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The Contestants
1972 Detroit Tigers (86-70) – Due to a player strike, the 72 season was only 156 games. The Tigers were a very strange team, consisting of mediocre players and old vets from the 1968 title team. Amazingly, 37-year old Al Kaline (.313 BA/.849 OPS) was still their best player. Billy Martin managed this team, yet the Tigers finished last in the AL in stolen bases. Martin did ride his starting pitching hard, as he would do in later years, and 31-year old Mickey Lolich went 22-14 with 23 complete games and a 2.50 ERA. Other than Lolich and Kaline, no one stood out statistically and the team did not lead the AL in any statistical category. The average Tiger was 31 years old.
1972 Oakland Athletics (93-62) – The A’s reached the playoffs in 1971 thanks to great pitching from Vida Blue, but they were outclassed by the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS. This year Blue won only 6 games, but the slack was picked up by ace Catfish Hunter (21-7, 2.04 ERA), always underrated Ken Holtzman (19-11, 2.51 ERA), and Blue Moon Odom (15-6, 2.50 ERA). Rollie Fingers won 11 games and saved 21 games in relief. The A’s were 2nd in the AL in team ERA. Reggie Jackson (25 HRs) and 1B Mike Epstein (26 HRs) were the sluggers, as Oakland hit the most HRs in the AL and finished 2nd in runs scored. Thanks to SS Bert Campaneris’ 52 SBs, the A’s also were third in stolen bases. Truly a great all-around team.
The Series (Best of 5)
Game 1 – Bad blood already existed between the two teams; a few weeks earlier the A’s and Tigers had an all-out brawl that lasted 15 minutes. Billy Martin was not well-liked among Oakland players. Starting hurlers Catfish Hunter and Mickey Lolich showed exactly why they were penciled in to pitch the playoff opener. Hunter pitched one-run, four-hit ball before leaving with one out in the ninth, having allowed only a second-inning homerun by Norm Cash. Lolich scattered ten hits in as many innings of work. A sacrifice fly by Joe Rudi in the third tied things up at one, and that is how it stayed until the 11th, when Al Kaline took Rollie Fingers deep for a homerun. The future Hall-of-Famer clenched his fist in a rare- and premature- display of emotion as he rounded the bases.
Sal Bando led off the bottom half with a single, just another of many late-inning hits provided by the A's captain during their World Series run. Mike Epstein followed with a base hit, and like Bando, he was removed for a pinch-runner. A failed bunt by Gene Tenace allowed the Tigers to get the lead runner at third, bringing Gonzalo Marquez to the plate. Marquez singled home Mike Hegan, and when Kaline's throw to third bounced away, Tenace followed Hegan to the plate with the winning run. A’s 3 Tigers 2.
Game 2 – Blue Moon Odom pitched a complete game 3-hit shutout to help Oakland to an easy 5-0 victory. The A’s broke things open with 4 runs in the 5th inning, knocking Detroit starter Woodie Fryman from the game. Bert Campaneris had gone 3-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 SBs when he came to bat late in the game. Billy Martin had his pitcher throw at Campaneris, knocking him down.
What happened next is pretty awesome. I’ve seen video of it in the 1972 World Series Highlight film, but this was all I could find on Youtube…cue to the 25 second mark and you’ll catch a glimpse of Campaneris heaving his bat at Tiger pitcher Lerrin Legrow.
I’m surprised that heaving your bat at the pitcher didn’t catch on. It seems to be much more effective than charging the mound yourself. Anyways, benches cleared and Campaneris was suspended for the rest of the ALCS. A’s 5 Tigers 0.
Game 3 – With the Tigers facing quick elimination, the series shifted to Detroit. Tigers starter Joe Coleman matched Blue Moon Odom’s Game 2 gem with one of his own in a 3-0 Detroit victory. Coleman struck out 14 A’s in a complete game win.
Game 4 – A rematch of the opener’s pitching matchup had Hunter facing Lolich again. As expected, the bats were silent and the game was tied 1-1 after nine innings. The Tigers had a chance to take a late lead in the 8th inning, but Dick McAuliffe was called out at home after trying to score from 2nd on a wild pitch. The A’s scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th to go up 3-1, and it looked like Oakland had clinched the series. Earlier in the game the A’s had pinch-hit for regular 2B Dick Green, so Gene Tenace was stuck playing 2B in the 10th. His error opened the door for a big inning, and the Tigers walked through and scored 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 10th to win 4-3.
Game 5 – The final game took place in Oakland, but the Tigers had the momentum after 2 straight wins, including the deflating Game 4 comeback. Blue Moon Odom would face Woodie Fryman again, so the A’s had an edge in pitching. But the Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a passed ball in the 1st. Oakland responded with a run of their own in the 2nd on a double steal, with Reggie Jackson sliding home under Bill Freehan's tag. In doing so, the star slugger tore his hamstring and would not play again in 1972.
Gene Tenace, the goat of Game 4, drove in a run for Oakland in 4th and a 2-1 advantage. Although in control of the game, Blue Moon Odom took himself out of the game in the 6th inning and was replaced by Vida Blue. Blue pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, and the A’s won the game 2-1 and won the series. But the drama didn’t end there. After the game, Vida Blue accused Odom of choking, which led to a fistfight in the locker room. Great stuff. Threatened with team dissension and missing their best player (Reggie Jackson) due to injury, the A’s would go on to upset Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in the 1972 World Series.
1972 Detroit Tigers (86-70) – Due to a player strike, the 72 season was only 156 games. The Tigers were a very strange team, consisting of mediocre players and old vets from the 1968 title team. Amazingly, 37-year old Al Kaline (.313 BA/.849 OPS) was still their best player. Billy Martin managed this team, yet the Tigers finished last in the AL in stolen bases. Martin did ride his starting pitching hard, as he would do in later years, and 31-year old Mickey Lolich went 22-14 with 23 complete games and a 2.50 ERA. Other than Lolich and Kaline, no one stood out statistically and the team did not lead the AL in any statistical category. The average Tiger was 31 years old.
1972 Oakland Athletics (93-62) – The A’s reached the playoffs in 1971 thanks to great pitching from Vida Blue, but they were outclassed by the Baltimore Orioles in the ALCS. This year Blue won only 6 games, but the slack was picked up by ace Catfish Hunter (21-7, 2.04 ERA), always underrated Ken Holtzman (19-11, 2.51 ERA), and Blue Moon Odom (15-6, 2.50 ERA). Rollie Fingers won 11 games and saved 21 games in relief. The A’s were 2nd in the AL in team ERA. Reggie Jackson (25 HRs) and 1B Mike Epstein (26 HRs) were the sluggers, as Oakland hit the most HRs in the AL and finished 2nd in runs scored. Thanks to SS Bert Campaneris’ 52 SBs, the A’s also were third in stolen bases. Truly a great all-around team.
The Series (Best of 5)
Game 1 – Bad blood already existed between the two teams; a few weeks earlier the A’s and Tigers had an all-out brawl that lasted 15 minutes. Billy Martin was not well-liked among Oakland players. Starting hurlers Catfish Hunter and Mickey Lolich showed exactly why they were penciled in to pitch the playoff opener. Hunter pitched one-run, four-hit ball before leaving with one out in the ninth, having allowed only a second-inning homerun by Norm Cash. Lolich scattered ten hits in as many innings of work. A sacrifice fly by Joe Rudi in the third tied things up at one, and that is how it stayed until the 11th, when Al Kaline took Rollie Fingers deep for a homerun. The future Hall-of-Famer clenched his fist in a rare- and premature- display of emotion as he rounded the bases.
Sal Bando led off the bottom half with a single, just another of many late-inning hits provided by the A's captain during their World Series run. Mike Epstein followed with a base hit, and like Bando, he was removed for a pinch-runner. A failed bunt by Gene Tenace allowed the Tigers to get the lead runner at third, bringing Gonzalo Marquez to the plate. Marquez singled home Mike Hegan, and when Kaline's throw to third bounced away, Tenace followed Hegan to the plate with the winning run. A’s 3 Tigers 2.
Game 2 – Blue Moon Odom pitched a complete game 3-hit shutout to help Oakland to an easy 5-0 victory. The A’s broke things open with 4 runs in the 5th inning, knocking Detroit starter Woodie Fryman from the game. Bert Campaneris had gone 3-for-3 with 2 runs and 2 SBs when he came to bat late in the game. Billy Martin had his pitcher throw at Campaneris, knocking him down.
What happened next is pretty awesome. I’ve seen video of it in the 1972 World Series Highlight film, but this was all I could find on Youtube…cue to the 25 second mark and you’ll catch a glimpse of Campaneris heaving his bat at Tiger pitcher Lerrin Legrow.
I’m surprised that heaving your bat at the pitcher didn’t catch on. It seems to be much more effective than charging the mound yourself. Anyways, benches cleared and Campaneris was suspended for the rest of the ALCS. A’s 5 Tigers 0.
Game 3 – With the Tigers facing quick elimination, the series shifted to Detroit. Tigers starter Joe Coleman matched Blue Moon Odom’s Game 2 gem with one of his own in a 3-0 Detroit victory. Coleman struck out 14 A’s in a complete game win.
Game 4 – A rematch of the opener’s pitching matchup had Hunter facing Lolich again. As expected, the bats were silent and the game was tied 1-1 after nine innings. The Tigers had a chance to take a late lead in the 8th inning, but Dick McAuliffe was called out at home after trying to score from 2nd on a wild pitch. The A’s scored 2 runs in the top of the 10th to go up 3-1, and it looked like Oakland had clinched the series. Earlier in the game the A’s had pinch-hit for regular 2B Dick Green, so Gene Tenace was stuck playing 2B in the 10th. His error opened the door for a big inning, and the Tigers walked through and scored 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the 10th to win 4-3.
Game 5 – The final game took place in Oakland, but the Tigers had the momentum after 2 straight wins, including the deflating Game 4 comeback. Blue Moon Odom would face Woodie Fryman again, so the A’s had an edge in pitching. But the Tigers jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a passed ball in the 1st. Oakland responded with a run of their own in the 2nd on a double steal, with Reggie Jackson sliding home under Bill Freehan's tag. In doing so, the star slugger tore his hamstring and would not play again in 1972.
Gene Tenace, the goat of Game 4, drove in a run for Oakland in 4th and a 2-1 advantage. Although in control of the game, Blue Moon Odom took himself out of the game in the 6th inning and was replaced by Vida Blue. Blue pitched shutout ball the rest of the way, and the A’s won the game 2-1 and won the series. But the drama didn’t end there. After the game, Vida Blue accused Odom of choking, which led to a fistfight in the locker room. Great stuff. Threatened with team dissension and missing their best player (Reggie Jackson) due to injury, the A’s would go on to upset Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in the 1972 World Series.