Philadelphia Athletics (1860–1876)

The Philadelphia Athletics were an early professional baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, active from 1860 to 1876. This iteration of the Athletics is distinct from the later American League team of the same name that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954.

The early Athletics were one of the strongest amateur teams in the pre-professional era. They were a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP) in 1858 and consistently a top contender. With the rise of professionalism in the late 1860s, the Athletics began paying some of their players.

In 1871, the Athletics became a charter member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP), the first professional baseball league in the United States. They won the inaugural National Association championship that year. The team continued to play in the National Association for its entire existence (1871-1875), finishing in the top half of the league standings each year except for 1875.

In 1876, the Athletics became a charter member of the National League, the successor to the National Association. However, they were expelled from the National League later that season for refusing to travel to play games in the Western cities of St. Louis and Louisville. This marked the end of this particular iteration of the Philadelphia Athletics.

Key players for the Athletics during this period included Dick McBride, Cap Anson, and Al Reach. Their home field was initially at various locations before settling at the Jefferson Street Grounds.