The Oakland Athletics (Oakland A’s) were an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. Founded in 1901 and based in Philadelphia, the A’s were one of the original eight members of the AL. The first half century of the franchise’s existence was dominated by the iconic Connie Mack, who managed the A’s from the team’s inaugural year to 1950. The A’s posted winning records in their first seven seasons, including AL pennants in 1902 and 1905, the latter of which earned the team its first World Series berth, in which the A’s came up on the short end of a five-game series with the New York Giants. The franchise’s nine World Series championships, fifteen pennants, and seventeen division titles are the second-most in the AL after the New York Yankees.