Watched a World Series game from 1973 recently

[Auggie]

Game 1, Oakland versus New York Mets

Willie Mays and Reggie Jackson, on the same field! Yogi Berra in the dugout, smoking a cigarette! The Oakland Coliseum, when it was still young.

But what I really, really loved was the simplicity of the broadcast.

Curt Gowdy and Monte Moore called the game. Great work. Pure baseball for real baseball fans, no human interest crap.

Additionally, there was no flag waving. No military. No sanctimony. The camera work, graphics, and replay may look primitive by today's standards, but it was enough to tell the story. The NBC crew didn't miss a beat either.

I wish we could revert to this simpler way of televising baseball. It's so much better.

A's won, 2-1. Rollie Fingers pitched nearly 4 innings in relief!

[Ohiogal]

1. Wow, cool!

Agree with the more simple broadcasts without all the fluffery. On those old broadcasts, I do miss the little box in the corner of the screen that tells you the score, balls and strikes, players on base, etc. one thing they do nowadays that drives me bonkers is when they make a split screen and interview someone on one side and show the game on the other side. Just show the game, dammit! And save the interviews for later! Or when the announcers have a “guest” in the booth, and they yak away with this guy for a whole inning and never tell you who it is!

Too funny, Yogi smoking a cigarette!

Remember Jim Leyland in his managerial career, trying not to be caught on camera smoking in the dugout ...

[MarcA]

2. Electronic Media continually evolves to the hype about the program

rather than the program and its content. Not surprising that such a culture
would have a game show host con as its president.

[Auggie]

3. They -- I point to FOX Sports in particular -- have dumbed-down baseball

their World Series audio is vomit-inducing. But I don't blame Joe Buck (who I think calls a decent football game), but FOX producers.

[KatyMan]

4. The Society of the Specatle! n/t

[rurallib]

5. Oakland had some great players in those years

I will try to recall some off the top of my head:

Sal Bando, Joe Rudi (?Rudy), Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, the aforementioned Jackson and Fingers, didn't Ken Holtzman do a stint with them? They had a great catcher whose name escapes me.

That was a memorable team even 50 years later.

[Auggie]

6. Holtzman started the game I saw

[kairos12]

8. As a Reds fan all I could say after the 72 World

Last edited Fri Apr 24, 2020, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Series was who the fuck is Gene Tenace?

[rurallib]

9. Gene Tenace! What a player

I live in Iowa and the As farm team was in Des Moines back in the day. Most of the players on their great teams passed through DM on their way up. Not sure how many were in DM together but I do remember the DM team having one incredible year I think in the late 60s/ early 70s.

I remember in particular that Joe Rudi was a huge star in DM. Jackson may have gone straight from college to the majors.

[kairos12]

7. A team that won 3 WS in a row.

Colorful group lead by the owner.

[RussellCattle]

10. Where did you watch this game? We'd like to watch it too. but haven't been able to find it yet.

[Auggie]

11. It was broadcast on the A's local sports channel in the S.F. Bay Area

Sorry.

I understand there are lots of vintage games available for view on YouTube, and probably elsewhere. Hopefully you'll get lucky.

[lastlib]

12. I remember one play from that series that has stuck with me to this day....

But, alas, I don't remember the players involved, or which game it was.

A's were in the field, and the Dodgers had a runner in scoring position. Batter hit a drive to deep left field. Fielder caught it, runner was coming home, fielder threw to the infield, shortstop caught it and made the most BEAUTIFUL relay throw I ever saw to cut down the runner at the plate. Just an incredibly smooth catch-and-throw in one motion, likes of which I've never seen since. Would really like to see that play again!