Team of the '70s

The Athletics closed out their tumultuous thirteen-year tenure in Kansas City losing 15 of their last 18 games, culminating in a four-game sweep against the Yankees on the final weekend of the 1967 season. 

Finishing 10th out of 10 teams in the American League for the third time in four years was hardly surprising for Charlie Finley's club. Notably it was 9th-place New York who finished dead last the prior year; 1966 was the first time the Yankees resided in the AL cellar since changing their name from the Highlanders. They would not return to the World Series until once again prying away stars from the A's.

Today we'll revisit the rise and fall of a dynasty in Part III -- Team of the '70s.

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During the 1967 season, American League owners had approved Charlie Finley's proposal to move the Athletics from the center of the country to the west coast. A state-of-the-art multi-purpose stadium built for the Oakland Raiders had opened in 1966, and the A's second relocation would give California a second American League team to match the two National League squads in the Golden state. 

The Athletics' season opener was scheduled for Tuesday, April 9 in Baltimore. However, Opening Day was postponed until April 10th due to the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Oakland inherited the youngest roster in Athletics franchise history. In '67 the team's oldest starter was 27 year-old right fielder Mike Hershberger, who hit just 26 home runs in his 11-year career. In 1968, 22 year-old Reggie Jackson pushed Hershberger to the bench, smacking a team-leading 29 home runs in his rookie season alone - including one on Opening Day. 

Owner Charlie Finley had assumed general manager duties and brought in a new coaching staff including manager Bob Kennedy and All-Star catcher Sherm Lollar as pitching coach. Finley also hired a former All-Star (who grew up across the bay in San Francisco) as the A's hitting coach.

Hey... that guy on the far left looks familiar... is that..?

Yes, Joe DiMaggio coached the young Athletics hitters for their first season in Oakland. The A's offense improved under his tutelage, jumping from 8th among AL teams in runs scored to 4th in 1968. Oakland's pitchers improved from a last-place runs allowed ranking in '67 to a respectable sixth place in the "year of the pitcher." Such progress resulted in an 82-80 record, the first winning season for the A's since 1952.

Another round of expansion added two teams to each league in 1969*, resulting in four divisions and an expanded postseason. The pitching mound was lowered and the strike zone was adjusted to inject more offense into a noticeably lower-scoring game.

Now a member of the American League West, the Athletics' young core continued trending upward. Third baseman Sal Bando started every game in both 1968 and '69; his on-base percentage jumped from .314 to .400, his walk total doubled, and his home run production soared from 9 long balls in '68 to a career-high 31 in '69.

 *a side note - this round of expansion was originally scheduled for 1971. However, when Finley moved his A's out of Kansas City in '67, Missouri Senator Stuart Symington demanded restitution - which hastened the addition of the Royals (along with the Pilots, Padres, and Expos - all of whom had various struggles in their early years.)

Despite the rule changes designed to increase offense, A's ace Jim "Catfish" Hunter matched his prior year production in several categories, posting the exact same ERA (3.35) while allowing the same amount of hits and runs over 13 more innings in 1969. All-Star John "Blue Moon" Odom tied Hunter for the team lead in strikeouts and shutouts, posting a 15-6 record and 2.92 ERA. Two notable rookies joined the pitching staff in '69, a 19 year-old lefty named Vida Blue, and a right-handed reliever named Rollie Fingers.

The offense was once again led by their slugging right fielder, Reggie Jackson. In just his second full season, the 23 year-old set career highs in runs scored, home runs, RBI, and walks. He was named to his first All-Star team and already had 37 home runs at the break - on pace to break the single-season homer mark set by former Athletics right fielder Roger Maris (Charlie Finley's not gonna let the Yanks get their hands on Reggie... right?)

Though he hit only ten home runs in the second half of '69, Jackson still finished third in the majors with 47 long balls. A sophomore season like that would have card collectors in a frenzy today, but at the time Topps had just released Reggie's rookie card.

As the 1970s began, it seemed a matter of when, not if, Oakland would pass Minnesota for supremacy in the new AL West. The A's had finished second out of six teams in '69, 9 games behind the Twins. Under new manager John McNamara, the 1970 squad finished... second in the AL West, 9 games behind the Twins.

Finley had acquired some veteran help in first baseman Don Mincher, outfielder Felipe Alou, and reliever Jim "Mudcat" Grant. Near the end of a superlative '70 season, Grant was acquired by the Pirates for their pennant run. A few months later Alou was shipped to the Yankees, clearing the way for Joe Rudi to start in left field. Mincher led the Athletics in home runs with 27, picking up some of the slack from a slumping Reggie Jackson.

In what would be his worst season of the decade, Jackson managed just 101 hits and 23 home runs. At one point, Finley threatened to send his star slugger down to the minors. Hunter would represent the A's in the All-Star Game.

Reggie would re-assert himself in '71, particularly in the midsummer classic.

Oakland was 56-31 at the All-Star break, 11.5 games up on second place Kansas City and poised to punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time in 40 years. Dick Williams - their tenth manager in as many seasons - molded a roster full of raw talent into a championship contender. Seven of their eight starting position players hit at least ten home runs, with speedy leadoff man Bert Campaneris the only exception. The five-man rotation was anchored not by Hunter or Odom, but young phenom Vida Blue - who won the Cy Young and MVP Award in his first full season at age 21.

These A's were loaded. They were ready. They... were swept by Baltimore in the ALCS.

But they would be back in 1972, with a new approach - and a new look. Reggie Jackson reported to Spring Training sporting a mustache. Dick Williams disliked the display of individuality but couldn't force Jackson to shave. A few of the A's pitchers (most notably Rollie Fingers) began growing mustaches as a protest, which angered Williams but delighted Finley. The A's owner offered $300 to any player who would grow a mustache. By the end of the '72 season every Athletics player - and their manager - had a mustache.

Campy might have needed the whole summer to grow his

Oakland's trendsetting squad won the AL West for the second straight year. Breakout star Joe Rudi earned his first All-Star selection and finished second to Dick Allen in AL MVP voting after leading the league with 181 hits. Hunter finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting after posting a sterling 21-7 record and 2.04 ERA; he got the start in Game 1 of the ALCS against Detroit but Fingers earned the win in relief.

Both league championship series and the 1972 World Series went the full 5 or 7 games and all three series were decided by a single run. The Athletics' first World Series in Oakland saw them battle the clean-shaven Cincinnati Reds in a match-up of "Hairs vs. Squares" The Swingin' A's emerged victorious, bringing a World Series title to the Bay area in just their fifth season.

Oakland won another five-game ALCS in 1973, with Hunter shutting out the Orioles in the deciding fifth game. The A's met Tom Seaver and the New York Mets in the World Series, who finished the regular season just above .500 at 82-79 but had Oakland's backs against the wall after their Game 5 win.

Reggie Jackson got revenge on the team that passed him up in the 1966 draft with a three-hit, two-RBI performance in Game 6. Jackson and Campaneris homered in Game 7 to seal the comeback victory.

Jackson earned AL MVP and World Series MVP honors in 1973, pacing the league in runs scored, home runs, and runs batted in while raising his batting average to a career-high 2.93 and lowering his strikeout total to a career-low 111. Sal Bando finished fourth in AL MVP voting, while Catfish Hunter finished third in Cy Young voting.

How long could Oakland keep this going? The core of Jackson, Bando, Rudi, Campaneris, Hunter, Odom, Fingers, Vida Blue, and Gene Tenace remained in place entering the 1974 season. Pitcher Ken Holtzman, acquired from the Cubs for Rick Monday, had been an All-Star in each of his first two seasons with the A's. Bill North slid into Monday's spot in center field - and slid into dozens of bases as the A's newest speedster.

With North, Campaneris, and pinch runner Herb Washington causing havoc on the basepaths, the Athletics were living up to their moniker. All three finished among the American League leaders in stolen bases; North finished first with 54.

The A's finished first as well, ending the '74 season five games ahead of the second-place Texas Rangers for the AL West crown. This time, the A's only needed four games to defeat the Orioles in the LCS and return to the World Series with a chance to three-peat. Standing in their way were the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers, making the 1974 fall classic the first between two California clubs.

Four of the five games ended with a 3-2 score, and three of those ended with an Oakland victory. World Series MVP Rollie Fingers shut the door on Dodger bats, earning a win and two saves.

Charlie Finley had built a dynasty in Oakland. No franchise before or since has won three consecutive World Series titles - aside from the Yankees.

As long as there were no major financial disputes between ownership and players, the Athletics could collect trophies well into the 1980s.

Oh.

Charlie Finley failed to honor the exact terms of Hunter's contract. This breach cracked open the door to free agency, allowing Catfish to choose his employer for the 1975 season and beyond. The Royals, Padres, and Pirates were among the teams bidding for the Cy Young winner's services. The Yankees, who had missed the playoffs for a tenth straight season in 1974, would not be denied.

Hunter's exodus didn't shift the balance of power immediately, though a transition was certainly underway. Pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally followed Hunter's lead and played the 1975 season without contracts, invalidating the reserve clause. New York slid from second in the AL East before the landmark acquisition of Catfish to third in his first season in pinstripes.

Oakland kept on winning without their "boss", filling out their rotation with veteran arms nearing the end of their careers. Joe Rudi moved to first base to clear left field for 20 year-old rookie Claudell Washington, and the A's acquired a Hall of Fame slugger from the Cubs to be their DH.

Spare a thought for poor Billy Williams, who toiled away on Chicago's north side for 16 playoff-less seasons before the three-time World Champion Athletics acquired him. He made his postseason debut at age 37 in the 1975 ALCS, going 0-7 with a walk in the Red Sox' shocking three game sweep. Williams stayed with the A's for one more season, just as the Athletics dynasty was unraveling.

Attendance had peaked at Oakland Coliseum in 1975, bringing in the most fans for an Athletics season since their first year in Kansas City. By the end of the 1970s, attendance had withered to less than 4,000 per game. Free agency was about to significantly change baseball, and Charlie Finley knew it. He attempted to outmaneuver the mass exodus of star power by offloading his players before they hit the open market. 

He started with the team's superduperstar, trading Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman to Baltimore just before opening day 1976, receiving outfielder Don Baylor and pitcher Mike Torrez in return. It was only the beginning. In June, Finley sold Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Red Sox and Vida Blue to the Yankees.

source: Dick Allen Hall of Fame

Before Finley could sell off any more stars, Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the deals, invoking the "best interest of the game" clause. Despite the chaos, Oakland finished just 2.5 games back of AL West winner Kansas City in '76. The A's 87-74 record was their worst since the team's first season in California. It would get worse in a hurry.

Fingers, Rudi, Campaneris, Sal Bando, and Gene Tenace would all leave Oakland after the 1976 season. Even newly-acquired Don Baylor and short-term-stop legend Willie McCovey jumped ship. What did ol' Charlie O. receive in return for these talented players?

1977 was an expansion year, as the American league added teams in Toronto and Seattle. Just like they had in 1961, the Athletics managed to under-perform a brand new team comprised of castoffs. The Mariners finished one-half game ahead of the once-mighty Athletics in the AL West.

Meanwhile Reggie Jackson brought his star to the Bronx, signing with George Steinbrenner's Yankees. With former A's Hunter, Holtzman, and Mike Torrez joining Ron Guidry in the rotation New York took full advantage of the sport's new economic landscape. The "Bronx Zoo" had its share of drama as disparate personalities clashed [a subject for another blogger] yet they survived the personal spats and back-page tabloid gossip to win back-to-back World Series. Jackson, the newly-crowned "Mr. October", was series MVP in 1977. His former team in Oakland had finished last in the AL West, with a 63-98 record.

Vida Blue was the last core member of Oakland's three-time champions to depart; Finley traded him across the bay to the Giants before the start of the 1978 season. The increasingly meddlesome owner attempted to sell the entire franchise, which would have had the Athletics moving once again.

By the end of the decade, the A's had hit rock bottom on the field and at the turnstiles. The total attendance of 306,763 during the 1979 season is the lowest total in Oakland by far. For comparison, the 2024 A's, playing in a Coliseum well past its expiration date, with a lackluster roster and a fan base largely unwilling to attend games as a protest against current owner John Fisher... have already drawn over 100,000 more fans than the '79 squad. 

 

On April 17th 1979, the A's defeated Seattle before a crowd of roughly 250 fans.

The Athletics had built and dismantled a championship ballclub three times. Their maverick owner was looking to cash out, unable or unwilling to compete for star players on the open market. Just as in Kansas City and Philadelphia, the franchise was on the verge of collapse.

 

But, as a new decade dawned, two figures arrived in Oakland to inject some life in the moribund A's. One of Charlie Finley's last acts as owner was the hiring of a former Yankee with a championship pedigree as a player and manager.

Billy Martin had a challenge ahead of him in 1980, but there were some solid pieces to work with - including All-Star catcher Jeff Newman, outfielders Dwayne Murphy and Tony Armas, pitchers Mike Norris and Steve McCatty... and this young man:

 

 

We'll follow Rickey, Jose, Big Mac, and the A's on their road back to World Series glory in the fourth installment of Saturdays with the A's. I hope you'll join me for Bash! next month. 

Thanks for reading!



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