30 greatest World Series in MLB history
19. Oakland A’s vs. Cincinnati Reds, 1972
The 1972 World Series between the Oakland A’s and Cincinnati Reds was a low scoring affair, but that did not take away from its excitement.
The series featured six one-run games, including each of the first five contests.
Gene Tenace was the difference for the Oakland in Game 1, driving in all three of the team’s runs on two home runs. Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter took a shutout into the ninth inning of the following game. He allowed a two-out RBI single that enabled Cincinnati to get on the board and close the gap to one run, but fellow Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers entered the the game to shut the door with the tying run on base.
The Reds shutout the A’s in Game 3 to get back on track, but Oakland won a 3-2 contest in Game 4 to put Cincinnati in danger of elimination. The Reds picked up back-to-back wins to keep the series alive, though, including an 8-1 blowout in Game 6 that bucked the trend of one-run games.
It appeared that momentum had shifted in their favor heading into the final game of the series. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, they had one more meeting with Oakland’s Hall of Fame pitching duo. Both Fingers and Hunter entered the game in relief, helping to shut down the Reds’ offense. The A’s took the lead for good during a two-run sixth inning, and held on for a 3-2 victory. It was Oakland’s first World Series title in 42 years.
Tenace took home MVP honors, and rightfully so. He finished the series with a .349 batting average, recording four home runs, nine RBI and eight runs.
Next: 18. New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers, 1947