They were a dynasty unlike any other. The Oakland A's in 1974 were looking for a 3-peat and the only two things in their way were themselves... and their owner, Charlie Finley. They fought, they battled, and they scrapped amongst themselves mostly before they beat the Dodgers in 5 games to win their 3rd straight World Series and nobody chronicled that team better than author Jason Turbow who wrote the book "Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley's Swingin' A's.
Catfish Hunter is on the cover of the October 7th, 1974 issue of Sports Illustrated after winning 25 games in the regular season for the A's, but that was about the only thing that was regular about that season in Oakland. After winning it all in 1972 & '73 Manager Dick Williams left the team and was replaced by Alvin Dark. And while chaos was always a part of this team, it exploded in '74.
Fights were everywhere. Outfielders Reggie Jackson and Billy North got into it. And on the eve of the Fall Classic, so did Rollie Fingers and John 'Blue Moon Odom'. The team didn't like each other, and they couldn't stand their owner. But they loved winning and that's what they did best.
Turbow goes behind the curtain and tells some of the stories from that crazy time by the Bay. How Jim Hunter came to be known as Catfish, while Vida Blue refused to be called anything other than his God-given name. How Reggie and Joe Rudi were friends to the end and how the enigmatic Finley was his own worst enemy, but still belongs in Cooperstown alongside some of the players he helped get there.
The author of many books, including singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins' memoir "Still Alright", Turbow talks with the guys in the green and gold who fought and bickered with each other but stopped long enough to win 3 straight World Series 50 years ago. It's a great talk about a great team on the Past Our Prime podcast.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
