The Athletics franchise has called multiple cities home and seen many talent put on the A’s uniforms. Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Reggie Jackson, and Catfish Hunter are just a few of the names that have been a member of the Athletics throughout the franchise’s history. But, how many World Series titles have the Athletics won? We have an answer to that question.
When did the Athletics last win a World Series title?
The Athletics last won a World Series title in 1989.
How many World Series have the Athletics won?
Throughout the Athletics’ lengthy history, the franchise has won nine World Series titles.
The A’s won it all in the following seasons:
- 1910
- 1911
- 1913
- 1929
- 1930
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1989
The then-Philadelphia A’s won the franchise’s first three titles in the 1910s. At the time, the Athletics were managed by legendary figure Connie Mack and their roster included several stars of the early 1900s.
Eddie Collins, a member of the 3,000-hit club, led the team in bWAR four times over the 1910s. Hall of Famer John Baker, or otherwise known as “Home Run Baker,” led the American League in home runs three times from 1911-13, including in 1913. Baker hit a career-high 13 home runs, considered an exceptional number at the time.
The Athletics’ first title came via a five-game series victory over the Cubs in 1910. One year later, the Philadelphia Athletics took down Christy Mathewson, Rube Marquard, and the New York Giants in six games for their second-straight World Series championship.
The Philadelphia A’s won their third title in four years in 1913, as the Athletics beat the Giatns again. This time, the A’s only need five games. Home Run Baker and Eddie Collins both hit north of .400 in that series.
The Athletics went into a lull after that 1913 season. After that season, the Athletics finished last in the American League each of the next seven seasons. But, a renaissance in the 1920s awaited the franchise.
The Athletics won two more titles in Philadelphia, in 1929 and 1930. Hall of Famers Mickey Cochrane, Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, and Lefty Grove played a pivotal role for those two teams, helping the A’s defeat the Cubs in ’29 and the Cardinals the following season.
The A’s had the opportunity to win a third-straight title with that core. However, Bill Hallahan and the Cardinals beat the Athletics in a seven-game series in 1931, which avenged their loss to Philadelphia a year earlier.
From there, the A’s went into a dark period. Philadelphia finished second and third in the AL in 1932 and 1933, then went on a 34-year stretch that saw the A’s finish in the bottom half of the league every year. This included their stint in Kansas City, between 1955-67.
But in total, the A’s won five titles in Philadelphia, three more than the Phillies have in their 100+ year history in the city.
The next golden era for the A’s would come in the 1970’s. The Oakland Athletics won three consecutive titles in that decade, thanks to the likes of Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Vida Blue, and Sal Bando.
The A’s defeated the Reds in 1972 to win their first title in Oakland. The A’s beat the Mets in 1973 to clinch back-to-back titles, and then defeat the Dodgers in five games to complete the “three-peat.”
Almost two decades later, the A’s, led by Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco, made the Fall Classc three straight years from 1988-90.
The A’s lost in the 1988 World Series to the Dodgers. But in 1989, Oakland swept the San Francisco Giants to win the franchise’s ninth title. Oakland won a third-straight pennant in 1990 but were swept at the hands of the Reds. It marked their final Fall Classic in Oakland.
Since the 1989 season, the A’s have made the World Series once and the MLB Playoffs on 13 occasions.
Make sure to check out how the Rangers and Mariners, two of the Athletics’ AL West rivals, have wone in the World Series era.
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