1974 World Series Game 7 vs Dodgers

Lore & Background

The Oakland Athletics, at the height of their dynasty as the 'Swingin' A's', had consistently matched their on-field heroics with locker-room meltdowns and intra-squad theatrics for the American League. After yet another banner year (Catfish Hunter won 25 games, Reggie Jackson knocked in 105 runs, and Billy North stole 54 bases), the team seemed to be winning more attention for its dysfunctional communication patterns than for its superior lineup. Hunter was threatening to file for free agency in 1975 if owner Charles O. Finley didn't come through with back pay Hunter claimed he had coming. Traumatized former second baseman Mike Andrews was considering legal action for the shabby treatment he received in the previous year's World Series. Teammates Rollie Fingers and Blue Moon Odom had gotten into a fistfight. And the Series-winning manager of the previous year, Dick Williams was long gone, having had one personality clash too many with the Athletics front office. Despite all the melodrama, the Athletics won the pennant for the third straight year, the first time a team had done so since the 1960-64 New York Yankees. They had dispatched the Baltimore Orioles in a four-game ALCS. Notwithstanding the off-field troubles, between the lines they were fundamentally sound, had strong pitching, and combined speed and power.

In Their Own Story

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the infield as Catfish Hunter wiped sweat from his brow, staring down Don Sutton in the ninth inning. The silence in Anaheim Stadium was palpable; twenty thousand fans held their breath, waiting for a sound that had been absent all game—a run. When Reggie Jackson finally stepped to the plate in the 10th, the air seemed to crackle with anticipation. He didn't need a home run this time; he just needed a hit. As the ball trickled into left field and Sal Bando's grounder found the hole, the roar that erupted was not just for a win, but for history made.

Reader's Guide

The 1974 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff. The Oakland Athletics won the series four games to one over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 1: Reggie Jackson homered in the second inning; Ken Holtzman doubled and scored on a suicide squeeze; Rollie Fingers got the win with 4+1/3 innings of relief. Game 2: Don Sutton shut out the A's through eight innings; the A's scored two in the ninth but lost 3–2. Game 3: Catfish Hunter shut out the Dodgers through seven innings; the A's won 3–2. Game 4: Ken Holtzman homered; the A's scored four in the sixth; Rollie Fingers got the save. Game 5: The A's led 2–0 early; the Dodgers tied it in the sixth; Joe Rudi hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh; the A's won to clinch the series.

Did You Know?

• Rollie Fingers pitched in three of the four Oakland victories, posting a win and two saves, and was honored with the World Series Most Valuable Player Award.
• This was the first all-California World Series and the first World Series since 1956 to feature two teams from the same state.
• Herb Washington, a track star with no baseball experience, was the only 'designated runner' to appear in a World Series; he was picked off first base in Game 2.
• The 1974 World Series was the first with an official World Series logo.