by Gruver , Ed;
Harmon, Pat. “Johnny Bench: Baseball’s Winner.” Baseball Illustrated, 1973.
Harrelson, Bud. “The Real Tom Seaver.” Sport Magazine, August 1972.
Hawkins, Jim. “Coleman Cools Temper and Heats Up Pitches.” The Sporting News, June 16, 1973.
—. “Rudi’s Catch Rates with the Greatest.” Baseball Digest, January 1973.
Helyar, John. Lords of the Realm: The Real History of Baseball. New York: Villard Books, 1994.
Hillyer, John. “Everybody Loves Dick Allen Now.” Baseball Illustrated, 1973.
Hines, Maury. “Analyzing the New Breed of Hitters.” Sport World. New York: Hammond Media Corporation, 1973.
Hirshberg, Al. “Carl Yastrzemski: Missing by a Whisker.” In Baseball Stars of 1975. New York: Pyramid Books, 1975.
—. “Carlton (Pudge) Fisk: Take-Charge Backstop.” In Baseball Stars of 1973. New York: Pyramid Books, 1973.
—. “Dick Williams’ Second World Series: This Time the Heroes Wore Mustaches.” Sport Magazine, October 1973.
—. “Henry Aaron: On the Babe’s Trail.” In Baseball Stars of 1972. New York: Pyramid Books, 1972.
—. “Luis Tiant: Fu Manchu’s Comeback.” In Baseball Stars of 1973. New York: Pyramid Books, 1973.
—. “The Smallest Cog Powers the Big Red Machine.” Sport Magazine, August 1973.
—. “Wilbur Wood and the Art of the Knuckleball.” Sport Magazine, August 1972.
Hirshey, Dave. “Close-up: Steve Blass.” Baseball Extra, 1973.
Holtzman, Jerome. “Cub Belter Williams Earns Player of the Year Crown.” The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
—. “Cubs Deny A’s Got Edge in Holtzman-Monday Deal.” The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
Hunter, Bob. “No 20-Win Button in Sutton’s Goal.” The Sporting News, May 13, 1972.
Hunter, Jim “Catfish,” and Armen Keteyian. Catfish: My Life in Baseball. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988.
Jablow, Paul. “Mike Schmidt: Not-So-Futile-Philly.” In Baseball Stars of 1971. New York: Pyramid Books, 1972.
Joyce, Dick. “Bench No. 1 Catcher of All-Time?” Baseball Extra, 1973.
Koppett, Leonard. The New Thinking Fan’s Guide to Baseball. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1991.
Kuhn, Bowie. Hardball: The Education of a Baseball Commissioner. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986.
Lang, Jack. “Mets Were Major Mystery—How Did They Ever Win 83?” The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
Langford, George. “Chicago’s Swingers: Allen & Williams.” Popular Sports Baseball, 1973.
Lawson, Earl. “Grimsley Moves Year Ahead in Reds’ Standout Schedule.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
—. “Hard Luck Brings Out Best in Nolan.” The Sporting News, June 17, 1972.
—. “Sparky Calls Gullett Best Lefty in N.L.” The Sporting News, April 17, 1976.
—. Tolan Typifies Reds’ All-Around Great Season, The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
—. “Wild Pitch Sets Off Reds’ N.L. Pennant Party.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
Leggett, William. “Pinstripes Are Back in Style.” Sports Illustrated, July 2, 1973.
—. “A Riot Act Changes the Scene.” Sports Illustrated, May 3, 1971.
Lewis, Allen. “Steve Carlton’s Rare Pitching Achievement.” Baseball Digest, January 1973.
Libby, Bill. Charlie O. & the Angry A’s. New York: Doubleday, 1975.
—. “Frank Robinson Sounds Off! Why the National League Is Different—Better.” Sport Magazine, September 1972.
—. “The Great Catcher Controversy. Bench or Sanguillen—Who’s the Best?” Baseball Sports Stars of 1973.
Lindblom, John. “Reggie Jackson: A Tale of a Soulful Man.” Baseball Illustrated, 1973.
Linn, Ed. “Billy Martin: A Foreign Body in the Tigers’ System.” Sport Magazine, June 1971.
Litsky, Frank. “All Hail, Cesar.” Sports Quarterly Presents Baseball, 1973.
—“Ryan Express Becomes a Blur.” Baseball Extra, 1973.
Luciano, Ron, and David Fisher. Remembrance of Swings Past. New York: Bantam Books, 1988.
McClure, Bill. “Pete Rose—Enos Slaughter with Talent.” Countrywide Sports, August 1970.
McLain, Denny, with Dave Diles. Nobody’s Perfect. New York: Dial Press, 1975.
Meagher, Michael. “Rating The Pitchers.” Sport World. New York: Hammond Media Corporation, 1973.
Michelson, Herb. Charlie O. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1975.
Miller, Ira. “‘Baseball Owners Are Stupid!’ Charlie Finley.” Dell Super Sports, July 1973.
Miller, Marvin. A Whole Different Ball Game: The Inside Story of the Baseball Revolution. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2004.
Morey, Charles. “Dick Allen’s Coming Drive for Diamond Immortality.” Sport World. New York: Hammond Media Corporation, 1973.
Morgan, Bruce. Steve Carlton and the 1972 Phillies. Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2012.
Morgan, Joe, and David Falkner. Joe Morgan: A Life in Baseball. New York: W. W. Norton.
Munves, Jim. “Tom Seaver: Mainly With Heart.” In Baseball Stars of 1974. New York: Pyramid Books, 1974.
Munzel, Edgar. “Top A.L. Pitcher of Year? ‘Wood!’ Chisox Claim.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
Murray, Jim. “How the A’s Curbed the Big Red Machine.” Baseball Digest, January 1973.
Newhan, Ross. “Nolan Ryan: The New Strikeout King.” Popular Sports Baseball, 1973.
Newhouse, Dave. “In Depth with the Catfish.” Baseball Extra, 1973.
—. “An Oakland Dynasty?” Sports Quarterly Presents Baseball, 1973.
Ogle, Jim. “Late Collapse Accents Yanks’ Need for Changes.” The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
Oppenheimer, Joel. The Wrong Season. New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1973.
Peck, Ira. “Bob Gibson.” In Baseball Stars of 1971. New York: Pyramid Books, 1972.
Post, Greg. “Stories You Never Heard about Reggie Jackson.” Team Magazine, 1973.
Ray, Ralph. “Blue Puts A’s Colors on A.L. Pennant.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
—. “Swinging A’s Put Tigers Down for Two Count.” The Sporting News, October 21, 1972.
Reidenbaugh, Lowell. “Amazin’ A’s Reign as World Champs.” The Sporting News, November 4, 1972.
—. “A’s Open with Fury in Tenace’s Bat.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
—. “Rudi’s Bat and Glove Help Hunter to Shoot Down Reds.” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972.
Robinson, Ray. “Bobby Murcer: Tradition, Tradition.” In Baseball Stars of 1972. New York: Pyramid Books, 1972.
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About Ed Gruver
Ed Gruver is an award-winning sportswriter who has covered the Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles as a columnist and has reported on MLB All-Star Games, playoffs, and the World Series. He is the author of six sports books, including Koufax and The Ice Bowl: The Cold Truth about Football’s Most Unforgettable Game.
1. Oakland A’s slugger and showman Reggie Jackson was a lightning rod for the colorful Swingin’ A’s.
2. Pete Rose, sliding into second base against the rival San Francisco Giants, personified the all-out style of the rollicking Big Red Machine.
3. A’s maverick owner Charles O. Finley, left, and embattled manager Dick Williams won World Series titles in 1972 and 1973 before a fed-up Williams walked away.
4. Charlie Finley’s mechanical rabbit Harvey came out of the ground to supply umpires with baseballs. Harvey was one of several gimmicks—along with Charlie O. the Mule, Finley Fireworks, and Hot Pants Day—that the A’s P. T. Barnum–like owner used to liven up home games.
5. From left, A’s aces Jim “Catfish” Hunter, Vida Blue, and Ken Holtzman gave the Mustache Gang a starting rotation unmatched in the majors. In 1973 Hunter, Blue, and Holtzman each won at least twenty games, the last trio to achieve the feat.
6. A’s skipper Dick Williams, far right, and his team exult as Gene Tenace scores the winning run to beat the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the 1972 American League Championship Series in Oakland. Tenace went on to greater glory in the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
7. Cincinnati shortstop Dave Concepcion leaps high to avoid the takeout slide of Oakland captain Sal Bando in Game Four of the hotly contested 1972 World Series.
8. The Oakland Coliseum scoreboard tells the stunning story after the A’s rallied past the Reds in the bottom of the ninth inning to win Game Four of the 1972 World Series.
9. With his long hair, Salvador Dali–style mustache, and wicked slider, A’s ace reliever Rollie Fingers presented a fearsome picture to opponents.
10. Reds third-base coach Alex Grammas (right rear) grimly watches the underdog A’s celebrate their 1972 Game Seven victory on the Riverfront Stadium Astroturf.
11. Reds star second baseman Joe Morgan, left, congratulates Oakland Game Seven starter John “Blue Moon” Odom following the A’s shocking victory in Cincinnati in 1972.
12. From left, Mustache Gang members Mike Epstein, Dave Duncan, Joe Rudi, and Sal Bando enjoy a champagne celebration following the A’s Game Seven win over the Reds in 1972. Epstein’s New York disco T-shirt was a sign of the times.