Rooted in Oakland, California, the Oakland Athletics play in Major League Baseball. One of the four teams in the western division of the American League, the Athletics are also popularly known as the “A’s”. 

History of Oakland Athletics

Earlier names used for Oakland Athletics team were Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) and Kansas City (1955-1967). Oakland Athletics played their first game on April 26, 1901 as Philadelphia Ahtletics. Before 1968, they had won 5 World Championships and had 8 World Series appearances. 

After 1968, they have to their credit a total of nine different 20-game winners. The history of Oakland team has nine 20-game winners in Cattfish Hunter (1971-1974), Vida Blue (1971, 1973, 1975), Ken Holtzman (1973), Mike Norris (1980), Dave Stewart (1987-1990), Bob Welch (1990), Tim Hudson (2000), Mark Mulder (2001) and Barry Zito (2002), who have contributed significantly in boosting the franchise across the country. 

Year 2000 onwards, the A’s have proved to be outstanding with several division championships and the wild card to their name. Tragically however, the last couple of decades have dealt a number of turbulent phases to the A’s. Each time the A’s were off to a good start, dismantling took place, compelling a fresh start. 

The Oakland Athletics can nevertheless pride themselves in winning five division titles uninterrupted from 1971 to 1975. It was between 1972 and 1974 when the Oakland Athletics triumphed in the World Series with three consecutive victories. 

Then a lull followed over a few seasons before ace manager Billy Martin spurred the A’s into the playoffs, clinching a division title in 1981. In the same period the A’s held on to the first place for the initial two months of the season. 1982 was when the A’s plunged in fortunes languishing in 5^th place. It was the same story before the Athletics swept another three consecutive division series from 1988 to 1990. In addition, there were also two division series wins in 1992 and 2000. After 1968, Oakland Athletics had won the World Championship 4 times, Pennants 6 times and becomes Division Champions 13 times. 

The Oakland Athletics generated several entries into the Baseball Hall of Fame with Orlando Cepeda (1972), Dennis Eckersly (1987-1995), Rollie Fingers (1968-1976), Jim “Catfish” Hunter (1968-1974), Reggie Jackson (1987), Willie McvCovey (1976), Joe Morgan (1984), Don Sutton (1985) and Billy Williams (1975 to 1976). 

The numbers retired by the Oakland Athletics were #9 worn by Reggie Jackson, #27 belonging to Jim “Catfish” Hunter, #34 of Rollie Fingers, and #43 worn by Dennis Eckersly. 

Stadium History of Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics team then known as Philadelphia Ahtletics, first started playing on the Columbia Park (1901-1908). Then they shifted to Shibe Park (1909-1954), which was also known as Connie Mack Stadium in the year 1954. Then they move to Kansas City Municipal Stadium where they played for 13 years till 1967. 

Currently seating more than 60,000, McAfee Coliseum was very different at the time of its opening in 1968. From 1968 to 1998, the stadium was known as Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. Spread into a circular shape, seats extended from foul pole to foul pole and bleachers lie outside the outfield fence. Changes took place in this stadium over the years. It was also re-named as Network Associates Coliseum from 1999 to 2004. The end of the 2004 season gave it the current name of McAfee Coliseum.