Chicago Bulls

Injured Reserve.
. Reserves. Coaches. Starters. Manager. Several veterans are set to become free agents during the offseason, which will clear much salary cap space. They will play each other again in June of 2005 in Oakland, at McAfee Coliseum.

The series exposed many weaknesses of the Bulls, including their carelessness in ball handling. The Phillies took the series against the A's, 2-1. However, the injury depleted Bulls lost to the Wizards in six games despite winning the first two. Ceremonies were held for the first game of the 3 game series at Veterans Stadium, as former Philadelphia A's players were honored on the field. Coincidentally, the team they faced in the first round was the Washington Wizards, the team Jordan played for when he came out of retirement for a second time. However, since the teams never faced each other in the World Series, they never played each other in games that counted; interleague play made the recent matchup possible. The Bulls finished the regular season with the 10th best record in the NBA and clinched their first playoff berth since 1998 with a 110-97 win over the Toronto Raptors, who were elimanted from playoff contention. Previously they had only played each other in exhibition games, dubbed "The City Series", which was played annually.

This season led Ben Gordon to become the first rookie ever win the NBA Sixth Man Award and the first Bull to win the award since 1996 with Toni Kukoc. The Athletics played their former co-occupants of Shibe Park, the Phillies, for the first time in a championship season in June of 2003. With the prospect of free agency looming for Curry and Chandler, the Bulls must chose whether they will be re-signed in the offseason or let go to clear salary space for a potential run at a star player in 2007. While not ruling out relocating the A's elsewhere in the Bay Area, Wolff has stated his primary focus is finding a site in Oakland for a new baseball-only stadium. It was the first time the Bulls were over .500 since November 2002, and the latest into the season they were over .500 since 1998. Rumors speculate that he wishes to move the team to San Jose, but those plans are complicated by the claims of the cross-bay San Francisco Giants that they own the territorial rights to San Jose and Santa Clara County. The Bulls made it over .500 on January 25, 2005, going 20-19 with a win over the Atlanta Hawks. On March 30, 2005, the Athletics were sold to a group headed by Los Angeles real estate developer Lewis Wolff.

After a discouraging 0-9 start to the 2004-05 season, by December the Bulls began to show the signs of improved play, relying on solid performances by their four rookies and by Hinrich, Chandler, and Curry. Following this trend, some speculated that Barry Zito could land with a team in the National League West before Opening Day 2005, but no such trade happened. Paxson also signed free agent small forward Andres Nocioni, who had recently won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the Argentinian national team. Louis Cardinals. The picks were used to select University of Connecticut guard [[Ben Gordon], Duke small forward Luol Deng and CK small foward John Anderson in the first round, and Duke point guard Chris Duhon in the second. After the 2004 season, Athletics General Manager Billy Beane shocked many by breaking up the Big Three, trading Tim Hudson to the Atlanta Braves and Mark Mulder to the St. During the 2004 off-season, Paxson traded a future draft pick to the Phoenix Suns in return for an additional pick in the 2004 draft. West Division.

This led to the contractual buy-out of swingman Eddie Robinson, the purge of Marcus Fizer, letting Crawford leave via free agency, and acquiring rugged players like Othella Harrington, Eric Piatkowski, and Jared Reiner. In 2004, the Athletics finished in 2nd place in the A.L. Paxson wanted players who overachieved rather than those who relied on talent. After becoming free agents, Giambi left for the New York Yankees after the 2001 season, while Tejada departed for the Baltimore Orioles after the 2003 season. Paxson's strategy was very different from that of Krause's. In recent years, the Athletics were best known for starting pitchers Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, collectively referred to as “The Big Three,” as well as infielders Eric Chavez, Jason Giambi, and Miguel Tejada. After struggling throughout the season, the Bulls finished with 23 wins and 59 losses, the second-worst record in the league. In two of those years (2001 against New York and 2003 against Boston), the Athletics won the first two games of the series, only to lose the next three straight and hence the playoffs.

A multiplayer trade with the Toronto Raptors brought Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams to the Bulls in exchange for top-scorer Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall in what was seen as a major shift in team strategy from winning with athleticism to winning with hard work. The Athletics made the post season playoffs for four straight years, 2000-2003, but lost the first round (best 3-out-of-5) in each case, 3 games to 2. Bill Cartwright was fired as head coach in December 2003, and replaced with former Phoenix coach Scott Skiles. West Division, but could not advance beyond the first round of playoffs. Jamal Crawford had shown increased confidence, but remained inconsistent. Perhaps as a result, the A’s at the turn of the 21st century were a team that usually finished at or near the top of the A.L. Scottie Pippen's ability to influence games was impaired by knee problems, and he openly contemplated retirement. The Schott-Hofmann ownership allocated resources to building and maintaining a strong minor league system while almost always refusing to pay the going rate to keep star players on the team once they become free agents.

Tyson Chandler was plagued by a chronic back injury, missing more than thirty games. Ever since that time, ownership has stated that a new baseball-only facility is necessary to ensure the economic viability of the Athletics. Eddy Curry showed limited development, leading to questions about his conditioning and commitment. They chose 9,300-seat Cashman Field in Las Vegas, playing six "home" games there. However, the 2003-2004 season proved disappointing. The Athletics were forced to play their first homestand elsewhere. With Pippen playing, Cartwright at the sidelines, and Paxson in the front office, the Bulls hoped that some of the championship magic from before would return. The final insult was that construction was not finished by the start of the 1996 season.

Paxson selected point guard Kirk Hinrich with the seventh pick in the draft, and signed veteran free agent and former franchise player Scottie Pippen. The bucolic view of the Oakland foothills enjoyed by baseball spectators was replaced with a jarring view of an outfield grandstand contemptuously referred to as "Mount Davis" after Raiders' owner Al Davis. Jay Williams, coming off a promising rookie campaign, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident; Williams was eventually released by the Bulls in February 2004 and has yet to return to the game. The agreement called for the expansion of the Coliseum to more than 63,000 seats. Long-time GM Jerry Krause retired, and former player and announcer John Paxson was tabbed as his successor. Then, in 1994, a deal was struck whereby the Los Angeles Raiders would move back to Oakland for the 1995 season. During the summer of 2003, the Bulls were faced with many changes, both positive and negative. After the Oakland Raiders football team moved to Los Angeles in 1982, many improvements were made to what had become a baseball-only facility.

Curry led the league in field goal percentage becoming the first Bull since Jordan to lead the league in a major statistical category while Rose finished in the top 10 in scoring. The Oakland Coliseum, though built as a multi-purpose facility, was considered by many to be one of the better ballparks in the major leagues. Rose and Williams teamed with Crawford, Fizer, newcomer Donyell Marshall, Curry, Chandler, and guard Trenton Hassell to form a young and exciting nucleus which improved to 30-52 in Bill Cartwright's first full season as head coach. The new owners were faced with another problematic issue, that of the venue where the team played. Still led by Rose, they had picked up college phenom Jay Williams with the second pick in the draft. In a turn of events eerily reminiscent of the A’s Roger Maris trade 28 years before, Mark McGwire celebrated his first full season with the Cardinals by setting a new major league home run record! In fact, McGwire came close to the record in 1997, when he split 58 homers between the A's and the Cards. For the 2002-2003 season, the Bulls came to play with much optimism. Louis Cardinals, including McGwire, Eckersley, and manager La Russa.

Led by Cartwright and Rose, and Bulls improved from 15 to 21 wins, though they still tied for last in the league. Many landed with the St. There was also a change in coaching, with Floyd being dismissed in favor of assistant coach and former Bulls co-captain Bill Cartwright following a series of arguments with players and management. Once again, the Athletics’ star players were traded or sold, as the new owners’ goal was to cut payroll drastically. This trade essentially created more playing time for the two teenagers while Rose would provide a go to scorer whom the Bulls desperately needed. Walter Haas died in 1995, and the team was sold to San Francisco Bay Area real estate developers Stephen Schott (no relation to one-time Cincinnati Reds’ owner Marge Schott) and Kenneth Hofmann, prior to the 1996 season. Rose was the most versatile and best player the Bulls had had since Jordan and Pippen. They restored the team’s official name of “Athletics” in 1981, having been discarded by Charles Finley in favor of simply “A’s.” And, after a 23-year hiatus, the elephant was restored as the club mascot in 1986.

At mid-season, the Bulls traded their top three scorers - Mercer, Artest, and Miller - to the Indiana Pacers for guard Jalen Rose. During the 15 years of Haas ownership, the Athletics became one of baseball’s most successful teams at the gate, drawing 2,900,217 in 1990, still the club record for single season attendance, as well as on the field. Having been burned by major stars during the previous offseason, the Bulls decided to grow their own stars. West championship in 1992 (but losing to Toronto in the ALCS), then finishing last in 1993. Since both Chandler and Curry came straight out of high school, neither were expected to make much of a contribution for several years but they were seen as potential franchise players in the future with Curry in the mold of a young Shaquille O'Neal and Chandler providing a big athletic wing player like Kevin Garnett. The team began a slow but steady decline, winning the A.L. He also selected Eddy Curry with the fourth pick. The A’s lone victory was a 4-game sweep of their cross-bay rivals, the San Francisco Giants, in the 1989 World Series.

Krause and Floyd soon realized that building around Brand and free agency would not work so they took a gamble and shocked Bulls fans on draft day when he traded franchise player Brand to the Los Angeles Clippers for second pick in the draft, Tyson Chandler. (In an almost-unrelated side note, Chicago columnist Mike Royko had predicted a Reds victory due to the "ex-Cub factor" - the A's had three ex-Cubs on their team). However, the team was still very weak, finishing at the worst record in team history at 15-67. The Athletics lost the World Series in 1988 and 1990, losing the latter to the underdog Cincinnati Reds in a shocking 4-game sweep reminiscent of the A’s loss to the Braves 76 years earlier. Marcus Fizer was named to the all-rookie second team. Regular season dominance did not translate into post-season success, however. Brad Miller started at center, while point guard duties were split between Bryce Drew and rookies Crawford and Khalid El-Amin. Reminiscent of their Philadelphia predecessors, this A’s team finished with the best record of any team in the major leagues during all 3 years, winning 104 (1988), 99 (1989), and 103 (1990) games, featuring such stars as McGwire, Canseco, Weiss, Carney Lansford, Dave Stewart, and Dennis Eckersley.

Brand again led the team in scoring and rebounds with another 20-10 season, while Mercer and Artest finished second and third in scoring, respectively. pennant three years in a row. He signed free agent center Brad Miller and shooting guard Ron Mercer, and picked up power forward Marcus Fizer and center Chris Mihm with the fourth and seventh picks in the draft, then traded Mihm for eighth pick guard Jamal Crawford. In 1987, La Russa’s first full year as manager, the team finished at 81-81, its best record in 7 seasons. Beginning in 1988, the Athletics won the A.L. After a summer in which the Bulls witnessed major free agents Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Eddie Jones, Tracy McGrady, and even Tim Thomas spur them, Krause tried to build around Brand with youth, acquiring several draft picks. During the 1986 season, Tony La Russa was hired as the Athletics’ manager, a post he held until the end of 1995. However, the team was still just led by rookies, and finished with the worst Bulls record at that time, at 17-65, worst in the league. Rookies of the Year.

For his efforts Brand was named 1999-2000 co-rookie of the year with Houston's Steve Francis, and to the all-rookie first team, while Artest was named to the all-rookie second team. Under the Haas ownership, the minor league system was rebuilt, which bore fruition later that decade as Athletics José Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987) and Walt Weiss (1988) were chosen as A.L. He led all rookies in scoring, rebounds, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes, while Artest led all rookies in steals and finished second on the team in scoring. (then president of Levi Strauss & Co.) prior to the 1981 season. Brand recorded the first 20-10 average for the Bulls since the days of Artis Gilmore. Haas, Jr. Since the team lost Harper, Brown, Wennington and Barry in the offseason, Brand and fellow rookie Ron Artest led the team througout the year, especially after Kukoc was traded early in the season. He then looked to local buyers, selling the Athletics to San Francisco clothing manufacturer Walter A.

The previous year's dismal finish came with one highlight: the team won the draft lottery and the rights to power forward Elton Brand. Though Finley found a buyer who would have moved the Athletics to Denver, the tentative deal was voided when the Oakland Coliseum refused to let the team out of its lease. Kukoc led the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists, but with little help the team crashed and burned, winning 13 of 50 games in the lockout-shortened season. As his estranged wife would not accept part of a baseball team in a property settlement, the team had to be sold. He hired a new collegiate coach Tim Floyd who ran a successful program at Iowa State University and promptly gave him a starting lineup of point guard Randy Brown, shooting guard Ron Harper, newcomer Brent Barry at small forward, power forward Toni Kukoc, and center Bill Wennington. The man who brought American League baseball to the San Francisco Bay Area was being sued for a divorce. Krause also declined to resign Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr, and traded Luc Longley. But, the Finley era was coming to a close.

Krause traded Scottie Pippen after having failed trading him the previous offseason when his trade was vetoed by owner Jerry Reinsdorf and did not re-sign Phil Jackson, prompting Michael Jordan to retire for the second time. Martin made believers of his young charges, “Billyball” was used to market the team, and the Athletics finished second in 1980. The plan was to sink the team and acquire high draft picks while clearing salary cap space to make a run at several promising free agents. In a masterstroke, Finley hired Billy Martin to manage the young team. He decided that it was time to rebuild rather than endure a slow decline. After three dismal seasons on the field and at the gate, the team started to gel again. Krause had realized during previous years that the Bulls were on the decline and it would only be a matter of time before they were old and unable to compete. In 1979, only 306,763 paying customers showed up to watch the A's, the team's worst attendance since leaving Philadelphia.

The summer of 1998 marked the most dramatic dismantling of a world championship team ever, as Jerry Krause completely revamped the roster for the worse. The 1977 version of the A’s finished in last place, behind even the expansion Seattle Mariners, who entered the American League that year. In the sixth and final game of the championship series, after a controversial "no-call" for pushing off on Bryon Russell, Jordan stepped back and buried a game winning jumpshot with seconds left on the clock. Three thousand miles and several decades later, one of baseball’s most storied franchises suffered yet another dismemberment of a dynasty team. Rodman earned his record seventh straight rebounding title, as the Bulls upended the Jazz for the second straight year. After 1976 the season, most of the Athletics’ veteran players did become eligible for free agency, and predictably almost all left. Jordan bagged his third straight scoring title and tenth overall, and his second triple crown with his fifth MVP award, third all-star game MVP, and sixth Finals MVP award. Three days later, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the transactions in the “best interests of baseball.”.

They achieved the repeat three-peat by winning 62 regular season games and the 1998 NBA Finals. On June 15, 1976, Finley sold left fielder Rudi and relief pitcher Fingers to Boston for $1 million apiece, and pitcher Blue to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million. Jordan earned his second straight scoring title and ninth overall, while Rodman earned his sixth straight rebounding title. Like his predecessor Connie Mack had done twice before, Charles Finley reacted by trading star players and attempting to sell others. The Bulls repeated their excellence in 1996-97 by tying the second best record in league history at 69-13 and winning their fifth world championship over John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. The balance of power had shifted from the owners to the players for the first time since the days of the Federal League. The team triumped over Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and the Seattle SuperSonics for their fourth title. Thus, all players not signed to multi-year contracts would be eligible for free agency at the end of the 1976 season.

Both Pippen and Jordan made the all-NBA first team, and Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman made the all-defensive first team. Arbitrator Seitz had ruled that baseball’s reserve clause only bound players for one season after their contract expired. Krause won executive of the year, Jackson coach of the year, and Kukoc was the sixth man of the year. As the 1976 season got underway, the basic rules of player contracts were changing. Jordan garnered the elusive triple-crown with the regular season MVP, all-star game MVP, and Finals MVP. Despite the loss of Hunter, the A’s repeated as West Division champions in 1975, but lost the ALCS to Boston in a 3-game sweep. Jordan won his eighth scoring title, and Rodman his fifth straight rebounding title, while Kerr led the league in three-point shooting. As a result, Hunter became a free agent, and signed a contract with the New York Yankees for the 1975 season.

With a lineup of Harper, Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Kerr, Myers, Kukoc, Wennington and guard Randy Brown, the Bulls posted one of the best single-season improvements in league history and the best single-season record, moving from 47-35 to 72-10. On December 13, 1974, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in Hunter’s favor. Armstrong in the expansion draft, but Krause pulled off a masterful deal by trading Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for ballistic rebounder Dennis Rodman, who had won the past four rebounding titles. After the Athletics' victory in the 1974 World Series, pitcher Catfish Hunter filed a grievance, claiming that the team had violated its contract with Hunter by failing to make timely payment on an insurance policy during the 1974 season as called for. In the offseason, the Bulls lost B.J. Reggie Jackson reported in his autobiography that when he asked for a raise following the 1972 season, Finley told him that his World Series check was his "raise". However, Jordan was too rusty, and the Bulls still not strong enough to overcome the eventual Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, which included Horace Grant. One tradition carried on from Philadelphia, which continues even into the 21st Century, is the low budget for players' salaries.

He was soon among the best in the league again, scoring 55 points against the Knicks in only his fifth game back, and led the Bulls to the fifth seed in the playoffs, where they upset the Charlotte Hornets. A contemporary book about the team was called Moustache Gang. However, they were slumping during the season, when on March 17, 1995, they received the best possible news: Michael Jordan was coming out of retirement. the Squares,” as Cincinnati wore traditional uniforms and forbade facial hair on its players. They also had sharpshooter Steve Kerr, Myers, and centers Luc Longley and Bill Wennington. The 1972 World Series against the heavily favored Cincinnati Reds was termed “The Hairs vs. The Bulls sported the look of Armstrong and Harper in the backcourt, Pippen and Kukoc at the forward spots, and Perdue at center. Furthermore, in conjunction with a Mustache Day promotion, Finley offered $500 to any player who grew a mustache, at a time when every other team forbade facial hair.

In 1995, the Bulls lost Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright to free agency, but picked up all-star shooting guard Ron Harper. Beginning in 1972, the Athletics began wearing jerseys of solid green or solid gold color, with contrasting white pants, at a time when all other teams wore all-white uniforms at home and all-grey ones on the road. Despite the Bulls' amazing run during the regular season, where they won 55 games, they were beaten in seven games by the Knicks in the second round, after a controversial foul call by referee Hue Hollins in game 5 of that series. The A’s teams of the 1970s were also known for their sartorial and tonsorial appearance. Armstrong, who were named to their first all-star games, where Pippen won the MVP award. The three were assisted by Cartwright, Perdue, shooting guard Pete Myers, and Croatian rookie forward Toni Kukoc. Players such as Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris, Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue formed the nucleus of these teams. He received help from Horace Grant and B.J. Finley termed this team the “Swingin’ A’s.” The players, in turn, often said they played so well as a team due to their universal dislike for their employer.

The Bulls were led by Scottie Pippen, who had established himself as one of the top players in the league. Unlike earlier Athletic championship teams, which thoroughly dominated their opposition, the A’s teams of the 1970s played well enough to win their division, then defeated teams that had won more games during the regular season, with good pitching, good defense, and clutch hitting. During the summer, Jordan shocked the basketball community by announcing his retirement, only months after learning of his father's murder. The Athletics won World Series championships in 1972, 1973 and 1974. He also tied Wilt Chamberlain by winning his seventh straight scoring title. Finley had built himself a winner. Jordan was once again the Finals MVP after setting a Finals record for points per game. West title in 1971, only to lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series.

In 1992-93 the Bulls did what no team had done since the legendary Celtics of the 60's by chalking up the three-peat over regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, with John Paxson's historic shot heard around the world that gave them a 99-98 victory in Game six at Phoenix. West Division behind the Minnesota Twins – their highest finish in 37 years! After another second-place finish in 1970, the A’s won the A.L. Jordan won regular season MVP and Finals MVP once again, to go with his sixth straight scoring title. During that year, the Athletics finished second in the A.L. They prevailed over the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler in six games. With expansion to 12 teams in 1969, the American League was divided into two 6-team divisions. The Bulls won their second straight title in 1991-92 after racking up another franchise record for wins with 67. Managed by Bob Kennedy, the Oakland Athletics finished the 1968 season with an 82-80 record – their best record since 1952.

Michael Jordan won regular season MVP and Finals MVP to go with his fifth straight scoring title. The Athletics arrived in Oakland just as the team was beginning to gel. They recorded a franchise record 61 wins, and romped through the playoffs, where they swept the Pistons in the conference finals and won the Finals in five over the Magic Johnson-led Lakers on June 12, 1991. Their overall record was 829-1,224, for a winning percentage of .404. By the 1990-91 season, the Bulls had run out of excuses, and charged through the year with a mission. During their 13-year existence, the Kansas City Athletics were arguably one of the worst teams ever in baseball, finishing in last or next to last place in 10 of those years. With these additional pieces and the previous year's starting five, the Bulls again made it to the Conference Finals, and pushed the Pistons to seven games before being edged out for the third straight year by Detroit. Senator Stuart Symington of Missouri blasted Finley on the floor of the Senate, calling him "one of the most disreputable characters ever to enter the American sports scene,” and said Oakland was “the luckiest city since Hiroshima.” In 1969, Kansas City was awarded an American League expansion team, the Kansas City Royals.

Armstrong in the 1989 draft. owners gave Finley permission to move the Athletics to Oakland for the 1968 season. Then-U.S. The Bulls also picked up rookie center Stacey King and rookie point guard B.J. Finally, on October 18, 1967, A.L. There was also a major change on the sidelines, where Doug Collins was replaced by assistant Phil Jackson, a specialist in the triangle offense. President Joe Cronin promised Finley that he could move the team after three years, and the suit was dropped. In 1989-90, Jordan led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season, and was joined on the all-star squad for the first time by Scottie Pippen. When Finley reacted to the Louisville vote by filing a lawsuit against Municipal Stadium, A.L.

The new starting lineup of Paxson, Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright took some time to mesh, winning fewer games than the previous season, but making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were subdued in six games by the eventual NBA champion Pistons. These requests came as no surprise, as rumors of impending moves to Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, San Diego and Seattle had long been afloat. Popular power forward Charles Oakley, who had led the league in total rebounds in both '87 and '88, was traded to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright and a draft pick which they used on center Will Perdue. By another 9-1 vote his request was denied. The 1988-89 season marked a second straight year of major off-season moves. In 1964, he signed an agreement to move the A’s to Louisville, Kentucky (and hinted the team's name would change to "Louisville Sluggers"). However, for his efforts Jordan was named NBA Most Valuable Player, the first of five such awards. His request was denied by a 9-1 vote.

With Paxson and Jordan in the backcourt, Brad Sellers and Oakley at the forward spots, Corzine anchoring center, and rookies Pippen and Grant coming off the bench, the Bulls made major noise, winning 50 games and advancing to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were beaten by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons in five games. owners for permission to move the Athletics to Arlington, Texas. In 1987-88 Krause selected center Olden Polynice 8th overall and power forward Horace Grant 10th overall in the NBA draft, then sent Polynice to Seattle in a draft-day trade for the 5th selection, small forward Scottie Pippen. On September 18, 1962, after less than two full years of ownership, Finley asked the A.L. However, the Bulls were again swept by the Celtics in the playoffs. But, while laying the groundwork for a future championship team, Finley began shopping the Athletics to other cities, despite his promises that the A’s would remain in Kansas City. In 1986-87 Jordan continued his assault on the record books, leading the league in scoring with 37.1 points per game and being the first Bull named to the all-NBA first team. And, in 1963, he replaced the traditional elephant mascot with a Missouri mule – not just a cartoon logo, but a real mule, which he named after himself -- “Charlie O, the Mule.”.

Though the Bulls were swept, Jordan recorded a playoff single-game record 63 points in Game 2, prompting Bird to call him 'God disguised as Michael Jordan.'. In 1963, he changed the team’s colors to “Kelly Green, Fort Knox Gold and Wedding Gown White.” In 1967, he replaced the team’s traditional black cleats with white ones. Jordan returned for the playoffs, and took the 8th-place Bulls up against the 67-15 Boston Celtics, led by Larry Bird. Finley also made changes to the team’s uniforms. After Jordan suffered a broken foot early in the season, the team also acquired NBA legend George Gervin to help with scoring, which he did, finishing second on the team to Woolridge in scoring. The Athletics, owners of the worst record in the American League in 1964, had the first pick in the first draft, selecting Rick Monday on June 8, 1965. Along with Jordan and center Dave Corzine, they provided much of the Bulls' offense for the next two years. Thus, Finley was spared from having to compete with wealthier teams for top talent.

In the offseason, the team acquired point guard John Paxson and drafted power forward Charles Oakley. He was assisted in this endeavor by the creation of the baseball draft in 1965, which forced young prospects to sign with the team that drafted them – at the price offered by the team – if they wanted to play professional baseball. The team, with new management in owner Jerry Reinsdorf and General Manager Jerry Krause, decided to rebuild around Jordan. Jordan set franchise records during his rookie campaign for scoring (3rd in the league) and steals (4th in the league), and led the Bulls back to the playoffs, for which he was rewarded with a berth on the All-NBA second team and Rookie of the Year. More importantly, he poured resources into the minor league system for the first time. Jordan would go on to redefine the game and rewrite its record books, establishing himself as arguably the greatest player ever. He purchased a bus, pointed it in the direction of New York City, and had it burned, to symbolize the end of the “special relationship” with the Yankees. After the Rockets selected Hakeem Olajuwon and the Blazers jumped on Sam Bowie, the Bulls grabbed shooting guard Michael Jordan. Finley, though, promised the fans a new day.

In the summer of 1984 the team's fortunes changed for good when it received the third pick of the NBA draft, after Houston and Portland. The Athletics finished in a tie for dead last with the expansion Washington Senators, nine games behind the other expansion team, the Los Angeles Angels. However, with continued dismal results, the Bulls decided to change directions, trading Theus during the 1983-84 season. In 1961, Finley's first year as team owner, the American League had expanded to ten teams. After Gilmore was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for center Dave Corzine, the Bulls employed a high-powered offense centered around Theus, and which soon included guards Quentin Daly and Ennis Whatley. Finley, who soon thereafter bought out the minority owners. Artis Gilmore, acquired in the ABA dispersal-draft in 1976, led a Bulls squad which included guard Reggie Theus, forward David Greenwood, and forward Orlando Woolridge. In December of that year, controlling interest in the team was purchased by another Chicagoan, insurance executive Charles O.

By the late 1970s and early 80s, the team had hit the cellar of the league. Arnold died in 1960. Nevertheless, the team only won one division title, and never made it to the Finals. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the "Old" Yankees became less competitive after Charles O. Finley bought the A's and stopped providing talent to the Yankees. During the 1970s, the Bulls were known as a tough, defensive-minded team, built around hard-nosed defender Jerry Sloan, forwards Bob Love and Chet Walker, point guard Norm Van Lier, and center Tom Boerwinkle. Once "home," Terry became a 20-game winner for New York. Over the next few years, the Bulls assembled the pieces to be competitive, though they never quite reached the top. batters, Terry apparently was ready to return. In May, 1959 the Yankees sent Jerry Lumpe and two washed-up pitchers to the Athletics for Terry.

The team began play for the 1966-67 season, and immediately posted the best record by an expansion team in NBA history, qualifying for the playoffs. After getting nearly two years of experience facing A.L. The Chicago Bulls are actually the third NBA team in Chicago, after the Packers/Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards) and the Stags (1946-1950). So, in June, 1957 they traded him to the A's in an eight-player deal. The Chicago Bulls are a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees brought up a promising young pitcher, Ralph Terry, in 1956, but were reluctant to use him in critical situations. Bulls.Blogspot.com - Chicago Bulls Weblog (http://bulls.blogspot.com/). However, there were others.

AmIAnnoying.com - Chicago Bulls (http://www.amiannoying.com/view.aspx?id=11503). The trade no one ever forgot was the one made after the 1959 season, when the A’s sent young right fielder Roger Maris to New York for his aging counterpart, Hank Bauer, in a seven-player deal. Official Chicago Bulls Summer Pro League web site (http://www.summerproleague.com/). In fact, Johnson had a pre-existing cozy relationship with the Yankees' front office, an obvious conflict of interest that was winked at by the rulers of the game at that time. Chicago Bulls official web site (http://www.nba.com/bulls/). Attendance declined, with fans and even other clubs charging that the A’s were little more than a minor league farm team for the Yankees. G-F - #9 Luol Deng (Duke). It didn’t work.

C - #2 Eddy Curry (Thornwood HS, Calumet City, Illinois). The cash was used to pay the bills, with the veterans perhaps having star appeal that could improve attendance. G - #30 Frank Williams (Illinois). During the Johnson ownership, any good young players on the Athletics were invariably traded to the Yankees for aging veterans and cash. C - #35 Jared Reiner (Iowa). What no one realized at the time was that that number would remain the club record for attendance until 1982 -- the Athletics’ 15th season in Oakland!. SG - #52 Eric Piatkowski (Nebraska). In 1955, the new Kansas City Athletics drew 1,393,054 to newly renovated and newly renamed Municipal Stadium, a club record easily surpassing the previous record of 945,076 in 1948.

G - #15 Jannero Pargo (Arkansas). When Arnold Johnson moved the Athletics to Kansas City, fans turned out in record numbers for the era. SF - #44 Adrian Griffin (Seton Hall). pennants, their overall record from 1901-1954 was 3,886 games won and 4,239 games lost, for an overall winning percentage of but .478. PG - #7 Ben Gordon (UConn). Though they won 5 World Series and 9 A.L. PF - #51 Lawrence Funderburke (Ohio State). Connie Mack once said, “You can’t win them all.” The Philadelphia A’s didn’t come close.

C - #3 Tyson Chandler (Dominguez HS, Compton, California). Newspaper writers also often referred to the team as the "Mackmen" during their Philadelphia days, in honor of their patriarch. PG - #21 Chris Duhon (Duke). The team name is typically pronounced "ath-LET-ics", but their long-time team owner Connie Mack called them by the old-fashioned colloquial pronunciation "ath-uh-LET-ics". SG - #12 Kirk Hinrich (Kansas). Eventually the American League club, initially known by the storied name "Athletic of Philadelphia", went with the normal flow and became the plural "Philadelphia Athletics". C - #34 Antonio Davis (UTEP). That practice continued into the 1900s.

PF - #36 Othella Harrington (Georgetown). In the various league standings they were listed as "Athletic" rather than "Philadelphia". SF - #5 Andres Nocioni (Argentina). The members of the Athletic team wore an old-English "A" to emphasize the point. GM Jerry Krause. From the beginning in the 1860s, the actual team name was the singular "Athletic of Philadelphia". COACH Phil Jackson. That oddity echoed the team's origins.

23 Michael Jordan. The typical uniform had only a stylized "A" on the left front, and likewise the cap usually had the same "A" on it. 10 Bob Love. Furthermore, not once did "Philadelphia" appear on the uniform, nor did the letter "P" appear on the cap or the uniform. 4 Jerry Sloan. An interesting note is that, except for 1954 when the uniforms had "Athletics" spelled out in script across the front, the team's name never appeared on either home or road uniforms. Bill Wennington. On October 12, 1954, the owners voted to approve the sale of the Athletics to another Chicagoan, real estate developer Arnold Johnson, so that he could move the team to Kansas City for the 1955 season.

Chet Walker. Finley), the American League owners were determined to "solve" the "Philadelphia problem" by moving the team elsewhere. Norm Van Lier. Though last minute offers were put on the table to buy the Athletics to keep them in Philadelphia (including one made by Chicago insurance executive Charles O. Jerry Sloan. During that year the team wore uniforms trimmed in blue and gold, in honor of the Golden Jubilee of "The Grand Old Man of Baseball." However, the team continued to slide, attendance plummeted, and revenues continued to dwindle. Dennis Rodman. The 1950 season would be 88-year-old Mack’s 50th and last as A’s manager, a Major League record that will surely never be broken.

Scottie Pippen. By now Mack and his immediate family were the team’s sole stockholders, and he had no intention of firing himself. John Paxson. Save for a 5th place finish in 1944, the A’s finished in last or next-to-last place every year from 1935-1946. Luc Longley. Though he intended to rebuild once more, Mack was already 68 years old when the A’s last won the pennant in 1931, and many felt the game was passing him by. Toni Kukoc. The Athletics finished 5th in 1934, then last in 1935.

Steve Kerr. The construction of the "spite fence" at Shibe Park, blocking the view from nearby buildings, only served to irritate potential paying fans. Johnny Kerr. After a second-place finish in 1932 and 3rd in 1933, Mack again sold or traded his best players in order to reduce expenses. The Great Depression was well under way, and declining attendance had drastically reduced the team’s revenues. Michael Jordan. There are those who feel the 1929 A’s were the best team in baseball history, even surpassing the 1927 Yankees. Ron Harper. In each of the three years, the A's won over 100 games.

Horace Grant. In 1927 and 1928, the Athletics finished second to the New York Yankees, then won pennants in 1929, 1930 and 1931, winning the World Series in 1929 and 1930. Artis Gilmore. After that, Mack began to build another winner. Bill Cartwright. The team would finish in last place every year after that until 1922, when it finished 7th. Armstrong. As a result, the Athletics went from a 99-53 (.651) won-loss record and 1st place finish in 1914, to a record of 43-109 (.283) and 8th (last) place in 1915, and then to a modern major league low winning percentange of 36-117 (.235) in 1916.

B.J. teams, preferring to let the "prima donnas" go and rebuild with younger (and less expensive) players. Robert Parish. Mack refused to match the offers of the F.L. Nate Thurmond. teams for players. George Gervin. and N.L.

had done 13 years before, the new league raided existing A.L. As the A.L. A third major league, the Federal League, had been formed to begin play in 1914. Mack himself alluded to that rumor years later, but also debunked it, asserting that factions within the team along with the allure of the Federal League had distracted the team.

In his book To Every Thing a Season, Bruce Kuklick points out that there were suspicions that the A's had thrown the Series, or at least "laid down", perhaps in protest of Mack's notorious thriftiness. After the heavily favored A’s lost the 1914 World Series to the underdog Boston Braves in a 4-game sweep, Connie Mack traded, sold or released most of the team’s star players. Plank holds the club record for career victories, with 284. The team was known for its “$100,000 Infield,” consisting of John "Stuffy" McInnis (1b), Eddie Collins (2b), Frank "Home Run" Baker (3b) and Jack Barry (ss), as well as pitchers Eddie Plank and Charles "Chief" Bender.

They won over 100 games in 1911 and 1912, and 99 games in 1914. pennant six times (1902, 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1914), winning the World Series in 1910, 1911 and 1913. In the early years, the A’s won the A.L. As a Philadelphia team, the Athletics were either a very good team or a very bad team.

Lajoie was traded to the Cleveland Broncos (now the Cleveland Indians) and did not set foot on Pennsylvania soil until the National Agreement was signed between the two leagues in 1903. This order, though, was only enforceable in the state of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia Phillies. teams received a jolt when, on April 21, 1902, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated Nap Lajoie's contract with the Athletics, and ordered him returned to his former team, the N.L.

The Athletics as well as the 7 other A.L. contracts. in defiance of their N.L. The new league recruited many of its players from the existing National League, persuading them to “jump” to the A.L.

The team’s inaugural year saw second baseman Nap Lajoie [la-ZHWAY] lead the league in hitting with a .426 batting average, still an American League record. After John McGraw told reporters that Shibe had a “white elephant on his hands," Mack defiantly adopted the white elephant as the team mascot, though over the years the elephant has appeared in several different colors. In fact, the name "Athletic" for Philadelphia's team dated back to the "amateur" days of the national game, in the 1860s. Mack in turn persuaded Philadelphia manufacturer Benjamin Shibe as well as others to invest in the team, which would be called the Philadelphia Athletics, a name used by earlier teams in the National Association, National League, and American Association.

President Bancroft (Ban) Johnson recruited former player Connie Mack to run the club. A.L. The Athletic franchise was formed in 1901, one of eight charter members of the American League, the others being the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington Senators. The team is often called the A's.

They are in the Western Division of the American League. The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. Phoenix Athletics. Stockton Ports
Kane County Cougars
Vancouver Canadians.

Midland RockHounds. Sacramento River Cats. American League
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Pitching Strikeouts: 349 Rube Waddell (1904). Pitching Wins: 31 Lefty Grove (1931), Jack Coombs (1910). Walks: 149 Eddie Joost (1949). Strikeouts: 175 Jose Canseco (1986).

Hitting Streak: 25 games Jason Giambi (1997). Stolen Bases: 130 Rickey Henderson (1982) (Major League Record). Triples: 12 Phil Garner (1976). Doubles: 47 Jason Giambi (2001).

Runs: 123 Reggie Jackson (1969). Hits: 204 Miguel Tejada (2002). Batting Average: .342 Jason Giambi (2001). Runs Batted In: 137 Jason Giambi (2000).

Home Runs: 52 Mark McGwire (1996). Dick Williams. Billy Martin. Connie Mack, Owner, General Manager, Manager 1901-1951.

Ken Macha. Tony La Russa. Art Howe. Charlie Finley.

Alvin Dark. Billy Beane, General Manager 1997-present. Sandy Alderson. 43 Dennis Eckersley (will be retired August 13, 2005).

42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). 34 Rollie Fingers. 27 Catfish Hunter. 9 Reggie Jackson.

Joe Rudi (1974-76). Vic Power [PHI] (1954) - [KC] (1955-58). Mark McGwire (1990). Ray Fosse (1971).

Eric Chavez (2001-04). Gold Glove Award