Kansas City A's Announcement: Arnold Johnson and Officials Celebrate 1955 Move
This page from the 1955 Sporting News Baseball Ball Guide documents a significant event in Major League Baseball history: the transfer of the Philadelphia Athletics to Kansas City. On November 8, 1954, Kansas City's Mayor William Kemp is shown on the left, celebrating the formal approval of the move. In the center, Arnold Johnson, the new owner who purchased the franchise from the Mack family, is holding a T-shirt emblazoned with "Kansas City." The right side features Will Harridge, then-President of the American League, displaying another T-shirt. The relocation marked the beginning of the Athletics’ era in Kansas City, where they would compete in the American League. This move is a notable moment in the context of the 1950s baseball landscape, reflecting the ongoing shifts in team locations during this period.