OAKLAND — The Athletics threw a pleasant celebration Saturday for a handful of workforce members from their first World Sequence championship workforce of 1972 and Gene Tenace wasn’t anticipating an awesome turnout from the fan base.
“Individuals who noticed us play are in all probability gone or in a house someplace,” mentioned the Most Priceless Participant of the 1972 World Sequence in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds. “Their youngsters have been munchkins in these days so that they in all probability don’t keep in mind.”
It’s true that almost all followers who turned out have been too younger to recollect the “Mustache Gang,” a nickname that arose from proprietor Charles O. Finley’s supply to pay every participant $300 that defied the conservative baseball institution and grew facial hair.
However the reminiscences have been thick throughout a pregame meet and greet with season ticket holders and a few members of the media on the Coliseum’s East Aspect Membership earlier than the A’s confronted the Boston Purple Sox.
Gamers have been pushed onto the sector in classic Thunderbirds and launched to the gang. Reggie Jackson was there, though he didn’t attend the pregame perform. So have been Tenace, Rollie Fingers, Vida Blue, Mike Epstein and others.
The ’72 A’s, who misplaced Jackson to a torn hamstring whereas sliding house with the successful run within the Amercan League Championship Sequence win over Detroit, beat the heavily-favored Reds in seven video games.
It was the primary of three straight World Sequence championships, one thing that hasn’t been executed since. And the best way the A’s did it flies within the face of up to date baseball and professional sports activities usually in that there was each day turmoil and drama, most of which originated with the ever present and penny-pinching Finley.
“There was a distraction daily,” Fingers mentioned.
In essence, there have been two Finleys. There was the person who assembled a expertise base that fueled these three World Championships and 5 straight A.L. West titles between 1971 and 1975. And there was additionally the person who wouldn’t pay gamers their price, as soon as gave his championship workforce a World Sequence ring with no diamonds and was usually the focus versus his workforce.
Blue, coming off a 1971 season wherein he was the American League’s MVP and Cy Younger award winner, was a contract holdout after going 24-8 with a 1.82 earned run common, eight shutouts and 312 strikeouts. He acquired $63,000 on a one-year deal for his troubles.
“He was a mix of Ted Turner, George Steinbrenner, Donald Trump and Al Davis,” Blue mentioned. “He was all of these guys . . . I hate to talk in poor health of the lifeless, however he was a ache within the tush for many of us regardless of all the great things he did for the sport of baseball.”
Mentioned Fingers; “We had one particular person to hate and it was Charlie.”
For all of the clubhouse sparring, Epstein remembers a clubhouse the place gamers have been shut sufficient get on one another verbally — typically going a step too far.
“We may poke enjoyable at each other,” Epstein mentioned. “Issues that you just couldn’t get by with saying immediately. There have been no boundaries. Blue Moon Odom would get in a struggle with Reggie. Different individuals would get in fights, and it was simply OK. That’s the best way it was.”
It was such a particular surroundings that Epstein referred to as it one of many saddest days of his profession when he was traded after the 1972 season to the Texas Rangers.
Within the days earlier than free company, there wasn’t a transient nature to team-building, and far of the 1972 core had been collectively earlier than becoming a member of forces in Oakland.
“All of us knew one another. Guys didn’t come from totally different ballclubs,” Fingers mentioned. “We got here up by way of the minor leagues. I performed with Reggie in Modesto and Birmingham. Similar with Joe Rudi and Dave Duncan. We got here up in 1968 and 1969, began enjoying collectively, and it took a few years, nevertheless it all got here collectively.
“And the factor about Charlie is he put collectively a fairly good workforce.”
Tenace, who hit 4 house runs and drove in 9 in opposition to the Reds, was the topic of loss of life threats from Cincinnati followers.
“It’s similar to in life. It’s all about adjusting,” Tenace mentioned. “You’ve acquired to regulate on the sector, off the sector or to no matter Charlie was throwing at us otherwise you’re not going to go far.”
Former A’s aren’t thrilled with the potential for the franchise leaving city ought to a ballpark at Howard Terminal fail to materialize.
“They haven't any enterprise leaving this space,” Tenace mentioned. “That might damage me. They misplaced a soccer workforce, a basketball workforce and now you’re going to lose a baseball workforce? Three main sports activities? That’s unacceptable. Some cities have constructed three stadiums in 50 years and we are able to’t even get one.”
With regard to shedding the A’s, together with the Raiders and Warriors, Blue mentioned, “I’m unsure that’s one thing you need to brag about, nevertheless it may occur. However right here’s the factor. You may’t blame a man for transferring. Somebody says they’re going to construct me one million greenback home, I’m transferring out of Tracy tomorrow. I’m gone. Franchises do the identical factor.”
Blue skilled the A’s hitting laborious occasions after Finley started buying and selling off costly gamers after the three World Sequence titles, and he believes he understands what the present A’s are going by way of on their solution to a season which may finish with 100 or extra losses.
“I really feel sorry for the gamers, since you’ve acquired to take care of your skilled perspective and are available to this daily and know deep down in your coronary heart, loads of the time, you don’t have an opportunity to win,” Blue mentioned. “That workforce over there within the first base dugout, they’re higher than we're. Man for man.”