Mike Epstein: former slugger remembers his home run off Mikey Lolich for Oakland during the 1972 American League Championship Series

Baseball Digest, Nov, 2004 by Al Doyle

I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED ON A 2-2 pitch 30 years ago, but I recall my first big league at-bat. The Orioles called me up in September 1966, and they sent me in to pinch-hit against Joe Horlen of the White Sox who was a tough right-hander. I popped up, but I just missed hitting it hard.

There was a lot of talent on the Orioles, so I was traded to the Senators during the 1968 season. That worked out well, because Ted Williams became the manager a year later.

Ted knew hitting, and I always felt blessed that I was mentored by him. We would talk hitting for hours, and we became very close because of it. Ted was terrific for me. It was nice to have him in your corner.

It didn't matter if you were a power hitter or not, because Ted could help anyone improve. He told Eddie Brinkman "You're not a power hitter. Get one of those thick-handled bats and push the ball to right field. Set the table for the big guys."

Ted turned Frank Howard into a better hitter by making him more patient at the plate. Frank was so strong that he could hit home runs one-handed if his bottom hand slipped off the bat.

We combined for 78 homers--Frank hit 48, and I hit 30--in 1969. That happened even though RFK Stadium was a big park, and the humid air in Washington didn't help the ball carry.

We went to Chicago to play the White Sox in May 1969. It was Ted's first trip there as manager of the Senators, so there was a big entourage at the ball park. It seemed like every reporter for 300 miles around was there to interview Ted.

He told them, "I've always liked the fans in Chicago, but I'm glad I didn't play in Comiskey Park. This is a big ballpark, and it would have cost me a lot of home runs."

I went out and hit three homers--two solo shots against Sammy Ellis in the first and sixth innings, and a really long two-run homer against Wilbur Wood in the seventh. We hit two more homers that night one by Howard and one by Brant Alyea, but the Senators lost 7-6.

Ted was mad at me. He thought I was showing him up after what he said to the reporters, and he wouldn't talk to me for awhile.

I had another big game for the Senators in 1970. It was the first game of a doubleheader against the Orioles on June 19. I had eight RBI, a grand slam and another homer, but we lost 12-10.

Getting traded to Oakland turned out to be a big break. Everyone talked about how the team fought each other, but it was just the opposite.

The A's were a close bunch of guys. The fights were with one player--Reggie Jackson.

Billy North had a fight with him one year. So did George Hendrick, and Reggie and I fought in '72. There were no grudges. I'm on friendly terms with Reggie today. After we fought, Charlie Finley told me "I can't trade you now, but I'm going to trade you after the season."

I led the team in homers, and I was hitting over .300 before going through a big slump in September. Slumps tend to carry over, so I wasn't expecting much in the playoffs, but I hit a home run against Mickey Lolich in Game 4 against the Tigers.

We led two-games-to-one in the best of five American League Championship Series. We entered Game 4 one win away from going to our first World Series and it was Catfish Hunter on the mound for us against Lolich, who was the Tigers' ace.

It was a tight game. Detroit led 1-0 going into the top of the seventh inning. Sal Bando led off the inning with a flyout to center fielder Jim Northrup. With one out, I connected off Lolich for a solo homer to tie the game.

It remained tied until the top of the tenth when we scored twice to take a 3-1 lead into the bottom half of the inning. Our bullpen couldn't keep the Tigers down as Detroit came back with three runs.

Dick McAuliffe and Al Kaline started the inning with singles off Bob Locker who was then replaced by Joel Horlen. Horlen threw a wild pitch, advancing the runners to second and third. Gates Brown then walked to load the bases with no outs. Bill Freehan then hit a ball to third which Bando fielded and had only one play--throwing the runner out at first. His throw beat Freehan, but Gene Tenace couldn't hold onto the ball at first. So a run came in and the bases remained full with the score now 3-2.

Pitcher Dave Hamilton was brought into face Norm Cash. Cash drew a walk which forced in the tying run. The next hitter, Jim Northrup drove in the winning run with a single.

We lost that game 4-3 in extra innings, but won the fifth game to get into the World Series. That homer was special, because even hitting a foul ball off Lolich was something for me. Mickey was a tough pitcher with his slider.

I went 0-for-16 with five walks in the World Series. I hit a few balls hard, but Joe Morgan was playing second for the Reds, and he was positioned about 40 feet back on the outfield Astroturf in Cincinnati.

That was an incredibly exciting Series with good pitching from both teams, and the A's took it in seven games. Almost every game was low scoring, and there were six one-run games.

Finley traded me to Texas, and I ended my career with the Angels. It just wasn't the same after being with the A's, so I retired when I was 31. People talk about the Big Red Machine, but there was no better team in the '70s than Oakland with their three consecutive championships.