1972 Oakland Athletics
The 1972 Oakland A's: First World Championship since 1930, won with flair and facial hair.
The 1972 Oakland Athletics season was the 72nd season for the Oakland Athletics franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), all as a member of the American League, and their 5th season in Oakland. The Athletics won the American League West Division with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a hard-fought ALCS that went the full five games (3–2), followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their sixth overall World Championship and first since 1930, when the club was in Philadelphia.
Quick Facts
- Manager
- Dick Williams
Lore & Background
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, owner Charlie O. Finley offered $300 to any player who grew a moustache by Father's Day, at a time when every other team traditionally forbade facial hair. When Father's Day arrived on Sunday, June 18, many players on the roster collected the bonus, though not every player participated—Reggie Jackson, for instance, did not grow a moustache. According to Bill Libby's book, Charlie O and the Angry A's, owner Charlie O. Finley often used the nickname 'Oakland A's' in place of 'Athletics,' but the official name remained 'Oakland Athletics.'
Reader's Guide
It provides no characterization of Reggie Jackson's hitting approach. Gene Tenace hit four home runs and drove in nine runs in the World Series, and was named series Most Valuable Player. Joe Rudi was the American League leader in triples (tied) with 9.
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