On October 12, 1954, the owners – Connie Mack and his sons – sold the Philadelphia Athletics to Arnold Jackson, a Chicago businessman, who relocated the team to Kansas City for the 1955 season.

After the move, the team came to be known as the Kansas City Athletics. The ownership of the team passed on to Charles “Charlie O.” Finley, who purchased it from the estate of Arnold Jackson on December 19, 1960. Seven years later, in October 1967, Finley, who had been trying to relocate the team to other cities, received permission from the American League to move to Oakland for the 1968 season.

The Performances

As the Philadelphia Athletics, the team won nine American League Pennants, and five World Series titles. From their beginnings in 1901 up to 1908, they were based at the Columbia Park, and later moved to Shibe Park, where they remained until 1954, when they relocated to Kansas City. From 1953 onwards the Shibe Park was known as the Connie Mack Stadium – in honor of the team’s owner.

As Kansas City Athletics, the team did not win any Western Division titles, American League titles, or World Series titles. During this time the team was based at the Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

After relocating to California, and renamed the Athletics, the team won 14 Western Division titles, six American League Pennants, and four World Series titles. In its sporting history, the Athletics, in all its three avatars, has won nine World Series titles, 15 American League titles, and 14 Western Division titles. Up till 2006, the Athletics has made 23 playoff appearances.

On relocating to Oakland, the team made the McAfee Coliseum its home, though at that time, and up to 1998, it was known as the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. From 1998 up to 2004, the Coliseum was known as the Network Associates Coliseum.

The Honors

As is the practice, the Athletics also honors its players by retiring their jersey numbers. However, it has not retired any number from its Philadelphia days. The following are the numbers retired:

# 9, Reggie Jackson – played at Kansas City in 1967, and for the Athletics from 1968-1975, and in 1987.
# 27, Catfish Hunter – Played at Kansas City from 1965-1967, and for the Athletics from 1968-1974.
# 34, Rollie Fingers – Played only for the Athletics from 1968-1975.
# 43, Dennis Eckwersley – Played for the Athletics from 1987-1995.

# 42, belonging to Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, has been retired throughout all Major League Baseball.