Oakland Athletics History

Oakland Athletics Baseball History

Oakland Athletics, professional baseball team and one of four teams in the West Division of the American League (AL). Formerly based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Kansas City, Missouri, the Athletics (also known as the A’s) play at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California, and wear uniforms of white, yellow, and green.

The Athletics have enjoyed success in nearly every decade since their founding in 1901. The team’s first manager and owner, Connie Mack, guided the club to nine AL pennants and five World Series titles during his remarkable 50-year career. Among the many Hall of Famers that Mack managed were Frank Baker, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Napoleon Lajoie, and Al Simmons.

In the early 1970s Oakland assembled some of the most powerful teams in major league history. Led by Vida Blue, Bert Campaneris, Rollie Fingers, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, and Joe Rudi, Oakland won five consecutive division titles and three World Series championships from 1971 to 1975. Tony LaRussa directed the A’s to three straight AL pennants from 1988 to 1990 with the help of sluggers José Canseco and Mark McGwire and base-stealer Rickey Henderson.

The Philadelphia Athletics were a charter member of the American League in 1901, the year that manager Connie Mack began his 50-year career with the club. Second baseman Nap Lajoie had a sensational season, leading the league in hitting, home runs, and runs batted in (RBIs) to win the first Triple Crown of baseball’s modern era. His .422 batting average in 1901 remains the second-highest recorded during the 20th century, surpassed only by the .424 average recorded by Rogers Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1924.

Philadelphia won its first pennant in 1902 and added a second in 1905 on the strong pitching of Rube Waddell and Eddie Plank and the hitting of first baseman Harry Davis. Slugging second baseman Eddie Collins and third baseman Frank Baker and pitchers Chief Bender and Jack Coombs brought the A’s four more pennants, in 1910, 1911, 1913, and 1914, and three World Series championships. With rumors of gambling surrounding the team’s 1914 World Series loss to the underdog Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves), Mack disbanded his roster, sending the A’s to the bottom of the league where they remained from 1915 through 1922. The club tallied 117 losses in 1916 for a major league record.

Mack rebuilt the Athletics in the mid-1920s with catcher Mickey Cochrane, infielder Jimmie Foxx, outfielder Al Simmons, and pitchers George Earnshaw and Lefty Grove. The A’s rose slowly but finished in second in 1928 when legends Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker closed out their long careers in Mack’s outfield.

From 1929 to 1931 the A’s collected three straight pennant titles, and they captured World Series titles in 1929 and 1930. Cochrane, Foxx, and Simmons provided much of the offense, while Grove anchored the pitching staff. In 1930 the durable Grove led the league in wins, earned run average (ERA), strikeouts, saves, and games pitched.

Although Foxx won the MVP award in 1932 and a second MVP award and the Triple Crown in 1933, Philadelphia did not return to the postseason. The economic upheaval of the Great Depression forced the A’s to sell many of their stars. From 1935 through Mack’s retirement as manager in 1950, the club finished in last place ten times, never finishing above fourth in the AL. In 1954 the Mack family sold the club to Arnold Johnson, a businessman who moved the team to Kansas City, Missouri, for the start of the 1955 season.

Although attendance rose during the first few seasons in their new home, the A’s remained in the cellar. During 13 seasons in Kansas City, the A’s went through ten managers and never finished better than sixth. With attendance dwindling, owner Charles O. Finley, who had bought the A’s in 1960, moved the club to Oakland, California, in 1968.

The nucleus of a new A’s dynasty had already begun to assemble before the move, with the acquisitions of shortstop Bert Campaneris, pitcher Catfish Hunter, and outfielder Reggie Jackson. Outfielder Joe Rudi, first baseman Gene Tenace, and pitchers Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue came aboard in Oakland.

Under managers Alvin Dark and Dick Williams, Oakland won five straight West Division titles from 1971 to 1975 and three consecutive World Series championships from 1972 to 1974. Blue earned both the AL MVP award and the Cy Young Award in 1971 for his outstanding pitching. Two years later Jackson won the MVP award, having led the AL in RBIs, runs, and home runs. Hunter captured the Cy Young Award in 1974. From 1976 through 1987 the A’s played in only one postseason series, in 1981. However, Rickey Henderson stole his 130th base in 1982 to break the single-season stolen base record held by Lou Brock.

From 1988 to 1992 the A’s won four division crowns, three AL pennants, and a World Series title under manager Tony LaRussa. Starring on those teams were 1987 AL rookie of the year first baseman Mark McGwire, 1988 AL MVP outfielder José Canseco, and 1990 AL MVP and steals leader Henderson. Anchoring the pitching staff were 1992 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner Dennis Eckersley and four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart. Although an earthquake delayed the completion of the 1989 World Series, Oakland’s well-balanced offense and defense eventually swept the San Francisco Giants. On their return trip to the Series in 1990 the A’s in turn were swept by the Cincinnati Reds.

Oakland's lineup dispersed in the 1990s, as LaRussa left the team and Canseco, Henderson, McGwire, Eckersley, and Stewart all departed as well, in trades, as free agents, or to retirement. From 1992 to 1993 the club went from first to last in the West Division, and it continued to struggle through much of the mid- and late 1990s. However, a group of young players led by 2000 AL MVP Jason Giambi brought Oakland back, and the club won the AL West in 2000.
CHAMPIONSHIPS

1910 - d. Chicago in 5 games
1911 - d. NY Giants in 6 games
1913 - d. NY Giants in 5 game
1929 - d. Chicago in 5 games
1930 - d. St. Louis in 6 games
1972 - d. Cincinnati in 7 games
1973 - d. NY Mets in 7 games
1974 - d. Los Angeles in 5 games
1989 - d. San Francisco in 4 games
Won the AL Pennant in 1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1914, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1988, 1989, 1990

TOP MANAGER
Connie Mack managed the Athletics from 1901-1950 and finished with a 3582-3814 record. Tony La Russa was manager from 1986-1995 and compiled a 798-673 record. La Russa was named AL Manager of the year in 1988 and 1992.

MVP
Lefty Grove (1931), Jimmie Foxx (1932, 1933), Bobby Shantz (1952), Vida Blue (1971), Reggie Jackson (1973), Jose Canseco (1988), Rickey Henderson (1990), Dennis Eckersley (1992), Jason Giambi (2000, 2001)

CY YOUNG
Vida Blue (1971), Catfish Hunter (1974), Bob Welch (1990), Dennis Eckersley (1992)

ROOKIE OF YEAR
Harry Byrd (1952), Jose Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987), Walt Weiss (1988), Ben Grieve (1998)

RETIRED NUMBERS
27 - Catfish Hunter (P)
34 - Rollie Fingers (P)