A’s/Pirates Notes Part 2

There have been two different time spans, each after the beginning of League Championship Series play and before the horrible extra, greedy round of playoffs which includes wild card team(s), in which both the Oakland A’s and Pittsburgh Pirates made the post-season together but did not meet in the World Series.

From (1970-1975), (if only it were then as I would trade having Barack Obama as President for Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, not for a great deal of much needed money but to be 40 plus years younger), the teams combined for an incredible 10 division titles in 12 possibilities, 9 in 10 possibilities from (1971-1975) when the A’s won 5 straight one quarter A.L. West crowns.

Yet they never met in the World Series. However as in (1909-1913), the teams won 4 World Series, again 3 by the A’s. By the way from (1925-1931), the teams won 3 of the 5 World Series they gained entry to, two by the then Philadelphia Athletics.

Finally from (1988-1992), a 5 year span which manifested in 4 division titles for the A’s, three for the Pirates, no World Series clashes between the teams nor Pirates’ appearances in the W.S.

Additionally supposedly great Oakland A’s teams under the fine but vastly over rated manager, Tony La Russa won but one of their 3 World Series appearances in that span.

Roberto Clemente, pictured above, led the Pittsburgh Pirates to the 1971 World Series crown.