Great A’s teams of early 70s showcased on MLB Network

The shaggy, colorful A’s of the early 70s are remembered as much for their constant brawling as for their three World Series titles, and on Tuesday evening, the MLB Network highlights both the discord and the extraordinary success of one of baseball’s most entertaining dynasties. Burrelll wound up being the owner’s eyes and ears in the clubhouse, earning him the derogatory nickname “Pipeline” from the players. Finley denied some of the era’s greatest performers even the smallest of raises, and his unwillingness to spend money probably cost Oakland a shot at least another championship or two, as players note in the film. Finley assembled, almost entirely on his own, one of the best teams in baseball history, and he also performed some quiet acts of charity, such as flying a player’s wife to medical treatments. The MLB Network found all sorts of great clips on and off the field, real gems, including several with Finley and his mule, Charlie O. The player interviews are terrific, particularly those with pitchers Vida Blue and Ken Holtzman and catcher Gene Tenace, who discusses playing after getting a death threat in Cincinnati during the 1972 World Series.