We are on to the American League Championship Series between the defending champion Oakland A's (94 - 68) versus Earl Weaver's O's (97 - 65). These teams have been the juggernauts of their respective divisions, each boasting outstanding pitching staffs and strong offenses. Reggie Jackson of Oakland is playing at an MVP level, and he is supported by stars Sal Bando, Joe Rudi, and Bert Campaneris (don't sleep on Gene Tenace either.) Baltimore looks a bit different than their World Series teams, with Frank Robinson and Davey Johnson out the door in trades. Youngsters Bobby Grich and Al Bumbry have stepped up in their place, and Earl Williams and Tommy Davis have fit in after trades. This series will be a dogfight.
Game One is a matchup between Cy Young winners Jim Palmer (22 - 9 2.40 296 IP) and Vida Blue (20 - 9 3.28 263 IP)
Game Two is a battle between workhorse lefty Dave McNally (17 - 17 3.21 266 IP) and legend Catfish Hunter (21 - 5 3.34 256 IP)
After two at Memorial, we will move on to the Oakland Coliseum for the final three games. Who will have the advantage at that point. Tune in to these great games.
Audio Clips from Classic Baseball on the Radio Youtube.
As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, boxscores, background information, and much, much more.
Catch you next time,
P.C.O.
