The1975American League Championship Series was a semifinal matchup inMajor League Baseball's1975 postseason between theBoston Red Sox and the three-time defending World Series championOakland Athletics for the right to advance to theWorld Series. The Red Sox swept the series in three games to win their first AL pennant ineight years, which ended Oakland's pursuit of a fourth consecutive World Series title.^[1]

During the regular season, the Red Sox posted a 95–65 (.594) record to win their firstAmerican League East division title, while the "Swingin' A's" went 98–64 (.605) to take theAmerican League West for the fifth consecutive season.

The Red Sox had experienced players such asCarl Yastrzemski,Carlton Fisk, andDwight Evans, and two sensational rookies –Fred Lynn andJim Rice. Lynn took most of the headlines by playing a flawlesscenter field,hitting .331 with 21home runs and 105RBIs, and was the first major league player to win theMVP andRookie of the Year awards in the same season. Despite suffering a broken wrist in late September, Rice finished with a .309 average, 22 homers, and 102 RBIs.

Boston won the series, 3–0.

Boston starterLuis Tiant allowed just one run on three hits to defeat the Athletics, 7–1, in the ALCS opener. Tiant struck out eight and walked three in a complete game effort, retiring the side in order in four innings.Juan Beníquez went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored,Fred Lynn ended 1-for-4 with two RBIs, andCarlton Fisk went 1-for-4 with two runs scored for the Red Sox. Oakland starterKen Holtzman was saddled with the loss by yielding five hits and four runs (two unearned) with four strikeouts and a walk in6+1⁄3 innings of work.

Carl Yastrzemski hit a two-run home run to lead the Red Sox past the Athletics, 6–3, in Game 2. Boston starterReggie Cleveland was solid through five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk.Rico Petrocelli also homered,Carlton Fisk went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, andFred Lynn went 2-for-4 with one RBI for the Red Sox. Athletics starterVida Blue lasted three innings and gave up just three runs on six hits. The win went toRoger Moret, who tossed one scoreless inning of relief, andDick Drago worked the final three innings to close out the contest.Rollie Fingers took the loss, allowing three runs on five hits over four innings.Reggie Jackson hit a two-run homer andSal Bando went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a run for the Athletics.

After three consecutive championships, the Athletics' dynasty came to an end, as the Red Sox took the third game, 5-3, to sweep the series, their first series win since 1918. Boston starterRick Wise allowed three runs (two unearned) on six hits in7+1⁄3 innings of work. BothDenny Doyle andCarlton Fisk collected two hits with one run and an RBI, andRick Burleson went 2-for-4 with one run scored to pace the Red Sox. On just two days' rest,Ken Holtzman started for Oakland and was tagged for four runs on seven hits in just4+2⁄3 innings to take his second loss in the series.Dick Drago earned the save for pitching1+2⁄3 innings of shutout ball for Boston whileCarl Yastrzemski made two great defensive plays in left field and collected two hits.Sal Bando went 2-for-4 with two RBIs whileReggie Jackson went 2-for-4 with one RBI for the Athletics.^[1]

This game, and Game 3 of theNational League Championship Series, were the first LCS games ever played at night;^[5] both were regionally televised by NBC.

1975 ALCS(3–0):Boston Red Sox overOakland A's

Note: GP=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting average; OBP=On base percentage; SLG=Slugging percentage

Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average

Note: GP=Games played; AB=At bats; R=Runs; H=Hits; 2B=Doubles; 3B=Triples; HR=Home runs; RBI=Runs batted in; BB=Walks; AVG=Batting average; OBP=On base percentage; SLG=Slugging percentage

Note: G=Games Played; GS=Games Started; IP=Innings Pitched; H=Hits; BB=Walks; R=Runs; ER=Earned Runs; SO=Strikeouts; W=Wins; L=Losses; SV=Saves; ERA=Earned Run Average

On June 15, 1976, Oakland Athletics ownerCharlie Finley, with the dawn offree agency looming and looking to tear his dynasty apart, soldRollie Fingers andJoe Rudi to the Red Sox andVida Blue to the Yankees over the course of twelve days. In the words ofSports Illustrated writerRon Fimrite, it was "the biggest sale of human flesh in the history of sports."^[41] The deals would first be frozen, then overturned by MLB commissionerBowie Kuhn, citing the his "best interests of baseball" powers. Ultimately, Finley got nothing as most of his players left for free agency that summer.^[42]

After the 1976 season, the A's lostGene Tenace, Rollie Fingers,Sal Bando, Joe Rudi,Don Baylor andBert Campaneris to free agency.^[43] This, combined with the loss ofCatfish Hunter two years earlier and the trade ofReggie Jackson andKen Holtzman to the Baltimore Orioles forMike Torrez,Paul Mitchell and Don Baylor, stripped the team of almost all of the talent from the 1972-1974 World Series-winning teams. The final nail in the coffin was the trade of pitcherVida Blue to theSan Francisco Giants for seven players and $300,000 just before the start of the 1978 season. The A's did not make the postseason again until1981, which was the year after Finley sold the team for $12 million.^[44]

After his trade to Baltimore in 1976, Jackson had not signed a contract and threatened to sit out the season; he reported to the Orioles four weeks later,^[45] and made his first plate appearance on May 2, nearly four weeks after the start of the season.^[46] Orioles' ace pitcherJim Palmer later wrote on Jackson's lone season in Baltimore, "I would say Reggie Jackson was arrogant. But the wordarrogant isn't arrogant enough."^[47] Jackson later signed the largest free-agent contract at the time with theNew York Yankees after the season and helped lead New York to back-to-back championships in1977 and1978; Catfish Hunter was also on these Yankees teams.

This was the first of four Athletics-Red Sox playoff match-ups. The Red Sox won in 1975 and2003, while the Athletics swept the Red Sox in1988 and1990.

• 1975 ALCS at Baseball-Reference
• 1975 ALCS Official Scorebook Magazine

• American League Championship Series
• 1975 Major League Baseball season
• Boston Red Sox postseason
• Oakland Athletics postseason
• 1975 in sports in California
• 1975 in sports in Massachusetts
• 1975 in Boston
• Baseball competitions in Boston
• 1970s in Oakland, California
• October 1975 sports events in the United States
• Baseball competitions in Oakland, California

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