October 12 - Oakland advances to second World Series at the cost of Mr October

Oct. 12, 1972 -- In game 5 of the American League ChampionshipSeries the A’s, win 2-1 over the Detroit Tigers. The deciding run comes in the secondinning with Mickey Lolitch on the mound, Mike Epstein on first, and Reggie Jackson on third when A’s Manager DickWilliams flashes the sign for a double steal. Reggie bounded down the thirdbase line on the delayed steal as Tiger’s shortstop Dick McAuliffe  cut off the throw to second and fired it backto A’s Catcher Bill Freehan. Reggie and Freehan collided and Jackson was calledsafe at the plate. Sal Bando, A’s Captain, recalled that “Reggie had an unusual way of sliding. Hewould jump up, then leave his feet." Whether it was the slide or the collision, this time it would result ina torn left hamstring that would force Reggie to leave the game and keep himfrom appearing in the ’72 World Series. Jackson is the only player to eversteal home in league championship play. After the chaos of that hard fought seriesDick Williams was quoted as saying that he slept like a baby. That is, he “wokeup every two hours crying”. October 12, 1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies defeat theHouston Astros, 8 - 7, to capture the NLCS in 6 games. In the 10th inning,Garry Maddox drives in Del Unser to end a dramatic playoff series that featuredfour extra-inning games. The game and series ended with Tug McGraw striking outWillie Wilson at 11:29 p.m. Wilson set a World Series record by striking outtwelve times in the six-game set. Ryan Howard, also of the Phillies, wouldbreak that record by striking out 13 times in the 2009 World Series. SteveCarlton would get the win, Tug McGraw would get the save and Mike Schmidt wasnamed the World Series MVP. The Phillies became the last of the original AL andNL franchises to win a World Series title. This was also the first World Seriesto be played on artificial turf.