Forty-five years after the Oakland A's first World Series championship, MLB Network Presents tells the story of the colorful, and at times chaotic, A's dynasty of the early 1970's in The Swingin' A's, on Tuesday, February 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
Narrated by Oakland native and former A's clubhouse assistant MC Hammer, the one-hour documentary explores the tense relationship between controversial owner Charlie Finley and the team's roster of superstars as the A's won back-to-back-to-back World Series titles from 1972-1974. A preview clip recalling the combination of tension and fierce loyalty in the A's clubhouse can be seen here.
Featured throughout the show are interviews with several members of the 1970's A's roster, including Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers and Reggie Jackson, plus Sal Bando, Vida Blue, Ray Fosse, Ken Holtzman, Joe Rudi and Gene Tenace, who describe their tumultuous relationship with Finley and memorable moments from their dominance on the field. Said Jackson of the A's:
"We were one of the great dynasties. We won five divisions, three World Series in a row, we were a special breed. When you look back at it, you have a great appreciation for it and you're thankful that you were a part of it. I wish more people saw it."
Through archival material and interviews with former A's broadcaster Monte Moore, 17-time All-Star Pete Rose, Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, Charlie Finley's niece, author Nancy Finley, veteran baseball journalist Ray Ratto and author Dan Epstein, The Swingin' A's provides an in-depth look at the building of the A's roster, the dismantling of its championship teams, and the legacy of those often-overlooked A's lineups.
Launched in January 2015, MLB Network Presents has produced programs covering many subjects across baseball, including the Emmy-nominated The Story of Billy Bean as well as Holy Cow! The Story of Harry Caray, .406, 56: The Streak, The Bird, The Colorful Montreal Expos and The Nasty Boys: The 1990 Cincinnati Reds.