Last Updated: October 21st, 2026 by Matthew Brown
The 1970s are viewed as a golden age in baseball. I know younger fans of today have a hard time understanding just how fun the game was during this decade, but it was undeniable that baseball ruled the United States of America.
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Let's go through some of the things that made the '70s such an amazing decade of baseball.
10. Player Loyalty and Team Chemistry Defined the Era
With all the player movement that you see in every sport today, it's almost crazy to think that star athletes regularly stuck with their original organizations for their entire careers.
Guys like Mike Schmidt, Carl Yastrzemski, and Brooks Robinson were able to entertain the masses and become beloved icons in the city they represented. This kind of commitment leads to statues and number retirements after careers come to an end.
9. Baseball Was Actually Affordable for Families
Like milk, I feel like a baseball ticket can be a great way to examine the inflation that has occurred in America over the years. Think about the fact that a ticket cost just $2.50 in the 1970s. I feel like I have to work overtime just to afford one trip to the ballpark these days.
Don't even get me started on how much a simple bottle of water costs once you're inside the stadium.
8. Pitchers Finished What They Started
With the way that pitchers are held back during starts today, I think their arms would fall off if they were suddenly teleported to the 1970s. There were 7,251 complete games thrown by pitchers during the decade, while we'd be surprised to even see 50 complete games thrown by the entire MLB in this day and age.
7. Competition Was More Balanced
Thinking about the cost of attending a game reminds me of the cost it was to pay players back then. I know the Yankees were able to win so many championships well before this decade thanks to their commitment to spending to obtain players like Babe Ruth.
With free agency taking its first steps, I think it evened the playing field and helped make the competition so entertaining in the '70s.
6. Strategy Wasn’t Dominated by Analytics
In the 1970s, we had absolute legends in Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson commanding their respective dugouts and making decisions based on their knowledge and feel for the game.
I'm sure if you brought a sheet of analytics to them back then, they'd either rip it up or give it to the other team, so that they could be confused looking at the waves of numbers staring back at them.
5. Ballparks Had Unique Character
Like it or not, there was actually more diversity among stadiums in the 1970s than in any other decade. At least that's what I think. Multi-purpose stadiums just aren't a thing anymore, but they gave baseball a very unique feel and visiting teams a harder time adjusting to the wonky dimensions.
4. Players Were Part of the Community
Like we mentioned during the career entry, longer time spent in one city brings a player much more love from the local fanbase. There's a reason why legends are still talked about among diehards, and the current players seem to gain more disdain.
There isn't the dedication now as there once was. These fans need to get to know a star because they're the real ones who are making them a star.
3. Regular Season Games Mattered More
With so many Wild Card spots handed out to teams nowadays, it's hard to imagine that there wasn't even one of those back in the 1970s. It made the regular season mean so much more to the teams who were actual contenders.
The games in April were much more pivotal back then than they are now. In current times, I don't even know if younger fans know that the games count in April.
2. Leagues Had Distinct Identities
The designated hitter made its way to the American League in 1973, producing a big identity shift in baseball. With pitchers still required to swing a bat in the National League, those teams relied much more on small-ball.
The American League teams cared more about crushing home runs. That distinct difference gave baseball a sense of uniqueness that you couldn't find in any other sport.
1. Players Were More Colorful Characters
With nicknames like Spaceman, The Penguin, and Mr. October, you would think that a new comic book had been released. Instead, they were the adored names of some of the best players in baseball. That helps connect fans to the game, sometimes even more than the play itself.
Giving athletes personality is what brings in business, and that's exactly what the 1970s were able to do for baseball.
