Who are the A’s?: A look at the team’s history ahead of their temporary move to Sutter Health Park
(FOX40.COM) — Sutter Health Park will host MLB games for three years as the temporary host site for the Athletics.
The A’s are temporarily relocating to the West Sacramento ballpark from 2025 to 2027 as they await their move to Las Vegas. The team’s deal to play at Sutter Health Park has an option for a fourth year if the team’s new Las Vegas ballpark isn’t ready on time.
During their three-year stay, the team will be referred to as the A’s or Athletics and won’t have a city attached to them.
The franchise’s planned relocation to Las Vegas has caused an uproar among both A’s and other baseball fans. The temporary stay in West Sacramento has generated excitement among business owners, city officials and the community while local some A’s fans are upset about the move out of Oakland.
As the Sacramento region anticipates the A’s three-year stay, here’s a look at the team’s 123-year history.
Sutter Health Park won’t be the first minor league ballpark in which the A’s have played
Where did A’s name come from?
The A’s nickname derives comes from the Athletic Club of Philadelphia, an amateur baseball team that was formed in the 1860s, according to MLB.com.
Before the A’s official founding, the Athletic Club of Philadelphia turned professional in 1875 and carried over the Philadelphia Athletics name.
The Philadelphia A’s were founded in 1901 as part the American Baseball League and the team’s nickname has become one of the oldest in professional sports.
Since the franchise’s early days in Philadelphia, the Athletics and A’s nicknames have stuck despite multiple relocations.
Current players in the A’s organization with ties to the region
A’s relocation history
The A’s would call Philadelphia home for 54 years from 1901 to 1954. During the team’s time in Philadelphia, the A’s became a pillar of the American Baseball League, winning nine pennants and five World Series titles.
The team later got sold in 1954 to Arnold Johnson, an industrialist and business man who relocated the team to Kansas City a year later, according to MLB.com.
The A’s history in Kansas City would be shorter than Philadelphia, as the team moved again 13 years later to Oakland.
The move to Oakland came eight years after businessman Charlie Finley purchased controlling interest in the team.
After years of struggling, the A’s endured a renaissance in Oakland during the 1970s. The A’s won three consecutive World Series titles from 1972 to 1974 and five straight division titles from 1971 to 1975.
The A’s last World Series title in Oakland and franchise history came in 1989, defeating their Bay Area rival San Francisco Giants in four games.
Since winning the 1989 World Series, the A’s failed to repeat as champions in 1990 and appeared in the playoffs 12 other times. The A’s last appeared in the playoffs in 2020 and have lost over 100 games in the last two seasons.
Athletics file trademark for ‘Sacramento A’s’ and ‘Sacramento Athletics’
A’s temporary move to Sutter Health Park
After plans of building a new stadium fell through in Oakland, MLB gave A’s permission to explore relocation options in May 2021
Speculation of a move to Las Vegas began when the team bought land for new ballpark on the Las Vegas Strip. Relocation to Vegas was unanimously approved by MLB owners on Nov. 16, 2023.
With the A’s lease expiring after the 2024 season, Sutter Health Park emerged as a host site in January along with Salt Lake City, Summerlin, Nevada and Oracle Park in San Francisco.
Months after speculated interest in the West Sacramento ballpark, the A’s agreed to play at the River Cats home venue after discussions of a lease extension fell through with government officials in Oakland and Alameda County.
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