Kansas City Athletics, 1955–1967

Before the Athletics went green in Oakland, they spent thirteen seasons bringing American League baseball to Kansas City.

Major League Baseball Comes to Kansas City

The Athletics were already one of baseball's oldest franchises when they arrived in Kansas City.

After more than half a century in Philadelphia, businessman Arnold Johnson purchased the club and received approval to move it to Missouri for the 1955 season.

Kansas City suddenly had a major league team of its own.

Municipal Stadium

The Athletics played at Municipal Stadium, a ballpark that had previously been home to the minor league Kansas City Blues and the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs.

The A's debuted there on April 12, 1955.

Former President Harry S. Truman, a Missouri native, was among those in attendance for the historic first game.

Charlie Finley Changes Everything

Insurance executive Charlie Finley purchased the Athletics in 1960.

Finley was never interested in blending in.

In 1963, the A's abandoned baseball's traditional combinations of red, white and blue and began wearing Kelly green, gold and white.

It was a bold look at the time and became the foundation of the Athletics identity that followed the franchise for decades.

Satchel Paige Comes Back

One of the most memorable nights in Kansas City Athletics history came on September 25, 1965.

Legendary pitcher Satchel Paige returned to the major leagues for one game.

Paige, officially listed as 59 years old, pitched three scoreless innings for Kansas City.

He remains the oldest player ever to appear in a Major League Baseball game.

The Future Was Already Arriving

The Kansas City A's never won an American League pennant, but some of the players who would define the franchise's future were already appearing.

Catfish Hunter joined the club in 1965.

Reggie Jackson reached the majors with Kansas City in 1967, the franchise's final Missouri season.

Other young players from the Kansas City years would become key pieces of the championship teams that followed.

On to Oakland

Finley spent years trying to move the Athletics to another city.

After the 1967 season, American League owners finally approved relocation to Oakland, California.

The Athletics began playing there in 1968.

Kansas City would not wait long for another major league team. The expansion Royals began play in 1969.