1972 Oakland Athletics season

MLB yearly infobox
name = Oakland Athletics
season = 1972
misc = 1972 AL West Champions
1972 AL Champions
1972 World Series Champions

current league = American League
y1 = 1901
division = Western Division
y2 = 1969
Uniform
ballpark = Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
y4 = 1968
city = Oakland, California
y5 = 1968
owners = Charles O. Finley
managers = Dick Williams
television = KBHK
radio = KEEN
(Monte Moore, Jim Woods) |The Oakland Athletics' 1972 season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World Championship since 1930, when the club was in Philadelphia. Of the four wins against the Reds, three of them occurred in Cincinnati, and all four Series victories were by a single run.

Offseason

* November 29, 1971: Rick Monday was traded by the Athletics to the Chicago Cubs for Ken Holtzman. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mondari01.shtml Rick Monday page at Baseball Reference] ]
* March 4, 1972: Jim Panther and Don Stanhouse were traded by the Athletics to the Texas Rangers for Denny McLain. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mclaide01.shtml Denny McLain page at Baseball Reference] ]

Regular season

In 1972, the A's won their first league pennant since 1931 and faced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. The A's seven-game victory over the heavily favored Reds gave the team its first World Series Championship since 1930.

That year, 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, Finley offered $500 to any player who grew a moustache by Father's Day, at a time when every other team forbade facial hair. When Father's Day arrived, every member of the team collected a bonus.

Changing the nickname

*The nickname "A's" has long been used interchangeably with "Athletics", dating to the team's early days when headline writers wanted a way to shorten the name. Starting in 1972, the team nickname was officially "Oakland A's." The Commissioner's Trophy, given out annually to the winner of baseball's world series, still listed the team's name as the "Oakland Athletics" on the gold-plated pennant representing the Oakland franchise. According to Bill Libby's Book, "Charlie O and the Angry A's", owner Charlie O. Finley banned the word "Athletics" from the club's name because he felt that name was too closely associated with former Philadelphia Athletics owner Connie Mack, and he wanted the name "Oakland A's" to become just as closely associated with himself. The name also vaguely suggested the name of the old minor league Oakland Oaks, which were alternatively called the "Acorns".

Notable transactions

*May 17, 1972: Curt Blefary, Mike Kilkenny, and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the San Diego Padres for Ollie Brown. The Athletics completed the trade by sending Greg Schubert (minors) to the Padres on September 11. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/blefacu01.shtml Curt Blefary page at Baseball Reference] ]
*June 6, 1972: Chris Batton was drafted by the Athletics in the 12th round of the 1972 Major League Baseball Draft. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/battoch01.shtml Chris Batton page at Baseball Reference] ]
*June 7, 1972: Diego Segui was sent by the Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a conditional deal. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/seguidi01.shtml Diego Segui page at Baseball Reference] ]
*June 29, 1972: Denny McLain was traded by the Athletics to the Atlanta Braves for Orlando Cepeda.
*July 20, 1972: Marty Martínez, Vic Harris and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the Texas Rangers for Don Mincher and Ted Kubiak. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/harrivi01.shtml Vic Harris page at Baseball Reference] ]
*August 30, 1972: Joe Lindsey (minors) and a player to be named later were traded by the Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dal Maxvill. The Athletics completed the trade by sending Gene Dusen (minors) to the Cardinals on October 27. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/maxvida01.shtml Dal Maxvill page at Baseball Reference] ]

Opening Day Starters

* Sal Bando
* Bobby Brooks
* Bert Campaneris
* Dave Duncan
* Mike Epstein
* Dick Green
* Ken Holtzman
* Reggie Jackson
* Joe Rudi

eason standings

Roster

Pitching

Starting pitchers

ALCS

Game 1

October 7, 1972 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

Game 4

October 11, 1972 at Tiger Stadium

Awards and Honors

*Joe Rudi, American League leader, Triples (tied) (9) [Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.96, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, NY, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0]
* Gene Tenace, Babe Ruth Award
* Gene Tenace, World Series Most Valuable Player

References

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1972.shtml 1972 Oakland Athletics team page at Baseball Reference]
* [http://baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1972&t=OAK 1972 Oakland Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com]

succession box
title = AL West Championship Season
years = 1972
before = Oakland Athletics
1971
after = Oakland Athletics
1973succession box
title = American League Champions
years = by|1972
before = Baltimore Orioles
by|1971
after = Oakland Athletics
by|1973succession box
title = World Series Champions
Oakland Athletics
years = by|1972
before = Pittsburgh Pirates
by|1971
after = Oakland Athletics
by|1973