Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team that plays in the American League (AL) West division of Major League Baseball (MLB). The A’s, as they are commonly called, play their home games in Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California.
The Athletics were an original member of the American League in 1901. The team played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when it moved to Kansas City. The Athletics then moved to Oakland in 1968. The A’s have had some of the finest teams in AL history and also some of the weakest. The club has won 15 AL pennants and 9 World Series. The A’s have also finished at or near the bottom of the league many times.
The Athletics dominated the early years of the American League, winning six pennants and three World Series between 1902 and 1914. The team was managed by Connie Mack from 1901 to 1950. Stars of those early teams included Hall of Famers Frank “Home Run” Baker, Eddie Collins, Eddie Plank, and Rube Waddell.
After several down years, the A’s returned to form in the late 1920’s. The team won the World Series in 1929 and 1930 and the AL pennant in 1931. Those teams included Hall of Famers Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, and Al Simmons. From 1933 to 1954, the A’s last year in Philadelphia, the A’s enjoyed just two winning seasons. The team’s woes continued in Kansas City, where the A’s played from 1955 through 1967.
The Athletics began play in Oakland in 1968, and the team’s fortunes quickly changed. Led by Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, and Reggie Jackson, the A’s made five straight playoff appearances from 1971 to 1975, and won the World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974.
Oakland returned to the playoffs in 1981 and won the AL pennant in 1988, 1989, and 1990. The A’s won the 1989 World Series over the San Francisco Giants. The A’s have since made the playoffs numerous times, but have not returned to the World Series. Recent team stars have included Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley and Rickey Henderson and key players Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart, and Barry Zito.
For the World Series results of the Athletics, see Baseball (table: The World Series).
