Swingin' A's 1974 World Series Gm. 1 vs. Dodgers

In 1974, the A’s sought a new face between Finley and the players, turning to Alvin Dark as their new manager. With Dark at the helm, they tried to become the only franchise other than the Yankees to win three straight titles. This was Hunter’s season to lead the way, as he won the Cy Young Award with another phenomenal season, winning a career-best 25 games.

While the other A’s championship teams sailed through the regular season and had to fight through tough series in the playoffs, this one was the opposite. The A’s lost just twice in nine postseason games, beating the Orioles in the ALCS and then the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Rollie Fingers won the World Series MVP Award, a rare honor for a relief pitcher, after picking up a victory and two saves, working 9-1/3 innings in the series.

The first era of the A’s in Oakland, known as the “Swingin’ A’s,” won three consecutive World Series championships in the early 1970s, something only one other Major League franchise (the Yankees) has ever been able to equal.