Gene Tenace

Article taken from The Elyria Chronicle Telegram, January 9, 1973

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Lucasville, Ohio (AP) - Oakland's unlikely hero in the 1972 World Series hasnt let success rob him of something money can't buy - a happy family life.

"I had opportunities, speaking engagements, television appearances," Athletics catcher Gene Tenace said during a recent interview at this trailer home in Southern Ohio.

He said he passed up one offer of $10,000 for an appearance in Las Vegas, Nev., and didn't intend to let his World Series feats change him.

The mustachioed father of two girls belted out four home runs to pace Oakland over the Cincinnati Reds four games to three. After a poor season, he drove in nice of Oakland's 16 World Series runs, including the first and the last in the seventh game.

"I like being home with the family," he said while one daughter, Stacey, sat on his lap and the family pet dog lay at his feet.

"You know if you accept all those engagements you're away all the time and I'm away enought as it is with baseball," he said.

"The money, it was good, but I can sacrifice money for my family. Money just isn't that important to me. My main goal is happiness.

Although a newsman had been given instructions to look for "the last trailer on the right," about the only thing that would have given away the location of Tenace's home would have been his 1973 auto. He won the car for being named Sport Magazine's most valuble car in the World Series.

But Tenace plans to trade the car for a Jeep. Hunting is Tenace's hobby and he said he has always wanted a Jeep to get places where hunting is best.

"Besides, I have a chance to win another car" from another commercial group, he continued.

He also said the family intends to purchase a house in Oakland and move in sometime during spring training, but he explained that was something he and his wife had been thinking about for some time.

"The series gave me security," he said. "Before the series there was talk of trading either me or Dave Duncan. After the series, I figured I'd be staying a while."

Tenace, 26, batted only .225 in 1972 and went one-for-17 in the American League playoff series.

Tenace said he has spent much of the winter working on his father-in-law's Christmas tree farm, and hunting just about every day.

"I even went out New Year's day," he recalled. "Missed that first football game - of the day."