Baseball in Federalsburg
The Federalsburg Athletics (aka “Little A's”) were a Class D Eastern Shore League farm team of the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930s and 1940s. Connie Mack, manager of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1950, typically recruited talent to play in Federalsburg.
There were no motels in Federalsburg at that time, so players paid $1 a day (from their $75 a month salary) to stay with locals in their homes nearby. The local community “adopted” players and treated them like family members.
Residents of Federalsburg have fond memories of baseball in the town, recalling stories of packed stadiums and games being held late to make sure farmers could attend. In fact, local businesses would be open later than usual on game days to allow attendees to shop afterward. Baseball at Federal Park was the main attraction in summer.