1972 National League Championship Series
| 1972 National League Championship Series | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | |||||||||||||
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| Dates | October 7–11 | ||||||||||||
| Umpires | Augie Donatelli, Ken Burkhart, Doug Harvey, Billy Williams, John Kibler, Harry Wendelstedt | ||||||||||||
| Broadcast | |||||||||||||
| Television | NBC | ||||||||||||
| TV announcers |
Jim Simpson, Sandy Koufax (Game 1) Curt Gowdy, Tony Kubek (Games 3–5) NBC did not televise Game 2 due to conflicts with its NFL coverage. |
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| Team (Wins) | Manager | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds (3) | Sparky Anderson | 95–59, .617, GA: 10 1⁄2 | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates (2) | Bill Virdon | 96–59, .619, GA: 11 |
The 1972 National League Championship Series was played between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates from October 7 to 11. Cincinnati won the series three games to two to advance to the World Series against the Oakland A's. The Reds became the first team in major league history to advance to the World Series without the best record in their respective league, made possible by the Junior and Senior Circuits each splitting into two divisions in 1969. In the previous three post seasons, the team with the best record in each league advanced to the World Series.
The 1972 NLCS ended with a dramatic ninth inning in the fifth and deciding game. Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench tied the game with a leadoff home run in the inning, and George Foster would later score the winning run on a wild pitch by Pittsburgh's Bob Moose. The series was also notable as the last on-field appearance by Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente, who would die in a plane crash on December 31.
Cincinnati won the series, 3–2.
Saturday, October 7, 1972, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Reds got a first-inning homer from second baseman Joe Morgan to take a short-lived 1–0 lead. But Pittsburgh bounced back with three in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from Al Oliver and an RBI double from Willie Stargell. Pittsburgh never looked back, getting a two-run homer from Oliver in the fifth and coasting to the win behind the strong pitching of Steve Blass. The frustrated Reds ultimately stranded 11 baserunners, and their manager Sparky Anderson was ejected in the fourth inning. The time of game was a brisk 1 hour and 57 minutes.
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