May 16, 1977 – A’s 8, Yankees 4
- Sal Maiorana
- May 16, 2017
- 3 min read
OAKLAND – Oh to have been a fly on the wall wherever George Steinbrenner was watching this debacle.
In the first inning at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Yankees committed three errors in the first inning, which allowed the A’s to score five runs off Ken Holtzman, who somehow became Billy Martin’s scapegoat when he was lifted for Dick Tidrow after recording only one out.
The only thing Steinbrenner hated more than losing was losing in an embarrassing fashion, but that’s what his high-priced team did in a game against an Oakland team filled with either over-the-hill veterans or unknown newbies.
The day had begun so well for Martin. He was back home in his native Oakland, and he visited his mother who made him ravioli to celebrate his 49th birthday. Then he went to the park, where it was miserably cold and windy, and the Yankees completely failed their manager.
Billy North opened the game with a walk, immediately stole second, and when catcher Fran Healy – who was starting in place of the injured Thurman Munson – threw the ball into center field, North went to third. He scored on a single by Manny Sanguillen, and Sanguillen scored after back-to-back singles by Mitchell Page and Dick Allen. Holtzman retired Jim Tyrone on a ground out, but Earl Williams delivered an RBI single and Allen was able to take third when right-fielder Reggie Jackson misplayed the ball, much to the delight of a crowd that booed the former Athletic every chance it got.
When Chris Chambliss fumbled a bunt by Wayne Gross, a fourth run scored, and that was it for Holtzman. Tidrow came on and got the final two outs, but not before Rodney Scott hit an RBI single to make it 5-0. Ugly.
Tidrow calmed the waters and went on to pitch 5.2 innings and gave up two runs, one of which was unearned as the Yankees made a fourth error. And while he was slowing the A’s attack, the Yankees got within 6-4 when they scored twice in the third and two more in the fourth when Bucky Dent delivered a two-run triple that ended the night for Oakland starter and ex-Yankee Doc Medich, meaning he couldn’t qualify for the win despite the big early lead.
Relievers Bob Lacey and Dave Giusti combined to blank the Yankees over the final 5.2 innings, and they helped hold Jackson hitless, dropping him to 2-for-25 on the West Coast trip which dropped his season average to .232.
Lacey deserved a little credit for his good memory. Back in spring training in 1975, the young left-hander was talking to Jackson when they were Oakland teammates, and Lacey thought about that conversation when he faced Jackson twice in this game, and struck him out both times.
“I remembered what he said when I first came up, that he chased bad balls,” Lacey said. “So I gave him a curveball away (on the second strikeout) and he went after it. The first one I just dropped down sidearm and I pitched it up in his face and he chased it.”
Lacey celebrated a bit after both whiffs, and yelled something that he admitted might have been “derogatory” and Jackson said he didn’t appreciate it. “I don’t know much about him, but since he made fun of me and then struck me out, I don’t really have much to say.”
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