There are a lot of great Major League Baseball teams out there that have rich histories and have basically created their own cultures. One of these teams is the Oakland Athletics. The Oakland Athletics are currently in the Western Division of the American League and are based in Oakland, California. They currently play their home games in the Oakland Coliseum and have done so since 1968. They are affectionately known as the “A’s” because of the large Black A that has become a trademark of the team, and they are usually referred to as the “A’s” more than they are referred to as the “Athletics”. Another nickname they have been know by is the “White Elephants” in reference to John McGraw’s statement years ago.
The Oakland A’s were founded in 1901 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were first known as the Philadelphia Athletics and then later as the Kansas City Athletics when they were moved there in the mid fifties. This Major League Baseball team didn’t have a winning season until 1968 when they finished with a record of 82-80. That is 46 years of a less than desirable record. This was the start of a new kind of team where winning became expected of them. In 1970 they finished second place in their division, and in 1971 they won the American League West Title. They went on that year to the American League Championship Series but ended up losing to the Baltimore Orioles. The next year they regrouped and captured their first World Cup Championship in 1972 and followed that success with World Championships in 1973, and 1974. During the period of 1971 to 1975 they actually won five consecutive division titles as well
In the next ten years following this barrage of success, the Oakland Athletics went into somewhat of a slump, only playing in one series in the postseason in 1981. There were, however, some notable players during this time including Rickey Henderson who stole his 132nd base in the 1982 season to hold the stole base record in a single season. The next few years the Athletics used the minor league system to produce some incredible new additions to the team including Jose Canseco in 1986, Mark McGwire in 1987, and Walt Weiss in 1988. All of these players were named A.L. rookies of the year and went on to have impressive careers.
Another notable addition to the team’s management came in 1986 when Tony La Russa joined the ranks as the manager for the Athletics. He would lead the team to multiple division crowns (4), as well as a World Series Championship in 1989.
In 1992, Dennis Eckersley achieved the AL MVP as well as the Cy Young award and helped lead the team’s pitching situation alongside Dave Stewart. For the next ten years Oakland would have its ups and downs until in 2000 AL MVP Jason Giambi would bring new life back into the team. Since then the team has continued to struggle with mediocrity but are working to bring back their glory days.
Riley Simmons writes reviews on various sporting events including the different sportsbook websites. In this piece of write up, the author highlights on some of legends of MLB and MLB Betting odds. The author also takes the readers thought on how to bet on baseball
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Don’t miss your chance to meet A’s players Daric Barton and Ryan Sweeney Friday, July 11th at City Center Plaza at Broadway and 12th Street in Downtown Oakland. Daric and Ryan will be there from noon to 1 pm to sign autographs courtesy of City Center Dental Spa, the Preferred Dentist of the Oakland Athletics. Daric William Barton (born August 16, 1985 in Springfield, Vermont) is a Major League Baseball first baseman who plays for the Oakland Athletics. Barton was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2003 Major League Baseball draft in the 1st round as the 28th overall player selected. He was selected right out of Marina High School in Huntington Beach, California. Barton had signed on to attend Cal State Fullerton and play baseball there, but accepted a one million dollar signing bonus from the Cardinals instead. On December 19, 2004, he was involved in the big deal that sent Barton along with pitchers Dan Haren and Kiko Calero to the Oakland Athletics for starting pitcher Mark Mulder. Ryan Joseph Sweeney (born February 20, 1985 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Oakland Athletics. Sweeney graduated from Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids in 2003. At the beginning of the 2007 season, Ryan was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the White Sox organization. On January 3, 2008, the White Sox traded Sweeney along with fellow prospects Fautino De Los Santos and Gio Gonzalez to Oakland for outfielder Nick Swisher.
