The A's made their Bay Area debut on Wednesday, April 17, 1968, with a 4–1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at the Coliseum, in front of an opening-night crowd of 50,164. ===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, published in Harper's Weekly in 1866, shows the Athletic players dressed in uniforms displaying the familiar blackletter "A" on the front.) The team later turned professional through 1875, becoming a charter member of the National League in 1876, but were expelled from the N.L.
(A famous image from that era, published in Harper's Weekly in 1866, shows the Athletic players dressed in uniforms displaying the familiar blackletter "A" on the front.) The team later turned professional through 1875, becoming a charter member of the National League in 1876, but were expelled from the N.L.
(A famous image from that era, published in Harper's Weekly in 1866, shows the Athletic players dressed in uniforms displaying the familiar blackletter "A" on the front.) The team later turned professional through 1875, becoming a charter member of the National League in 1876, but were expelled from the N.L.
A later version of the Athletics played in the American Association from 1882 to 1891. ===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", team manager Connie 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.
In 2014, when the A's faced the Phillies in inter-league play at the Oakland Coliseum, the Athletics didn't bother to mark the historical connection, going so far as to have a Connie Mack promotion the day before the series while the Texas Rangers were in Oakland. The first City Series was held in 1883 between the Phillies and the American Association Philadelphia Athletics.
A later version of the Athletics played in the American Association from 1882 to 1891. ===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", team manager Connie 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.
Throughout their history, the Athletics have won nine World Series championships. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the team was founded in Philadelphia in 1901 as the Philadelphia Athletics.
No City Series was held in 1901 and 1902 due to legal warring between the National League and American League. ==Achievements== ===Awards=== Catfish Hunter Award (2004–present) ===Hall of Famers=== ===Ford C.
The Athletics of Philadelphia: Connie Mack's White Elephants, 1901–1954.
No City Series was held in 1901 and 1902 due to legal warring between the National League and American League. ==Achievements== ===Awards=== Catfish Hunter Award (2004–present) ===Hall of Famers=== ===Ford C.
The A's won the inaugural season with the trophy, allowing them to place their logo atop its bay bridge stand. ===Historic rivalries=== ====Philadelphia Phillies==== The City Series was the name of a series of baseball games played between the Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League that ran from 1903 through 1955.
A later version of the Athletics played in the American Association from 1882 to 1891. ===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", team manager Connie 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.
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. In 1963, when the A's were located in Kansas City, then-owner Charlie Finley changed the team mascot from an elephant to a mule, the state animal of Missouri.
To Everything a Season: Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia 1909–1976.
They won three World Series championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930.
They won three World Series championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930.
The Athletics have all of the numbers of the Hall-of-Fame players from the Philadelphia Athletics displayed at their stadium, as well as all of the years that the Philadelphia Athletics won World Championships (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930). ===Athletics Hall of Fame=== On September 5, 2018, the Athletics held a ceremony to induct seven members into the inaugural class of the team's Hall of Fame.
They won three World Series championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930.
It was first used to refer to the 1989 World Series in which the Athletics won their most recent championship and the first time the teams had met since they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area (and the first time they had met since the A's also defeated the Giants in the 1913 World Series).
The Athletics have all of the numbers of the Hall-of-Fame players from the Philadelphia Athletics displayed at their stadium, as well as all of the years that the Philadelphia Athletics won World Championships (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930). ===Athletics Hall of Fame=== On September 5, 2018, the Athletics held a ceremony to induct seven members into the inaugural class of the team's Hall of Fame.
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. In 1963, when the A's were located in Kansas City, then-owner Charlie Finley changed the team mascot from an elephant to a mule, the state animal of Missouri.
Supreme Court in 1922 and upheld in 1953 and 1972.
They won three World Series championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930.
The Athletics have all of the numbers of the Hall-of-Fame players from the Philadelphia Athletics displayed at their stadium, as well as all of the years that the Philadelphia Athletics won World Championships (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930). ===Athletics Hall of Fame=== On September 5, 2018, the Athletics held a ceremony to induct seven members into the inaugural class of the team's Hall of Fame.
They won three World Series championships in 1910, 1911, and 1913, and back-to-back titles in 1929 and 1930.
The Athletics have all of the numbers of the Hall-of-Fame players from the Philadelphia Athletics displayed at their stadium, as well as all of the years that the Philadelphia Athletics won World Championships (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930). ===Athletics Hall of Fame=== On September 5, 2018, the Athletics held a ceremony to induct seven members into the inaugural class of the team's Hall of Fame.
Supreme Court in 1922 and upheld in 1953 and 1972.
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.
The Kansas City Athletics: A Baseball History 1954–1967.
The team left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955 and became the Kansas City Athletics before moving to Oakland in 1968.
The A's won the inaugural season with the trophy, allowing them to place their logo atop its bay bridge stand. ===Historic rivalries=== ====Philadelphia Phillies==== The City Series was the name of a series of baseball games played between the Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League that ran from 1903 through 1955.
After the A's move to Kansas City in 1955, the City Series rivalry came to an end.
Eventually, the city name came to be used for the team, as with the other major league clubs. After buying the team in 1960, owner Charles O.
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. In 1963, when the A's were located in Kansas City, then-owner Charlie Finley changed the team mascot from an elephant to a mule, the state animal of Missouri.
The team left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1955 and became the Kansas City Athletics before moving to Oakland in 1968.
The A's made their Bay Area debut on Wednesday, April 17, 1968, with a 4–1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at the Coliseum, in front of an opening-night crowd of 50,164. ===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.
Previous spring-training sites since they moved to Oakland in 1968 were Yuma and Mesa, Arizona, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada, all in the 1970s.
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 Finley was in the process of officially changing the team's name to the "A's". Also while in Kansas City, Finley changed the team's colors from their traditional red, white and blue to what he termed "Kelly Green, Wedding Gown White and Fort Knox Gold".
During their dynasty years in the 1970s, the A's had dozens of uniform combinations with jerseys and pants in all three team colors, and in fact did not wear the traditional gray on the road, instead wearing green or gold, which helped to contribute to their nickname of "The Swingin' A's".
Previous spring-training sites since they moved to Oakland in 1968 were Yuma and Mesa, Arizona, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada, all in the 1970s.
They won three consecutive World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974, led by players including Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and owner Charlie O.
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.
Supreme Court in 1922 and upheld in 1953 and 1972.
They won three consecutive World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974, led by players including Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and owner Charlie O.
Dell Publishing Co., New York, 1973. Dickey, Glenn.
They won three consecutive World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974, led by players including Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and owner Charlie O.
Louisiana Superdome officials pursued negotiations with Athletics officials during the 1978–79 baseball offseason about moving the Athletics to the Superdome in New Orleans.
Beginning in the mid 1980s, the on-field costumed incarnation of the A's elephant mascot went by the name Harry Elephante.
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.
Haas, Jr., owner of the team from 1980 until his death in 1995, was honored by the retirement of the letter "A".
New owner Walter Haas restored the official name to "Athletics" in 1981, but retained the nickname "A's" for marketing purposes.
The Athletics were unable to break their lease at the Coliseum, and remained in Oakland. After the Oakland Raiders football team moved to Los Angeles in 1982, many improvements were made to what was suddenly a baseball-only facility.
From 1982 to 2014, their spring training facility was Phoenix Municipal Stadium, located in Phoenix, Arizona.
By 1987, however, the word returned, in script lettering, to the front of the team's jerseys. Prior to the mid-2010s, the A's had a long-standing tradition of wearing white cleats team-wide (in line with the standard MLB practice that required all uniformed team members to wear a base cleat color), which dates back to the Finley ownership.
(The traditional Republican Party symbol is an elephant, while the Democratic Party's symbol is a donkey.) Since 1988, the Athletics' 21st season in Oakland, an illustration of an elephant has adorned the left sleeve of the A's home and road uniforms.
It was first used to refer to the 1989 World Series in which the Athletics won their most recent championship and the first time the teams had met since they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area (and the first time they had met since the A's also defeated the Giants in the 1913 World Series).
Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, 1991.
However, before 2009, when the black A's helmets appeared, road helmets were green with green brim. From 1994 until 2013, the A's wore green alternate jerseys with the word "Athletics" in gold.
The 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield was filmed in part at the Coliseum, filling in for Anaheim Stadium. Then, in 1995, a deal was struck whereby the Raiders would move back to Oakland for the 1995 season.
The 1994 movie Angels in the Outfield was filmed in part at the Coliseum, filling in for Anaheim Stadium. Then, in 1995, a deal was struck whereby the Raiders would move back to Oakland for the 1995 season.
Haas, Jr., owner of the team from 1980 until his death in 1995, was honored by the retirement of the letter "A".
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. 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.
Hunter, who died in 1999, was represented by his widow, while Finley, who died in 1996, was represented by his son.
In 1997, he took his current form, Stomper.
Stomper was debuted during Opening Night on April 2, 1997. ==Team uniform== Through the seasons, the Athletics' uniforms have usually paid homage to their amateur forebears to some extent.
Today, it also refers to games played between the teams during the regular season since the commencement of interleague play in 1997.
Since the introduction of interleague play in 1997, the teams have since faced each other during the regular season (with the first games taking place in 2003) but the rivalry has effectively died in the intervening years since the A's left Philadelphia.
Master Press, Indianapolis, 1998. Peterson, John E.
Hunter, who died in 1999, was represented by his widow, while Finley, who died in 1996, was represented by his son.
McFarland & Co., Jefferson NC, 1999.
During the 2000s, the Athletics introduced black as one of their colors.
Kuiper and Fosse are frequently joined by former Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden, who adds additional color from the field level. ==In popular culture== The 2003 Michael Lewis book Moneyball chronicles the 2002 Oakland Athletics season, with a specific focus on Billy Beane's economic approach to managing the organization under significant financial constraints.
Triumph Books, Chicago, 2002.
Since the introduction of interleague play in 1997, the teams have since faced each other during the regular season (with the first games taking place in 2003) but the rivalry has effectively died in the intervening years since the A's left Philadelphia.
Kuiper and Fosse are frequently joined by former Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden, who adds additional color from the field level. ==In popular culture== The 2003 Michael Lewis book Moneyball chronicles the 2002 Oakland Athletics season, with a specific focus on Billy Beane's economic approach to managing the organization under significant financial constraints.
Beginning in June 2003, the book remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 18 consecutive weeks, peaking at number 2.
Norton & Co., Inc., New York, 2003.
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.
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.
Fremont is about south of Oakland; many nearby residents are already a part of the current Athletics fanbase. On November 7, 2006, many media sources announced the Athletics would be leaving Oakland as early as 2010 for a new stadium in Fremont, confirmed the next day by the Fremont City Council.
"The Kansas City A's & The Wrong Half of the Yankees." Maple Street Press, Hingham, Massachusetts, 2006.
Beginning in 2008, sections 316–318 were the only open third-deck sections for A's games, which brought the total capacity to 35,067 until 2017 when new team president Dave Kaval took the tarps off of the upper deck, increasing capacity to 47,170.
However, before 2009, when the black A's helmets appeared, road helmets were green with green brim. From 1994 until 2013, the A's wore green alternate jerseys with the word "Athletics" in gold.
On February 24, 2009, however, Lew Wolff released an open letter regarding the end of his efforts to relocate the A's to Fremont, citing "real and threatened" delays to the project.
The project faced opposition from some in the community who thought the relocation of the A's to Fremont would increase traffic problems in the city and decrease property values near the ballpark site. =====San Jose===== In 2009, the City of San Jose attempted to open negotiations with the team regarding a move to the city.
Fremont is about south of Oakland; many nearby residents are already a part of the current Athletics fanbase. On November 7, 2006, many media sources announced the Athletics would be leaving Oakland as early as 2010 for a new stadium in Fremont, confirmed the next day by the Fremont City Council.
Although parcels of land south of Diridon Station would be acquired by the city as a stadium site, the San Francisco Giants' claim on Santa Clara County as part of their home territory would have to be settled before any agreement could be made. By 2010, San Jose was "aggressively wooing" A's owner Lew Wolff.
In September 2010, 75 Silicon Valley CEOs drafted and signed a letter to Bud Selig urging a timely approval of the move to San Jose.
Commercially popular but rarely chosen as the alternate by players, in 2011 they were replaced by a new gold alternate jersey with "A's" in green on the left chest.
With the exception of several road games during the 2011 season, the Athletics' gold uniforms are used as the designated home alternates.
In May 2011, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed sent a letter to Bud Selig asking the commissioner for a timetable of when he might decide whether the A's can pursue this new ballpark, but Selig did not respond. Selig addressed the San Jose issue via an online town hall forum held in July 2011, saying, "Well, the latest is, I have a small committee who has really assessed that whole situation, Oakland, San Francisco, and it is complex.
In 2011, Columbia Pictures released a film adaptation based on Lewis' book, which featured Brad Pitt playing the role of Beane.
On September 19, 2011, the U.S.
However, before 2009, when the black A's helmets appeared, road helmets were green with green brim. From 1994 until 2013, the A's wore green alternate jerseys with the word "Athletics" in gold.
But we'll make a decision that's based on logic and reason at the proper time." On June 18, 2013, the City of San Jose filed suit against Selig, seeking the court's ruling that Major League Baseball may not prevent the Oakland A's from moving to San Jose.
Wolff criticized the lawsuit, stating he did not believe business disputes should be settled through legal action. Most of the city's claims were dismissed in October 2013, but a U.S.
However, the A's stated that Giants fans could receive $20 off if they shout "Go A's" at the parking gates. In 2018, the Athletics and Giants started battling for a "Bay Bridge" Trophy made from steel taken from the old bay bridge which was taken down after a new bridge was opened in 2013.
The home cap is green with a gold bill and white lettering, while the road cap, debuting in 2014, is all green with "A's" in white with gold trim.
A green version of their gold alternates was introduced for the 2014 season to replace their previous green alternates.
From 1982 to 2014, their spring training facility was Phoenix Municipal Stadium, located in Phoenix, Arizona.
In 2014, when the A's faced the Phillies in inter-league play at the Oakland Coliseum, the Athletics didn't bother to mark the historical connection, going so far as to have a Connie Mack promotion the day before the series while the Texas Rangers were in Oakland. The first City Series was held in 1883 between the Phillies and the American Association Philadelphia Athletics.
On January 15, 2015, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S.
On October 5, 2015, the United States Supreme Court rejected San Jose's bid on the Athletics. =====Peralta===== A 2017 plan would have placed a new 35,000 seat A's stadium near Laney College and the Eastlake neighborhood on the current site of the Peralta Community College District's administration buildings.
Triumph Books, Chicago, 2015.
Beginning in 2008, sections 316–318 were the only open third-deck sections for A's games, which brought the total capacity to 35,067 until 2017 when new team president Dave Kaval took the tarps off of the upper deck, increasing capacity to 47,170.
=== Improvements to the Coliseum === In his time as president, Dave Kaval has enhanced the fan experience by making upgrades to the Oakland Coliseum, including the addition of a number of club and premium seating areas, renovating Shibe Park Tavern, and introducing three new fan areas: Championship Plaza, The Treehouse and a kids' zone. ==== Championship Plaza ==== In 2017, the team created this new outdoor plaza in the space between the Coliseum and Oracle Arena.
On October 5, 2015, the United States Supreme Court rejected San Jose's bid on the Athletics. =====Peralta===== A 2017 plan would have placed a new 35,000 seat A's stadium near Laney College and the Eastlake neighborhood on the current site of the Peralta Community College District's administration buildings.
The plan was announced by team president Dave Kaval in September 2017.
The new green alternates feature the piping, "A's" and lettering in white with gold trim. In 2018, as part of the franchise's 50th anniversary since the move to Oakland, the A's wore a kelly green alternate uniform with "Oakland" in white with gold trim, and was paired with an all-kelly green cap. 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.
The grassy area is open to all ticketed fans, and it features food trucks, seating and games like corn hole for every A's home game. ==== The Treehouse ==== The A's introduced The Treehouse at the start of the 2018 season.
On July 21, 2018, the A's set a Coliseum record for the largest attendance with a crowd of 56,310 when the team played host to the San Francisco Giants. ===New Ballpark=== ====2000s proposals==== Since the mid-2000s, the A's have been in talks with Oakland and other Northern California cities about building a new baseball-only stadium.
On November 28, 2018, the Athletics announced that the team had chosen to build its new 34,000-seat ballpark at the Howard Terminal site at the Port of Oakland.
In 2018 the team announced its intent to purchase the Coliseum site and renovate it into a tech and housing hub, preserving Oakland Arena and reducing the Coliseum to a low-rise sports park as San Francisco did with Kezar Stadium. ====Prior proposals==== =====Fremont===== 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.
However, the A's stated that Giants fans could receive $20 off if they shout "Go A's" at the parking gates. In 2018, the Athletics and Giants started battling for a "Bay Bridge" Trophy made from steel taken from the old bay bridge which was taken down after a new bridge was opened in 2013.
The Athletics have all of the numbers of the Hall-of-Fame players from the Philadelphia Athletics displayed at their stadium, as well as all of the years that the Philadelphia Athletics won World Championships (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930). ===Athletics Hall of Fame=== On September 5, 2018, the Athletics held a ceremony to induct seven members into the inaugural class of the team's Hall of Fame.
The Athletics were the last remaining MLB team to share a stadium with an NFL team on a full-time basis, a situation that ended at the end of 2019 when the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020 making the Coliseum a baseball-only facility once again. The Athletics' Spring training facility is Hohokam Stadium, located in Mesa, Arizona.
Later this season, the A's will add a miniature baseball field and spiderweb play area. ==== Premium Spaces ==== The A's added three new premium spaces, including The Terrace, Lounge Seats, and the Coppola Theater Boxes, to the Coliseum for the 2019 season.
The Athletics were the last remaining MLB team to share a stadium with an NFL team on a full-time basis, a situation that ended at the end of 2019 when the Raiders relocated to Las Vegas in 2020 making the Coliseum a baseball-only facility once again. The Athletics' Spring training facility is Hohokam Stadium, located in Mesa, Arizona.
Going into the 2020 season, the Athletics had a deal with TuneIn for A's Cast and no flagship radio station in the Bay Area but changed their plans after the COVID-19 epidemic.
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