The Athletics are an American professional baseball team that compete in the American League West division of MLB. The side play their home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California.
📜 Athletics History
Perhaps better known as the "A's", the Athletics are one of the American League's 8 charter franchises. The team, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1901, enjoyed great early success, winning 3 World Series titles between 1910 – 1913, as well as back-to-back championships in 1929 and 1930.
In 1955, the Athletics left the East Coast for Kansas City, before moving further west to Oakland, California in 1968. Led by all-time greats like Rollie Fingers and Reggie Jackson, the franchise's time in California got off to a flying start as the "Swingin' A's" won 3 consecutive World Series titles between 1972 – 1974. More colourful characters followed in the 1980s as the "Bash Brothers" (Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire) slugged their way to home run records and helped the A's win the 1989 World Series.
After a short period out of the limelight, the Athletics returned to prominence in 2002, when General Manager Billy Beane assembled an elite roster on a limited budget using a form of analytics. The A's won 20 consecutive games in the '02 season, an MLB record, providing inspiration for the Hollywood movie Moneyball.
Following ownership problems, dwindling attendance figures, and a decline in success on the field, in 2023, the Oakland Athletics announced that the franchise would be moving to Las Vegas. A new ballpark is set to be constructed close to the Vegas Strip and will serve as the A's home from 2028. Until then, the team will be known as the "Athletics" and will be based in Sacramento, California.
