Cincinnati Kids: '75 Reds Explode Past '72 Oakland A's, 16-8, to Win "Best Teams of the 1970s" Title

OAKLAND – The Big Red Machine rolled.

Held relatively quiet through five games, the 1975 Cincinnati Reds’ vaunted offense exploded here Friday evening, scoring 13 runs in the first six innings and clubbing the 1972 Oakland A’s, 16-8, to win Game 6 and the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “Teams of the 1970s” Strat-O-Matic World Series championship.

The Reds and A’s advanced to the World Series by winning their respective eight-team brackets. Both lost in their winner’s bracket games before winning two straight in the championship round, Cincinnati downed the 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland edged the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The ’72 Reds finished 9-3 overall and the ’72 A’s were 7-5.

While there were many stars for Cincinnati in Game 6, no one was better than Davey Concepcion. The Venezuelan shortstop had three hits in five at bats with six RBI on a run-scoring single in a five-run fifth, a two-run single in a five-run sixth and a three-run home run in the eighth – the final nail in Oakland’s coffin.

Concepcion’s performance, on offense and defense, the entire series earned him World Series Most Valuable Player honors.

He went seven-for-20 for a .350 batting average. He reached base safely eight times in 23 plate appearances for a .364 on-base percentage. He executed a key squeeze bunt in Game 3 that led to the Reds’ first win of the series and was flawless and spectacular in the field. Concepcion recorded 16 putouts and 32 assists in 48 chances and was part of eight double plays.

Cincinnati was buoyed by second baseman Joe Morgan and catcher Johnny Bench, who were held down through the first five games. Morgan went three-for-five with a home run and two singles with four RBI. Bench also had three hits in five at bats, smacking two doubles and a home run for three RBI.

The Red jumped on starter John “Blue Moon” Odom (0-2) with two runs in the first and one in the fourth. In the fifth, they knocked him out, when with one out he walked two and yielded consecutive run-scoring hits to Morgan and Bench.

Leading 8-0 to start the sixth inning, Cincinnati pummeled beleaguered reliever Rollie Fingers. The A’s closer walked two and allowed four hits in the five-run inning to make it 13-0. It was another pathetic performance by Fingers, who yielded a walk-off home run to Terry Crowley in Game 4 that gave the Reds a 3-2 win in 10 innings and pulled them even at 2-2 in the series.

Oakland broke a scoreless 17-inning streak in a comeback attempt in the seventh.

Reds’ starter Jack Billingham (1-0) cruised through six innings, yielding just two hits. But he became wild, walking three batters and a single in the seventh. Cincinnati manager @JackSacco6 called on closer Rawly Eastwick.

He struggled mightily, allowing four hits – including a Mike Hegan grand slam and Sal Bando solo homer. The A’s  scored eight in the inning to cut their deficit to five.

The Reds answered right back off Dave Hamilton. George Foster singled with one out, Cesar Geronimo walked, and Concepcion belted his home run.

Eastwick settled down to retire six of the last seven batters to seal the win and the series.

Ken Griffey, Sr. and Foster had two hits apiece for Cincinnati.

The 24 runs scored were one more than the teams had combined for (23) in the first five games.

“I never saw this kind of game coming,” said @JackSacco6. “I would never have figured this number of runs.”

Matty Alou concluded his outstanding performance for the A’s. He hit safely in all six games and finished with 10 hits in 23 at bats (.435). He had a .609 on-base percentage and .519 slugging percentage for a 1.128 OPS.

Reggie Jackson had two hits and Gonzalo Marquez hit a pinch-hit single to spur the big seventh-inning comeback attempt.

“We scored in only one of our last 20 innings of offense,” said @sacco_john. “That is not anywhere near acceptable. Honestly, if not for Matty and Vida Blue, our asses would have been swept in four games.

“The defense and relief pitching in this series was worse than awful. We got what we deserved. Run over.”

Highlighting Oakland’s relief woes, Fingers faced 11 batters in his two series appearances. He surrendered five hits – three home runs – three walks and six earned runs. His 32.34 ERA and ridiculously-high 4.7904 (WHIP) were stinging.

“I was hesitant to use him early in the series because of his uneven performances in bracket play,” @sacco_john said. “It only got worse. Way worse.”

Said @JackSacco6: “We officially won the championship today with this great offensive performance. But don’t forget what Don Gullett did for us in Game 5. His shutout was a big key in all of this.

The Reds will hold a virtual celebration parade Sunday in the “Queen City” via Zoom. Appropriately, Queen Eloise, the first – AND ONLY-- canine of the Sacco household, will be the Grand Marshal.

The Best Teams of the 1970s World Series

Friday, May 8, 2020

at Oakland Coliseum

Game 6

Cincinnati    200 155 030-16  15  0

Oakland        000 000 800-  8   8    1

WP-Jack Billingham (1-0)

LP-John Odom (0-2)

My blog will appear on a regular basis and will focus on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.

John Sacco

sacman18@comcast.net

@sacco_john

Gullett Puts Clamps on '72 A's, '75 Reds Take Command

CINCINNATI – Don Gullet tossed a four-hitter and shutout the ’72 Oakland A’s as the ’75 Cincinnati Reds moved within a win Wednesday of capturing  @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “Team of The 1970s” Strat-O-Matic World Series with a 2-0 victory in Game 5.

Gullett (1-1) faced the minimum through the first 6-2/3 innings and the Reds scored single runs in the first and second innings on an RBI single by Joe Morgan and run-scoring double by Pete Rose, who moved back to the lead-off spot.

“I never expected that kind of performance from Gullett,” said @JackSacco6, manager of the Reds. “I would never imagined he could shut that lineup down and out like that.”

Oakland starter, Catfish Hunter (1-0), hit Rose to open the bottom of the first inning. Ken Griffey moved Rose to second base on a ground out. Morgan followed with his single to drive in Rose.

First baseman Dan Driessen, filling in for injured Tony Perez, smacked a lead-off single in the second. He moved to third on the first of shortstop Dave Concepcion’s two singles. After a botched suicide squeeze attempt by Gullett that had Driessen called out at home, Rose delivered his double.

That was all the Reds would need.

Oakland, which scored just three runs in the three games following it taking a 2-0 series lead, has scored just three runs in its last 30 innings.

The only A’s player to advance beyond first base was Reggie Jackson, who hit a two-out double in the seventh inning.

Matty Alou continued his hot hitting for Oakland with two singles. He is now nine-for-20 (.450) in the series. The A’s sent no more than four batters to the plate in any inning. Alou has reached base 11 times in 22 series plate appearances for a .500 OBP and has a .700 slugging percentage for a 1.200 OPS. . Alou has accounted for 21.9 percent of his teams 41 hits in the series.

“Matty needs some help,” said @sacco_john, Oakland’s manager. “With the exception of Reggie (Jackson – who is five-for-19) and Mike Epstein, we’ve been horrendous at the plate. No execution. No power. No anything. Our starting pitching has been plenty good enough.  The defense and offense stink. If we don't start helping Matty, it's toot Alou for the A's."

Rose is now six-for-17 (.353) in the series after starting zero-for-nine. He has reached base safely in nine of his last 11 at bats and is nine-for-20 plate appearances (.450 OBP) in the series.

The series moves back to Oakland for Game 6, and Game 7, if necessary.

In Game 6, Cincinnati will start Jack Billingham (0-0) against John “Blue Moon” Odom (0-1) of Oakland.

Pitching has dominated the series. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine has scored 12 runs and the Swingin’ A’s have managed just 11 runs.

Hunter has worked 17 innings, allowing nine hits, striking out 11, walking one and hitting one batter while yielding three earned runs for a 1.59 ERA and a 0.5882 WHIP.

Perez will return for Game 6 and both bullpens are rested and ready.

The Best of the Teams of the 1970s World Series

Game 5

at Riverfront Stadium

Cincinnati, Ohio

Oakland      000 000 000-0  4  0

Cincinnati   110 000 00x-2  6   0

WP-Don Gullett (1-1)

LP-Catfish Hunter (1-1)

My blog will appear on a regular basis and will focus on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.

John Sacco

sacman18@comcast.net

@sacco_john

Crowley's Dramatic Blast Pulls '75 Reds Even With '72 A's

CINCINNATI – Terry Crowley, who entered the game because of an eighth-inning injury to Tony Perez, belted a lead-off, walk-off home run off ace reliever Rollie Fingers in the bottom of the 10^thinning to power the ’75 Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 victory over the ‘72 Oakland A’s in Game 4 of the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of the 1970s” Strat-O-Matic World Series Monday.

The series is tied at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium. The home team has won each of the first four games.

An inning earlier, Crowley had the bat taken out of his hands, with the game on the line, when Joe Morgan unsuccessfully tried to steal home to win the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Crowley entered the game to play first base in the top of ninth after Perez was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the eighth and was forced to leave the game. Perez suffered an upper body injury and will miss Game 5.

The Reds, down 2-0 into the bottom of the eighth, took advantage of shoddy defensive play by Oakland, who made two errors in the inning.

George Foster reached on an error by shortstop Bert Campaneris. With two-out, Perez was hit and suddenly-hot Pete Rose and centerfielder Merv Rettenmund delivered consecutive RBI singles off left-handed reliever Dave Hamilton. After an error by catcher Gene Tenace that allowed Ken Griffey, Sr., to reach base, Joe Horlen came on to retire Dave Concepcion.

Clay Carroll came on in the eighth for the Reds and induced Tenace to hit into an inning-ending double play and then pitched a perfect ninth. Rawly Eastwick (1-0) pitched a perfect 10^thinning.

Oakland committed three errors in the game and have made seven errors in the past three games. A’s fielders have also struggled getting balls, both on the ground and in the air during the series, allowing batters to reach safely.

The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the seventh when pinch-hitter Larry Brown singled home Tenace, who had led-off with a single. Oakland’s other run came in the eighth when first baseman Mike Epstein hit his second home run of the series.

The late-inning collapse ruined another tremendous start for Vida Blue, who worked six, scoreless innings, yielding three hits and striking out four. In 13 series innings, Blue has not allowed a run. He has struck out seven, walked four and surrendered nine hits.

The A’s used six pitchers in all. Cincinnati’s only earned run was Crowley’s’ game-winner. Bob Locke, Hamilton, Ken Holtzman, Horlen and Fingers (0-1) combined to work three innings,  allowing five hits, walking one and striking out two.

It took five Cincinnati pitchers to secure the victory. Starter Gary Nolan worked 6-2/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out three. He walked one, hit two batters and allowed a run.

Will McEnaney, Pedro Borbon, Carroll and Eastwick worked a combined 3-1/3 innings, yielding four hits and one run. The bullpen did not walk or strikeout a batter.

The teams combined to use 33 players.

Rose had three hits for the Reds while Griffey added two hits. 

Rose is five-for-six in the last two games after manager @JackSacco6 dropped him down in the order from the lead-off spot where he went zero-for-nine to open the series.

Joe Rudi had three hits for Oakland and Matty Alou added a double. Alou is seven-for-16 in the series (.438).

Game 5 will pit Oakland’s Catfish Hunter against left Don Gullett of the Reds.

Game 6 will be played in Oakland.

The Best of the Teams of the 1970s World Series

at Riverfront Stadium

Cincinnati, Ohio

Oakland    000 000 110 0-2  9  3

Cincinnati 000 000 020 1-3  8  0

WP-Rawly Eastwick (1-0)

LP-Rollie Fingers (0-1)

My blog will appear on a regular basis and will focus on sports, opinions, notes, features, and some trivia for good measure.

John Sacco

sacman18@comcast.net

@sacco_john

'75 Reds' Winning Formula Was Fundamental

CINCINNATI – The ‘75 Cincinnati Reds’ stalled offense figured out a way to win in Game 3 of the @JackSacco6 @sacco_john “The Best Teams of The 1970s” Strat-O-Matic World Series Friday, earning a 5-1 win over the ’72 Oakland A’s at Riverfront Stadium.

Oakland still leads the Series, 2-1. Games 4 and 5 will also be played at Riverfront Stadium.

The Reds, who scored just two runs in two losses to open the series, scored a run in the first inning to grab its first lead of the series. Joe Morgan reached on an error, stole second and moved to third on Ken Griffey, Sr.’s bunt single. Johnny Bench hit into a double-play as Morgan scored on the play.

Cincinnati then turned to fundamental baseball. While the A’s made two errors in the first three innings, the Reds executed a squeeze play in the third when Griffey, scored pitcher Jack Billingham on a perfectly executive squeeze.

In the fourth, George Foster hit a one-out double. Pete Rose walked, and Cesar Geronimo delivered an RBI single that advanced Rose to third. Dave Concepcion then squeezed Rose home to make it 4-0 off Oakland starter John “Blue Moon” Odom (0-1).

The rabid Reds’ fans were buzzing prior to the game, sensing the urgency for their team to get things going.

Riverfront Stadium rocked welcoming their boys’ home and were hyped further when @MilanaSacco performed the national anthem. She had previously performed on MLB Network, singing the anthem at another World Series. The Buckeye state, socially-distanced crowd erupted into complete euphoria when it was posted on the stadium scoreboard that @MilanaSacco would attend Ohio-based Case Western Reserve University in the fall for her freshman year of college.

Rose broke a hitless streak with two singles and a walk in the game. He was moved from leadoff to sixth in the lineup by manager @JackSacco6.

Tony Perez homered in the eighth for The Big Red Machine, his first hit in 11 series at bats.

Three Cincinnati pitchers shut down the A’s. Billingham worked 4-1/3 innings allowing five hits and walking six but just one run.

Clay Carroll (1-0) came in to work 2-2/3 scoreless innings and was credited with the win. Rawly Eastwick pitched the final two innings to gain the save (1).

Third baseman Sal Bando drove in Oakland’s only run with a fifth-inning single. Outfielders Reggie Jackson and Joe Rudi had two hits each.

Odom worked four innings allowing four hits and four runs, only two were earned.

Lefties Ken Holtzman and Dave Hamilton pitched the final four innings.

Oakland second baseman Dick Green and A’s Manager @sacco_john seemed to exchange words after Green botched a sacrifice bunt attempt in the sixth inning, popping into a double play.

Greene was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth. 

The Teams of the 1970s World Series
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
Game 3

Oakland     000 010 000-1  8  2
Cincinnati  101 200  01x-5  7  1

WP-Clay Carroll (1-0)
LP-John Odom (0-1)
Sv-Rawly Eastwick (1) 

My blog will appear on a regular basis and will focus on sports, opinions, notes, features, fiction, and some trivia for good measure.

John Sacco

sacman18@comcast.net

@sacco_john