Oakland Athletics’ Offseason Acquisitions: 1972-1974 Championship Team
Offseason trades have always been a way for a team to enhance and strengthen its outlook for the upcoming season. These trades can go either way and many times can add to a foundation that leads to several years of winning seasons. My next four articles will highlight some of those significant offseason deals throughout Oakland Athletics’ history that augmented the team, leading to winning seasons with the A’s going to the postseason.
Part One, The 1972 to 1974 World Champs
When the A’s arrived in Oakland, they were already rich with young talent. The likes of Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, Bert Campaneris, Jim “Catfish” Hunter and Dick Green would form the core of the young team as well as would Joe Rudi and Vida Blue, who would come up to the big club in the next few years. Besides this core of young ballplayers, three other trades would be significant in forming the A’s dynasty of the 1970s.
1. Rick Monday for Ken Holtzman
With Vida Blue threatening to hold out for the 1972 season, and the A’s in dire need of left-handed starting pitching, A’s owner Charles Finley traded All-Star centerfielder Rick Monday to the Chicago Cubs on Nov. 29, 1971. The A’s were high on rookie outfielder Angel Mangual at the time and Monday, who hit only .245, was expendable. (Monday was my favorite A’s player at the time and, as a 12-year-old kid, I remember finding out about the trade when opening up the afternoon edition of the Oakland Tribune). Hotzman, who wanted out of Chicago so badly under the management of Leo Durocher, said, “I wouldn’t care if they traded me for two dozen eggs.”
The Mangual experiment in centerfield failed with only 5 HRS and a .246 BA in 1972, but Hotzman went on to post a 19-11 record and was an All-Star for the 1972 season. Joining Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter, Blue Moon Odom, and Blue on the pitching staff, Holtzman went on to thrive under the Athletics championship years. In 1973, Holtzman was again an All-Star going 21-13 and had 19 wins in 1974.
2. Bob Locker for Bill North
With Oakland needing a fixed centerfielder, Finley again took advantage of the Cubs, who were not so fond of the running game, this time pilfering speedster Billy North on Nov. 21, 1972 for the aging and washed up reliever Bob Locker. North became a catalyst for the 1973 and 1974 Oakland World Series teams, becoming a double threat with base stealer Campaneris, where he led off and stole over 50 bases in each of those years. With North joining Joe Rudi and Reggie Jackson in patrolling the outfield, the A’s were said to have the best outfield in baseball at that time. Locker on the other hand, lasted only two more seasons in baseball, winning just 10 games and saving 18.
3. Dave Duncan and George Hendrick for Ray Fosse
Days before the start of the 1973 season with plans for Worlds Series MVP Gene Tenace to move to first base and catcher Dave Duncan threatening to not sign his contract, Finley was again dealing. On March 24, 1973, Finley dealt Duncan and, with the acquisition of Bill North months prior, threw an also disgruntled centerfielder George Hendrick to the mix to obtain the All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner Fosse who was also a far superior hitter to Duncan.
Up Next: Oakland Athletics Can’t Contend With Coco Crisp on the Payroll
Fosse, who many times said he was shocked by the trade going from the last-place Cleveland Indians to the World Champs, went on to become the A’s backstop during their ’73 and ’74 championships and later became a fixture in the broadcast booth.
Look out for the next in the series where I will cover the AL Pennant winning Athletics from 1988 to 1990.