Going into the 1972 season, major league baseball had gone 10 years without a back to back world’s champion. The next seven years would bring three consecutive. They were the Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. The Swingin’ A’s, Big Red Machine and Bronx Bombers. This seven year stretch is the only time in baseball history that three consecutive teams won the World Series back to back.
The A’s and Reds went into the decade as young, up and coming teams while the Yankees were going through an abnormal championship drought. By the end of the 1970’s New York had a new owner in George Steinbrenner and returned to their lofty status as lords of baseball.
The Oakland Athletics were the first of the repeat champions. Owner Charles Finley’s group were led by every day players Bert Campanaris, Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, Billy North and Reggie Jackson. The pitching staff boasted Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter.
The A’s not only repeated as champions, but won three consecutive World Series from 1972 to 1974. Their first victory came in a seven game series over the Reds. It was Cincinnati’s second series loss in three years as they had gone down to defeat against the Baltimore Orioles in 1970. The Oakland Athletics would go on to defeat the New York Mets in seven games in 1973 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games the following year. The A’s are the only team other than the Yankees to win three consecutive World Series.
Oakland’s rein as world champions came to an end in 1975 when they were defeated by the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series. This set up a World Series between the Red Sox and Reds. For Cincinnati stars, Tony Perez, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion and Joe Morgan it was time to put up or shut up. Though they were the favorites, the Reds still had to prove themselves after losing to Baltimore and Oakland.
In one of the greatest World Series ever played Cincinnati defeated Boston four games to three and the Big Red Machine had its title. The next season the Reds were the dominant team in baseball as they swept through the post season and defeated the Yankees in four straight.
The Yankees appearance in the World Series was their first since 1964. Though they had been swept by Cincinnati the talent was there for a championship run. A group led by Thurman Munson, Mickey Rivers, Graig Nettles and Lou Piniella bolstered itself by acquiring two players from the Oakland Athletics and one from the Cincinnati Reds. Catfish Hunter (1975) and Reggie Jackson (via Baltimore in 1977) came from Oakland and pitcher Don Gullett from Cincinnati.
The Yankees won the World Series in 1977 and 1978 over the Los Angeles Dodgers both in six games. Jackson and Hunter would end the decade with five World Series rings apiece. And the 1970’s triumvirate was complete.
Who was the best between the Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees of the 1970’s is up for debate. What we do know is that each had the torch passed to them and knew what to do when it was.