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The Swingin' A's was the nickname for the Oakland Athletics (A's), primarily used in reference to the Oakland teams that dominated the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
from 1971 to 1975. The A’s won three consecutive
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championships in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
,
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
and
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
. They are widely recognized as being among the best teams in baseball history. The team won five consecutive
American League West Division 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 cu ...
titles and three American League pennants en route to those three World titles. They were the first team to win three straight World Series since the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
won five in a row from
1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...
to
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...
. They and the Yankees are the only franchises to have completed a three-peat, and no team would do so again until the Yankees won three straight from
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
to
2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. While the team did not record the most appearances in a World Series in the 1970s (as the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
went to four), the Athletics won more titles overall without losing once; of the six teams who made multiple appearances in the Series of the 1970s, the Athletics and the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
were the only ones to never lose. The Athletics were also the first team in the
League Championship Series The League Championship Series (LCS) is the semifinal round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969. In 1981, and since 1995, the two annual series have matched up the winners of the Division Series, ...
era (since 1969) to reach the World Series in five consecutive seasons, and they were the second team to win three of them in a row (after the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
); no team would reach the LCS five straight times until 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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
of the 1990s. In their five-year span, they averaged 95 wins while winning their division by at least five games each time. They were characterized by utilizing a tremendous pitching staff to hold precarious leads whenever needed; they scored 16, 21, and 16 runs combined in their respective World Series runs but managed to win all three. In the divisional era, they are, to date, the only team to have won the American League West five consecutive seasons.


Background

At one point in time, the Athletics organization had achieved success in the city of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
in the early 20th century. They had reached the World Series five times in nine years before owner
Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. Mack holds records for the most wins (3,731), losses (3,948), ties (76), and ga ...
dismantled and rebuilt them in the late 1920s, which led to three more World Series appearances. However, their third-place finish in 1933 was the highest they would finish again for over three decades as they would soon be noted as a doormat for both the American League and in the city, and Mack's retirement in 1950 hastened their demise; they moved to
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
after the 1954 season. The sale of the team from the Macks to Arnold Johnson did little to help their reputation as an also-ran. Johnson's death in 1960 led to a sale to insurance salesman Charlie O. Finley. He attempted to turn a leaf towards trying to put a suitable product on the field, albeit while secretly trying to move the team from the city. He soon became his own general manager the following year while also changing the colors of the team from to Blue to Kelly Green, "Fort Knox" Gold and "Wedding Gown" White. Finley slowly built the nucleus of his team in the mid-1960s that made for a youthful growing core in their farm system, although the Athletics did not have a winning season in the city. He would go through a revolving door of managers who would not last longer than two seasons.
Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban Americans, Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the ...
and
Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. His effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball an ...
were signed in 1964 and
Catfish Hunter James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter (April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was an American professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). From to , he was a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Y ...
was signed in 1965. The newly installed entry draft in 1965 resulted in the drafting of
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 ...
(traded later for
Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (November 3, 1945 – April 15, 2024) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, ...
, Gene Tenace and
Sal Bando Salvatore Leonard Bando (February 13, 1944 – January 20, 2023) was an American professional baseball player and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from to , most prominently as the captain of the Oakland A ...
).
Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...
was drafted in 1966, while
Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty ...
and
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 th ...
were drafted the following year. By the time the team moved to Oakland in 1968, the average age of the roster was roughly 24 years old. That season resulted in 82 victories, which was their first winning season since 1952. The following year saw them compete for the newly formed
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 cu ...
division for a time (although Finley fired
Hank Bauer Henry Albert Bauer (July 31, 1922 – February 9, 2007) was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (–) and Kansas City Athletics (–); he batted and threw right-handed. He served as ...
near the end of the year for John McNamara), with the Athletics finishing second by nine games with 88 wins; it was the first time they had back-to-back winning seasons since the 1947–49 years. While Jackson hit 47 home runs in 1969, a slump in the spring had Finley threaten to send him to the minors, although he would end up hitting 23 that year. An 89-win season the following year resulted in the same finish and the dismissal of McNamara. Named to replace him for 1971 was
Dick Williams Richard Hirschfeld Williams (May 7, 1929 – July 7, 2011) was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager (baseball), manager, coach (baseball), coach and front-office consultant in Major League Baseball (MLB). Known especially as a hard-d ...
, who was the tenth manager hired by Finley in ten years of ownership.


Dynasty

Williams had played thirteen years of professional baseball before becoming a manager, which included two seasons with Kansas City. He had one previous managerial job before Oakland with the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
(1967–1969), which he led to the American League pennant in 1967 with his aggressive style of managing. Williams once described his team strategy as "We pitch and we catch the ball.’” The 1971 team came together to roll to 101 victories, the most victories by the club in four decades. They had the fourth best offense in scoring with 691 runs while ranking in the top five in the league in hits and home runs, although they were the only team to have over 1,000 strikeouts. However, their pitching allowed the second fewest runs in the league with 564, while having a team ERA of 3.05 (with only Baltimore being better).
Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty ...
, who had pitched just eighteen games combined in his first two seasons, went 24–8 that year with a 1.82 ERA while having eight shutouts (the latter two were league highs) in 312 innings with 301 strikeouts on his way to both the AL Cy Young Award and the AL Most Valuable Player Award. The Athletics won their division by sixteen games over 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
and thus were matched against the other 101-win team in the AL: the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
, the defending two-time AL champions. The Orioles, which had swept their ALCS opponents in 1969 and 1970, would trounce the Athletics in a sweep, winning 5–3, 5–1, and 5–3 (the Orioles used just one reliever in the series while the Athletics used four). In November, the Athletics attempted to bolster their pitching by trading away Monday 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 a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
for
Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (November 3, 1945 – April 15, 2024) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from through for the Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, ...
. In the 1972 season, the Athletics scored the second most runs in the American League with 604, doing so despite having fewer hits than other teams but with the most home runs (134) of all AL teams. They also had the second best team ERA with 2.58 while also allowing the second fewest runs at 457. They would be matched against 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 club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
, managed by the caustic
Billy Martin Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr. (May 16, 1928 – December 25, 1989) was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager who, in addition to leading other teams, was five times the manager of the New York Yankees. First known ...
, which had narrowly beaten Boston by half a game. The
1972 American League Championship Series The 1972 American League Championship Series was the best-of-five semifinal series in Major League Baseball’s (MLB) 1972 postseason between the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers for the right to go to the 1972 World Series. The fourth ...
was a tightly contested one, going the full distance of five games. Oakland won Game 1 with Fingers being tasked to save the game for the last two outs of the ninth inning along with the tenth and eleventh innings. In the eleventh, trailing by one with two on base, Gonzalo Marquez of the Athletics drove a single to right field that scored the tying run before an error by the right fielder scored the winning run. Odom won the second game 5–0 to leave the Athletics one win away as the Series moved to Detroit. However, the Tigers rolled to a 3–0 victory in Game 3. Game 4 saw the A's experience a crushing defeat in which they saw a 3–1 lead in the tenth inning collapse at the hands of three hits by six batters while not getting an out. The pivotal Game 5 matched Odom against
Woodie Fryman Woodrow Thompson Fryman (April 12, 1940 – February 4, 2011) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams, across 18 seasons (–). A two-time National League (NL) All-Star, he helped the ...
. Jackson would injure his hamstring in a double steal that saw him knocked out for the rest of the year. A Gene Tenace RBI single broke a 1–1 tie that ultimately proved to be the go-ahead score; Odom went five innings before
Vida Blue Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. (; July 28, 1949 – May 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1986, most notably as an integral member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty ...
took over for four innings to help close the game and their first pennant since 1931. The contrast between the Athletics and their opponents, the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, in the
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 ...
led to it being dubbed "The Hairs vs. the Big Squares" (with Oakland referred to as the former). Cincinnati, later dubbed the
Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division t ...
, was making its second World Series appearance in three years, having played in 1970 Fall Classic. In a Series that saw the lowest batting average for each team (.209), six of the seven games were decided by just one run. Tenace hit two home runs in Game 1 to rally Oakland to victory (with Blue getting the save) while Joe Rudi hit a home run and made a great catch to help the A's to a Game 2 win (with Fingers getting the save). The A's were outdueled by Jack Billingham in Game 3, but Tenace hit his third home run of the Series in Game 4 and was then part of a ninth inning rally that saw two runs come with three pinch hitters to give Oakland a 3–1 series lead. Tenace hit his fourth and final home run of the Series in Game 5, but a consortium of Reds pitchers held the A's to just four runs while the Reds core rallied on a ninth inning single by Pete Rose; Game 6 was the only rout of the Series, which ended with the Reds scoring eight runs from the fourth to the seventh inning. Odom was matched against
Jack Billingham John Eugene Billingham (born February 21, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty th ...
for the pivotal Game 7 at
Riverfront Stadium Riverfront Stadium, also known as Cinergy Field from 1996 to 2002, was a multi-purpose stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1970 Cincinnati Reds season, 1970 through 2002 Cincinna ...
. Oakland got to a quick start with Tenace providing the first run on a two-out single after a three-base error. Cincinnati tied it in the fifth on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. In the sixth, Tenace and
Sal Bando Salvatore Leonard Bando (February 13, 1944 – January 20, 2023) was an American professional baseball player and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from to , most prominently as the captain of the Oakland A ...
each hit RBI doubles to make it 3–1. In the eighth inning,
Tony Perez Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony the Tiger, cartoon mascot for Frosted Flakes cereal * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * ...
hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to make it 3–2, but the Reds could not get a hit afterwards; Rose committed the final out of the Series on a flyball out as the Athletics won. In the 1973 season, the Athletics scored 758 runs, most in the American League. Other teams outranked them in hits and home runs, but Oakland had the most runners batted in. They allowed 615 runs in the season, third least among all twelve teams for a 3.29 ERA. Jackson was named Most Valuable Player that season, having hit .293 with 117 RBIs with 32 home runs (the latter two were league highs). They were matched against the 97-win
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
. The teams split the first two contests in Baltimore before it moved to Oakland. In Game 3, they won in eleven innings before Baltimore responded with a 5–4 win to even the series at two. Hunter was sent to start Game 5 and he prevailed with a complete-game shutout. Their opponent was the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
, who had won just 83 games but had displaced the Reds in five games to get to their second World Series in four years. Oakland won Game 1 2–1, but Game 2 was a nightmare contest that lasted four hours and resulted in a 10–7 victory for New York. The A's had to rally from a three-run deficit after six innings, but it came un-done in the eleventh when second baseman
Mike Andrews Michael Jay Andrews (born July 9, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. After his playing career, he served ...
made two errors that resulted in four runs scored in a 10–7 loss. Finley was so angered by what he saw of Andrews that he attempted to have Andrews put on the disabled list (with a fake injury) that would have had him miss the entire Series. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and reactivated Andrews. Game 3 saw them win in eleven innings, but the Mets responded with a 6–1 victory in Game 4 (after
Rusty Staub Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub (April 1, 1944 – March 29, 2018) was an American professional baseball player and television color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a right fielder, designated hitter, and first base ...
hit a three-run shot in the first) and a 2–0 victory in Game 5 (with Odom outdueled by
Jerry Koosman Jerome Martin Koosman (born December 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies between and . Koo ...
). This was the only one of the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
where the Athletics faced elimination while trailing. Hunter started Game 6 and held the Mets to one run while outdueling
Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cin ...
for the win. Holtzman started Game 7 against
Jon Matlack Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack (born January 19, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and Coach (baseball), coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through for the New York Mets and the Texas Rang ...
and he helped his cause with a double that got him scored by Campaneris on his subsequent home run (the first one of the Series for the A's) that started a four-run rally. Holtman went five innings before
Rollie Fingers Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three teams between 1968 and 1985. His effectiveness helped to redefine the value of relievers within baseball an ...
and Darold Knowles (the first pitcher to pitch in all seven games of a World Series) stepped in to neutralize the Mets. Jackson was named World Series MVP, having hit .310 with a home run and six RBIs. Williams had grown tired of Finley and his antics, and he attempted to leave his contract to manage the New York Yankees. However, Finley would not budge on the year owed on the contract, which essentially took him out of the game for the 1974 season. In his place was
Alvin Dark Alvin Ralph Dark (January 7, 1922 – November 13, 2014), nicknamed "Blackie" and "the Swamp Fox", was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager. He played fourteen years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee ...
, who had managed two seasons previously in Kansas City. Even before the season started, the players were ticked at Finley, who had given them their championship rings without a diamond. At any rate, the Athletics went on to win 90 games that year, rolling over a close AL West by five games over the Texas Rangers in a year that saw the AL East champion in Baltimore only win 91. Oakland scored 689 runs (third most in the league) while ranking second in home runs and first in stolen bases with high rates in walks and strikeouts. Their 2.95 team ERA was the best in the AL, and they were the only team to allow less than 600 runs in the season (allowing just 551). Tinges of friction showed in the season, however.
Reggie Jackson Reginald Martinez Jackson (born May 18, 1946) is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City / Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Cal ...
and Billy North had a locker room fight, and attempts by catcher
Ray Fosse Raymond Earl Fosse (April 4, 1947 – October 13, 2021) was an American professional baseball player and television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1967 to 1979, most prominently as an All-Star ...
to break it up resulted in him getting on the disabled list. Hunter had signed a deal with the A's for two years with the stipulation that payments of $50,000 were to be paid as a life insurance annuity in both seasons. Finley balked at having to pay when he was notified of the $25,000 tax payment that was due immediately (if it was not paid, Hunter could be considered a free agent). He went 25–12 with a league-leading 2.49 earned run average and won the AL
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
. Oakland met Baltimore once again for the ALCS. The Orioles trounced Oakland 6–3, but the A's would win the next three games in tight fashion, winning 5–0, 1–0, and 2–1 in a series that featured both teams bat under .200. They were matched against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, managed by
Walter Alston Walter Emmons Alston (December 1, 1911 – October 1, 1984), nicknamed "Smokey", was an American baseball manager in Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally ...
. Around the time of the Series, a member of the Dodgers organization was asked about the talents of the Athletics players. They stated that only Jackson and Hunter were good enough to merit being on their team. Compounding the strangeness of this Series would occur right before Game 1 started, when Blue Moon Odom and Fingers had a fight that required stitches for Fingers and a sprained ankle for Odom. Although the Series would be decided in just five games, it was a tight affair, as four of the games were decided by just one run each; the Dodgers batted .228 to Oakland's .211, but Oakland came though most when needed among the five pitchers (Hunter-Blue-Holtzman-Odom-Fingers) utilized by the A's in the series. Fingers pitched a combined innings and allowed just two runs for the Series while earning a win in Game 1 along with two saves that saw him named World Series MVP; perhaps fittingly, Odom was the winning pitcher in the clinching Game 5, which marked the only time the Athletics did not need to compete in seven games to win a World Series. The Athletics did not seem to have lost a step in the 1975 season. They scored 758 runs, second only to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
in the AL. They did not have as many hits as other teams, but they ranked second in home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. Their 3.27 ERA was second to Baltimore while allowing the fewest hits while allowing 606 runs (third fewest). They won the AL West for the fifth straight year in a row by seven games over 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
. They met the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
in the
1975 American League Championship Series The 1975 American League Championship Series was a semifinal matchup in Major League Baseball's 1975 postseason between the Boston Red Sox and the three-time defending World Series champion Oakland Athletics for the right to advance to the Worl ...
. However, the Athletics would be trounced by Boston in three games, losing 7–1, 6–3, and 5–3.


Decline

The Athletics utilized tremendous defense and timely hitting to win their championships, winning twelve World Series games in three years, despite being outscored by a total of 56 to 53. In the end, the man who merited the most credit for building the key core members that won three championships, ended up being the one associated with its downfall. The disagreements that Finley had with numerous players and managers would come back to haunt him when the
reserve clause The reserve clause, in North American professional sports, was part of a player contract which stated that the rights to players were retained by the team upon the contract's expiration. Players under these contracts were not free to enter into ano ...
ended in 1975. Hunter was the first step, as he brought up his breach of contract dispute to arbitration on November 26, 1974. On December 16, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled him a free agent. Finley had to deal with the fact that any player of his not signed under a multi-year deal would be a free agent after 1976. He decided to try and gut his team before it could be done. It started on April 2, when he traded Jackson and Holtzman to the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
for three players (most notably Don Baylor). Dark was fired after the end of the 1975 season, with Finley describing him as "too busy with church activities" (this occurred after Dark stated in a church talk that Finley had to accept Jesus Christ as his savior or else he would go to Hell); Finley replaced him with
Chuck Tanner Charles William Tanner (July 4, 1928February 11, 2011) was an American professional baseball player and manager. A left fielder and pinch hitter who appeared in 396 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1955 and 1962, he was known for his ...
. Finley then tried to sell Rudi and Fingers to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
and Blue (who he had signed to a deal in order to entice a team) to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
(each for cash), but the sales were vetoed by
Commissioner of Baseball The commissioner of baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as " organized baseball". Under the direction of the commiss ...
Bowie Kuhn, who stated it was not in the best interest of baseball. Finley tried to sue and then followed it up by benching the three players, until a near player-strike forced his hand to allow them back on the team. The 1976 team would finish games behind 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) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
, who started their own run of ALCS appearances. Fingers departed the team after the season, and the following year's team lost 98 games. At last, Blue (who in 1976 hoped Finley would take his last breath soon) was finally traded to the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
for
Gary Thomasson Gary Leah Thomasson (born July 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1972 and 1980, most prominently as a member of the San Francisco Gi ...
, Gary Alexander,
Dave Heaverlo David Wallace Heaverlo ( ;
, John Henry Johnson, Phil Huffman, Alan Wirth and $300,000 on March 15, 1978. Finley agreed to sell the A's to Walter A. Haas, Jr., president of Levi Strauss & Co. in August 1980 for $12.7 million, owing to troubles with his wife that meant he had to sell the team. In 1981, the Athletics returned to the postseason and returned to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
in 1988. Despite their success in the early to mid 70s, the Athletics never drew well, even when the team made it to and won three consecutive World Series titles, averaging only 777,000 fans per season. The only time in which they topped the 1 million mark in fan attendance was in the 1973 and 1975 seasons, although they may have topped a million fans in 1972 had it not been for the player's strike, which wiped out a handful of games. Charlie Finley would sell the team to Walter Haas in 1980. Under Haas's ownership the team would begin to make a profit, drawing an average about 1.7 million fans per year. Additionally, they would return to the playoffs again in 1981, and would ultimately return to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
in 1988 (losing to
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
). They would win a world title the next year in 1989, (against
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
) in a series interrupted by an earthquake, and made it back to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
for the 3rd consecutive year in 1990 before losing to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
in four games.


Statistics


Legacy

Four individuals from the group have been inducted into the
National Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection and gathering space for the history of baseball in the United St ...
: Hunter (1987), Fingers (1992), Jackson (1993), and Williams (2008); of the four, only Fingers and Williams were inducted with the A's logo on their plaque.
Sparky Anderson George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player, coach, and manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1978 and the American League's Detroit Ti ...
, who managed the
Big Red Machine The Big Red Machine is a nickname for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team that dominated the National League from 1970 to 1979 and is widely recognized as being among the best in baseball history. The team won six National League West Division t ...
, described that the best
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
in history was not the
1975 World Series The 1975 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1975 season. The 72nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the Nati ...
that he managed to victory, saying "I'll always maintain that the best Series I was ever involved in was the 1972 World Series against Oakland. That's because those were the two of the finest ball clubs to go against each other that you'll ever see in I don't know how long.” Reggie Jackson called his team the best in a generation, one that dwarfed his later success with the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
(who won two titles in the latter half of the 1970s). In 2017,
MLB Network MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications h ...
released a documentary detailing ''The Swingin' A's'' that told the story of the group. Several members have been inducted into the team Hall of Fame, starring with Fingers, Hunter, Jackson, and Finley for the inaugural class in 2018. Seven members from the dynasty have joined them, which included Williams in 2024.


Further reading

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swingin' A's Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics postseason Nicknamed groups of baseball players