About This Quiz
Of the 20 participants who appeared in the World Series throughout the 1970s, 18 of them came from the same six teams, and the Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees won seven of the 10 titles from the decade. Every one of those rosters were filled with both All-Star and MVP level players, but they weren't the only MLB stars to take the field during the '70s.
Whether players were setting records or winning titles, the best baseball players of the '70s carved a place for themselves in baseball lore. While hitting was still strong, pitchers and other defensive stars also rose to prominence, showing how the game could be balanced with strong play in multiple areas of the field.
Different styles of play was also a prevalent part of MLB in the '70s. Some teams relied on their loaded bullpens filled with ace pitchers, while others mixed in a combination of speed and defensive play to win games. Theses different styles actually created more parity in the game, and fans got to watch as it all unfolded on the field.
Here's your chance to see how well you know the players who made the different styles of play so fun to watch. Will you overcome the challenge or be pounded into submission?
Reggie Jackson was nicknamed "Mr. October" because he always stepped up with clutch hitting in the postseason. His postseason play even earned him two World Series MVPs with two different teams.
Though he had some power, Dennis Eckersley's control of the ball was what paved the way to his success in the majors. With the ability to place the ball in all corners of the strike zone, Eckersley consistently posted double-digit wins throughout his MLB career.
The winner of 10 Gold Glove Awards, Johnny Bench proved he could be successful on both sides of the ball. Bench earned two NL MVPs in the 1970s during seasons where he was also named the NL home run leader.
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No player in the history of baseball had more hits than Pete Rose, who finished his MLB career with 4,256 career hits. Rose went into coaching when he left the majors, showing future generations the skills he utilized at the plate to amass so many career hits.
Though he only made two All-Star games at the beginning of the '70s, Willie McCovey continued to play strong throughout the decade, finally retiring in 1980. To honor his contributions to the team, the San Francisco Giants retired his number 44 and added him to their Wall of Fame.
"The Big Red Machine" was already in motion when Joe Morgan joined the team in 1972. However, his addition to the squad put them over the top, as he became perhaps the most dominant player on the team when they won back to back championships in 1975 and 1976.
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Frank Robinson is the only name in the history of baseball to appear as an MVP on the list for both the American League and the National League. On top of that, Robinson also has a World Series MVP and a Triple Crown under his belt.
Jim Palmer helped the Baltimore Orioles win the only three World Series titles in franchise history. They won their 1970 title, the second of Palmer's career, by defeating the Cincinnati Reds in five games.
In his younger years, Carl Yastrzemski primarily played in the outfield, where he was recognized for his field ability. As he aged and his body slowed down, he was moved to first base, a position where he continued to find success as a defender.
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Tom Seaver was an instant spark for the New York Mets from the moment he debuted in 1967. Seaver won 16 games in his first season, making his first of 12 All-Star games while also being named the NL Rookie of the Year.
Mike Schmidt was one of the most balanced players not only of the '70s but of all time. He recorded 548 home runs during his career and added 10 Gold Glove Awards for his strong play on defense.
Left-handed pitchers have a way of making things much harder for batters who aren't used to the change of direction, and that's precisely what Steve Carlton did throughout his MLB career. Currently, Carlton sits in second place all-time for strikeouts by a left-handed thrower.
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Rod Carew won six of his seven AL batting titles in the 1970s, winning the last one of his career in 1978. He earned all of those titles while playing for the Minnesota Twins, who honored his contributions by retiring his number 29.
Don Sutton entered the majors in 1966 at the age of 21. Sutton was able to carve out a place for himself beside Hall of Fame pitchers like Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, even striking out 209 batters during his rookie season.
George Brett spent his entire career with the Kansas City Royals, where he was named to 13 All-Star games. The former AL MVP was added to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, with 98.2 percent of the vote.
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With a .298 career batting average, Jim Rice was a consistent threat from home plate throughout his MLB career. By the time he retired, Rice had 2,452 hits, 1,451 runs batted in, and led the American League in home runs three times.
Rollie Fingers won three straight World Series with the Oakland Athletics between 1972 and 1974. In the 1974 World Series, Fingers earned a win and two saves, and he was honored for his roles in those victories with a World Series MVP.
Carlton Fisk proved he was going to be a star in the majors, starting with his rookie season in 1972. That year, Fisk earned the only Gold Glove award of his career, batted in 22 home runs with a .293 batting average, and was named the AL Rookie of the Year.
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Roberto Clemente was named the World Series MVP in 1971 when the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in seven games. During the series, Clemente posted a .414 batting average, scoring three runs with four runs batted in.
A member of the two championship teams in Cincinnati, Tony Perez left the Reds following their second title in 1976. He returned to the Reds in 1984 before officially retiring as a Red in 1986.
When he was coming out of college, Dave Winfield was drafted by four different professional sports leagues: the NBA, ABA, NFL and MLB. The strangest selection was the NFL, considering he never played football while in college.
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One of the most accomplished relief pitchers to ever take the mound, Bruce Sutter racked up 300 saves throughout his career. He led the National League in that category for five seasons and earned four NL Rolaids Relief Man Awards.
Hank Aaron was the first person to surpass Babe Ruth's home run record, finishing his career with 755 homers. Aaron officially passed the record held by Ruth on April 8, 1974, in the fourth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A career-long member of the New York Yankees, Thurman Munson won back to back World Series with the team in 1977 and 1978. During those seasons, Munson served as the Yankees captain, showing just how valuable he was to the team.
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Davey Johnson officially left the game of baseball as a player in 1978 when his season ended with the Chicago Cubs. Johnson started managing the New York Mets in 1984. He went on to win one World Series as a manager while also being named Manager of the Year twice.
First as a member of the Oakland Athletics and later as a player on the New York Yankees, Catfish Hunter won five World Series titles throughout the '70s. He started two games in the 1978 World Series, his final championship, winning the last game in the series 7-2.
Gaylord Perry played for eight teams throughout his MLB career, which lasted from 1962 until 1983. During those years, he won two Cy Young Awards for teams in both the American League and National League, making him the first player to receive the award in each league.
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George Foster was a power hitter who twice led the National League in home runs. During his 1977 home run leading season, Foster was named the NL MVP while playing for the Cincinnati Reds, proving he was one of the top stars on a loaded team.
During the 1978 baseball season, Ron Guidry won an incredible 25 games while only losing three games on the season. He went on to win both the AL Cy Young Award along with the World Series on the New York Yankees.
A veteran pitcher at the time, Bob Gibson threw the only no-hitter of his career on August 14, 1971. The accomplishment came at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who went on to win the World Series that year.
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Toby Harrah was a young member of the Washington Senators when the team made the move from Washington D.C. to Texas in 1971, renaming themselves the Texas Rangers. Though he had short stints with teams elsewhere, Harrah retired as a Ranger in 1986.
Darrell Evans made his first All-Star game in 1973 while playing for the Atlanta Braves. Evans was a major offensive threat that season, where he put up 125 walks and contributed 143 runs created.
A ball into the right field rarely escaped the grasp of Dwight Evans, helping him win eight Gold Glove Awards. Evans added plenty of offense to balance out his game, finishing his career with 385 home runs.
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Dick Allen was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox before the 1972 season. Allen didn't let the trade discourage him, as he went on to lead the American League in home runs while also earning the AL MVP.
Jimmy Wynn didn't have a lot of size for a baseball player, but he knew how to hit the ball, earning the nickname "The Toy Cannon." He made back to back All-Star games in 1974 and 1975, which would be his final All-Star selection before he retired in 1977.
During the height of his career, Lou Whitaker made three straight All-Star games, won three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards, and three straight Gold Glove Awards. Even with all of his success on the field, Whitaker has still not made the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Chet Lemon's 1977 season might have been the best of his career, as he increased most of his offensives numbers from the year before. He also stepped up his defense, recording an American League record 512 putouts as an outfielder.
Bill Madlock won two of his four NL batting championships in the '70s with the other two coming in the early '80s. He made his first All-Star game during the 1975 season and completed the season with a .354 batting average.
After debuting in 1970, Cesar Cedeno spent the entire decade with the Houston Astros, where he made four All-Star games and earned five Gold Glove Awards. He was finally traded in 1981 to the Cincinnati Reds.
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Gene Tenace went into coaching baseball after he finally retired in 1983. He was a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays when they won back to back World Series in 1992 and 1993. Including the titles he won as a player, Tenace has six championships to his name.