1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1972 season. The 69th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League champion Oakland Athletics and the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. The Athletics won in seven games for their sixth World Series championship .[1][2][3] It was the first World Series championship for the Athletics since 1930.
1972 World Series
October 14–22
Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati)
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)
Gene Tenace (Oakland)
Chris Pelekoudas (NL), Bill Haller (AL),
Mel Steiner (NL), Frank Umont (AL),
Bob Engel (NL), Jim Honochick (AL)
Athletics :
Dick Williams (manager)
Reggie Jackson (DNP)
Catfish Hunter
Rollie Fingers
Reds:
Sparky Anderson (manager)
Johnny Bench
Joe Morgan
Tony Pérez
Curt Gowdy
Al Michaels (in Cincinnati)
Monte Moore (in Oakland)
Tony Kubek
Jim Simpson
Monte Moore (in Cincinnati)
Al Michaels (in Oakland)
Oakland Athletics over Detroit Tigers (3–2)
Cincinnati Reds over Pittsburgh Pirates (3–2)
These two teams met again in the World Series 18 years later in 1990. Their managers would meet again in the Fall Classic 12 years later in 1984, helming different teams and swapping leagues. This would be the first World Series where both teams wore pullover style uniforms. The style would remain the norm until 1982 after that at least one team in the fall classic would wear pullover uniforms until 1990 when the Cincinnati Reds wore them. Coincidentally both This World Series and the 1990 World Series featured the same two teams, the Athletics and the Reds, both far different results. The A's won this one in a hard fought seven games, while the Reds swept the defending Champion A's in four games in 1990.
Broadcasting[edit]
NBC aired the series on both television and radio. Curt Gowdy (on TV) and Jim Simpson (on radio) alternated play-by-play with team announcers Al Michaels (Reds) and Monte Moore (Athletics).
Tony Kubek, who had served as an in-the-stands reporter for NBC's four previous World Series telecasts, was promoted to the booth as a color analyst, becoming the first former player to serve in that capacity since Joe Garagiola in 1961.
Jackie Robinson, who died of a heart attack two days after the series ended, had thrown out its first ball. In addressing the crowd, he said he hoped to see a Black MLB manager soon. Frank Robinson, no relation, achieved that in 1974.