Established
1901
City
Philadelphia – Kansas City – Oakland - Sacramento
League History
2000 – Present / Major League Baseball
1901 – 1999 / American League
Team History
2025 - Present / Athletics
1968 – 2025 / Oakland Athletics
1955 – 1967 / Kansas City Athletics
1901 – 1954 / Philadelphia Athletics
Nickname
Athletics—The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team that has played in the Bay Area since 1968. They have had some great teams, including three World Series championships and nine American League pennants. But what many people don't know is where their nickname "A's" comes from.
The A’s original name was “the Philadelphia Athletics” when they were founded in 1901 by Connie Mack, who would later become one of baseball’s most iconic managers and executives. The team moved to Kansas City for 13 seasons before settling into its new home at Oakland Coliseum (now known as RingCentral Coliseum) in 1968 – but kept its original name until it officially changed to “Oakland Athletics” after the move westward across America. However, fans continued to refer to them as simply “the A's."
It turns out that this nickname dates back much further than just 1968! It was first used all way back during their time in Philadelphia by local newspapers such as The Evening Telegraph, which referred expressly to them as "Mack's Athletic Club," or more commonly just "Athletics" or even sometimes shortened down further into an acronym: put - A'S! This tradition has continued since then, with fans continuing to use this catchy moniker until today - making it one of the oldest nicknames still being used throughout professional sports leagues worldwide today!
Championship
World Series 4
1989, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1930, 1929, 1913, 1911, 1910
Stadium
2025 - Present / Sutter Health Park
*Oakland*
2019 – Present / RingCentral Coliseum
1968 – 2018 / Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
2012 – 2015 / O.co Coliseum
2011 / Overstock.com Coliseum
2004 – 2008 / McAfee Coliseum
1998 – 2004 / Network Associates Coliseum
*Kansas City*
1955 – 1967 / Municipal Stadium
*Philadelphia*
1909 – 1954 / Shibe Park
1953 – 1954 / Connie Mack Stadium
1901 – 1908 / Columbia Park
Owner
2016 - Present / John J. Fisher
2005 – 2015 / Lewis Wolff
1995 – 2005 / Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann
1981 – 1995 / Walter Haas
1960 – 1981 / Charlie Finley
1954 – 1960 / Arnold Johnson
1922 – 1954 / Connie Mack
1901 – 1922 / Ben Shibe
- 1968
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1989
- 2005
-
A’s to Oakland
Then on October 18, 1967, A.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 ... -
World Series Winner 1972
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland A’s against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A’s winning in seven games. -
World Series Winner 1973
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland A’s against the New York Mets with the A’s winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions. -
World Series Winner 1974
The 1974 World Series matched the two-time defending champion Oakland A’s against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the A’s winning the Series in five games. -
World Series Winner 1989
The 1989 World Series was played between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. The Series ran from October 14 through October 28, with the A’s sweeping the Giants in four games. It was the first World Series sweep since 1976. The four-game sweep by the Athletics at the time would mark only the third time in World Series ... -
Lewis Wolff Buys the A’s
On March 30, 2005, the Athletics were sold to a group fronted by real estate developer Lewis Wolff, although the majority owner is John J. Fisher, son of The Gap, Inc.’s founder. Wolff, though a Los Angeles businessman, had successfully developed many real estate projects in and around San Jose. The previous owner had retained Wolff to help them find ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Athletics
The Oakland Athletics, previously known as the Kansas City Athletics, or A’s as they are commonly referred to, have a long and storied history in Major League Baseball. The team was founded in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics before moving to Kansas City for 13 years from 1955-1967. After that, the franchise moved westward and set up shop in Oakland, which has remained ever since. Throughout their time in MLB, the A’s have been one of baseball's most successful teams with 9 World Series titles (1910–11; 1913; 1929–30; 1972–74), 15 American League pennants, and 16 division championships.
The team is also home to some of baseball's greatest players, including Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley, Tony LaRussa, Bert Blyleven, Dave Stewart, Mark McGwire, etc., who helped lead them to success over many decades. Additionally, current stars like Matt Chapman, Khris Davis, Stephen Piscotty, Frankie Montas, Ramon Laureano, Marcus Semien, Sean Manaea, Liam Hendriks, etc., continue this winning tradition today by making sure that every season is an exciting one for fans at Oco Coliseum or watching on TV wherever they may be located across America or around the world!
Lastly, yet significantly enough, mention must go out towards Billy Beane, whose innovative approach to “Moneyball” changed how the game looked at assembling championship teams without having big payroll budgets same way other franchises did back then when he took over the General Manager position in the 1997 season, which led him to become the first non-playing personnel inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2018 due to his contributions to the sport itself, not just the organization, but throughout the league too! His legacy will forever live on in the hearts of everyone associated with the club, no matter what happens. Next, future seasons come along...
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
9 / Reggie Jackson
24 / Rickey Henderson
27 / Catfish Hunter
34 / Rollie Fingers
34 / Dave Stewart
42 / Jackie Robinson
43 / Dennis Eckersley
– / Walter A. Haas, Jr.
*Blue is this team’s history