1973 California League season
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| 1973 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 13 – August 29 |
| Games | 140 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | Lodi Lions Salinas Packers |
| Season MVP | John Balaz, Salinas Packers |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Lodi Lions |
| Runners-up | Bakersfield Dodgers |
The 1973 California League was a Class A baseball season played between April 13 and August 29. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as the winner of each half of the season qualified for the California League championship round.
The Lodi Lions won the California League championship, as they defeated the Bakersfield Dodgers in the final round of the playoffs.
- The Stockton Ports relocated to Salinas, California and were renamed to the Salinas Packers. The club remained affiliated with the California Angels.
- The Lodi Orions are renamed to the Lodi Lions. The club remained affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Lodi Lions and Salinas Packers finished with the best records in the league.
- Despite finishing tied for first place, the Salinas Packers did not qualify for the post-season due to not finishing in first place in either half of the season.
- The Lodi Lions finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time in team history.
- The Salinas Packers finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time in team history.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Lodi Lions | 77 | 63 | .550 | – |
| Salinas Packers | 77 | 63 | .550 | – |
| San Jose Bees | 75 | 65 | .536 | 2 |
| Bakersfield Dodgers | 70 | 70 | .500 | 7 |
| Reno Silver Sox | 70 | 70 | .500 | 7 |
| Fresno Giants | 69 | 71 | .493 | 14 |
| Visalia Mets | 62 | 78 | .443 | 15 |
| Modesto Reds | 60 | 80 | .429 | 11.5 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Dave Cripe, San Jose Bees | .310 |
| H | Mike Eden, Fresno Giants | 159 |
| R | Rick Manning, Reno Silver Sox | 101 |
| 2B | Tim Steele, Bakersfield Dodgers Mike Vail, Modesto Reds | 31 |
| 3B | Rick Manning, Reno Silver Sox | 14 |
| HR | John Balaz, Salinas Packers | 28 |
| RBI | John Balaz, Salinas Packers | 113 |
| SB | Kenzie Davis, San Jose Bees | 82 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Dennis Leonard, San Jose Bees | 15 |
| ERA | Curtis Isom, San Jose Bees | 2.42 |
| CG | Dennis Leonard, San Jose Bees Larry McCall, Lodi Lions | 16 |
| SHO | Dennis Eckersley, Reno Silver Sox Dennis Leonard, San Jose Bees | 5 |
| SV | Dave Heaverlo, Fresno Giants | 17 |
| IP | Curtis Isom, San Jose Bees | 208.0 |
| SO | Curtis Isom, San Jose Bees | 227 |
Playoffs
- The Lodi Lions won their first California League championship, defeating the Bakersfield Dodgers in two games.
Playoff bracket
| Finals | ||||
| 1 | Lodi | 2 | ||
| 2 | Bakersfield | 0 | ||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | John Balaz, Salinas Packers |