Philadelphia Athletics, 1901–1954

For more than half a century, Philadelphia's American League team belonged to Connie Mack and the Athletics.

A New League and an Old Name

When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Philadelphia received one of its original franchises.

Former catcher Connie Mack was recruited to build and manage the new club.

The team revived the Athletics name, which had already been used by earlier Philadelphia baseball clubs.

What followed became one of the longest relationships between a manager and a team in professional sports.

Connie Mack Builds a Powerhouse

Mack's Athletics quickly became one of the strongest clubs in the new American League.

By the early 1910s, Philadelphia had assembled a remarkable collection of talent.

Eddie Collins.
Home Run Baker.
Jack Barry.
Stuffy McInnis.
Chief Bender.
Eddie Plank.

Collins, Baker, Barry and McInnis made up an infield so celebrated that it became known as the $100,000 Infield.

The Athletics won World Series championships in 1910, 1911 and 1913 and captured four American League pennants in five seasons from 1910 through 1914.

Shibe Park

In 1909, the Athletics moved into a new home at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue.

Shibe Park was built specifically for the A's and became one of baseball's landmark early ballparks.

Generations of Philadelphia fans watched the Athletics there, and the National League's Phillies later shared the stadium with them.

Build. Win. Rebuild.

Connie Mack repeatedly built great teams, only to break them apart when finances made them difficult to keep together.

After the first dynasty faded, he eventually built another.

Jimmie Foxx.
Mickey Cochrane.
Al Simmons.
Lefty Grove.

The Athletics returned to the World Series three consecutive times from 1929 through 1931.

Philadelphia defeated the Chicago Cubs in 1929 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930, giving Mack his fourth and fifth World Series championships.

Fifty Seasons in the Dugout

Mack managed the Athletics from their first season in 1901 through 1950.

Tall, thin and usually dressed in a suit rather than a uniform, he became one of the most recognizable managers in baseball.

By the time he retired, generations of players had passed through his clubhouse.

Leaving Philadelphia

The Athletics struggled on the field and at the gate during many of their final years in Philadelphia.

After the 1954 season, businessman Arnold Johnson purchased the franchise and moved it west.

In 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics became the Kansas City Athletics.

The franchise would move again to Oakland in 1968, but the first 54 seasons of Athletics history belonged to Philadelphia.