The Pastime in the Seventies: Oral Histories of 16 Major Leaguers

The 1970s represent one of the most turbulent times in baseball’s history. This decade of disco was for baseball fans the decade of divisions and DH’s. The major leagues grew by four teams in 1969, and aligned themselves into divisions for the first time. The owners added the designated hitter in 1973 to provide additional offense to a game they feared was becoming dull. Labor strife became a recurring problem during the early part of the decade, and it led to free agency. Herein are interviews with 16 players who played during the turbulent 1970s. John Montefusco, Fred Lynn, Ron Cey, Vida Blue, Jerry Koosman, Rick Wise, Jeff Burroughs, Butch Wynegar, Fred Patek, Darrell Evans, Bob Boone, Buddy Bell, Don Gullett, Tommy John, Don Money, and Al Oliver tell how baseball really was in the 70s. Each interview is preceded by a short profile of the player and noteworthy statistics, transactions and accomplishments.