The 1972

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

season involved the A's winning the

American League West The American League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The division has five teams as of the 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams curr ...

with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

, in which they defeated the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

for their sixth overall World Championship and first since

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

, when the club was in Philadelphia.

Offseason

* November 29, 1971:

Rick Monday Robert James "Rick" Monday Jr. (born November 20, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player who now serves as a broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1966 to 1984, most notably as a member ...

was traded by the Athletics to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

for

Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Chicago Cubs for whom he pitche ...

. * November 29, 1971: 1971 rule 5 draft **

Brant Alyea Garrabrant Ryerson Alyea (born December 8, 1940) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals. In 1965, ...

was drafted by the Athletics from the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

.Brant Alyea page at Baseball Reference
/ref> ** Steve Hovley was drafted from the Athletics by the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. * January 12, 1972:

1972 Major League Baseball Draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft. ''*'' Did not sign Other notable selections ''*'' Did not sign Background The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franc ...

(January Draft) notable picks: ::Round 9:

Rich Dauer Richard Fremont Dauer (born July 27, 1952) is an American baseball former infielder and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent his entire 10-year MLB playing career with the Baltimore Orioles, winning the 1983 World Series. He was primar ...

(did not sign) ::Round 10:

Bob Lacey Robert Joseph "Bob" Lacey, Jr. (born August 25, 1953) is former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, California Angels, and ...

* March 4, 1972:

Jim Panther James Edward Panther (born March 1, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , for the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves. Panther ...

and

Don Stanhouse Donald Joseph Stanhouse (born February 12, 1951) is a retired American professional baseball pitcher who had an eight-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1972–1980) with a brief comeback in 1982. He played for the Texas Rangers and Baltim ...

were traded by the Athletics to the Texas Rangers for

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain became ...

.Denny McLain page at Baseball Reference
/ref>

Regular season

In 1972, the A's began wearing solid green or solid gold jerseys, with contrasting white pants, at a time when most other teams wore all-white uniforms at home and all-grey ones on the road. Similar to more colorful amateur softball uniforms, they were considered a radical departure for their time. Furthermore, in conjunction with a Moustache Day promotion, Finley offered $300 to any player who grew a moustache by

Father's Day Father's Day is a holiday of honoring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society. In Catholic countries of Europe, it has been celebrated on 19 March as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages. In the United ...

, at a time when every other team traditionally forbade facial hair. When Father's Day arrived on Sunday, June 18, every player on the 25-man roster collected a bonus.

Changing the nickname

The nickname "A's" has long been used interchangeably with "Athletics", dating to the team's early days when headline writers wanted a way to shorten the name. Starting in 1972, the team nickname was officially "Oakland A's." The Commissioner's Trophy, given out annually to the winner of baseball's

, still listed the team's name as the "Oakland Athletics" on the gold-plated pennant representing the Oakland franchise. According to Bill Libby's Book, ''Charlie O and the Angry A's'', owner Charlie O. Finley banned the word "Athletics" from the club's name because he felt that name was too closely associated with former Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack, and he wanted the name "Oakland A's" to become just as closely associated with himself. The name also vaguely suggested the name of the old minor league Oakland Oaks, which were alternatively called the "Acorns".

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day Lineup

Notable transactions

* April 15, 1972: Tim Cullen was signed as a free agent by the Athletics. * May 15, 1972:

Dwain Anderson Dwain Cleaven Anderson (born November 23, 1947) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. Oakland A's The El Cerrito High School standout signed as an amateur free agent with the Kansas City A's in at just seventeen years old. He ba ...

was traded by the Athletics to the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

for Don Shaw. * May 17, 1972:

Curt Blefary Curtis Leroy "Clank" Blefary (July 5, 1943 – January 28, 2001) was an American professional baseball left fielder who played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1968), Houston Astros (1969), New York Yankees (1970–1971), ...

Mike Kilkenny Michael David Kilkenny (April 11, 1945 – June 28, 2018) was a Canadian professional baseball player who played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Born in Bradford, Ontario, the , left-hander was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur f ...

, and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

for Ollie Brown. The Athletics completed the trade by sending Greg Schubert (minors) to the Padres on September 11. * May 18, 1972: Brant Alyea was traded by the Athletics to the

for

Marty Martínez Orlando Martínez Oliva (August 23, 1941 – March 8, 2007) was a utility player, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball. Listed at 6' 0" , 170 lb. , Martínez was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. Born in Havana, Cuba, Martín ...

. * June 6, 1972:

(June Draft) notable picks: ::Round 1:

Chet Lemon Chester Earl Lemon (born February 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he grew up in Los Angeles. He was drafted in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft and played 16 seaso ...

::Round 9:

Dennis Littlejohn Dennis Gerald Littlejohn (October 4, 1954), is a former Major League Baseball player who played catcher from to . He would play for the San Francisco Giants. Littlejohn attended the University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoeve ...

(did not sign) ::Round 12:

Chris Batton Christopher Sean Batton (born August 24, 1954) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played part of one season in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics. Batton was drafted by the Athletics in the 12th round of the 1972 Major Lea ...

::Round 15:

Bob Pate Robert Wayne Pate (born December 3, 1953) is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played in 1980 and 1981 with the Montreal Expos. Listed at 6' 3", 200 lb., he batted and threw right handed.Diego Seguí Diego Pablo Seguí González (born August 17, 1937) is a Cuban former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Washington Senators, Seattle Pilots ...

was sent by the Athletics to the

as part of a conditional deal. * June 29, 1972: Denny McLain was traded by the Athletics to the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

for

Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes (; born September 17, 1937), nicknamed "the Baby Bull" and "Peruchin", is a Puerto Rican former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from 1958 to 1974, primarily the San Francisco Giants. A ...

. * July 20, 1972:

, Vic Harris and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the Texas Rangers for

Don Mincher Donald Ray Mincher (June 24, 1938 – March 4, 2012) was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and longtime minor league executive. He played in the majors from 1960–1972 for the "original" Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins, Cal ...

and

Ted Kubiak Theodore Rodger Kubiak (born May 12, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He played as an infielder in Major League Baseball from through , most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thr ...

. The Athletics completed the deal by sending Steve Lawson to the Rangers on July 26. * July 23, 1972:

was returned to the Athletics by the St. Louis Cardinals. * August 30, 1972: Joe Lindsey (minors) and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for

Dal Maxvill Charles Dallan Maxvill (born February 18, 1939) is a retired shortstop, coach and general manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his career, Maxvill played, coached, or was an executive for four World Series winners and seven league champ ...

. The Athletics completed the trade by sending Gene Dusen (minors) to the Cardinals on October 27.

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Other batters

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Pitching

Starting pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Other pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Relief pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Postseason

ALCS

Game 1

October 7, 1972, at

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home ba ...

Game 2

October 8, 1972, at

Game 3

October 10, 1972, at Tiger Stadium

Game 4

October 11, 1972, at Tiger Stadium

Game 5

October 12, 1972, at Tiger Stadium

World Series

In 1972, the A's won their first league pennant since

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

and faced the

in the

. The A's seven-game victory over the heavily favored Reds gave the team its first World Series Championship since

. Of the four wins against the Reds, three of them occurred in Cincinnati, and all four Series victories were by a single run.

Gene Tenace Fury Gene Tenace (; born Fiore Gino Tenacci; October 10, 1946), better known as Gene Tenace, is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from through , most n ...

hit four home runs and drove in nine runs to power the A's offense, and was named the series Most Valuable Player.

Composite Box

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 ...

(4–3): Oakland Athletics (A.L.) over

(N.L.)

Awards and honors

Babe Ruth Award The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to New York Yankee pitcher, Joe Page, the MVP of the W ...

* Gene Tenace, World Series Most Valuable Player

League leaders

Joe Rudi Joseph Oden Rudi (born September 7, 1946) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder between and , most prominently as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won thre ...

, American League leader, triples (tied) (9)''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p. 96, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York,

Farm system

References

External links

1972 Oakland Athletics team page at Baseball Reference1972 Oakland Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com
{{Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics seasons Oakland Athletics seaspm American League West champion seasons American League champion seasons World Series champion seasons Oakland Athletics season