The 1970 Major League Baseball postseason was the playoff tournament of Major League Baseball for the 1970 season. The winners of each division advance to the postseason and face each other in a League Championship Series to determine the pennant winners that face each other in the World Series.
In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles and Minnesota Twins returned to the postseason for the second straight year. In the National League, the Cincinnati Reds made their first postseason appearance since the 1961 World Series, and the Pittsburgh Pirates made their first appearance since the 1960 World Series. Both the Pirates and Reds would make five more postseason appearances throughout the decade.
The playoffs began on October 3, 1970, and concluded on October 15, 1970, with the Baltimore Orioles defeating the Cincinnati Reds in five games in the 1970 World Series. It was the Orioles' second championship in franchise history.
Umpires strike
The Major League Umpires Association went on strike for Game 1 of each league's championship series on October 3. The dispute was over the pay scale for the playoffs and World Series. The umpires demanded an increase from $2,500 to $5,000 for the playoffs and $6,500 to $10,000 for the Series. American and National League management offered $3,000 and $7,000. Both sides had been in negotiations since July.
Harry Wendelstedt, Nick Colosi, Stan Landes, Bob Engel, Paul Pryor and Doug Harvey were assigned to the NLCS but picketed in full uniform outside Three Rivers Stadium. Their American League counterparts Bill Haller, Jim Odom, Jerry Neudecker, Jim Honochick, Russ Goetz and Marty Springstead did not picket outside Metropolitan Stadium.
Both leagues employed four replacement umpires instead of six, with each being paid $3,000. Four Triple-A umpires worked the NLCS, with the American Association's John Grimsley and Fred Blandford at home plate and first base respectively and the International League's Hank Morgenweck and George Grygiel at second and third. The ALCS had retired umpires John Stevens and Charlie Berry at home plate and third, the Southern League's Bill Deegan at first and the International League's Donald Stachell at second.
The one-day strike ended when the union reached a temporary agreement to be paid at the scale offered by management which agreed to bargain in good faith. A key factor was the unionized Three Rivers Stadium employees' threat to force the postponement of NLCS Game 2 by refusing to cross the umpires' picket line.
Playoff seeds
The following teams qualified for the postseason:
American League
Baltimore Orioles – AL East champions, 108–54
Minnesota Twins – AL West champions, 98–64
National League
Pittsburgh Pirates – NL East champions, 89–73
Cincinnati Reds – NL West champions, 102–60
Playoff bracket
American League Championship Series
Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles
This was a rematch of the previous year's series, which the Orioles won in a 3–0 sweep. Once again, the Orioles would sweep the Twins and advance to the World Series for the second consecutive year.
This ALCS was even more lopsided than the previous year's, as the Twins were once again outmatched by the Orioles. Game 1 was an offensive duel which the Orioles won 10-6. Dave McNally had a complete game performance in Game 2 and the Orioles blew out the Twins to go up 2-0 in the series headed to Baltimore. Game 2 of this ALCS was also the last postseason game ever played at Metropolitan Stadium. Jim Palmer pitched yet another complete game for the Orioles in Game 3 as they won by a 6-1 score to secure the pennant.
The Twins would not return to the postseason again until 1987, where they defeated the Detroit Tigers in five games in the ALCS en route to a World Series title.
The Orioles returned to the ALCS the next year, sweeping the Oakland Athletics before falling in the World Series.
National League Championship Series
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds
This was the first postseason meeting between the Pirates and Reds. The Reds swept the Pirates to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1961. In Pittsburgh for Game 1, the Reds shutout the Pirates in extra innings thanks to a solid pitching performance from Gary Nolan. The Pirates' offense was neutered yet again in Game 2 as the Reds won 3-1. The Reds clinched the pennant in Cincinnati as they won by one run in Game 3.