1974 As a 6 year old, I was a Big Bird! A Big Orange n Black Bird. Oriole fan and after watching those A's end our season 2 years in a row, I tried to hate the A's, but I just couldn't. My uncle would ride up from Virginia and always mess with us. He would always ask me about sports because he knew I loved me some Orioles baseball. He tried to make me hate the A's, but one time I gave him a answer that just messed him all up. He said, those A's are from the American League, the pitchers don't hit, so thats gonna be a 3 automatic outs. I said really loud that its the Oakland pitchers in the previous years playoffs that did the damage, and saved the bix scores to prove it. He was so messed up, but highly impressed that he dug down into his pocket and broke me off with a brand new, crisp, paper cut waiting to happen 20 dollar bill! This was 1974! My Mom took that 20 bucks and put it away. She took me out to the shopping area and I bought my Uncle a Baltimore Oriole pennant. I said to him, I love my Orioles, and you will too, but the A's are the team, until next year. We had a major rivalry with the A's over the years. Espescially durring the 70's til the mid 80's when the A's fell off the cliff.But those A's, 3 time World Champs played beautiful baseball, and just seemed to always have a rally when they needed. Or a big time defensive play when they had to have it. The Orioles and A's were memorable adversaries and if we couldn't win the Pennant, I didn't mind losing it to Oakland who were the West Coast version of the Orioles and I was proud of both teams. Later on I fell in love with the Atlanta Braves. The N.L. version of my Orioles. What beautiful baseball those Braves teams played in the 90's. They really should've had at least a Oakland 3peat at any stretch in the 90's. Such a shame, but they got Atlanta fired up so much they built 2 baseball stadiums in 25 years. Wow! Now, the A's are the only thing Oakland can put its name on, and I hope they can get a new stadium built. Baseball wouldn't be the same if the A's were to move. Would be tragic. The A's are a huge part of 20th Century baseball and I need to see if they can actually win a World Series using analytics and a minuscule payroll. Maybe this could be the year!
I was there, at Game 5, with my dad. I was 7 years old and we sat right behind the A's dugout. I asked my dad if I could run on to the field. He said, "yes", so I remember going through the little gate next to the dugout and running out to 2nd base where I pulled some grass and grabbed some dirt and put it in my pocket. Years later I went to high school with Vida's son Derek.
@ 0:47 there is a quick glimpse of Karl Malden, who was right in the middle of his stint as (Giants loving) Lt Mike Stone on The Streets of San Francisco ('72-'77).
18:54 AL Umpire Ron Luciano going "no" meaning safe and giving time and going "That was the best slide I've seen all year" Steve Yeagar's response: "Not bad for a catcher" love it. When it was a game.
A $15.00 (scalped ticked); Right field: I was at the 5th game, and proudly helped Joe Rudi think a bit extra before his 7th inning home run. Helped another kid throw two frizbee's into right center field; this kid taped a pack of firecrackers to each frizbee; I helped light them "I think". This kid had a $20.00 bet with his friend who was watching tv at home, that the frizbee's would be televised; he won his bet, and gave Rudi extra time to think about his at bat. Others threw stuff on the field throughout this game, especially the seventh. After he threw the frizbee, I and others used our bodies to cover him from view. Fun stuff! After the game, we all hopped the fence and partied on the field, i.e. hugged an shook hands. I grabbed a souvenir chunk of grass; great times!
Of course, for all of you Oakland A's fans, this film represents the pinnacle of what would lead to the three-peat championship for the team in this 1974 World Series--back-to-back-to-back titles in 1972, 1973, and 1974, which made them a quick dynasty in MLB for a few years after it. The series is filled with exciting plays especially on defense. One example is Game 3 in Oakland as the A's squared against the Dodgers. Might not be the quickest double play but it was short and sweet--LA's Steve Garvey smacks a low screamer off A's Rollie Fingers but A's Dick Green catches it quickly (retiring Steve Garvey) and rockets a throw to Mike Epstein and as Jimmy Wynn was about to slide back to first, the throw was successful and Wynn is out....a 4-3 double play, causing Jimmy Wynn to melt down. The Oakland Coliseum in 1972, 1973 and 1974 may not be like Comiskey Park but it did have the Charles Finley fireworks. In the 1974 series, blasts by Oakland players Holtzman, Rudi, and Bando set off fireworks in the stadium. Bill Veeck would have loved what the stadium did for its homers in these years. Other highlights include the loud-talking Tommy Lasorda, and I think Vin Scully made a cameo appearance at the opening of the video, saying that this series was "the freeway series."
how could they be a "quick dynasty" after winning 3 championships? they were a built dynasty in the early 70's. Charlie Finley built this team starting in 1964 I believe was the first piece of this team put together. that's not a quick dynasty
@steveswangler6373 Gotta admit they turned over quickly. In 3 years after their last WS, they were completely turned over in personnel. They had a successful from 1968-76, but most forget the other years. Still bothers me how Bobby Tolan couldn't get to that fly Bando hit in Gm 7 of the '72 WS
I have to admit, that I am a life-long Athletics fan, and that Tommy Lasorda was the third-most animated manager I have ever seen in my eyes, behind Billy Martin (2nd) and Lou Piniella (1st). I respected both Lasorda and Piniella, but in my opinion, Martin sought trouble whenever he could. This was a great World Series to me in person, and seeing the highlights here only affirm that even more. RIP Tommy and Billy, two of the very best.
The Dodgers were pretty arrogant, particularly Bill Buckner and Joe Fergerson, every day after they would lose they would keep saying to the press essentially the A’s were lucky and the Dodgers were a better team.
@@Gl6619 Did they forget they were playing the back-to-back defending World Champions? The "Big Red Machine" thought they were better too, then dropped 3 of 4 on their home field. The Oakland A's dominated the early 1970's.
1974 was the first all-California World Series (A's-Dodgers), the next all-California World Series would come in 1988, ironically the same teams as 1974 (Dodgers-A's). Tommy Lasorda 1988 - "Nobody thought we would win the division. Nobody thought we would beat the mighty Mets. Nobody thought we would beat the team who won 104 games. But we believed it!"
@ 14:18... Did you know? Davey Lopes stole 47 bases in 51 attempts in just 99 games played for the Cubs in 1985. He also hit .284 with 11 HR & 44 RBI in only 275 at bats. Oh and by the way... he was 40 years old that season. Incredible!
Finley was both the architect and the destroyer of the A’s dynasty. He was behind the drafting of the players but if he hadn’t been such a lunatic control freak egotistic owner the A’s would have won at least one more. The players banded together as one against Finley-he was not liked at all. Finley was one of the reasons free agency and Marvin Miller came about and changed sports forever.
Someone once did a simulation of how the 1980 A's would have looked with Rickey Henderson, Dwayne Murphy, and Mike Norris alongside Reggie, Vida, Rollie, Tenace, George Hendrick, et al. Google "Steve treder virtual 1980 A's"
5:10 When Rudy and North cross gloves trying to catch the Jimmy Wynn homer and then North looks in his glove and kicks the wall in frustration, that really feels right out of a movie.
@ 12:50... Check it out, a coke for .30 cents. LOL How much are they in 2016? At least $5! This video is so cool. Love the music put in for effect, and Curt Gowdy was an outstanding announcer.
Hey...no highlights of Fergie throwing out Bando at the plate at Dodger Stadium in this same World Series? I can't remember what game it was but what a play... By the way...You've got to love Lasorda's rah-rah attitude! Yup...I'm a life-long Dodgers fan!
Bruce Pappas Well (Orioles) they were very tough with the pitching and had excellent bats in the lineup. The 1977 Yanks........had mickey rivers , thurman and reggie........with sparky.........would be a good series
Interesting to see Bill Buckner playing for the Dodgers because I associate him more with the Cubs and Red Sox. I associate Steve Garvey more with the Padres and Reggie Jackson with the Yankees and Angels.
I’ve always loved how people say Pete Rose “ruined” Ray Fosse’s career, yet here is Fosse hitting a HR in the ‘74 World Series. Hardly a career ruined!!
Love the suicide squeeze with a pitcher on third. Think they’d call that play today? I really don’t like being the ‘old days were better guy’ but here we are…
Reggie Jackson said they would have won 2 or 3 more if Free Agency hadn't of happened. But the pitching seem to have peaked at 1974. Hunter and Holtzman's numbers went down after that year. Vida Blue had an amazing 1976 season so he may have carried the team to more titles. In 76 with Vida leading the way along with Tenace, Bando, Rudi and Fingers, the A's run ended to Kansas City when they lost the division by only 2 games with Reggie and Catfish gone.
yep that was an amazing spectacle in the Bay Area when Finley on the same day sold Vida Blue to the Yankees for 1 million and traded Rudi and Fingers to the Red Sox who were in Oakland to play the A's. Both players were seen in Red Sox uniforms later that evening which was surreal after they had spent their entire careers with the A's winning 3 World Series. Kuhn blocked both deals and Blue, Rudi and Fingers finished the year in Oakland, with the team barely losing the West to the Royals by 2 games, ending the A's 5 year run of division crowns.
great info. Grew up watching those great A's teams but forgot Holtzman was traded along with Reggie to the Orioles in April 1976, right as the season began. Reggie said he cried from the shock of leaving Oakland without warning. The A's got Don Baylor and Mike Torrez from the Orioles. Torrez was a great pitcher who dueled rookie phenom Fidrych in an amazing game in 76 that the A's barley won. The next year Torrez was signed by the Yankees and went 2-0 in the World Series win over the Dodgers.
@Midnight Owl yeah! TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, MIDNIGHT OWL AND BILLY MARTIN! KUHN HAD A PERSONAL GRUDGE AGAINST FINLEY! the WORLD CHAMPION team drew 600,000 fans at home and 1,200,000 on the road! Finley needed cash to rebuild and Kuhn knew it, blocked the trades, and RAN FINLEY OUTTA BASEBALL! some guys just don't like WINNERS!!!
Cant tell that he KNEW he was "mic'd" during this series - Lasorda's WS antics are actually considered mickey mouse shit at the pro level - too much Tommy may he RIP
God gave the baseball cities that were hurting and depressed the most something to smile about. Case in point.City of St.louis was horrible place in 67.and God gave them a Championship Detroit city was horrible place after riot previous year and in 68 God gave them championship. New York city was horrible place in 69 and God gave the championship.City of Baltimore was horrible place in 1970 and God gave them championship. City of Pittsburg was horrible place in 71 and God gave them Championship.city of Oakland was horrible and depressed place in 72 and 73 and 74 and God gave them three Championships.God gave all the worse and depressed cities those years something to smile about.by giving them Championship. That's not coincidences.
the dodgers, especially bill buckner, were more interested in running their mouths about how great they were, while the A's went out and proved it on the field. buckner and ferguson continued to run their mouths the entire series, even as the A's had their easiest World Series victory of their 3 early seventies triumphs. on a side note, it's sad that MLB allowed their disdain for Charlie Finley taint their world series highlilght video, a person may have thought the dodgers had won watching this. and seriously, so much attention paid to a loud mouthed third base coach? really? Lasorda was a blowhard and a crybaby. just take a look at his immature attack on the Phillie Phanatic years after this.
So much cringeworthy nonsense coming out of his mouth. Why’d they have to mic him, of all people. It’s almost as painful as listening to Reggie Jackson or Todd Christensen.
