The Oakland Athletics and New York Mets split the first two games of the World Series in Oakland. With a day off for travel, the A's were rocked by a decision made by their volatile owner, Charley Finley.

A's manager Dick Williams said that the loss in Game Two caused Finley to "lose his mind." The skipper was referring to what came to be known as "The Andrews Affair."

2B Mike Andrews committed two of Oakland's five errors in the game, both of which contributed to the Mets' four-run 12th. Altogether, half of New York's 10 runs were un­earned. Finley wanted to get Andrews off the team but was thwarted by the fact that each World Series team's roster was set before the Series began and could not be changed ex­cept for an injury. So as the team prepared to fly to New York for Game 3, Charlie tried to force Mike to sign a letter written by team physician saying he considered Andrews no longer able to play because of a shoulder injury and should be placed on the disabled list. However, Mike refused.

Dick Williams wrote this in his autobiography: "As I packed my bags for our trip to New York [for Game 3], I thought the issue had been resolved. ... Then, about 45 minutes later, I walked outside to the bus and there was Andrews, unloading his bags from the equip­ment truck and crying. It turned out he'd signed the form under further heavy influence from Charlie. ... I was in tears, and I was finished. ... I was getting the hell away from Charlie Finley. I was going to leave the Oakland A's whether they won or lost this Series."

When the traveling road show known as the Oakland Athletics worked out at Shea Stadium on the off day before Game 3, each player wore an armband with Andrews' number 17. Reggie Jackson said, "Half of my thoughts are on the mucking up that Finley has done, and half my thoughts are on Tom Seaver" (the Mets' starter in Game 3).

Captain Sal Bando told the press he wanted to be traded. The press also picked up in­formation from "insiders" that said that "manager Dick Williams is on his way out."

Jackson, the Oakland player representative, told reporters that many A's were close to mutiny over the Andrews case. Asked if a boycott of the World Series were possible, he said, "There are many players close to that way of thinking." But Reggie tempered that remark by saying the A's would probably play "and we'll win the series, but that will be it. We want no more to do with Finley after that."

The morning of Game 3, Kuhn announced that Finley could not activate infielder Manny Trillo and ordered him to reinstate Andrews, who had gone home to Massachusetts and couldn't rejoin the team until Game 4. So Williams was forced to play Game 3 with only 23 players

Was there any way the distracted A's, led by a lame duck manager, could win Game 3? Could a team in such turmoil win the World Series?

The Oakland starter, Catfish Hunter, started poorly on a chilly night. Lefthand-hitting 3B Wayne Garrett smacked a hanging curve high over the auxiliary scoreboard in right field. Mets 1 Athletics 0

When SS Felix Millan followed with a first-pitch single to left field, Blue Moon Odom started warming up in the bullpen. On a hit-and-run with SS Campaneris moving over to cover second, RF Rusty Staub punched a grounder through his vacated position, Millan racing to third. Williams hustled to the mound to calm down his ace.

LF Cleon Jones stepped in sporting the best average in the Series, 5-for-9 (.444). A wild pitch sent Millan home to make it 2-0. Then Hunter struck out Jones. 1B John Milner bounced back to the mound, but Catfish, seeming to take his eye off the ball to look at the runner, dropped the ball to put runners on first and second. After five errors in Game 2, the A's now had another to start Game 3. With a chance to have a big inning, C Jerry Grote went down swinging, and CF Don Hahn lined out to left field. Mets 2 Athletics 0

Hunter settled down and put goose eggs on the board. But Seaver continued strong, and neither team scored until the top of the sixth.

Joe Rudi drove the ball 400' to the RCF fence, but CF Don Hahn made a leaping catch.

Bando also tested Hahn, who turned two different ways and watched the ball fly past him for a double.

Bearing down, Seaver continued his mastery of Jackson, fanning Reggie for the third time on two curves and a sizzler. 1B Gene Tenace fell behind on a curve before smacking a liner that hooked into the left field corner. Bando crossed the plate with the A's first run. Mets 2 Athletics 1

Seaver faced the top of the A's order in the eighth. What he feared took place as SS Bert Campaneris hit the first pitch into left field for a single. Bert, who stole 34 bases during the season, took off on the first pitch and stole second despite C Jerry Grote's perfect throw.

Rudi hit the next pitch on the ground past 1B Milner to send home the tying run. Bando bunted down the first base line. Milner fielded the ball and, without looking toward second, threw to Millan covering first. However Seaver retired Jackson and Tenace to strand the potential go-ahead run at second. Mets 2 Athletics 2

Southpaw Darold Knowles pitched his second scoreless inning in the bottom of the eighth. Jim Beauchamp batted for Seaver and lined out to left field to end the inning.

Both teams threatened in the ninth but failed to score. Berra reluctantly brought in Tug McGraw after the first two batters in the top of the inning reached base. McGraw had pitched six innings in Game 2 following extensive use down the stretch. But he worked his magic again, and the fans gave him a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout.

Lefty Paul Lindblad took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. With two out, Staub lined a ground-rule double that bounced over the LCF wall. Williams ordered an intentional pass to right-handed hitting Jones to bring up Milner. With a chance to win the game, John fell behind 0-2, then lined a pitch that looked for a moment like it would sail over Jackson's head. But Reggie snagged the ball to send the game to extra innings.

McGraw wiggled out of another jam in the tenth, leaving runners on first and second.

Lindblad allowed a single with two outs before getting the third out in the bottom of the tenth.

With McGraw out for a pinch-hitter, Harry Parker toed the slab in the top of the 11th. 2B Ted Kubiak walked with one out, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on Campaneris's single.

Lindblad, who hit for himself to start the top of the inning, stayed in to face left-handed Garrett, but the ploy backfired as the Mets third baseman singled to center. So Williams called on his ace reliever, Rollie Fingers, who had 22 of the A's 41 saves during the sea­son. Millan bunted Garrett to second. But Staub flied out, and Jones grounded out to end the game. FINAL SCORE: Oakland 3 New York 2