How to play the Athletics history timeline

This deck follows the Athletics across all their homes, one moment per card, with a short description printed under each title. You sort the moments by the year they happened. One card starts on the timeline with its year showing. Every new card goes into a gap you choose; the right gap reveals the year, and the wrong one sends the card to its true spot at the cost of one of your three lives.

The A's have a habit of building dynasties, selling them off and starting again, and that pattern repeats across several cities. Because of it, championship cards come in tight clusters separated by long quiet stretches, and back-to-back titles from different eras can sound very similar. Look for the stars, managers and nicknames the descriptions mention. Moves between cities are good anchors once they're on the line.

Want a longer game? On the deck tree you can tick this deck alongside any other one measured in release years and dates, and they shuffle into a single timeline together.

What's in the deck

Here are 28 of the 30 cards you might be dealt, with 2 more in the deck. Their values stay hidden until you place them.

Philadelphia Athletics born A charter American League club takes the field under Connie Mack
First World Series appearance Christy Mathewson's shutouts sink the club in the Fall Classic
First World Series title Connie Mack's team beats the Cubs for the championship
Repeat champions over the Giants A second straight title, this time over the Giants
Third title in four years The dynasty beats the Giants again
The $100,000 infield's pennant A famous infield wins the flag before a shocking Series sweep by the Braves
A revived dynasty wins it all Mack's second great team beats the Cubs for the crown
Back-to-back champions A second straight title, over the Cardinals
Lefty Grove's 31-win pennant The ace goes 31-4, but the club drops the Series to the Cardinals
Connie Mack steps down The manager retires after 50 years at the helm
Move to Kansas City The Athletics leave Philadelphia for the Midwest
Move to Oakland Charlie Finley relocates the club to the Bay Area
First AL West title The young core wins the division before an ALCS loss
World Series champions The Mustache Gang beats the Reds for the first of three straight titles
Three-peat A third straight title, over the Dodgers
Reggie Jackson traded away The dynasty breaks up as the slugger is dealt to Baltimore
Rickey Henderson debuts The hometown speedster reaches the majors
Rickey's 130 stolen bases A single-season steals record is set
The Bash Brothers' pennant Jose Canseco's 40-40 MVP season carries the club to the Series
World Series title in the Bay A sweep of the Giants interrupted by an earthquake
A third straight pennant Swept by the Reds in the Fall Classic
Rickey becomes the steals king Henderson passes Lou Brock as the all-time stolen base leader
Eckersley's MVP season The dominant closer wins both the Cy Young and MVP
Giambi's MVP The first baseman anchors a rising young team
The 20-game win streak A Moneyball season produces an American League record run
Return to the ALCS A young pitching staff carries the club a round deeper
An improbable AL West title A young, low-budget club rallies past the Rangers on the final day
First playoff series win in years A division title and a wild-card series victory over the White Sox