As the 1972 playoffs began, the bloom was off the League Championship Series. Born in ’69, the first six tilts had produced five sweeps and a 3-1 rout, and those who had opposed the newfangled divisions were feeling vindicated. But the ’72 affairs at last would show the concept’s up side: Both were full-length thrillers with momentum shifts, late rallies, daring moves, hard feelings and controversy, with 5 of 10 games settled by one run.
Detroit scored in the 2nd on Norm Cash‘s solo HR, but the A’s equalized the next inning on a Joe Rudi sac fly. The game stayed 1-all into the 11th. Hunter was lifted in the 9th after a leadoff double, which led to a golden chance for Detroit: Cash’s sac bunt(?!?) off Vida Blue was mishandled by 2B Ted Kubiak (this was the year that Dick Williams shuffled his second sackers like short relievers), putting men on the corners with no outs. But Rollie Fingers pulled a Houdini, getting a popup from PH Gates Brown and a 4-6-3 DP from Jim Northrup. So Lolich went back out for the 9th, and then the 10th (after batting in the top half with 2 outs and nobody on).
Top of the 11th, one out, Al Kaline — batting 2nd in the order (you have to love Billy Martin’s tactics, if not his people skills) — homered off Fingers. Catcher Duke Sims tripled, but the Tigers failed to tack on when Cash and Mickey Stanley grounded out. Still, they were 3 outs from taking Game 1; and since the last 3 games of this best-of-5 would be back East, if needed, winning the opener would have been a big edge for Detroit.
In the home 11th, Lolich — still Lolich — yielded singles to the first two men and then departed with the tying run on 2nd, having pitched to 42 batters; no postseason pitcher since has faced so many. With righties coming up, Martin called in his righty relief ace, the talented rookie Chuck Seelbach, who’d been especially good in the last month and had saved the division-clincher over Boston. Gene Tenace laid one down, but Aurelio Rodriguez fired to Ed Brinkman covering third to get the lead runner. With second-baseman-of-the-moment Dal Maxvill due up (.217 career BA), Williams sent in the lefty pinch-hitter, Gonzalo Márquez.
Who?
Gonzalo Márquez was a 26-year-old rookie, one of two MLB players that year who hailed from Venezuela. Called up in August from AAA Iowa (he hit .309 there, after a .341 mark in 1970 that ranked 4th in the league), he had mainly pinch-hit for Oakland down the stretch, with 8 singles in 21 ABs. Márquez had two big go-ahead hits in the final week, once helping deny Nolan Ryan‘s 20th win. As a first baseman, his utter lack of power kept him from having a real MLB career, but his line-drive stroke made him ripe for the moment.
Márquez pulled Seelbach’s pitch through the hole into right. Al Kaline, the 10-time Gold Glover, made a snap decision: He could not get the pinch-runner Mike Hegan, steaming for home to tie the game, but he had a bead on Tenace heading for third. At 37, Kaline was no more the rangy marvel who had once roamed center field, but he still had a strong and accurate arm; in the past two years, he’d notched 11 assists with just one error in 213 OF games.
Kaline fired to third. But the sure-handed Rodriguez could not corral the bounce; it skipped past him, and Tenace ran home with the winning run. A home-run hero minutes before, the icon in his 20th year with Detroit now wore the mantle of defeat.
Oakland rolled in game 2 behind a brilliant Blue Moon Odom (3 singles, no walks), but this game is remembered mainly for Bert Campaneris throwing his bat at Lerrin LaGrow and getting banned for the rest of the series. Detroit had already lost SS Brinkman to a back injury.
Back home, the Tigers stayed alive on the battery power of Joe Coleman (14-K shutout) and Bill Freehan (HR, 2B, 2 Runs and a sac bunt, from the cleanup spot).
Game 4 was the opener all over again, but the Tigers’ turn to rise from the grave in extras. The Lolich-Hunter rematch was another draw, 1-1 through 9. The A’s reached Seelbach for 2 in the 10th, a rally started by a Marquez pinch-single, but they left a run on the table when Kubiak didn’t score from third on a two-out single. (Must have been a dribbler in front of home; anyone recall the play?) Detroit’s old guard rallied: Six batters, all veterans of the ’68 title, reached base, with a little help foreshadowed by the 7th-inning footnote, “Gene Tenace moves from C to 2B.” Cash, who never did hit lefties well, worked a walk off Dave Hamilton to force the tying run, and Northrup followed with the winning hit.
In game 5, Detroit sent Woodie Fryman back up against Odom. Fryman had been waived by Philly in July with a 4-10 record, but he went 10-3, 2.06 for Detroit, starting 14 of their final 53 games, and won the division clincher over Luis Tiant. He’d been touched up in game 2, but with the season on the line he was sharp, allowing 4 hits and a walk through 8 IP. Detroit struck first, but Oakland tied it in the next half on Reggie Jackson‘s leg. After a leadoff walk, Reggie stole 2nd, moved up on a flyout, and with 2 down and a man on 1st, swiped home on the tail end of a double-steal, called safe on a close play. (A torn hamstring suffered on the play would keep Jackson out of the ’72 Series.)
In Oakland’s 4th, a leadoff errant throw by Dick McAuliffe — his 4th miscue in as many games taking Brinkman’s place at SS — set up the go-ahead run, which scored with two away on Tenace’s single, the only hit of the frame. The Tigers, in their last six innings (four against Blue), never got a man past 1st base.
The A’s went to the World Series and began to build their legend, winning in 7 with 4 one-run victories; Tenace was the MVP, and Fingers logged 10.1 IP over 6 games. Gonzalo Marquez went 3 for 5 as a pinch-hitter in the Series, starting the winning rally in game 5; but despite his obvious ability that role (he went 6 for 21 the next year), his limitations were just too great, and when he failed to hit in a starting trial with the Cubs, his U.S. career was essentially over, though he would play many more years in Mexico and Venezuela.
Detroit would keep the core intact for one more year; seven lineup regulars plus Lolich, John Hiller and Gates Brown were all together for at least 1966-73, and most of them for more. The club was in 1st place as late as August 14, 1973, but Martin wore out his welcome during a losing stretch; by August’s end, Martin was gone and the Bengals were buried behind the red-hot O’s. It would be 12 years before another Motor City playoff game.
I would have sworn on a Bible that Vida Blue pitched that game 5. How is it that he did not start any of these games?
Well he did have the worst ERA of any of the A’s primary starters. But honestly, I don’t know. Sure he had an off year but considering he won the Cy Young and MVP the year before, it is a bit strange. In the World Series, he pitched out of the bullpen in games 1, 3 and 4, then started game 6.
I don’t recall the answer from the time (John might), but I wonder whether Charlie O was sending a message. Blue’s off-year wasn’t just a sophomore slump. He had held out against Finley’s salary offer in the spring and didn’t play till late May. Finley was not averse to meddling in managerial decisions, especially in the postseason – that’s what ultimately led to Williams’ resignation.
From 1964-1973 there were 9 Tigers who were teammates: Gates Brown, Bill Freehan, Willie Horton, Mickey Lolich, Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Dick McAuliffe, Jim Northrup, and Mickey Stanley. That is an ML record.
Richard — Here’s what I have for those ’60s-’70s Tigers. Years listed are 50+ games for position players:
C- Freehan 1963-76
1B – Cash 1960-74
2B – McAuliffe 1961-73
LF – Horton 1965-76
CF – Stanley 1966-78
RF – Kaline 1954-74
OF – Northrup 1965-74
PH/OF – Gates Brown 1963-74
SP – Lolich 1963-75
RP – Hiller 1967-70, ’72-80
And of course, Hiller was not playing elsewhere in ’71. Just taking time to turn his heart attack into a life and career asset.
John,
You would have to bring up that (the Tigers 1972) playoff again. Some of those frustrating memories had faded a bit. Just kidding, I enjoyed it (well sort of).
I am reinvigorated by 1he 2012 Tigers though.
Not sure if first girlfriend putting me on waivers or A’s over Tigers was the bigger heartbreak in’72. Quick personal aside Dick McAullife lived a couple blocks over from me in my blue-collar neighborhood, back when ballplayers made normal salaries.
BTW, Robbs, I’m a McAuliffe fan — I didn’t mean to hang him with those errors. Just something that happened … As an 8-year-old getting a first taste of playoff baseball, that series was kind of overwhelming.
I hope he was a nice neighbor! 🙂
I’m afraid my memories of baseball in ’72 are pretty hazy. I was 16, soon to turn 17, had my license, was All-Conference on both offense & defense in football & was dating one of the cheerleaders. The idea of spending a week with my ear glued to a transistor radio like I did as a 12 year old in ’68 wasn’t even on my radar. I saw part of a few of the games on television I think but really have no distinct memory of it at all.
Which is sad because as you have already pointed out it was the last hurrah for that wonderful Tigers team that I grew up with in the 60’s.
Hopefully I can form a few new positive memories from this years post season because the regular season was damned near the end of me.
It sounds like the 1972 You would readily give a wedgie to the current day “Hartvig” and all of his stat blog geek friends. 🙂
Hartvig, Having read hundreds of your posts, your high school self-description induced severe congnitive dissonance. At “dating one of the cheerleaders” I looked up to stare at you in astonishment, before I heard my head saying, “Oh, right.”
Need a little perspective- this was rural North Dakota.
I also played in the band, was on the school newspaper AND I was class valedictorian… in a class of 18 students. You had to- there were about 100 students in the top 4 grades- and everyone went out for everything.
I literally grew up in Mayberry RFD.
But the only underclassmen we gave wedgies to were strong enough that you really had to break a sweat to do it.
Lolich and Hunter interestingly have similar career numbers, and it’s mysterious where Catfish gets the Hall of Fame nod over the former, save for the neat first name.
Gonzalo Marquez appeared only as a pinch-hitter in the 1972 post-season, connecting in 5 of his 8 chances (but delivering only 2 RBI and one run scored). Those 5 pinch-hits remain the record for a single post-season, a mark shared with Lou Piniella who went 5 for 7 in PH appearances in the 1981 post-season.
“…7th-inning footnote, ‘Gene Tenace moves from C to 2B.’ …”
Boy Tenace’s error in extra innings of Game 4 could have REALLY cost him (and the A’s). More than just that particular game. If they go onto lose Game 5 who knows what happens in the future for the A’s (dynatsy-wise). As it was, the fact that they even had to play game five cost them Reggie Jackson for the W.S. (as John mentioned above).
Plus for Tenace himself, his legend only really started during that 1972 World Series. Luckily for Gene, he was able to drive in the game winning hit in the 4th inning of Game 5, which allowed him to go nuts in the W.S. with 1.313 OPS, including 4 HR and 9 RBI. Before that, Gino had only played a few partial seasons, with 1972 not being good (97 OPS+ with .225/.307/.339). I think it is possible he needed that W.S. performance to get a full-time spot the next season.
However, in actuality, his error in Game 4 of the 1972 ALCS ultimately BENEFITED Tenace, as everything fell into place from then on. He got the game-winning RBI in Game 5. Played great in the 1972 World Series being the only power production (with Reggie hurt). He parlayed those heroics into a full-time spot that he made the most of, and put together a career that has been discussed on this site as possibly HOF-caliber.
Just another What IF? scenario that I found intriguing.
Definitely a curious choice. Tenace had played only twice at 2nd previously, once after entering the game as a pinch-hitter and once in a 15-inning game.
As John alluded to, Williams had a bit of a blind spot regarding second baseman, witness his second sackers in Montreal, Dave Cash and Rodney Scott, with 88 and 67 OPS+ in their Montreal seasons and minimal defensive upside (1.2 and -0.1 cumulative dWAR, respectively).
Very intriguing, Tmckelv! Loved the twist.
Went with my father to Game 1, and remember tickets being sold at the ticket windows (attendance was around 29,000). A fun exciting series, even though I wasn’t much of an A’s fan. It was interesting comparing the somewhat-blase A’s fans with the potentially riotous Tiger fans (stormed the field after Games 5)
We were able to go to Game 7 of the ’73 World Series at the Coliseum, and the ticket windows were open then, also. Charlie Finley was so polarizing- he put together these great teams, yet pissed off the fans that loved those teams so much that people hated to give him their money…
Andy R., thanks for mentioning Charlie O. — you reminded me to order this bio (by a couple of SABR guys, I think) that was well reviewed:
http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Finley-Outrageous-Baseballs-Showman/dp/0802717454
John- it’s funny, but I was thinking about that series on the way home from work today, then read your excellent post- it brought back even more memories. Growing up here in the Bay Area, I was able to see Charlie O. in all his “glory”. A man of contradictions, that’s for sure!
I read his bio earlier this year, and totally enjoyed it. It had a lot of info about his early days and the Kansas City days. Always seemed to me that, as a self-made man, he couldn’t understand people not having the same single-mindedness that he had, and it clouded how he treated people…