The Angels–Athletics rivalry is a

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) divisional

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

played between the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

and the

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competitio ...

. Both teams compete as member clubs of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...

(AL)

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

division, and both teams have grown a steady rivalry since the Athletics' relocation to California and to the AL West in 1968. Though not as intense as the

Dodgers–Giants rivalry The Dodgers–Giants rivalry is regarded as one of the fiercest and longest-standing rivalries in American baseball, with some observers considering it the greatest sports rivalry of all time. It dates back to the late 19th century, when both c ...

equivalent in the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

(NL)

; the A's and Angels have often battled for the division title on numerous occasions, with the added animosity between Northern and Southern California fueling the matchups. Despite this; the Athletics' impending relocation to

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

likely wouldn't exclude geography as a factor, as Las Vegas is closer in proximity to Southern California. The Athletics lead the series 541–498, and the two teams have yet to meet in the postseason.

Background

The Angels joined the American in 1961 as an expansion team. The Athletics relocated to Oakland in 1968 after owner

Charlie Finley Charles Oscar Finley (February 22, 1918 – February 19, 1996), nicknamed "Charlie O" or "Charley O", was an American businessman who owned Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas ...

endured much difficulty in securing a new ballpark in Kansas City, though Kansas City would later be granted an expansion franchise in 1969 known today as the Royals. The Athletics were one of the oldest franchises in league history, having joined the MLB in 1901 as the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...

. Both teams struggled mightily through the 1960s as both encountered mediocre play, however; the Athletics began to quickly emerge as postseason titans, winning three straight World Series titles from 1972 to 1974. The Angels found a brief moment of postseason success as they reached the playoffs for the first time in 1979. The A's continued to stay competitive through the 1980s as they managed three appearances across the decade in the ALCS, even managing to win yet another World Series in 1989. The Angels would also manage two appearances in the ALCS in 1982 and 1986, but lost both times. Both teams dealt with long term issues stemming from multiple mediocre seasons in which either team made the postseason, however; the rivalry began to have more implications within the division as the A's bolstered a younger lineup of future stars known famously as the "Moneyball" team. The Angels finished the 2002 season as runner-ups in the division, snagging a wild card berth; while the Athletics managed a record-setting 20 game win streak near the end of the season. Much to the shock of sportswriters and fans alike, the A's fell in the ALDS to the Minnesota Twins, while the Angels pushed on to win the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...

in an improbable playoff run. During the 2004 season, both teams came down to the wire tied for wins headed into the final series of the season, with the last three games being played in Oakland. Both teams were battling to secure the division title; however, Oakland fell in two crushing losses to the Angels with only one victory in the series coming in the final game of the year. Oakland would find themselves eliminated from the playoff hunt, though the Angels would go on to suffer a crushing sweep at the hands of the eventual champion Boston Red Sox. As of 2024, both teams have yet to meet in the postseason. The animosity waned yet again during the decade as both teams struggled mightily in either playoff contention or maintaining a winning record. Tension began to resurface between both teams in 2023, when Angels' third baseman

Anthony Rendon Anthony Michael Rendon (, ; born June 6, 1990) is an American baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Washington Nationals and was a member of the Nationals' 2019 World S ...

received a four-game suspension following an altercation with an Athletics fan during the season opener series in Oakland. The fan reportedly taunted Rendon for his injuries and play. In retaliation; Rendon attempted to rip the fan's shirt and was subsequently removed from the stadium and given a 4 game suspension. He was also fined an undisclosed amount.

Season-by-season results

, - , , Tie , 99 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , Tie
99 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Angels
2115 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 108 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Angels
2925 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Angels, 72 , style=";" , Angels
4131 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 135 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Angels, 72 , style=";" , Angels
5436 , The Angels team name was renamed to "California Angels" with a month of the season remaining , - , , Tie , 99 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Angels
6345 , Angels relocate to Anaheim and open

Anaheim Stadium Angel Stadium is a ballpark in Anaheim, California, United States. Since its opening in 1966, it has been the home venue of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), who relocated from Los Angeles to Anaheim following the 1965 seas ...

, - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 144 , style=";" , Angels, 90 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Angels
7749 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 135 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Angels
8262 , Athletics relocate to Oakland and play at

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, often shortened to the Oakland Coliseum, is a multi-purpose stadium in Oakland, California, United States. It serves as part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, located next to Oakland Arena. In ...

as the "Oakland Athletics" , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Angels
8874 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 108 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Angels
9684 , The Angels pitcher

Clyde Wright Clyde Wright (born February 20, 1941), nicknamed "Skeeter", is an American former professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, he played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the California Angels (1966–73), Milwauke ...

threw a no-hitter against the Athletics. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 117 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Angels
10395 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 108 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Angels
111105 , Athletics win

1972 World Series The 1972 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1972 season. The 69th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League champion Oakland Athletics and the National League ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , Tie
117117 , Athletics win

1973 World Series The 1973 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1973 Major League Baseball season, 1973 season. The 70th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American Leag ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Athletics
129123 , Athletics win

1974 World Series The 1974 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1974 season. The 71st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion (and two-time defending World ...

Athletics take a 121120 lead on June 24 in the series, a lead they would never relinquish. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 117 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
140130 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 126 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
152136 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 105 , Tie, 44 , style=";" , Athletics, 61 , style=";" , Athletics
162141 , AL expansion reduces the season series to 15 meetings per year. Athletics win ten straight season series. , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 96 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Angels, 53 , style=";" , Athletics
168150 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 103 , style=";" , Angels, 52 , style=";" , Angels, 51 , style=";" , Athletics
171160 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 103 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics, 61 , style=";" , Athletics
181163 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 82 , style=";" , Athletics, 40 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
189165 ,

Strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...

-shortened season , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 94 , style=";" , Angels, 51 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Athletics
193174 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 85 , style=";" , Athletics, 43 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
201179 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Angels, 52 , style=";" , Athletics
207186 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
214192 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 103 , style=";" , Angels, 51 , style=";" , Angels, 52 , style=";" , Athletics
217202 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Athletics, 52 , style=";" , Angels, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
224208 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 94 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics, 61 , style=";" , Athletics
233212 , Athletics lose

1988 World Series The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 85 , style=";" , Athletics, 43 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
241217 , Athletics win

1989 World Series The 1989 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1989 season. The 86th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 94 , style=";" , Athletics, 51 , style=";" , Athletics, 43 , style=";" , Athletics
250221 , Athletics lose

1990 World Series The 1990 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1990 season. The 87th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the defending champions and heavily favored American League (AL ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 121 , style=";" , Athletics, 61 , style=";" , Athletics, 60 , style=";" , Athletics
262222 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 85 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics, 52 , style=";" , Athletics
270227 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
277233 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 63 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics, 30 , style=";" , Athletics
283236 ,

-shortened season. Strike cancels postseason. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Angels, 52 , style=";" , Athletics, 51 , style=";" , Athletics
290242 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Athletics
297248 , Athletics win ten straight season series. , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 111 , style=";" , Angels, 51 , style=";" , Angels, 60 , style=";" , Athletics
298259 , The Angels team name was renamed to "Anaheim Angels." Angels win 12 straight meetings and 7 straight away meetings (199697) , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 75 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
305264 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 84 , style=";" , Angels, 51 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics
309272 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 85 , Tie, 33 , style=";" , Athletics, 52 , style=";" , Athletics
317277 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 146 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Athletics
331283 , MLB changed to an unbalanced schedule in 2001, resulting in 19-20 meetings per year. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 119 , style=";" , Angels, 64 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Athletics
342292 , The first season in which both teams qualify for playoffs. Angels win

2002 World Series The 2002 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 Major League Baseball season, 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL ...

, - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 128 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Athletics
354300 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 109 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Athletics
363310 , Both teams met in the final series of the season in Oakland and tied for first place in the AL West; the Angels won two of three games to win the division. , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 109 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics
372320 , The Angels team name was renamed to "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim." , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 118 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Angels, 73 , style=";" , Athletics
380331 ,

John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Ch ...

Jason Kendall Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball catcher who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Mil ...

brawl , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 109 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics
390340 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 109 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Athletics
399350 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 127 , style=";" , Athletics, 64 , style=";" , Angels, 81 , style=";" , Athletics
406362 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 118 , style=";" , Angels, 72 , style=";" , Athletics, 64 , style=";" , Athletics
414373 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 118 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
425381 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 109 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
435390 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 118 , style=";" , Athletics, 54 , style=";" , Athletics, 64 , style=";" , Athletics
446398 , On April 29, the teams played a 19-ining game that lasted 6 hours, 32 minutes, the longest game by time in Athletics history. The Athletics won the game on a

Brandon Moss Brandon Douglas Moss (born September 16, 1983) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athlet ...

walk-off home run.Today in Oakland A's history (4/29): Longest game in Oakland history ends in Brandon Moss walk-off
/ref> , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 109 , style=";" , Angels, 73 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
455408 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 118 , style=";" , Angels, 64 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , style=";" , Athletics
463419 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 127 , style=";" , Angels, 64 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Athletics
470431 , The Angels team name was reverted to "Los Angeles Angels." , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 127 , style=";" , Angels, 72 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics
477443 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 109 , style=";" , Angels, 54 , Tie, 55 , style=";" , Athletics
486453 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 136 , style=";" , Athletics, 63 , style=";" , Athletics, 73 , style=";" , Athletics
499459 , , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 64 , style=";" , Angels, 21 , style=";" , Athletics, 52 , style=";" , Athletics
505463 , Season shortened to 60 games (with 10 meetings) due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 154 , style=";" , Athletics, 82 , style=";" , Athletics, 72 , style=";" , Athletics
520467 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 127 , style=";" , Angels, 63 , style=";" , Angels, 64 , style=";" , Athletics
527479 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 76 , style=";" , Angels, 52 , style=";" , Athletics, 42 , style=";" , Athletics
533486 , Schedule structure modified this season to allow every team to play one series against every interleague team. Shortening meetings from 19 to 13 games. , - , , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 85 , style=";" , Angels, 43 , style=";" , Athletics, 51 , style=";" , Athletics
541491 , , - , , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 70 , style=";" , Angels, 30 , style=";" , Angels, 40 , style=";" , Athletics
541498 , Athletics move to

West Sacramento, California West Sacramento (also known as West Sac) is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. The city is separated from Sacramento, California, Sacramento by the Sacramento River, which also separates Sacramento County, California, Sacramento a ...

and only keep the franchise name, "Athletics". , - , California / Los Angeles Angels vs. Kansas City Athletics , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 7749 , style=";" , Angels, 4221 , style=";" , Angels, 3528 , , - , Los Angeles / Anaheim / California Angels vs. Oakland Athletics , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 492414 , style=";" , Athletics, 232221 , style=";" , Athletics, 260193 , , - , Los Angeles Angels vs. Athletics , style=";" , Angels , style=";" , 70 , style=";" , Angels, 30 , style=";" , Angels, 40 , Athletics move to

and only keep the franchise name, "Athletics". , - , Overall Regular season games , style=";" , Athletics , style=";" , 541498 , style=";" , Angels, 266253 , style=";" , Athletics, 288232 ,

References

;Inline citations Major League Baseball rivalries Los Angeles Angels Oakland Athletics Baseball in California Athletics (baseball) {{DEFAULTSORT:Angels-Athletics rivalry

Background

Season-by-season results

See also

References