*86* Charles Finley

I caught the tail end of the "The Swingin' A's" MLB Network Special, and was left wondering what if Charles Finley kept the band together? How many more World Series titles, would Oakland have won? and could they have kept their winning ways going with free agency biting at its heels?

Thankfully with Out of the Park 20, I can find this out quickly through a simulation. I will conduct the day-to-day operations of the Oakland Athletics, and see if I can keep them rolling. It might not take away the frustrations of a die-hard Oakland fan, but it could give them a little satisfaction, if not smile at least.

So I decided to take over the franchise on the heels of their 3rd consecutive World Series title. Unfortunately, the game wanted me to start at March 1st, 1975, which means that I had to go edit Catfish Hunter back on to the Athletics. I also nullified part of the deal that sent OF-Dan Ford and minor league reliever Dennis Myers to Minnesota for a guy who never plays another game in the Majors in first baseman Pat Bourque. Myers will stay in Oakland in exchange for Bourque, so Minnesota gets something out of it, maybe I'll throw in a player to be named later into the deal later.

Also I nullified the trade acquisition of acquiring OF-Billy Williams, in exchange for two relievers in Darold Knowles and Bob Locker that give good depth to the bullpen, plus prospect IF-Manny Trillo.

I'll put an asterisk, next to a transaction if I duplicate a transaction that happened in real life..

• March 1st, 1975 - Oakland traded SP-Blue Moon Odom to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for SP-Dick Bosman & minor league catcher Kris Yoder.
• Placed CF-Chet Lemon on 40-man Roster.
• March 4th, 1975 - Oakland traded prospect OF-Ike Bessitt to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for OF-Bobby Molinaro.
• March 6th, 1975 - Oakland releases IF-Dick Green*.
• March 6th, 1975 - California claims C/1B- Charlie Sands.
• March 23rd, 1975 - Oakland traded SS-Rich McKinney, prospects OF-Dwayne Murphy & SP-Mike Norris to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for OF-Lee Lacy & prospect SS-Ivan DeJesus. 
• March 28th, 1975 - Oakland released OF-Jesus Alou*.
• April 6th, 1975 - Oakland traded OF-Champ Summers & cash to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitcher Jim Todd*.

1975 OPENING DAY LINEUP

PITCHING STAFF

1975 OAKLAND COMPLETE ROSTER

C/1B- Gene Tenace

C- Ray Fosse

1B/LF- Joe Rudi

1B- Jim Holt

2B- Phil Garner

2B/IF- Ted Kubiak

SS- Bert Campaneris

SS/2B- Tony Sandt

3B- Sal Bando

LF- Claudell Washington

CF- Bill North

CF- Chet Lemon

RF- Reggie Jackson

DH/RF- Dan Ford

DH/LF- Lee Lacy

SP- Catfish Hunter

SP- Vida Blue

SP- Ken Holtzman

SP- Dick Bosman

SP- Glenn Abbott

RP- Jim Todd

RP- Dave Hamilton

RP- Bob Locker

RP- Paul Lindblad

RP- Darold Knowles

CP- Rollie Fingers

On the Farm

3B- Wayne Gross

SS- Ivan de Jesus

RP- Brian Kingman

OF- Denny Walling

IF- Manny Trillo

OF- Gary Woods

RP- Bob Lacey

SP- Steve McCatty