 | For current information on this topic, see 2008 Oakland Athletics season |
| Oakland Athletics Established 1901 Based in Oakland since 1968 | |||
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| Retired Numbers | 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (A's) | ||
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| World Series titles (9) | 1989 • 1974 • 1973 • 1972 1930 • 1929 • 1913 • 1911 1910 | ||
| AL Pennants (15) | 1990 • 1989 • 1988 • 1974 1973 • 1972 • 1931 • 1930 1929 • 1914 • 1913 • 1911 1910 • 1905 • 1902 | ||
| West Division titles (14) [1] | 2006 • 2003 • 2002 • 2000 1992 • 1990 • 1989 • 1988 1981 • 1975 • 1974 • 1973 1972 • 1971 | ||
| Wild card berths (1) | 2001 | ||
[1] - In 1994, a players' strike wiped out the last eight weeks of the season and all post-season. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-2 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians (4-0 All-Star Game For other places known as Columbia Park see Columbia Park (disambiguation Columbia Park was a Baseball Stadium that Champions Major League Baseball American League: Chicago White Stockings National League: Pittsburgh Pirates Champions World Series: Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers (4-1 Awards and honors Statistical Leaders Headline events of the year As a result of a players' strike the MLB season ends prematurely on August 11, 1994. The 1994 Major League baseball strike was the eighth work stoppage in Baseball history as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage Oakland was one game out of first place in the West Division (despite being 12 games under . 500) behind Texas when play was stopped. The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft No official titles were awarded in 1994. | |||
| Owner(s): Lewis Wolff | |||
| Manager: Bob Geren | |||
| General Manager: Billy Beane | |||
The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball 's American League. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in From 1968 to the present, the Athletics have played in McAfee Coliseum. The Year of the Pitcher In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit
The "Athletics" name originates from the late 1800s "athletic clubs", specifically the Athletic of Philadelphia. They are most prominently nicknamed "the A's", in reference to the blackletter "A", a trademark of the team and the old Athletic of Philadelphia. Baseball nicknames have become an integral part of the sport's culture "In no sport are nicknames more pervasive than baseball Blackletter, also known as Gothic script or Gothic minuscule, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 This has gained very prominent use, and in some circles is used more frequently than the full "Athletics" name. They are also known as "the White Elephants" or simply "the Elephants", in reference to then New York Giants' manager John McGraw's calling the team a "white elephant". The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. A white elephant is a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep exceeds its usefulness This was embraced by the team, who then made a white elephant the team's mascot, and often incorporated it into the logo or sleeve patches.
One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1901. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Champions Major League Baseball American League: Chicago White Stockings National League: Pittsburgh Pirates Then the Philadelphia Athletics, the team moved to Kansas City in 1955 and became the Kansas City Athletics. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-3 Johnny Podres, MVP It was not until 1968 that the team moved to Oakland. The Year of the Pitcher In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit
Origins
Origin of the team name
The Athletics' name originated in the term "Athletic Club" for local gentlemen's clubs—dates to 1860 when an amateur team, the Athletic (Club) of Philadelphia, was formed. (A famous image from that era, at left, published in Harper's Weekly in 1866, shows the Athletic players dressed in uniforms displaying the familiar blackletter "A" on the front. Harper's Weekly ( A Journal of Civilization) was an American political Magazine based in New York City. Blackletter, also known as Gothic script or Gothic minuscule, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 ) The team later turned professional through 1875, becoming a charter member of the National League in 1876, but were expelled from the N. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball L. after one season. A later version of the Athletics played in the American Association from 1882–1891. This article refers to the former Baseball major league that existed from 1882 to 1891
The team name is typically pronounced "Ath-LET-ics", but their longtime team owner/manager Connie Mack called them by the old-fashioned colloquial Irish pronunciation "Ath-uh-LET-ics". Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American Newspaper writers also often referred to the team as the Mackmen during their Philadelphia days, in honor of their patriarch.
Uniform Emblem
Over the seasons, the Athletics' uniforms have usually paid homage to their amateur forebears to some extent. Until 1954, when the uniforms had "Athletics" spelled out in script across the front, the team's name never appeared on either home or road uniforms. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Furthermore, not once did "Philadelphia" appear on the uniform, nor did the letter "P" appear on the cap or the uniform. The typical Philadelphia uniform had only an "A" on the left front, and likewise the cap usually had the same "A" on it. In the early days of the American League, the standings listed the club as "Athletic" rather than "Philadelphia", in keeping with the old tradition. Eventually, the city name came to be used for the team, as with the other major league clubs.
Though for a time as a Kansas City team, the "A"s wore "Kansas City" on their road jerseys and an interlocking "KC" on the cap, upon moving to Oakland the "A" cap emblem was restored, although in 1970 an "apostrophe-s" was added to the cap and uniform emblem to reflect the fact that then-team owner Charles O. Finley was in the process of officially changing the team's name to the "A's". Charles Oscar Finley ( February 22 1918 - February 19 1996) nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American
Currently, the team wears home uniforms with "Athletics" spelled out in script writing and road uniforms with "Oakland" spelled out in script writing, with the cap logo consisting of the traditional "A" with "apostrophe-s". The home cap is green with a gold bill and white lettering, while the road cap is all green with gold lettering.
The nickname "A's" has long been used interchangeably with "Athletics", dating to the team's early days when headline writers wanted a way to shorten the name. From 1972 through 1980, the team nickname was officially "Oakland A's," although, during that time, the Commissioner's Trophy, given out annually to the winner of baseball's world series, still listed the team's name as the "Oakland Athletics" on the gold-plated pennant representing the Oakland franchise. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. According to Bill Libby's Book, Charlie O and the Angry A's, owner Charlie O. Finley banned the word "Athletics" from the club's name because he felt that name was too closely associated with former Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack, and he wanted the name "Oakland A's" to become just as closely associated with himself. The name also vaguely suggested the name of the old minor league Oakland Oaks, which were alternatively called the "Acorns". The Oakland Oaks were a Minor league baseball team in Oakland California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955 after which the New owner Walter Haas restored the official name to "Athletics" in 1981, but retained the nickname "A's" for marketing purposes. At first, the word "Athletics" was restored only to the club's logo, underneath the much larger stylized-"A" that had come to represent the team since the early days. By 1987, however, the word returned, in script lettering, to the front of the team's jerseys.
The A's are the only MLB team to wear white cleats, both at home and on the road, another tradition dating back to the Finley ownership.
Elephant Mascot
After New York Giants' manager John McGraw told reporters that Philadelphia manufacturer Benjamin Shibe, who owned the controlling interest in the new team, had a "white elephant on his hands," Mack defiantly adopted the white elephant as the team mascot, and presented McGraw with a stuffed toy elephant at the start of the 1905 World Series. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Benjamin Franklin Shibe ( January 23 1838 - January 14 1922) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who was A white elephant is a valuable possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep exceeds its usefulness The 1905 World Series matched the New York Giants against the Philadelphia Athletics, with the Giants winning 4 games to 1 McGraw and Mack had known each other for years, and McGraw accepted it graciously. By 1909, the A's were wearing an elephant logo on their sweaters, and in 1918 it turned up on the regular uniform jersey for the first time. Over the years the elephant has appeared in several different colors. It is currently forest green. The A’s are still sometimes, though infrequently, referred to as the "Elephants" or "White Elephants".
The elephant was retired as team mascot in 1963 by then-owner Charles O. Finley in favor of a Missouri mule. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Oscar Finley ( February 22 1918 - February 19 1996) nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The Elephant Mascot returned briefly in the mid eighties, under the name, Harry Elephante. In 1997, the elephant returned taking its current form, Stomper. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar This is a list of current and former Major League Baseball Mascots sorted alphabetically
Franchise history
Philadelphia (1901–1954)
The beginning
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The franchise that would become the modern Athletics originated in 1901 as a new franchise in the American League. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The Western League had been renamed the American League in 1900 by league president Bancroft (Ban) Johnson, and declared itself the second major league in 1901. Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson ( January 5, 1864 &ndash March 28, 1931) was an American executive in Professional baseball
In 1901, Johnson created new franchises in the east and eliminated some franchises in the West. (Seeks to snare Duffy of Boston, Chicago Daily Tribune, January 29, 1901, pg. Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 9. ) Philadelphia seems to have been a new franchise created to compete with the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Former catcher Connie Mack was recruited to manage the club. Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American Mack in turn persuaded Phillies minority owner Ben Shibe as well as others to invest in the team, which would be called the Philadelphia Athletics. He himself bought a 25 percent interest. The other 1901 American League teams included the newly-created Baltimore Orioles (now the New York Yankees) and Boston Americans (now Red Sox), as well as a Kansas City franchise relocated to Washington as the Senators (now the Minnesota Twins and previous members the Chicago White Stockings (now White Sox), Cleveland Blues (now Indians), Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers (later the St. Louis Browns and now the Baltimore Orioles). The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.
The new league recruited many of its players from the existing National League, persuading them to “jump” to the A. L. in defiance of their N. L. contracts. One of them was second baseman Nap Lajoie, formerly of the crosstown Phllies. Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie or often la-ZHWAY per the Canadian French pronunciation or as he himself usually pronounced it LAJ-a-wayLee Allen in ''The American League He won the A. L. 's first batting title with a . 426 batting average, still an A. L. record. The Athletics as well as the 7 other A. L. teams received a jolt when, on April 21, 1902, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated Lajoie's contract with the Athletics, and ordered him back to the Phillies. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1902 ( MCMII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This order, though, was only enforceable in the state of Pennsylvania. Lajoie was sold to Cleveland, but was kept out of road games in Philadelphia until the National Agreement was signed between the two leagues in 1903.
The First Dynasty and aftermath
In the early years, the A’s quickly established themselves as one of the dominant teams in the new league, winning the A. L. pennant six times (1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1914), winning the World Series in 1910, 1911 and 1913. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. They won over 100 games in 1911 and 1912, and 99 games in 1914. The team was known for its "$100,000 Infield", consisting of John "Stuffy" McInnis (first base), Eddie Collins (second base), Jack Barry (shortstop), and Frank "Home Run" Baker (third base) and as well as pitchers Eddie Plank and Charles "Chief" Bender. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr ( May 2 1887 &ndash March 25 1951) nicknamed "Cocky" was an American Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that Jack Barry can refer to Jack Barry (baseball (1887-1961 Jack Barry (television (1918-1984 television Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. John Franklin "Home Run" Baker ( March 13 1886 - June 28 1963) was an American Third baseman in Major League A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of Edward Stewart Plank ( August 31 1875 - February 24 1926) nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie" was a Major League Baseball Charles Albert "Chief" Bender ( May 5, 1884 - May 22, 1954) was a Pitcher in Major League Baseball during Rube Waddell was also a major pitching star for the A's in the early 1900s before flaming out. George Edward Waddell (October 13 1876 - April 1 1914 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball. According to Lamont Buchanan in The World Series and Highlights of Baseball, the A's fans were fond of chanting, "If Eddie Plank doesn't make you lose / We have Waddell and Bender all ready to use!" Plank holds the club record for career victories, with 284.
In 1909, the A's moved into the majors' first concrete-and-steel ballpark, Shibe Park. Shibe Park, known for the last one-third of its existence as Connie Mack Stadium, was a Major League Baseball park in Philadelphia, Later in the decade, Mack bought another 25 percent of the team's stock to become a full partner with Shibe. Shibe ceded Mack full control over the baseball side while retaining control over the business side.
Business took a downturn in 1914. The heavily favored Athletics lost the 1914 World Series to the "Miracle" Boston Braves in a four-game sweep. In the 1914 World Series, the Boston Braves beat the Philadelphia Athletics in a four-games sweep Miracles often have two sides, and for a few years this "miracle" wrought disaster on the A's. Mack traded, sold or released most of the team's star players soon after, and the team fell into a lengthy slump. In his book To Every Thing a Season, Bruce Kuklick points out that there were suspicions that the A's had thrown the Series, or at least "laid down", perhaps in protest of Mack's frugal ways. Mack himself alluded to that rumor years later, but also debunked it, asserting that factions within the team along with the allure of a third major league, the Federal League had distracted the team. The Federal League was the last major attempt to establish an independent major Professional baseball league in the United States The facts at least in part support Mack's statement.
The Federal League had been formed to begin play in 1914. As the A. L. had done 13 years before, the new league raided existing A. L. and N. L. teams for players. Several of his best players, including Bender, had already decided to jump before the World Series. Mack refused to match the offers of the F. L. teams, preferring to let the "prima donnas" go and rebuild with younger (and less expensive) players. The result was a swift and near-total collapse, a "first-to-worst" situation. The Athletics went from a 99–53 (. 651) record and a pennant in 1914 to a record of 43–109 (. 283) and 8th (last) place in 1915, and then to 36–117 (. 235, still a modern major-league low) in 1916. Listed below are the Major League Baseball teams with the worst season won-lost records as determined by winning percentage ( The team would finish in last place every year after that until 1922 and would not contend again until 1925. In sports the last place team is the team with the worst record in the league or division. Shibe died in 1922, and his sons took over the business side, leaving the baseball side to Mack. By this time Mack had cemented his famous image of the tall, gaunt and well-dressed man (he never wore a uniform during his managerial career, preferring a business suit, tie and fedora; a not-uncommon practice for managers in his day) waving his players into position with a scorecard (since no one is allowed on the baseball field, during a game, without a proper uniform).
The Second Dynasty (1927–1933)
After that, Mack began to build another winner. In 1927 and 1928, the Athletics finished second to the New York Yankees, then won pennants in 1929, 1930 and 1931, winning the World Series in 1929 and 1930. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. In each of the three years, the A's won over 100 games.
As it turned out, this would be the Athletics' last hurrah in Philadelphia. Mack again sold or traded his best players in order to reduce expenses. The Great Depression was well under way, and declining attendance had drastically reduced the team’s revenues. The construction of a "spite fence" at Shibe Park, blocking the view from nearby buildings, only served to irritate potential paying fans. However, the consequences didn't become clear for a few more seasons. The Athletics still finished in second place in 1932 and 3rd in 1933.
The Meager Years
The Athletics finished fifth in 1934, then last in 1935. Mack was already 68 years old when the A’s last won the pennant in 1931, and many felt the game was passing him by. Although he had every intention of building another winner, he didn't have the extra money to get big stars. Unlike most other owners, Mack had no other source of income aside from his baseball team, so the dwindling attendance figures of the early 1930s hit him especially hard. He was also unwilling (or unable) to invest in a farm system.
As a result, the A's went into a funk that would last for over 30 years, through three cities. Save for a 5th place finish in 1944, the A’s finished in last or next-to-last place every year from 1935–1946. In 1936, Shibe's last son died, and Mack became the Athletics' sole owner. Even as bad as the A's got during this time (some believe that many of his teams were major-league in name only), he had no intention of firing himself. Long after most other teams had hired a general manager, Mack remained essentially a one-man band, making all baseball decisions. To the surprise of most people in baseball, Mack managed not only to get out of the cellar in 1947, but actually finished with a winning record for the first time in 14 years. They contended for much of 1948 and 1949, only to collapse back to last again in 1950.
The 1950 season would be 88-year-old Mack’s 50th and last as A’s manager, a North American professional sports record that has never been threatened. He was reportedly pushed out by his sons from his first marriage, Roy and Earle. During that year the team wore uniforms trimmed in blue and gold, in honor of the Golden Jubilee of "The Grand Old Man of Baseball. "
Final years in Philadelphia
In the late 1940s, Mack split day-to-day control over the team between Roy, Earle and his son from his second marriage, Connie Mack, Jr. After pushing their father out as manager, Roy and Earle assumed control of the team though their father remained nominal owner and team president. In order to do this, the Mack brothers mortgaged the team to Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (now part of CIGNA). CIGNA Corporation ( is a Philadelphia-based health service company However, the team continued to slide (the A's finished with a winning record only once from 1951 to 1954), attendance plummeted, and revenues continued to dwindle. It soon became obvious that the team's cash flow was insufficient to service the new debt. Roy and Earle Mack began feuding with each other. The only bright spots during the last seasons in Philadelphia were the 1952 Most Valuable Player season turned in by left-handed pitcher Bobby Shantz and the A. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 All-Star Game Robert Clayton Shantz (born September 26, 1925 in Pottstown Pennsylvania) was a Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Philadelphia L. batting championships won by Ferris Fain in 1951 (. Ferris Roy Fain ( May 29 1921 - October 18 2001) was a Major League First basemen for the Philadelphia Athletics 344) and 1952 (. 320). The latter would be the last year in which an Athletic has led the American League in hitting. Meanwhile, the Phillies, who had been second-fiddle to the A's for most of the last half-century (in fact, they had been the A's tenants in Shibe Park since 1938), made it to the World Series in 1950 and quickly passed the A's as Philadelphia's number one team.
Though last minute offers were put on the table to buy the Athletics to keep them in Philadelphia, including one made by a group led by Chicago insurance tycoon Charles O. Finley, the American League owners were determined to "solve the Philadelphia problem" by moving the team elsewhere. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Charles Oscar Finley ( February 22 1918 - February 19 1996) nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American On October 12, 1954, the owners approved the sale of the Athletics to another Chicago businessman, Arnold Johnson, who moved the team to Kansas City for the 1955 season. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Arnold Johnson was also the name of an actor Arnold M Johnson (1906 - 1960 was an American industrialist father businessman and sportsman Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages
Kansas City (1955–1967)
The Johnson era
From the start, it was clear that Johnson was motivated solely by profit, not because of any regard for the baseball fans of Kansas City. He had long been a business associate of Yankee owners Dan Topping, Larry MacPhail and Del Webb. Daniel Reid Topping ( June 11 1912 - May 18 1974) was a part owner and president of the New York Yankees baseball team from 1945 to Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail Sr ( February 3 1890 - October 1 1975) was an American executive and innovator in Delbert E Webb ( May 17 1899 &ndash July 4 1974) was an American Construction magnate Real estate developer He had bought Yankee Stadium in 1953, though the league owners forced Johnson to sell the property before acquiring the Athletics. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. He'd also bought Blues Stadium in Kansas City, home of the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues of the American Association. In sports a farm team, feeder team or nursery club, generally refers to a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players with an This article refers to the former minor league that existed from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 After Johnson got permission to move the A's to Kansas City, he sold Blues Stadium to the city, who renamed it Kansas City Municipal Stadium and leased it back to Johnson. Kansas City Municipal Stadium was a Baseball and football stadium that formerly stood in Kansas City Missouri. The lease gave Johnson a three-year escape clause if the team failed to draw one million or more customers per season. The subsequent lease signed in 1960 also contained an escape clause if the team failed to draw 850,000 per season. Johnson was still head of the company that managed Yankee Stadium; Webb's construction company rebuilt Municipal Stadium to meet major-league specifications; and Johnson held a mortgage of the Yankees'. (See The Baseball Hall of Shame for details. )
Rumors abounded that Johnson's real motive was to operate the Athletics in Kansas City for a few years, then move the team to Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Whatever Johnson's motives were, the issue soon became moot. The Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles after the 1957 season, thereby precluding any move there by the Athletics (although the Los Angeles Angels would begin play in the AL in 1961). The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Moreover, on March 10, 1960, Arnold Johnson died at the age of 53. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Whatever the concern about the move to Kansas City, fans turned out in record numbers for the era. In 1955, the new Kansas City Athletics drew 1,393,054 to Municipal Stadium, a club record easily surpassing the previous record of 945,076 in 1948. (To put this figure in perspective, in 1955 only the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Braves had higher home attendance than did the A's. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. ) What no one realized at the time was that number would never be approached again while the team was in Kansas City, and would remain the club record for attendance until 1982—the Athletics’ 15th season in Oakland.
“Special relationship” with the Yankees
During the Johnson ownership, any good young players on the Athletics were invariably traded by general manager Parke Carroll to the Yankees for aging veterans and cash. Parke Carroll (1909—1961 was an American front-office executive in minor league and Major League Baseball who was perhaps best known in baseball circles The cash was used to pay the bills, with the veterans perhaps having star appeal that could improve attendance.
Though Johnson promised the fans that the trades would soon bring a world championship to Kansas City, it didn’t work that way. The A's won 63 games in 1955, only the fifth time in the last 20 years that they'd managed to win more than 60 games. However, they never contended past June in the six years of Johnson's ownership, and finished either last or next-to-last each season. Attendance declined, with fans and even other clubs charging that the A’s were little more than a Yankee farm team at the major league level, citing Johnson's pre-existing cozy relationship with Topping and Webb. This obvious conflict of interest was merely winked at by the rulers of the game at that time. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the Yankees went into decline as soon as the A's stopped sending them talent. Johnson once gushed to The Sporting News, "I'd pay a million dollars for Mickey Mantle!" Assuming he had a million to give, that was a safe offer, as there was no chance the Yanks were going to trade their superstar to Kansas City. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports Mickey Charles Mantle ( October 20, 1931 &ndash August 13, 1995) was an American Baseball player who was inducted
The trade no one ever forgot was the one made after the 1959 season, when the A’s sent young right fielder Roger Maris to New York for his aging counterpart, Hank Bauer, in a seven-player deal. Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball For the football player of the same name see Hank Bauer (football player. However, there were others. The Yankees brought up a promising young pitcher, Ralph Terry, in 1956, but were reluctant to use him in critical situations. Ralph Willard Terry (born on January 9, 1936 in Big Cabin Oklahoma) is a former right-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball who So, in June 1957, they traded him to the A's in an eight-player deal. After getting nearly two years of experience facing A. L. batters, Terry apparently was ready to return. In May 1959, the Yankees sent Jerry Lumpe and two washed-up pitchers to the Athletics for Terry. Jerry Dean Lumpe (born June 2, 1933, in Lincoln Missouri) was a Major League Baseball Second Baseman for the New York Yankees Once "home," Terry became a 20-game winner for New York.
A detailed account of this period is The Kansas City A's and The Wrong Half of the Yankees, by Jeff Katz, published by Maple Street Press.
Finley era
On December 19, 1960, Charles "Charlie O." Finley purchased a controlling interest in the team from Johnson's estate after losing out to Johnson six years earlier. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Oscar Finley ( February 22 1918 - February 19 1996) nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American He bought out the minority owners a year later. Finley promised the fans a new day. In a highly publicized move, he purchased a bus, pointed it in the direction of New York, and burned it to symbolize the end of the “special relationship” with the Yankees. He called another press conference to burn the existing lease at Municipal Stadium which included the despised "escape clause. " He spent over $400,000 of his own money in stadium improvements (though in 1962 the city reimbursed $300,000 of this). He introduced new uniforms which had "Kansas City" on the road uniforms for the first time ever and an interlocking "KC" on the cap. He announced, "My intentions are to keep the A's permanently in Kansas City and build a winning ball club. I have no intention of ever moving the franchise. " The fans, in turn, regarded Finley as the savior of Major League Baseball in Kansas City.
Finley immediately hired Frank Lane, a veteran baseball man with a reputation as a prolific trader, as general manager. For the former footballer see Frankie Lane Frank Lane ( February 1 1896 - March 19 1981) was an Lane began engineering trades with several other teams, including the Yankees, the bus-burning stunt notwithstanding. Lane lasted less than one year, being fired during the 1961 season. He was temporarily replaced by Pat Friday, whose sole qualification for the job was that he managed one of Finley's insurance offices. Pat Friday was hired on August 22nd 1961 by the Kansas City Athletics baseball team for the position of General manager. On paper, Friday remained general manager until Carl A. Finley Jr. took over as general manager in 1963, when he was replaced by Hank Peters. Henry J "Hank" Peters is a former baseball executive He began his career in the scouting department of the St After only a year, Peters was fired, and the team had no formal general manager until 1981. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 In fact, Friday and Peters were mere figureheads. With the firing of Lane in 1961, Finley effectively became a one-man band as owner, president and de facto general manager, and would remain so for the duration of his ownership.
Finley made further changes to the team’s uniforms. The Philadelphia Athletics wore blue and white or black and gray outfits through most of their history;[1]; in the last years in Philadelphia and the first in Kansas City, the team used a red, white and navy blue scheme. [2] In 1963, Finley changed the team’s colors to “Kelly Green, Fort Knox Gold and Wedding Gown White” (which, although the kelly green was replaced by a darker, forest green shade in 1981, essentially remain the team colors today) and replaced Mack's elephant with a Missouri mule—not just a cartoon logo, but a real mule, which he named after himself: “Charlie O, the Mule. In its common modern meaning a mule is the offspring of a male Donkey and a female Horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. This is a list of current and former Major League Baseball Mascots sorted alphabetically ” He also began phasing out the team name "Athletics" in favor of simply, "A's. " Some of his other changes—for instance, his repeated attempts to mimic Yankee Stadium's famous right-field "home run porch"—were less successful. AL President Joe Cronin ordered Finley to remove the fence which duplicated the 296-foot right-field foul line in Yankee Stadium. Joseph Edward Cronin ( October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was a Major League Baseball player from to and manager The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. Smarting from this draconian ukase, Finley had his announcer comment "That would have been a home run in Yankee Stadium" whenever a fly ball passed the limit in Municipal Stadium's outfield.
While the A's were still dreadful in the first eight years of Finley's ownership, he began to lay the groundwork for a future contender. Finley poured resources into the minor league system for the first time in the history of the franchise. Mack never spent money on developing a farm system, which was a major reason his teams fell from contenders to cellar-dwellers so quickly. When Johnson bought the team in 1955, the A's had only three full-time scouts. While Johnson tried to make improvements, he wasn't willing to pay the bonuses necessary to get top talent. However, Finley steadily built up the team's farm system until by 1966, it was one of the best in the majors. He was assisted by the creation of the baseball draft in 1965, which forced young prospects to sign with the team that drafted them—at the price offered by the team—if they wanted to play professional baseball. Thus, Finley was spared from having to compete with wealthier teams for top talent. The Athletics, owners of the worst record in the American League in 1964, had the first pick in the first draft, selecting Rick Monday on June 8, 1965. Rick Monday (born Robert James Monday Jr on November 20, 1945 in Batesville Arkansas) is a former Center fielder in Major Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.
Finley looks for a way out
Almost from the minute the ink dried on his purchase of the Athletics, Finley began shopping the Athletics to other cities despite his promises that the A’s would remain in Kansas City. Soon after the lease-burning stunt, it was discovered that what actually burned was a blank boilerplate commercial lease available at any stationery store. The actual lease was still in force—including the escape clause. Finley later admitted he had no intention of rewriting the lease, that the whole thing was a publicity stunt.
On September 18, 1962, after less than two full years of ownership, Finley asked the A. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. L. owners for permission to move the Athletics to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U His request was denied by a 9–1 vote. In January 1964, he signed an agreement to move the A’s to Louisville, promising to change the team's name to the "Kentucky Athletics". [1] (Other names suggested for the team were the "Kentucky Colonels" and the "Louisville Sluggers. ") By another 9–1 vote his request was denied. Six weeks later, by the same 9–1 margin, the A. L. owners denied Finley's request to move the team to Oakland. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U
These requests came as no surprise, as rumors of impending moves to these cities, as well as to Atlanta, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Diego and Seattle—all of which Finley had considered as new homes for the Athletics—had long been afloat. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana He also threatened to move the A's to a "cow pasture" in Peculiar, Missouri, complete with temporary grandstands. Peculiar is a city in Cass County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2604 at the 2000 census Not surprisingly, attendance tailed off. Finally, American League President Joe Cronin persuaded Finley to sign a four-year lease with Municipal Stadium. Joseph Edward Cronin ( October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was a Major League Baseball player from to and manager
Then on October 18, 1967, A. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. L. owners at last gave Finley permission to move the Athletics to Oakland for the 1968 season. According to some reports, Cronin promised Finley that he could move the team after the 1967 season as an incentive to sign the new lease with Municipal Stadium. The move came in spite of approval by voters in Jackson County, Missouri of a bond issue for a brand new baseball stadium (the eventual Kauffman Stadium) to be completed in 1973. Jackson County is a County located in the US state of Missouri. Ewing M Kauffman Stadium (ˈkɔfmən formerly Royals Stadium) is a Major League Baseball Stadium located in Kansas City Missouri, and Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over New York Mets (4-3 Reggie Jackson, Then-U. S. Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri blasted Finley on the floor of the Senate, calling him "one of the most disreputable characters ever to enter the American sports scene,” and said Oakland was “the luckiest city since Hiroshima. William Stuart Symington ( June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was a businessman and Political figure from Missouri. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's ” When Symington threatened to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked, the owners responded with a hasty round of expansion. Kansas City was awarded an American League expansion team, the Royals. The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They were initially slated to begin play in 1971. However, Symington was not willing to have Kansas City wait three years for another team, and renewed his threat to have baseball's antitrust exemption revoked unless the teams began play in 1969. Champions Major League Baseball The most notable part of the 1969 season were the Miracle Mets World Series: New York Mets The owners complied.
During the Johnson years, the Athletics' home attendance averaged just under one million per season, respectable numbers for the era, especially in light of the team's dreadful on-field performance. In contrast, during the years of Finley's ownership, the team averaged under 680,000 per year in Kansas City. According to baseball writer Rob Neyer (a native of the Kansas City area), this was largely because Finley tried to sell baseball tickets like he sold insurance. Rob Neyer (born 1966 is a Baseball author and since 1996 a columnist for ESPN Just before the 1960 season, he mailed brochures to 600,000 people in the area, and only made $20,000 in ticket sales. [2] During their 13-year stay in Kansas City, the Athletics were arguably one of the worst teams in baseball history, finishing last or next-to-last place in 10 of those years. Their overall record was 829–1,224, for a winning percentage of . 404.
Oakland (1968 to present)
The Third Dynasty (1971–1975)
The Athletics arrived in Oakland just as the team was beginning to gel. They moved into the one-year-old Oakland-Alameda Coliseum (now McAfee Coliseum. ) On May 8, 1968 in a game against the Minnesota Twins, Jim "Catfish" Hunter pitched the first perfect game in the American League since 1922. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a Pitcher (or combination of pitchers pitches a victory that lasts a minimum Managed by Bob Kennedy, the A's finished the 1968 season with an 82–80 record—their first winning season since 1952. Robert Daniel Kennedy ( August 18, 1920 - April 7, 2005) was a Right fielder / Third baseman, manager and Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. With expansion to 12 teams in 1969, the American League was divided into two 6-team divisions. During that year, the Athletics finished second in the A. L. West Division behind the Minnesota Twins—the first time they had finished in the first division since 1952. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Finley officially changed the team name from the Athletics to the "A's" in 1970, the first year that an "apostrophe-s" appeared after the traditional "A" logo. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Everything finally came together for the A's as the 1970s dawned. After another second-place finish in 1970, the A’s won the A. L. West title in 1971 for their first postseason appearance of any kind since 1931. However, they lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1972, the A's won their first league pennant since 1931 and faced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with
That year, the A's began wearing solid green or solid gold jerseys, with contrasting white pants, at a time when most other teams wore all-white uniforms at home and all-grey ones on the road. Similar to more colorful amateur softball uniforms, they were considered a radical departure for their time. Furthermore, in conjunction with a Moustache Day promotion, Finley offered $500 to any player who grew a moustache by Father's Day, at a time when every other team forbade facial hair. When Father's Day arrived, every member of the team collected a bonus. The 1972 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds was termed “The Hairs vs. The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA the Big Squares,” as the Reds wore more traditional uniforms and required their players to be clean-shaven and short-haired. A contemporaneous book about the team was called Moustache Gang. The A's seven-game victory over the heavily favored Reds gave the team its first World Series Championship since 1930.
They defended their title in 1973 and 1974. The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions The 1974 World Series matched the two-time defending champion Oakland Athletics against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the A’s winning the Series in 5 games Unlike Mack's champions, who thoroughly dominated their opposition, the A’s teams of the 1970s played well enough to win their division (which was usually known as the "American League Least" during this time). They then defeated teams that had won more games during the regular season with good pitching, good defense, and clutch hitting. Finley called this team the “Swingin’ A’s. ” Players such as Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue formed the nucleus of these teams. Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18 1946) nicknamed " Mr Salvatore Leonard Bando (born February 13 1944 in Cleveland Ohio) is a former Third baseman and executive in Professional baseball Joseph Oden Rudi (born September 7, 1946 in Modesto California) is a former Left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9 1942 in Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba) generally known as Bert Campaneris and nicknamed "Campy" James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946, in Steubenville Ohio) is a former Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the This article is about Vida Blue the baseball pitcher For information on the Jam band of the same name see Vida Blue (band.
The players often said in later years that they played so well as a team due to their universal dislike for Finley. For instance, Finley threatened to pack Jackson off to the minors in 1969 after Jackson hit 47 homers; Commissioner Bowie Kuhn had to intervene in their contract dispute. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Bowie Kent Kuhn (October 28 1926 &ndash March 15 2007 was an American Lawyer and sports administrator who served as the 5th commissioner of Major League Baseball Kuhn intervened again after Blue won the A. L. Cy Young Award in 1971 and Finley threatened to send him to the minors. In Baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best Pitcher in Major League Baseball (one each for American and National Finley's tendency for micromanaging his team actually dated to the team's stay in Kansas City. Among the more notable incidents during this time was a near-mutiny in 1967; Finley responded by releasing the A's best hitter, Ken Harrelson, who promptly signed with the Red Sox and helped lead them to the pennant. Kenneth Smith Harrelson (born September 4, 1941 in Woodruff South Carolina) Nicknamed "The Hawk" due to his distinctive The Impossible Dream is the popular term used for the 1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Athletics' victory over the New York Mets in the 1973 Series was marred by Finley's antics. "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. Finley forced Mike Andrews to sign a false affidavit saying he was injured after the reserve second baseman committed two consecutive errors in the 12th inning of the A's Game Two loss to the Mets. Michael Jay Andrews (born July 9, 1943 in Los Angeles California) is a former Major League Baseball Second baseman who played When other team members, manager Dick Williams, and virtually the entire viewing public rallied to Andrews' defense, Kuhn forced Finley to back down. Richard Hirschfeld Williams (born May 7 1929 in St Louis Missouri) is a former Left fielder, Third baseman, manager, coach and However, there was nothing that said the A's had to play Andrews. Andrews entered Game 4 in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter to a standing ovation from sympathetic Mets fans. He promptly grounded out, and Finley ordered him benched for the remainder of the Series. Andrews never played another major league game. As it was, the incident allowed the Mets, a team that went but 82–79 during the regular season, to go seven games before losing to a superior team. Williams was so disgusted by the affair that he resigned after the Series. Finley retaliated by vetoing Williams' attempt to become manager of the Yankees. Finley claimed that since Williams still owed Oakland the last year of his contract, he could not manage anywhere else. Finley relented later in 1974 and allowed Williams to take over as manager of the California Angels. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California.
After the Athletics' victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1974 Series (under Alvin Dark), pitcher Catfish Hunter filed a grievance, claiming that the team had violated its contract with Hunter by failing to make timely payment on an insurance policy during the 1974 season as called for. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Alvin Ralph Dark (born January 7 1922 in Comanche Oklahoma) nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox" is a former Shortstop and manager On December 13, 1974, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in Hunter’s favor. Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. As a result, Hunter became a free agent, and signed a contract with the Yankees for the 1975 season. Despite the loss of Hunter, the A’s repeated as A. L. West champions in 1975, but lost the ALCS to Boston in a 3-game sweep.
Free agency, the dismantling of the A’s, and the end of the Finley years
In 1975, fed up with poor attendance in Oakland during the team's championship years, Finley thought of moving yet again. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox (4-3 Pete Rose, MVP When Seattle filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball over the move of the Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee, Finley and others came up with an elaborate shuffle which would move the ailing Chicago White Sox to Seattle. The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which plays in the Central Division of the National League The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Finley then would move the A's to Chicago, closer to his home in LaPorte, Indiana; and take the White Sox' place at Comiskey Park. La Porte ( French for "The Door" is a city in La Porte County, Indiana, United States, of which it is the County seat. Comiskey Park (35th Street & Shields Avenue Chicago, Illinois) was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990 The scheme fell through when Arthur Allyn sold the White Sox to another colorful owner, Bill Veeck, who was not interested in leaving Chicago. William Louis Veeck Jr (ˈvɛk rhymes with "wreck" February 9 1914 &ndash January 2 1986) also known as " Sport Shirt
As the 1976 season got underway, the basic rules of player contracts were changing. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0 Johnny Bench, MVP Seitz had ruled that baseball’s reserve clause only bound players for one season after their contract expired. Thus, all players not signed to multi-year contracts would be eligible for free agency at the end of the 1976 season. The balance of power had shifted from the owners to the players for the first time since the days of the Federal League. Like Mack had done twice before, Finley reacted by trading star players and attempting to sell others. On June 15, 1976, Finley sold left fielder Rudi and relief pitcher Fingers to Boston for $1 million each, and pitcher Blue to the New York Yankees for $1. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0 Johnny Bench, MVP 5 million. Three days later, Kuhn voided the transactions in the “best interests of baseball. ” Amid the turmoil, the A's still finished second in the A. L. West, 2. 5 games behind the Royals.
After the 1976 season, most of the Athletics’ veteran players did become eligible for free agency, and predictably almost all left. Three thousand miles and several decades later, one of baseball’s most storied franchises suffered yet another dismemberment of a dynasty team. As happened with the end of the A's first dynasty in the early 1900s, the collapse was swift and total. The next three years were as bad as the worst days in Philadelphia or Kansas City, with the A's finishing last twice and next-to-last once. In 1977, for instance—only three years after winning the World Series—the A's finished with the worst record in the American League West, behind even the expansion Seattle Mariners (though by only 1/2 game, as one game with the Minnesota Twins was canceled by weather and never made up). Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Reggie Jackson, The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
At the end of the 1977 season, Finley attempted to trade Blue to the Reds for a player of lesser stature and cash, but Kuhn vetoed the deal, claiming that it was tantamount to a fire sale of the star pitcher similar to the sales he voided during 1976. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0 Johnny Bench, MVP He also claimed that adding Blue to the Reds' already formidable pitching staff would make a mockery of the National League West race. Later, the Commissioner approved a trade of relief pitcher Doug Bair to the Reds in a deal that resembled a true trade. Charles Douglas Bair (born August 22, 1949, in Defiance Ohio) was a Major League Baseball Right-handed Pitcher. At the same time, Blue was traded across the bay to the San Francisco Giants in a multi-player trade that likewise received the Commissioner's blessing. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division.
The A's had never drawn well since moving to Oakland (even during the World Series years), and during the next three years attendance dropped so low that the Coliseum became known as the "Oakland Mausoleum," and its upkeep went downhill. At one point during their championship years, the A's broadcasted their games on KALX, a 10-watt college radio station run by the University of California, Berkeley (Finley himself remaked that the only other alternative at the time was to get on a soapbox and do it himself). KALX (907 FM) is a freeform FM Radio station that broadcasts from the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley California The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley Some fans nicknamed them the "Triple-A's. " Finley nearly sold the team to buyers who would have moved them to Denver for the 1978 season and New Orleans for 1979. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Bucky Dent, MVP New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3 Willie Stargell, Though the American League owners appeared to favor the Denver deal, it fell through when the city of Oakland refused to release the A's from their lease. The city was in the midst of its battle with the Oakland Raiders over their move to Los Angeles and didn't want to lose both teams. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. Not surprisingly, only 306,763 paying customers showed up to watch the A's in 1979, the team's worst attendance since leaving Philadelphia.
After three dismal seasons on the field and at the gate, the team started to gel again. In a masterstroke, Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the young team, led by new young stars Rickey Henderson, Mike Norris, Tony Armas, and Dwayne Murphy . Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr ( May 16 1928 &ndash December 25 1989) was an American Second baseman and Rickey Henley Henderson (born as Rickey Nelson Henley, December 25 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder This page is about the baseball player in the 1970s and 1980s Dwayne Keith Murphy (born on March 18, 1955, in Merced California) is a former Major League Baseball player and is currently the First Base Martin made believers of his young charges, “Billyball” was used to market the team, and the Athletics finished second in 1980. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals (4-2 Mike Schmidt, MVP
However, during that same season Finley's wife sought a divorce and would not accept part of a baseball team in a property settlement. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. With most of his money tied up in the A's or his insurance empire, Finley had to sell the team. Though Finley found a buyer in businessman Marvin Davis, who would have moved the Athletics to Denver, the tentative deal hit a snag when the Raiders announced their move to Los Angeles. Marvin H Davis ( August 31, 1925 in Newark New Jersey &ndash September 25, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California Oakland and Alameda County officials, not wanting to be held responsible for losing Oakland's status as a big-league city in its own right, refused to let Davis break the lease with the Coliseum. Alameda County is a county in the US state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Finley then looked to local buyers, selling the A's to San Francisco clothing manufacturer Walter A. Haas, Jr., president of Levi Strauss & Co. prior to the 1981 season. Walter A Haas Jr (1916 &ndash September 20, 1995) was a president and CEO (1958&ndash1976 and chairman (1970&ndash1981 of Levi Strauss & Co Levi Strauss & Co (LS&CO is a privately held Clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of Denim Jeans. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-2 Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero It would not be the first time that the Raiders directly affected the A's future.
Local ownership for the Athletics: the Haas era
Despite winning three World Series and two other A. L. West Division titles, the A's on-field success did not translate into success at the box office during the Finley Era in Oakland. Average home attendance from 1968–1980 was 777,000 per season, with 1,075,518 in 1975 being the highest attendance for a Finley-owned team. In marked contrast, during the first year of Haas' ownership, the Athletics drew 1,304,052—in a season shortened by a player strike. Were it not for the strike, the A's were on a pace to draw over 2. 2 million in 1981. The A's lost in the American League Championship Series after winning the "first half" AL West Division title of the strike-interrupted 1981 season. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-2 Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero They finished with the second-best overall record in baseball, and the best record in the American League.
During the 15 years of Haas' ownership, the Athletics became one of baseball’s most successful teams at the gate, drawing 2,900,217 in 1990, still the club record for single season attendance, as well as on the field. Average annual home attendance during those years (excluding the strike years of 1981 and 1994) was over 1. 9 million.
Haas set about changing the team's image. He ditched Charlie O. as the team mascot, and pictures of Connie Mack and other greats from the Philadelphia days appeared in the team office. The traditional team name "Athletics" was restored immediately, with the new ownership group formally known as "The Oakland Athletics Baseball Company. " While the team colors remained green, gold, and white, the garish Kelly green was replaced with a more subdued forest green. After a 23-year hiatus, the elephant was restored as the club mascot in 1988. The script "Athletics," which had adorned home and road jerseys from 1954-1960, was returned to home jerseys in 1987.
Under the Haas ownership, the minor league system was rebuilt, which bore fruition later that decade as José Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987), and Walt Weiss (1988) were chosen as A.L. Rookies of the Year. José Canseco y Capas Jr (born July 2, 1964 in Havana, Cuba) is a former Outfielder and Designated hitter in Major Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the Walter William Weiss (born November 28 1963 in Tuxedo New York) is a former Shortstop in Major League Baseball. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America During the 1986 season, Tony La Russa was hired as the Athletics’ manager, a post he held until the end of 1995. Anthony "Tony" La Russa Jr (ləˈɹuːsə born October 4 1944, in Tampa, Florida) is a manager in Major League In 1987, La Russa’s first full year as manager, the team finished at 81–81, its best record in 7 seasons. Beginning in 1988, the Athletics won the A. L. pennant three years in a row. Reminiscent of their Philadelphia predecessors, this A’s team finished with the best record of any team in the major leagues during all 3 years, winning 104 (1988), 99 (1989), and 103 (1990) games, featuring such stars as McGwire, Canseco, Weiss, Rickey Henderson, Carney Lansford, Dave Stewart, and Dennis Eckersley. Carney Ray Lansford (born February 7, 1957 in San Jose California) is a former Third baseman in Major League Baseball who played David Keith Stewart (born February 19 1957 in Oakland California) is a former right-handed starting Pitcher in Major League Baseball Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3 1954 nicknamed "Eck" is a former American Major League Baseball player
Regular season dominance led to some success in the post-season. Their lone World Series championship of the era was a four-game sweep of the cross-bay rival San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The 1989 World Series was played between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. Unfortunately for the A's, their sweep of the Giants was overshadowed by the Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred at the start of Game 3 before a national television audience. The Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the Quake of '89 and the World Series Quake, was a major Earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay This forced the remaining games to be delayed for several days. When play resumed, the atmosphere was dominated more by a sense of relief than celebration by baseball fans. Heavily favored Athletics teams lost the World Series in both 1988, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in 1990, to the Cincinnati Reds. The 1988 World Series matched the Oakland Athletics against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers upsetting the heavily favored A's to win the Series in five The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The 1990 World Series matched the defending champions and heavily-favored Oakland Athletics against the Cincinnati Reds, with the Reds sweeping the Series in four The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA The latter was a shocking four-game sweep reminiscent of the A’s loss to the Boston Braves 76 years earlier. The team began declining, winning the A. L. West championship in 1992 (but losing to Toronto in the ALCS), then finishing last in 1993. The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The "Moneyball" years
Walter Haas died in 1995, and the team was sold to San Francisco Bay Area real estate developers Steve Schott (no relation to one-time Cincinnati Reds’ owner Marge Schott),silent partner David Etherege and Ken Hofmann, prior to the 1996 season. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Stephen Schott (born 1939) is a Real estate developer and Businessman from California, best known for his ten-year co-ownership of the Oakland Margaret Unnewehr Schott ( August 18, 1928 &ndash March 2, 2004) was the controversial former managing general Kenneth Harry Hofmann (born February 15, 1923 in Oakland California) is a Builder, Developer and Philanthropist who is Once again, the Athletics’ star players were traded or sold, as the new owners’ goal was to cut payroll drastically. Many landed with the St. Louis Cardinals, including McGwire, Eckersley, and manager La Russa. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St In a turn of events eerily reminiscent of the A’s Roger Maris trade 38 years before, Mark McGwire celebrated his first full season with the Cardinals by setting a new major league home run record. Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball In fact, McGwire came close to the record in 1997, when he split 58 homers between the A's and the Cards.
The Schott-Hofmann ownership allocated resources to building and maintaining a strong minor league system while almost always refusing to pay the going rate to keep star players on the team once they become free agents. Perhaps as a result, the A’s at the turn of the 21st century were a team that usually finished at or near the top of the A. L. West Division, but could not advance beyond the first round of playoffs. The Athletics made the post season playoffs for four straight years, 2000–2003, but lost their first round (best 3-out-of-5) series in each case, 3 games to 2. In two of those years (2001 against New York and 2003 against Boston), the Athletics won the first two games of the series, only to lose the next three straight and hence the playoffs. In 2004, the A's missed the playoffs altogether, losing the final series of the season—and the divisional title to the Anaheim Angels. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California.
In recent years, the Athletics were best known for starting pitchers Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, collectively referred to as “The Big Three,” as well as infielders Eric Chavez, Jason Giambi, and Miguel Tejada. Timothy Adam Hudson (born July 14, 1975 in Columbus Georgia) is a Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Mark Alan Mulder (born August 5, 1977 in South Holland Illinois) is a Left-handed Starting pitcher for the St Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978 in) is a Left handed Starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball Eric Cesar Chavez (born December 7, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Mexican-American Third baseman in Major Miguel Odalis Tejada (born Miguel Odalis Tejeda on May 25 1974 After becoming free agents, Giambi left for the New York Yankees after the 2001 season, while Tejada departed for the Baltimore Orioles after the 2003 season. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.
The general manager of the Athletics, Billy Beane, has become notable in recent years for Michael Lewis's publicization of Beane's novel approach to business decisions and scouting referred to as Moneyball, both the title of the book, and hence the school of thought to management. There is another former major league player named Billy Bean. Michael Lewis (born October 15, 1960, New Orleans Louisiana) is an American contemporary Non-fiction author Moneyball The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (ISBN 0-393-05765-8 is a book by Michael M The Athletics organization began redefining the way that major league baseball teams evaluate player talent. They began filling their system with players who did not possess traditionally valued baseball "tools" of throwing, fielding, hitting, hitting for power and running. Instead, they drafted for unconventional statistical prowess: on-base percentage for hitters (rather than batting average) and strikeout/walk ratios for pitchers (rather than velocity). These undervalued stats came cheap. With the sixth-lowest payroll in baseball in 2002, the Oakland Athletics won an American League best 103 games. They spent $41M that season, while the Yankees, who also won 103 games, spent $126M. The Athletics have continually succeeded at winning, and defying market economics, keeping their payroll near the bottom of the league. For example, after the 2004 season, in which the A's placed second in their division, Beane shocked many by breaking up the Big Three, trading Tim Hudson to the Atlanta Braves and Mark Mulder to the St. Louis Cardinals. Timothy Adam Hudson (born July 14, 1975 in Columbus Georgia) is a Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Mark Alan Mulder (born August 5, 1977 in South Holland Illinois) is a Left-handed Starting pitcher for the St The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St To many, the trades appeared bizarre, in that the two pitchers were seen to be at or near the top of their game; however, the decision was perfectly in line with Beane's business model as outlined in Moneyball. Moneyball The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (ISBN 0-393-05765-8 is a book by Michael M The Mulder trade, to many experts' surprise, turned into a steal for the Athletics, as little-known starter Dan Haren has pitched far better for Oakland than Mulder has in St. Daniel John 'The Baron' Haren (born September 17, 1980 in Monterey Park, California) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher Louis.
The Wolff era
On March 30, 2005, the Athletics were sold to a group headed by real estate developer Lewis Wolff. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series Lewis N Wolff (commonly shortened to Lew) is an American real estate developer. Wolff, though a Los Angeles businessman, he had successfully developed many real estate projects in and around San Jose. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The previous ownership had retained Wolff to help them find an adequate parcel on which to construct a new stadium. Because of Wolff's background, rumors that he wanted to move the team to San Jose surfaced periodically upon his purchase of the team. However, any such plans were always complicated by the claims of the cross-bay San Francisco Giants that they own the territorial rights to San Jose and Santa Clara County. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U (See Stadium Issue, below. )
In 2005, many pundits picked the Athletics to finish last as a result of Beane's dismantling of the Big Three. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series At first, the experts appeared vindicated, as the A's were mired in last place on May 31 with a 19–32 (. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. 373) won-loss record. After that the team began to gel, playing at a . 622 clip for the remainder of the season, eventually finishing 88–74 (. 543), seven games behind the newly-renamed Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and for many weeks seriously contending for the AL West crown. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California.
Pitcher Huston Street was voted the A. Huston Lowell Street (ˈçʲustən born August 2, 1983 in Austin, Texas) is a Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics L. Rookie of the Year in 2005, the second year in a row an Athletic won that award, shortstop Bobby Crosby having won in 2004. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America This article is for the baseball player For the comic strip character see Superosity. For the fifth straight season, third baseman Eric Chavez won the A. Eric Cesar Chavez (born December 7, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Mexican-American Third baseman in Major L. Gold Glove Award at that position. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to
The 2006 season brought the A's back to the postseason after a two year absence. 2006 Major League Baseball season|2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season Headline Event of the Year The 2006 World Baseball Classic is a surprise success After finishing the season at 93-69, four games ahead of the Angels, the A's were considered the underdog against the highly favored Minnesota Twins. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The A's swept the series 3-0 however, despite having to start on the road and losing second baseman Mark Ellis, who sustained a broken finger after getting hit by a pitch in the second game. Mark William Ellis (born June 6, 1977 in) is a Major League Baseball Second baseman, currently playing for the Oakland Athletics. Their victory was short-lived though, as the A's were swept 4-0 by the Detroit Tigers. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA Manager Ken Macha was fired by Billy Beane on October 16th, four days after their loss in the 2006 American League Championship Series. Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the former manager of the Oakland A's. There is another former major league player named Billy Bean. The 2006 American League Championship Series ( ALCS) was the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs it began on October 10 Beane cited a disconnect between him and his players as well as a general unhappiness among the team as the reason for his sudden departure. [3]
Macha was replaced by bench coach and former major league catcher Bob Geren. Robert Peter Geren (born September 22 1961 in San Diego California) is a former Catcher in Major League Baseball and the current Following the 2006 season, the A's also lost ace Barry Zito to the Giants due to free agency. Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978 in) is a Left handed Starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. They also lost their DH and MVP candidate Frank Thomas to free agency but filled his role with future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza for 2007. Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. Michael Joseph Piazza (pʰiˈɑːʦə or /pʰiˈɑːzə/ born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former American Piazza, a lifetime National League player, agreed to become a full-time DH for the first time in his career. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball
The 2007 season was a disappointing season for the A's as they suffered from injuries to several key players Rich Harden, Huston Street, Eric Chavez, and Mike Piazza. James Richard Harden (born November 30, 1981 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian Major League Baseball Starting Huston Lowell Street (ˈçʲustən born August 2, 1983 in Austin, Texas) is a Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Eric Cesar Chavez (born December 7, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Mexican-American Third baseman in Major Michael Joseph Piazza (pʰiˈɑːʦə or /pʰiˈɑːzə/ born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former American For the first time since the 1998 season, the A's finished with a losing record.
The 2008 off-season started with controversy, as the A's traded ace pitcher Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects. Daniel John 'The Baron' Haren (born September 17, 1980 in Monterey Park, California) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix Arizona. This would be followed by trades of outfielder Nick Swisher, who was considered to be a fan-favorite, to the Chicago White Sox, and another fan-favorite Mark Kotsay (also outfielder) to the Atlanta Braves. Nicholas Thompson Swisher (born November 25 1980 is a Major League Baseball First baseman and Outfielder for the Chicago White Sox. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Mark Steven Kotsay (born December 2, 1975 in Whittier California) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Boston Red Sox The trades, especially the first two, caused a lot of anger among fans and the media. The A's were considered to be a "rebuilding" team and were expected to be among the bottom-feeders of the MLB in the 2008 season. However, the A's have performed well into the season as of late May, and have even held first place in the AL West for a good amount of time, but a 2-7 roadtrip in Mid-May allowed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to take first place for the time being. In addition, several players from the trades are on the roster and have performed well. For example, pitchers Dana Eveland and Greg Smith from the Dan Haren trade, are on the starting rotation and have pitched well. Dana James Eveland (born October 29, 1983 in Olympia Washington) is a Left-handed Major League Baseball Starting pitcher Gregory Thomas Smith (born December 22, 1983 in) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Swisher trade made it onto the opening-day roster and has played well, and reliever Joey Devine from the Atlanta Braves trade has also performed well. Ryan Joseph Sweeney (born February 20, 1985 in Cedar Rapids Iowa) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Oakland Joseph Devine (born September 19, 1983 in Junction City, Kansas) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the Carlos González and Gio Gonzalez (no relation) from the Haren and Swisher trades, respectively, have also performed well for the Triple A Sacramento Rivercats. Carlos Eduardo González (born October 17, 1985 in Maracaibo, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for Giovany A Gonzalez (born September 19, 1985 in Hialeah Florida) is a Left-handed Major League Baseball Pitcher for The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. It is worth pointing out that Haren, Swisher, and Kotsay have all played well in their new teams. Kotsay himself had a game-winning RBI, as a pinch-hitter, against his former team on May 16 in Game 1 of an interleague series between the A's and Braves. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
On April 24, just weeks after playing against him on the Blue Jays, Frank Thomas re-signed with the A's after being released by the Jays after a slow start. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to
Stadium Issue
Team owners have been faced for several years with a problematic venue issue. The Oakland Coliseum was originally built as a multi-purpose facility. After the Oakland Raiders football team moved to Los Angeles in 1982, many improvements were made to what was suddenly a baseball-only facility. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield was filmed in part at the Oakland Coliseum. Angels in the Outfield (known simply as Angels in some countries is a 1994 Disney film Remake of the 1951 film
Then, in 1995, a deal was struck whereby the Raiders would move back to Oakland for the 1995 season. The agreement called for the expansion of the Coliseum to 63,026 seats. The bucolic view of the Oakland foothills that baseball spectators enjoyed was replaced with a jarring view of an outfield grandstand contemptuously referred to as "Mount Davis" after Raiders' owner Al Davis. Allen "Al" Davis (born July 4 1929 in Brockton Massachusetts) is a Jewish-American Football executive, who currently serves as the Because construction was not finished by the start of the 1996 season, the Athletics were forced to play their first six-game homestand at 9,300-seat Cashman Field in Las Vegas. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally
Although "official" capacity was stated to be 43,662 for baseball, seats were sometimes sold in Mount Davis as well, pushing "real" capacity to the area of 60,000. The ready availability of tickets on game day made season tickets a tough sell, while crowds as high as 30,000 often seemed sparse in such a venue. On December 21, 2005, the Athletics announced that seats in the Coliseum's third deck would not be sold for the 2006 season, but would instead be covered with a tarp, and that tickets would no longer be sold in Mount Davis under any circumstances. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. That effectively reduced capacity to 34,077, making McAfee Coliseum the smallest stadium in Major League Baseball.
Since the expansion of Coliseum seating, ownership has stated that a new and smaller baseball-only facility is necessary to ensure the economic viability of the Athletics. In 2005, owner Wolff made public his plans to build a 35,000-seat baseball-only stadium not far from the present facility, as part of a larger commercial and residential development. However, those plans never moved past the nascent stage, in part because the cost of the renovations to McAfee Coliseum made public funding for a new ballpark too politically risky. After the city of Oakland failed to make any progress toward a stadium the A's began contemplating a move to the Warm Springs district of suburban Fremont just north of the Santa Clara County line in the vicinity of San Jose on a parcel of land just north of Mission Blvd currently owned by Cisco Systems. Fremont (ˈfriːmɒnt is a city in California, USA that was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities Centerville Santa Clara County is a County located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U State Route 262, more commonly known as Mission Boulevard, is a very short state highway that connects two Interstate highways in the San Francisco Bay Area Fremont is about 25 miles south of Oakland.
Finally, on November 7, 2006, many media sources announced the Athletics would be leaving Oakland as early as 2010 for a new stadium in the city of Fremont which was confirmed the next day by the Fremont City Council. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two. The team will be playing in what is planned to be called Cisco Field, a 36,000 seat baseball only facility. Cisco Field is a proposed ballpark in Fremont, California. It would be the new home of the Oakland Athletics and may open as early as 2012 [3]. The proposed ballpark would be part of a larger "ballpark village" which would include retail and residential development. While the existing Oakland Coliseum is easily accessible via public transit on BART, the new stadium does not lie near the existing BART lines, and could be problematic for those not wanting to drive to the stadium. However, the new stadium site does have direct access to both Amtrak's Capital Corridor train system and the Altamont Commuter Express rail lines. BART already has plans for a Warm Springs expansion station which, via a people mover or shuttle, would make the new stadium much more accessible by public transit as well. In addition, Wolff has stated the transit to and from the stadium is a prime concern of his and that it will be addressed. Speculation abounds that, when the move is made, the geographical part of the team's name might change accordingly.
Before the 2008 season began, the organization announced the reopening of the section of upper deck behind home plate in an "All You Can Eat" offer. Tickets are sold at $35 each, in which fans can enjoy as much as food as they like. Meanwhile, it is reported the completion date for new stadium, Cisco Field, will be likely delayed a year to 2012.
Rivals
- See also: Bay Bridge Series (Athletics-Giants rivalry), City Series (former Athletics-Phillies rivalry)
The Angels have emerged as the principal rival of the A's due to the traditional animosity between Northern and Southern California and the great talent and farm systems of both clubs which have led to countless one-run contests. The Bay Bridge Series is the name of a series of Baseball games played between&mdashand the rivalry of&mdash Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The City Series was the name of a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball 's Philadelphia Athletics of the American League and the The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. While the A's have been a member of the American League since 1901, the Angels, as well as their other divisional rivals, are of a more recent vintage. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim date from 1961, as do the Texas Rangers (but only since 1972 as a Dallas-Fort Worth team; the Rangers were the second incarnation of the Washington Senators from 1961-71). The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in Arlington Texas, United States, representing the Dallas-Ft The Seattle Mariners were organized in 1977.
During the 1970s, the A's established a strong rivalry with the Kansas City Royals (then an A. The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. L. West team), fueled by the Kansas City fans' resentment of the A's move to Oakland in 1968, and by the rivalry of the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs football teams. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City Missouri. Arguably, the Athletics' biggest American League rivals in recent years have been the teams that were their old traditional rivals from decades ago in Philadelphia—the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox—if only because of the hard-fought playoff games between the teams. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions.
The A's have also established a strong geographic rivalry with the San Francisco Giants. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The teams faced each other in the 1989 World Series, which the A's won, and was interrupted by the Loma Prieta earthquake. The 1989 World Series was played between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. Loma Prieta (from Spanish loma -hill prieta -dark is a Northern California mountain with elevation 3786 feet (1154 m and located at approximately After a decade-plus of interleague play, the A's hold a 34-28 edge against the Giants in head-to-head, interleague play through June 10, 2007 -- including a 5-1 record against the Giants during the 2007 season. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
Recent events that have taken place between the A's and the Minnesota Twins suggest a renewing of an old rivalry. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2002 the Twins snapped the A's 20-game win streak. The Twins also beat the heavily favored A's that year in the ALDS. The A's got revenge in 2006 when they swept the favored Twins out of the post season.
Events and records of note
- 20-Game Win Streak: The Oakland Athletics won an American League record 20 games in a row, from August 13 to September 4, 2002. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The last three games were won in dramatic fashion, each victory coming in the bottom of the ninth inning. Win number 20 was notable because the A's, with Tim Hudson pitching, jumped to an 11–0 lead against the AL-cellar dwelling Kansas City Royals, only to slowly give up eleven unanswered runs to lose the lead. The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. Then, Scott Hatteberg, enduring criticism as Jason Giambi's replacement, hit a pinch-hit home run off Royals closer Jason Grimsley in the bottom of the 9th inning to win 12–11. Scott Allen Hatteberg (born December 14, 1969 in Salem Oregon) is an American Major League Baseball First baseman Jason Alan Grimsley (born August 7, 1967 in Cleveland Texas) was best known as a professional Relief pitcher. The streak was snapped two nights later in Minneapolis, the A's losing 6–0 to the Minnesota Twins. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Major League record for consecutive games without a loss is 26, set by the NL's New York Giants in 1916. There was a tie game embedded in that streak (ties were not uncommon in the days before stadium lights) and the record for consecutive wins with no ties is 21, held by the Chicago Cubs on their way to the NL pennant in 1935. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois.
- City Series Renewed: The Athletics played their former co-occupants of Shibe Park, the Philadelphia Phillies, for the first time in a regular season game in June of 2003. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Previously they had only played each other in exhibition games, dubbed "The City Series", which was played annually from 1903-1954, with the A's winning 123 games to the Phils' 115, with two ties. The City Series was the name of a series of baseball games played between Major League Baseball 's Philadelphia Athletics of the American League and the Ceremonies were held for the first game of the 3 game series at Veterans Stadium, as former Philadelphia A's players were honored on the field. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison The Phillies took the series against the A's, 2–1. They played each other again in June of 2005 in Oakland, this time the White Elephants defeating their former rivals two games to one.
- Unassisted Triple Play: On May 29, 2000, Randy Velarde achieved an unassisted triple play against the Yankees. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Randy Lee Velarde (born November 24 1962 in Midland Texas) is a former Major League Baseball Infielder who played for the New In Baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play without any teammates touching the ball In the sixth, second baseman Velarde caught Shane Spencer's line drive, tagged Jorge Posada running from first to second, and stepped on second before Tino Martinez could return. Michael Shane Spencer (born February 20, 1972 in Key West Florida) was a professional Baseball Outfielder. Jorge Rafael Posada Villeta (born August 17, 1971 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball Catcher who plays Constantino "Tino" Martinez (born December 7, 1967 in Tampa Florida) is a retired First baseman in Major League Baseball (Velarde had also pulled off an unassisted triple play during a spring training game that year. ) This was only the 11th unassisted triple play in the history of major league baseball.
- Rickey Henderson: Stolen Base King: In 1982, Rickey Henderson shattered Lou Brock's modern major league record by stealing 130 bases in a single season, a total which has not been approached since. Rickey Henley Henderson (born as Rickey Nelson Henley, December 25 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder Louis Clark "Lou" Brock (born June 18, 1939, El Dorado Arkansas) is an American former player in Major League Baseball In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate On May 1, 1991, Henderson broke one of baseball's most famous records when he stole the 939th base of his career, one more than Lou Brock. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Louis Clark "Lou" Brock (born June 18, 1939, El Dorado Arkansas) is an American former player in Major League Baseball
Season records
This table is a partial list of the seasons completed by the Athletics. For full season records see Oakland Athletics season records. All time won-lost record 8114-8584.486 World Series Wins in BOLD #Wild Card
| Year | Team | Record | Win % | Place | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Oakland Athletics | 91-70 | . 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. 565 | 1st in AL West | Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 2-3. The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2000 American League playoffs began on Tuesday October 3, and ended on The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. |
| 2001 | Oakland Athletics | 102-60 | . Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. 630 | 2nd in AL West# | Lost ALDS to New York Yankees, 2-3. The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2001 American League playoffs began on Tuesday October 9, and ended on The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. |
| 2002 | Oakland Athletics | 103-59 | . See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. 636 | 1st in AL West-Manager-Art Howe | Lost ALDS to Minnesota Twins, 2-3. Arthur Henry Howe Jr (born December 15, 1946 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania) is a former Infielder, coach, scout and The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2002 American League playoffs began on Tuesday October 1, and ended on The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. |
| 2003 | Oakland Athletics | 96-66 | . Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 593 | 1st in AL West Manager-Ken Macha | Lost ALDS to Boston Red Sox, 2-3. Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the former manager of the Oakland A's. The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2003 American League playoffs began on Tuesday September 30, and ended The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. |
| 2004 | Oakland Athletics | 91-71 | . "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 562 | 2nd in AL West Manager-Ken Macha | |
| 2005 | Oakland Athletics | 88-74 | . Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the former manager of the Oakland A's. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 543 | 2nd in AL West -Manager-Ken Macha | |
| 2006 | Oakland Athletics | 93-69 | . Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the former manager of the Oakland A's. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 574 | 1st in AL West-Manager-Ken Macha | Won ALDS vs. Kenneth Edward Macha (born September 29, 1950 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania) is the former manager of the Oakland A's. The American League Division Series ( ALDS) the opening round of the 2006 American League playoffs began on Tuesday October 3, and ended on Minnesota Twins, 3-0. The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lost ALCS vs. The 2006 American League Championship Series ( ALCS) was the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs it began on October 10 Detroit Tigers, 0-4. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA |
| 2007 | Oakland Athletics | 76-86 | . Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. 469 | 3rd in AL West-Manager-Bob Geren | |
| 2008 | Oakland Athletics | 35-31 | . Robert Peter Geren (born September 22 1961 in San Diego California) is a former Catcher in Major League Baseball and the current Calendar Major League Baseball See also 2008 Major League Baseball season Postseason October 1 – ALDS and 530 | 2nd in AL West | |
| Totals | Wins | Losses | Win % | ||
| All-Time Record | 8075 | 8528 | . 486 | ||
Quick facts
- Founded: 1893, as the Indianapolis franchise in the minor Western League, which became the American League in 1900. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Western League of Professional Baseball Clubs, simply called the Western League, was a Minor league baseball league founded in 1893 and focused in the The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Moved to Philadelphia in 1901 when the A. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting L. became a Major League. Moved to Kansas City in 1955 and to Oakland in 1968. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
- Current Uniform colors: Green, Gold and White: 1963-Present, Only MLB team that wears white cleats
- Previous Uniform colors: Blue and White: 1901–04, 1909–49, 1951–53, 1961; Blue, Red and White: 1905–08, 1954–60, 1962; Blue, Gold and White: 1950,
- Logo design: A blackletter "A's". Blackletter, also known as Gothic script or Gothic minuscule, was a script used throughout Western Europe from approximately 1150 The team also uses an elephant logo. Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea.
- Team motto: 100% Baseball
- Playoff appearances (23): 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006
- Local Television: CSN Bay Area, KICU
- Local Radio: KYCY, KFRC
- Mascot: Stomper
- Spring Training Facility: Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix, AZ
The Spring Training Facility in Phoenix AZ has been the home of the Oakland A's since 1982. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Comcast SportsNet Bay Area ( CSN Bay Area for short is the regional sports network that serves cable outlets throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as KICU-TV, known as TV36, is a Television station in San Jose California that broadcasts on analog channel 36 and digital channel 52 KYCY (1550 AM) is a Radio station in San Francisco, owned by CBS Radio. This is a list of current and former Major League Baseball Mascots sorted alphabetically Phoenix Municipal Stadium is a Baseball stadium located in Phoenix Arizona. Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo,
Current roster
Oakland Athletics roster | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active (25-man) roster | Inactive (40-man) roster | Coaches/Other | |||||||
| Starting rotation Bullpen
| Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitters
| Pitchers
Catchers Infielders
Outfielders
Designated hitters
| Manager
Coaches
† 15-day disabled list | ||||||
For a list of former A's players/prospects still active in Major League Baseball, see List of former A's players/prospects (active). Joseph Matthew Blanton (born December 11, 1980 in Nashville, Tennessee) is a Starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies Justin Craig Duchscherer (born November 19, 1977 in Aberdeen, South Dakota) is a Right-handed Major League Baseball Dana James Eveland (born October 29, 1983 in Olympia Washington) is a Left-handed Major League Baseball Starting pitcher James Richard Harden (born November 30, 1981 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian Major League Baseball Starting Gregory Thomas Smith (born December 22, 1983 in) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Andrew Aaron Brown (born February 17, 1981 in Chardon Ohio) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Enrique Nomar "Kiko" Calero (born January 9, 1975 in Santurce, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball Relief Alan Duane Embree (born January 23, 1970 in The Dalles Oregon) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Keith Charles Foulke (pronounced as "folk" foʊk (born October 19, 1972 in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota) is a Chad Edward Gaudin (ɡoʊˈdæn (born March 24, 1983 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a Right-handed Pitcher for the Huston Lowell Street (ˈçʲustən born August 2, 1983 in Austin, Texas) is a Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Brad Gregory Ziegler (born October 10, 1979 in) is a Major League Baseball closer for the Oakland Athletics. Robert McClure Bowen (born February 24, 1981 in Bedford, Texas) is a Major League Baseball Catcher for the Oakland Kurt Kiyoshi Suzuki (born October 4, 1983 in Wailuku Hawaii) is a Major League Baseball Catcher for the Oakland Athletics Daric William Barton (born August 16, 1985 in Springfield Vermont) is a Major League Baseball First baseman who plays for the Eric Cesar Chavez (born December 7, 1977 in Los Angeles, California) is a Mexican-American Third baseman in Major This article is for the baseball player For the comic strip character see Superosity. Mark William Ellis (born June 6, 1977 in) is a Major League Baseball Second baseman, currently playing for the Oakland Athletics. John Joseph "Jack" Hannahan IV (born March 4, 1980 in St Gregorio Jesus Petit (born December 10, 1984 in Ocumare, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball Shortstop for the Oakland Emil Quincy Brown (born December 29, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Travis George Buck (born November 18, 1983 in Richland Washington) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Oakland John Joseph "Jack" Cust III (born January 16, 1979 in) is a Designated hitter and Outfielder for the Oakland Athletics Rajai Lavae Davis (born October 19, 1980 in) is a Major League Baseball Center fielder for the Oakland Athletics. Carlos Eduardo González (born October 17, 1985 in Maracaibo, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for Jerry Richard Blevins (born September 6, 1983 in Johnson City Tennessee) is Left-handed Major League Baseball Relief pitcher Dallas Lee Braden (born August 13 1983 in Phoenix Arizona) is a Left-handed Pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Santiago Casilla (born June 25, 1980 in) is a Right-handed Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics Joseph Devine (born September 19, 1983 in Junction City, Kansas) is a Major League Baseball Relief pitcher for the For the 1980s Red Sox reliever see Jeff Gray (1980s pitcher Jeffrey Michael Gray (born November 19, 1981 in) is a Major Daniel Livingston Meyer (born July 3, 1981 in Woodbury New Jersey) is a Left-handed Major League Baseball Starting pitcher Landon Reed Powell (born March 19 1982 in Raleigh North Carolina) is a Major League Baseball Catcher for the Oakland Athletics. Donald Rex Murphy (born March 10, 1983 in Lakewood, California) is an Infielder in the Oakland Athletics organization Christopher Anthony Denorfia (born July 15, 1980 in Bristol Connecticut) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Richard Pryer "Richie" Robnett (born September 17, 1983 in) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Oakland Athletics Ryan Joseph Sweeney (born February 20, 1985 in Cedar Rapids Iowa) is a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Oakland Michael John Sweeney (born July 22, 1973 in Orange California) is a First baseman and Designated hitter in Major League Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. Robert Peter Geren (born September 22 1961 in San Diego California) is a former Catcher in Major League Baseball and the current Tyler Lee Van Burkleo (born October 7, 1963 in Oakland California) is the current hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics and a former Tony DeFrancesco (born April 24 1963 in) is the first base coach for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. Ronald James Romanick (born November 6, 1960 in Burley Idaho was a Major-League right-handed pitcher for the California Angels from 1984-1986 Wilbur Donald "Don" Wakamatsu (born February 22, 1963 in Hood River, Oregon) is a Major League Baseball Bench coach Elliott Tyrone Waller (born March 14 1957 in Fresno California or more commonly known as Tye Waller or Ty Waller is the current First base coach for Curtis Allen Young (born April 16, 1960 in Saginaw Michigan) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1983-1993 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable This is a list of former Oakland Athletics players/prospects still active in Major League Baseball as of 2007
Baseball Hall of Famers
Philadelphia Athletics
Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
- Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Names in Bold Inducted as Athletics
- * Has no insignia on his cap due to either never wearing a cap, or playing at a time when caps bore no insignia. John Franklin "Home Run" Baker ( March 13 1886 - June 28 1963) was an American Third baseman in Major League Charles Albert "Chief" Bender ( May 5, 1884 - May 22, 1954) was a Pitcher in Major League Baseball during Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (December 18 1886 – July 17 1961 nicknamed " The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by historians Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane ( April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962) was a Catcher and manager in Major League James Joseph Collins ( January 16, 1870 &ndash March 6, 1943) was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr ( May 2 1887 &ndash March 25 1951) nicknamed "Cocky" was an American Second baseman Stanley Anthony Coveleski (Kowalewski ( July 13, 1889, Shamokin Pennsylvania &ndash March 20, 1984) was a Major League Elmer Harrison Flick ( January 11, 1876 - January 9, 1971) was an American player in Major League Baseball from until Jacob Nelson Fox ( December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was a Major League Baseball Second baseman for the Chicago James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove ( March 6, 1900 &ndash May 22, 1975) was considered one of the greatest Pitchers in Major Waite Charles Hoyt ( September 9, 1899 &ndash August 25, 1984) was an American Right-handed Pitcher in George Clyde Kell (born August 23, 1922 in Swifton Arkansas) is a baseball Hall of Fame Third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie or often la-ZHWAY per the Canadian French pronunciation or as he himself usually pronounced it LAJ-a-wayLee Allen in ''The American League Connie Mack can refer to three different people Connie Mack (baseball (1862–1956 Hall of Fame baseball manager player owner Connie Herbert Jefferis Pennock ( February 10, 1894 - January 30, 1948) was a Left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher Edward Stewart Plank ( August 31 1875 - February 24 1926) nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie" was a Major League Baseball This page refers to the American baseball player For the children's performer see Al Simmons (musician. Tristram E Speaker ( April 4, 1888 - December 8, 1958) nicknamed “Spoke” (a play on his last name and “Grey Eagle” (for his prematurely George Edward Waddell (October 13 1876 - April 1 1914 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball. Zachariah Davis "Zack" Wheat ( May 23, 1888 &ndash March 11, 1972) nicknamed "Buck" was an American Major Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige ( July 7, 1906 He appeared in the Major League All-Star Game in both 1952 and 1953. Enos Bradsher Slaughter ( April 27 1916 - August 12 2002) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes (born September 17 1937 in) is a former Major League Baseball First baseman. Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3 1954 nicknamed "Eck" is a former American Major League Baseball player Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946, in Steubenville Ohio) is a former Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5 1951 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a former right-handed Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18 1946) nicknamed " Mr Willie Lee McCovey (born January 10 1938 in) nicknamed "Big Mac" and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball Joe Leonard Morgan (born September 19, 1943 in Bonham Texas) is a former Major League Baseball Second baseman who was inducted into Donald Howard Sutton (born April 2, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball player and current Television Sportscaster. Billy Williams can refer to different people Billy Williams (cricketer Billy Williams (baseball, baseball player for the Chicago
- ** Catfish Hunter could not decide between the Yankees and Athletics, and so opted to wear no insignia on his cap upon his induction.
Retired numbers
The numbers honored are as follows:
 Reggie Jackson Outfielder: 1967(KC) 1968-75,87(OAK) Retired 2004 |  Catfish Hunter Pitcher: 1965-67(KC) 1968-74(OAK) Retired 1990 |  Rollie Fingers Pitcher: 1968-76(OAK) Retired 1993 |  Dennis Eckersley Pitcher: 1987-95(OAK) Retired 2005 |  Walter A. Haas Owner: 1981-95(OAK) Honored 1995 |  Jackie Robinson Retired by all of MLB Retired 1997 |
No A's player from the Philadelphia era has his number retired by the organization. Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18 1946) nicknamed " Mr James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946, in Steubenville Ohio) is a former Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3 1954 nicknamed "Eck" is a former American Major League Baseball player Walter A Haas Jr (1916 &ndash September 20, 1995) was a president and CEO (1958&ndash1976 and chairman (1970&ndash1981 of Levi Strauss & Co Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Though Jackson and Hunter played small portions of their careers in Kansas City, no player that played the majority of his years in the Kansas City era has his number retired either. As of 2007, the A's have retired only the numbers of members of the Hall of Fame that played large portions of their careers in Oakland.
Athletics in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame
- 4 Sam Chapman, CF, 1938–1941, 1945–1951 (Tiburon native)
- 1 Eddie Joost, SS, 1947–1954, Mgr, 1954 (San Francisco native)
- 43 Dennis Eckersley, P, 1987–1995 (born in Oakland, grew up in Fremont)
- 34 Rollie Fingers, P, 1968–1976
- 27 Catfish Hunter, P, 1968–1974
- 9 Reggie Jackson, OF, 1968–1975, 1987
- 1 Billy Martin, MGR, 1980–1982 (Berkeley native)
- 8 Joe Morgan, 2B, 1984 (grew up in Oakland)
- 34 Dave Stewart, P, 1986–1992, 1995 (Oakland native)
Athletics in the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
The Athletics have made no public notation at McAfee Coliseum honoring Philadelphia Athletics players. Samuel Blake Chapman ( April 11 1916 &ndash December 22 2006) was an American two-sport athletic star who played as a Center Tiburon is an affluent incorporated town in Marin County California. Edwin David Joost (born June 5, 1916, in San Francisco California) is a former Shortstop and playing manager in American The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3 1954 nicknamed "Eck" is a former American Major League Baseball player Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U Fremont (ˈfriːmɒnt is a city in California, USA that was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities Centerville Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946, in Steubenville Ohio) is a former Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18 1946) nicknamed " Mr Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr ( May 16 1928 &ndash December 25 1989) was an American Second baseman and Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Joe Leonard Morgan (born September 19, 1943 in Bonham Texas) is a former Major League Baseball Second baseman who was inducted into Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U David Keith Stewart (born February 19 1957 in Oakland California) is a former right-handed starting Pitcher in Major League Baseball Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U This is a list of members of the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame. But from 1978–1982 and 1984–2003, the Philadelphia Phillies inducted one former Athletic (as well as one former Phillie) per year into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at Veterans Stadium. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison (The Wall of Fame plaques that once graced the concourse of Veterans Stadium are now located at the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society, located at 6 North York Road in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, about 16 miles north of Center City Philadelphia. Philadelphia Veterans Stadium (informally called "The Vet") was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Hatboro is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Center City is the " Downtown " and Central Business District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA )
- -- Frank "Home Run" Baker, 3B, 1908–1914
- -- Charles "Chief" Bender, P, 1903–1914
- 6 Sam Chapman, CF, 1938–1951
- 2 Mickey Cochrane, C, 1925–1933
- -- Eddie Collins, 2B, 1906–1914, 1927–1930
- -- Jack Coombs, P, 1906–1914
- 5 Jimmy Dykes, 3B/2B, 1918–1932; Coach, 1940–1950; MGR, 1951–1953 (Philadelphia native)
- 11 George Earnshaw, P, 1928–1933
- 5/8 Ferris Fain, 1B, 1947–1952
- 3 Jimmie Foxx, 1B, 1925–1935
- 10 Lefty Grove, P, 1925–1933
- 4 “Indian Bob” Johnson, LF, 1933–1942
- 1 Eddie Joost, SS, 1947–1954; MGR, 1954
- -- Connie Mack, MGR, 1901–1950; Team Owner, 1901–1954
- 9 Bing Miller, RF, 1922–1926, 1928–1934
- 1 Wally Moses, RF, 1935–1941, 1949–1951
- -- Rube Oldring, CF, 1906–1916, 1918
- -- Eddie Plank, P, 1901–1914 (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania native)
- 14 Eddie Rommel, P, 1920–1932
- 30 Bobby Shantz, P, 1949–1954 (Pottstown, Pennsylvania native)
- 7 Al Simmons, LF, 1924–1932, 1940–1941, 1944; Coach 1940–1945
- 10 Elmer Valo, RF, 1940–1954
- -- Rube Waddell, P, 1902–1907 (Bradford, Pennsylvania native)
- 12 Rube Walberg, P, 1923–1933
- 19 Gus Zernial, LF, 1951–1954
Mack, Foxx, Grove and Cochrane have also been inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. John Franklin "Home Run" Baker ( March 13 1886 - June 28 1963) was an American Third baseman in Major League Charles Albert "Chief" Bender ( May 5, 1884 - May 22, 1954) was a Pitcher in Major League Baseball during Samuel Blake Chapman ( April 11 1916 &ndash December 22 2006) was an American two-sport athletic star who played as a Center Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane ( April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962) was a Catcher and manager in Major League Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr ( May 2 1887 &ndash March 25 1951) nicknamed "Cocky" was an American Second baseman John Wesley "Jack" Coombs ( November 18, 1882 – April 15, 1957) nicknamed Colby Jack after his alma mater, was a James Joseph Dykes ( November 10 1896 - June 15 1976) was an American third and Second baseman, manager Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə George "Moose" Earnshaw ( February 15, 1900 - December 1, 1976) was a professional Baseball player. Ferris Roy Fain ( May 29 1921 - October 18 2001) was a Major League First basemen for the Philadelphia Athletics James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove ( March 6, 1900 &ndash May 22, 1975) was considered one of the greatest Pitchers in Major Robert Lee Johnson ( November 26 1905 - July 6 1982) nicknamed "Indian Bob" was an American Left fielder in Edwin David Joost (born June 5, 1916, in San Francisco California) is a former Shortstop and playing manager in American Cornelius Alexander Mack ( December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956) born Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy, was an American Edmund John "Bing" Miller ( August 30, 1894 - May 7, 1966) was an American Major League Baseball Outfielder Wallace Moses ( October 8, 1910 - October 10, 1990) was a Right fielder in Major League Baseball. Reuben Henry "Rube" Oldring ( May 30, 1884 in New York New York - September 9, 1961 in Bridgeton New Jersey) Edward Stewart Plank ( August 31 1875 - February 24 1926) nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie" was a Major League Baseball Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km south by southwest of Harrisburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the Edwin Americus Rommel ( September 13 1897 &ndash August 26 1970) was an American right-handed Pitcher in Major League Robert Clayton Shantz (born September 26, 1925 in Pottstown Pennsylvania) was a Major League Baseball Pitcher for the Philadelphia Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, 40 miles (64 km northwest of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. This page refers to the American baseball player For the children's performer see Al Simmons (musician. Elmer William Valo ( March 5 1921 - July 19 1998) was a Slovak - American Right fielder, coach and George Edward Waddell (October 13 1876 - April 1 1914 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball. Bradford is a small City located in rural McKean County Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles (126 km south of Buffalo New York George Elvin Walberg ( July 27, 1896 - October 27, 1978) was a Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from Gus Edward Zernial (born June 27, 1923 in Beaumont Texas) is a former Major League Baseball Left-fielder and right-handed batter
Minor league affiliations
- AAA: Sacramento River Cats, Pacific Coast League
- AA: Midland RockHounds, Texas League
- Advanced A: Stockton Ports, California League
- A: Kane County Cougars, Midwest League
- Short A: Vancouver Canadians, Northwest League
- Rookie: AZL Athletics, Arizona League
Radio and television
- See also: List of Oakland Athletics broadcasters
As of 2007, the Athletics' flagship radio station is KFRC 106. The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The Pacific Coast League (PCL is a Minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. The Midland RockHounds are a Minor league baseball team based in Midland Texas, USA The Texas League is a Minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. The Stockton Ports are a Baseball team in Stockton California, USA. The California League is a Class A Advanced Minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. The Kane County Cougars are a Class A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Oakland Athletics, that plays in the Midwest League. The Midwest League is a Class A Minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States. The Vancouver Canadians are a minor league Baseball team located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Northwest League of Professional Baseball (or simply the Northwest League) is a Short-Season A classification minor league The Arizona League Athletics are a minor league baseball team in Phoenix Arizona USA The Arizona League is a Minor league baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona. Current broadcasters Radio Oakland Athletics ' games are broadcast on 18 radio stations in California Nevada and Hawaii Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. In Broadcasting, a flagship station is the station which originates a Broadcast network, or a particular Radio show or TV show, primarily This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. 9 FM, a San Francisco station owned by CBS Radio whose format is oldies-based. This article is about the radio group for the radio network see CBS Radio Network. Oldies is a generic term commonly used to describe a Radio format that usually concentrates on Top 40 music from the 1950s 1960s and 1970s (about 1955-1977 Games are simulcast by sister station KYCY 1550 AM, which is transitioning from a station based on listener-supplied content to a mainstream hot talk station. In Broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels (or "sibling stations" in gender-neutral form are radio and/or Television stations KYCY (1550 AM) is a Radio station in San Francisco, owned by CBS Radio. Hot talk is a radio format involving a form of Talk radio geared predominantly to a male demographic between the ages of 18-49 The current announcing team is Ken Korach and Vince Cotroneo. Ken Korach is a Play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics. Vince Cotroneo is a radio play-by-play announcer for the Oakland Athletics.
Television coverage is split between KICU, a San Jose based independent station, and CSN Bay Area (formerly FSN Bay Area). KICU-TV, known as TV36, is a Television station in San Jose California that broadcasts on analog channel 36 and digital channel 52 Comcast SportsNet Bay Area ( CSN Bay Area for short is the regional sports network that serves cable outlets throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as Some A's games air on an alternate feed of CSN, called CSN Plus (formerly FSN Plus), if the main channel shows a San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, or San Jose Sharks game at the same time. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The selection is basis of the games' importance, in which playoff games are featured on the main channel. On TV, Glen Kuiper and Tim Roye take turns with play-by-play, and Ray Fosse provides color commentary. Tim Roye is a radio Play-by-play announcer for the NBA 's Golden State Warriors He has been calling Warrior games for KNBR -AM in San Francisco Play-by-play, in Broadcasting, is a North American term and means the reporting of a Sporting event with a Voiceover describing the details of the action Raymond Earl Fosse (b April 4, 1947 in Marion, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball Catcher. A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play Fosse also does color commentary on the radio when the A's are not on TV, or the game is on Fox or ESPN. Major League Baseball on FOX or MLB on FOX is a weekly presentation of Major League Baseball games on the Fox television network ESPN Major League Baseball is a promotion of Major League Baseball on ESPN and ESPN2, with simulcasts on ESPNHD or ESPN2HD Fosse also does play by play on the radio during Spring training games.
See also
- Athletics award winners and league leaders
- Athletics statistical records and milestone achievements
- List of Oakland Athletics broadcasters
- Managers and ownership of the Oakland Athletics
- Cisco Field
- Oakland Athletics all-time roster
References
- ^ Finley Signs Contract to Transfer Athletics to Louisville, The New York Times, 1964-01-06, <http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40616F8385C147A93C5A9178AD85F408685F9&scp=2&sq=Kentucky+Athletics+january+7%2C+1964&st=p>. American League Most Valuable Player Eddie Collins (1914 Mickey Cochrane (1928 Lefty Grove (1931 Athletics Career Records Batting Batting Average:.356 Al Simmons On Base Percentage:. Current broadcasters Radio Oakland Athletics ' games are broadcast on 18 radio stations in California Nevada and Hawaii Team Owners Benjamin Shibe - 1901-1921 Connie Mack - 1901-1954 Earle Mack & Roy Mack - 1950-1954 Cisco Field is a proposed ballpark in Fremont, California. It would be the new home of the Oakland Athletics and may open as early as 2012 The Oakland Athletics all-time roster is a list of people who have played at least one game for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City Athletics or Philadelphia Athletics baseball Retrieved on 29 April 2008
- ^ Neyer, Rob. Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Blunders. ISBN 0743284917
- ^ ESPN - After quick ALCS exit, A's fire manager Macha - MLB
- Bergman, Ron. Mustache Gang: The Swaggering Tale of Oakland's A's. Dell Publishing Co. , New York, 1973.
- Dickey, Glenn. Champions: The Story of the First Two Oakland A's Dynasties—and the Building of the Third. Triumph Books, Chicago, 2002. ISBN 157243421X
- Jordan, David M. The Athletics of Philadelphia: Connie Mack's White Elephants, 1901-1954. McFarland & Co. , Jefferson NC, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0620-8.
- Katz, Jeff. "The Kansas City A's & The Wrong Half of the Yankees. " Maple Street Press, Hingham, MA, 2006. ISBN 978-0-9777-436-5-0.
- Kuklich, Bruce. To Everything a Season: Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia 1909-1976. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, 1991. ISBN 0-691-04788-X.
- Lewis, Michael. Michael Lewis (born October 15, 1960, New Orleans Louisiana) is an American contemporary Non-fiction author Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. Moneyball The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (ISBN 0-393-05765-8 is a book by Michael M W. W. Norton & Co. , Inc. , New York, 2003. ISBN 0-393-05765-8.
- Markusen, Bruce. Baseball's Last Dynasty: Charlie Finley's Oakland A's. Master Press, Indianapolis, 1998.
- Peterson, John E. The Kansas City Athletics: A Baseball History 1954–1967. McFarland & Co. , Jefferson NC, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-1610-6.
- 2005 Oakland Athletics Media Guide
External links
- Oakland Athletics Official Website
- Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society
- Oakland Athletics stats and minor league statistics
- Sports E-Cyclopedia
- Eddie Plank
- Oakball Forums
- Oakland A's Minor League Information
- Athleticscast: The Voice of Die-hard A's Fans
| Preceded by Pittsburgh Pirates 1909 | World Series Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1910 and 1911 | Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 1912 |
| Preceded by Boston Red Sox 1912 | World Series Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1913 | Succeeded by Boston Braves 1914 |
| Preceded by New York Yankees 1927 and 1928 | World Series Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1929 and 1930 | Succeeded by St. Louis Cardinals 1931 |
| Preceded by Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 | World Series Champions Oakland Athletics 1972 and 1973 and 1974 | Succeeded by Cincinnati Reds 1975 |
| Preceded by Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 | World Series Champions Oakland Athletics 1989 | Succeeded by Cincinnati Reds 1990 |
| Preceded by Chicago White Sox 1901 | American League Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1902 | Succeeded by Boston Americans 1903 |
| Preceded by Boston Americans 1903 | American League Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1905 | Succeeded by Chicago White Sox 1906 |
| Preceded by Detroit Tigers 1907 and 1908 and 1909 | American League Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1910 and 1911 | Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 1912 |
| Preceded by Boston Red Sox 1912 | American League Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1913 and 1914 | Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 1912 and 1916 |
| Preceded by New York Yankees 1926 and 1927 and 1928 | American League Champions Philadelphia Athletics 1929 and 1930 and 1931 | Succeeded by New York Yankees 1932 |
| Preceded by Baltimore Orioles 1969 and 1970 and 1971 | American League Champions Oakland Athletics 1972, 1973 and 1974 | Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 1975 |
| Preceded by Minnesota Twins 1987 | American League Champions Oakland Athletics 1988 and 1989 and 1990 | Succeeded by Minnesota Twins 1991 |
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