J oe Rudi stepped to the plate He and the Oakland Athletics were tied 2 2 with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth game of the 1974 World Series Rudi was a star for the A’s But the Dodgers pitcher Mike Marshall was no slouch He would go on to win the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the National League NL that season On this night Rudi got the best of Marshall Rudi blasted a pitch over the fence to give the A’s a 3 2 lead It was the only run Marshall ever gave up in a postseason game It also hap pened to be the run that gave the World Series champion ship to the A’s Rudi’s home run helped the A’s claim the World Series title for the third year in a row This is the greatest one yet A’s owner Charlie Fin ley said Every one feels better than the last Winning three World Series championships in a row is not an easy feat The New Oakland Athletics players celebrate after winning the 1974 World Series Oakland Athletics players celebrate after winning the 1974 World Series It was the team’s eighth World Series title It was the team’s eighth World Series title TEAM OF THE 70S 5
PRIME TIME PLAYER Reggie Jackson is best known for his heroics with the New York Yankees but he got his start as a young slugger with the Athletics Jackson played for the A's from 1967 to 1975 and then again in 1987 He helped the A's win five straight division championships and three straight World Series titles from 1972 to 1974 In 1973 he was named the World Series Most Valu able Player MVP after hitting 310 with a homer and six runs batted in during the Series During his first nine seasons with the A's Jackson was a six-time All-Star and was the AL's MVP in 1973 In 1993 Jackson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame When he retired only five players had more career home runs than his 563 The home run is very important to me he said in 1972 Those taters them they can't ever take away from you 6 OAKLAND ATHLETICS York Yankees have done it three times four in a row from 1936 to 1939 five in a row from 1949 to 1953 and three in a row from 1998 to 2000 But the Oakland Athletics of 1972 1973 and 1974 are the only other team in Major League Baseball MLB his tory to accomplish the feat Maybe we’ll finally get the recognition we deserve star outfielder Reggie Jackson said after the third win No one ever gives us any credit The A’s dynasty began in 1971 the team’s fourth season in Oakland After 13 losing years in Kansas City a crop of talented young players began coming together when the team moved west The A’s won 101 games and the American League AL West in 1971 but lost in the playoffs They came back in 1972 to win 93 games The A’s then surprised the NL
A’s third baseman Sal Bando slams a double to center field that scores the winning run in the 1972 World Series champion Cincinnati Reds to win their first World Series in 42 years The A’s needed seven games to beat the Reds in 1972 Those seven games were as close as could be Six of them were decided by one run including all four games the A’s won The championship was even more remarkable because Oakland did it without Jackson He had anchored the A’s lineup with 25 home runs that season But he injured his leg during the Heroic Effort Heroic Effort Gene Tenace was a backup catcher Gene Tenace was a backup catcher Gene Tenace was a backup catcher Gene Tenace was a backup catcher for most of 1972 He hit only five ffor most of 1972 He hit only five for most of 1972 He hit only five home runs all season But during home runs all season But duri home runs all season But during home runs all season But during the 1972 World Series he caught the 1972 World Series he caught the 1972 World Series he caught t fire and won the Series MVP He hit fire and won the Series MVP He hit fire and won the Series MVP He hit fire and won the Series MVP He hit home runs in each of his first two o home runs in each of his first two home runs in each of his first two at-bats in the Series becoming the at-bats in the Series becoming the at-bats in the Series becoming the at-bats in the Series becoming the first player to ever do that and first player to ever do that and first player to ever do that and first player to ever do that and f ffinished with four homers in the finished with four homers in the seven games He had a 348 average seven games He had a 348 average seven games He had a 348 average seven games He had a 348 average and drove in nine runs during the and drove in nine runs during the and drove in nine runs during the and drove in nine runs during the 1972 Series 1972 Series f TEAM OF THE 70S 7
