphia Athletic players Baseball executives 19th-century baseball players 1840 births 1928 deaths Sportspeople from London Burials at West Laurel Hill Cemetery