1973 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1973 major league baseball season began on April 5 the regular season ended on October 1. The postseason began on October 6. The 70th World Series then began on began on October 13 and concluded on October 21 the Oakland Athletics of the American League defeating the New York Mets of the National League in seven games to win their seventh title in franchise history, winning their second of three straight World Series titles, and their second since moving to Oakland in 1968.
National League (NL)
- April 6 – September 30, 1973 (AL)
- April 5 – October 1, 1973 (NL)
- October 6–21, 1973
| 1973 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 162 |
| Teams | 24 (12 per league) |
| TV partner | NBC |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | David Clyde |
| Picked by | Texas Rangers |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Reggie Jackson (OAK) NL: Pete Rose (CIN) |
| Postseason | |
| AL champions | Oakland Athletics |
| AL runners-up | Baltimore Orioles |
| NL champions | New York Mets |
| NL runners-up | Cincinnati Reds |
| World Series | |
| Champions | Oakland Athletics |
| Runners-up | New York Mets |
| World Series MVP | Reggie Jackson (OAK) |
The 44th All-Star Game, was held on July 24 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home of the Kansas City Royals. The National League won, 7–1, and was the second win in what would be a 10-win streak that lasted until 1983.
This was the first season of the designated hitter rule in the American League.[1]
American League umpires began wearing burgundy blazers with blue pants, a change from the navy blue coats and gray pants worn the previous five seasons (1968–1972). The burgundy blazers were worn through 1979.
The Kansas City Royals moved from Municipal Stadium to the new Royals Stadium (adjacent to the Chiefs' football facility).
The New York Yankees played their final season at the original Yankee Stadium; it was closed for remodeling during the 1974 and 1975 seasons.
A lockout in the offseason (February 8–25) did not result in any regular season games being canceled, but the start of spring training was delayed.[2]
Schedule
The 1973 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had twelve teams. Each league was split into two six-team divisions. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against their five division rivals, totaling 90 games, and 12 games against six interdivision opponents, totaling 72 games. This continued the format put in place since the 1969 and would be used until 1977 in the American League and 1993 in the National League.
National League Opening Day took place on April 5, featuring a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros, while National League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring eight teams. In a scheduling oddity, April 30 saw all teams not play, the last time all teams would be off (aside from All-Star breaks and labor shortages) until June 29, 1998. The American League would see its final day of the regular season on September 30, featuring 10 teams, while the National League would see its final day of the regular season on October 1, featuring four teams. The National League Championship Series took place between October 6 and October 10, while the American League Championship Series took place between October 6 and October 11. The World Series took place between October 13 and October 21.
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | 97 | 65 | .599 | — | 50–31 | 47–34 |
| Boston Red Sox | 89 | 73 | .549 | 8 | 48–33 | 41–40 |
| Detroit Tigers | 85 | 77 | .525 | 12 | 47–34 | 38–43 |
| New York Yankees | 80 | 82 | .494 | 17 | 50–31 | 30–51 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 74 | 88 | .457 | 23 | 40–41 | 34–47 |
| Cleveland Indians | 71 | 91 | .438 | 26 | 34–47 | 37–44 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | 94 | 68 | .580 | — | 50–31 | 44–37 |
| Kansas City Royals | 88 | 74 | .543 | 6 | 48–33 | 40–41 |
| Minnesota Twins | 81 | 81 | .500 | 13 | 37–44 | 44–37 |
| California Angels | 79 | 83 | .488 | 15 | 43–38 | 36–45 |
| Chicago White Sox | 77 | 85 | .475 | 17 | 40–41 | 37–44 |
| Texas Rangers | 57 | 105 | .352 | 37 | 35–46 | 22–59 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | 82 | 79 | .509 | — | 43–38 | 39–41 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 81 | 81 | .500 | 1½ | 43–38 | 38–43 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 80 | 82 | .494 | 2½ | 41–40 | 39–42 |
| Montreal Expos | 79 | 83 | .488 | 3½ | 43–38 | 36–45 |
| Chicago Cubs | 77 | 84 | .478 | 5 | 41–39 | 36–45 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 71 | 91 | .438 | 11½ | 38–43 | 33–48 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | 99 | 63 | .611 | — | 50–31 | 49–32 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 95 | 66 | .590 | 3½ | 50–31 | 45–35 |
| San Francisco Giants | 88 | 74 | .543 | 11 | 47–34 | 41–40 |
| Houston Astros | 82 | 80 | .506 | 17 | 41–40 | 41–40 |
| Atlanta Braves | 76 | 85 | .472 | 22½ | 40–40 | 36–45 |
| San Diego Padres | 60 | 102 | .370 | 39 | 31–50 | 29–52 |
Tie game
1 tie game (0 in AL, 1 in NL), which is not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and was replayed again) occurred during the season.
National League
- May 19, Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, tied at 7 following one out in the toe top of the 13th inning due to rain.[4]
Postseason
Bracket
| League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | ||||||||
| East | Baltimore | 2 | |||||||
| West | Oakland | 3 | |||||||
| AL | Oakland | 4 | |||||||
| NL | NY Mets | 3 | |||||||
| East | NY Mets | 3 | |||||||
| West | Cincinnati | 2 | |||||||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| California Angels | Del Rice | Bobby Winkles |
| Kansas City Royals | Bob Lemon | Jack McKeon |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Paul Owens | Danny Ozark |
| Texas Rangers | Ted Williams | Whitey Herzog |
In-season
League leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Rod Carew (MIN) | .350 |
| OPS | Reggie Jackson (OAK) | .914 |
| HR | Reggie Jackson (OAK) | 32 |
| RBI | Reggie Jackson (OAK) | 117 |
| R | Reggie Jackson (OAK) | 99 |
| H | Rod Carew (MIN) | 203 |
| SB | Tommy Harper (BOS) | 54 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Wilbur Wood (CWS) | 24 |
| L | Stan Bahnsen (CWS) | 21 |
| ERA | Jim Palmer (BAL) | 2.40 |
| K | Nolan Ryan1 (CAL) | 383 |
| IP | Wilbur Wood (CWS) | 359.1 |
| SV | John Hiller (DET) | 38 |
| WHIP | Luis Tiant (BOS) | 1.085 |
1 Modern (1901–present) single-season strikeouts record
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Ron Bryant (SF) | 24 |
| L | Steve Carlton (PHI) | 20 |
| ERA | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 2.08 |
| K | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 251 |
| IP | Jack Billingham (CIN) Steve Carlton (PHI) |
293.1 |
| SV | Mike Marshall (MON) | 31 |
| WHIP | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 0.976 |
Milestones
Batters
Cycles
- Joe Torre (STL):
- Torre hit for his first cycle and 14th in franchise history, on June 27 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.[9]
Other batting accomplishments
- Willie Davis (LAD):
- Hit his 2,000th career hit with a home run in the sixth inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 19.[10]
- Pete Rose (CIN):
- Hit his 2,000th career hit with a single in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants on June 19.[11]
- Bobby Bonds (SF):
- Breaks the National League record for most leadoff home runs previously set by Lou Brock, by hitting his 22nd leadoff home run against the Cincinnati Reds on June 20.[12]
- Willie McCovey (SF):
- Became the 15th player in Major League history to hit 400 home runs in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 15.[13][14]
- Hank Aaron (ATL):
- Became the second player in Major League history to hit 700 home runs in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 21.[15]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Steve Busby (KC):
- Busby threw his first career no-hitter and the first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Detroit Tigers 3–0 on April 27. He walked six and struck out four.[16]
- Nolan Ryan (CAL):
- Ryan threw his first career no-hitter and the third no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Kansas City Royals 3–0 on May 15. He walked three and struck out 12.[17]
- Ryan threw his second career no-hitter and the fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Detroit Tigers 6–0 on July 15. He walked four and struck out 17.[18]
- Jim Bibby (TEX):
- Bibby threw his first career no-hitter and first no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Oakland Athletics 6–0 on July 30. He walked six and struck out 13.[19]
- Phil Niekro (ATL):
- Niekro threw his first career no-hitter and 12th no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the San Diego Padres 9–0 on August 5. He walked three and struck out four.[20]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Bob Gibson (STL):
- Breaks the record for most consecutive starts previously set by Red Ruffing, by making his 242nd start against the San Francisco Giants.
- Nolan Ryan (CAL):
- Simultaneously broke Sandy Koufax's 1965 strikeout record and set the Major League record when he struck out his 383rd batter of the season, Rich Reese of the Minnesota Twins, on September 27 in the 11th inning,
Miscellaneous
- Chicago White Sox:
- Set a major league record for most runs scored in the 21st inning, by scoring four runs against the Cleveland Indians in a game that began on May 26 and ended in game one of a doubleheader on May 28.[21]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Gary Matthews (SF) | Al Bumbry (BAL) |
| Cy Young Award | Tom Seaver (NYM) | Jim Palmer (BAL) |
| Most Valuable Player | Pete Rose (CIN) | Reggie Jackson (OAK) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
— | Bert Campaneris (OAK) |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (CWS/MIN) |
| Catcher | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Thurman Munson (NYY) |
| 1st Base | Mike Jorgensen (MON) | George Scott (MIL) |
| 2nd Base | Joe Morgan (CIN) | Bobby Grich (BAL) |
| 3rd Base | Doug Rader (HOU) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) |
| Shortstop | Roger Metzger (HOU) | Mark Belanger (BAL) |
| Outfield | Bobby Bonds (SF) | Paul Blair (BAL) |
| César Cedeño (HOU) | Amos Otis (KC) | |
| Willie Davis (LAD) | Mickey Stanley (DET) | |
Other awards
- Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian): Al Kaline (DET)
- Hutch Award: John Hiller (DET)
- Outstanding Designated Hitter Award: Orlando Cepeda (BOS)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Reggie Jackson (OAK)
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Player of the Year[22] | — | Reggie Jackson (OAK) |
| Pitcher of the Year[23] | Ron Bryant (SF) | Jim Palmer (BAL) |
| Fireman of the Year[24] (Relief pitcher) |
Mike Marshall (MON) | John Hiller (DET) |
| Rookie Player of the Year[25] | Gary Matthews (SF) | Al Bumbry (BAL) |
| Rookie Pitcher of the Year[26] | Steve Rogers (MON) | Steve Busby (KC) |
| Comeback Player of the Year[27] | Davey Johnson (ATL) | John Hiller (DET) |
| Manager of the Year[28] | Gene Mauch (MON) | — |
| Executive of the Year[29] | Bob Howsam (CIN) | — |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| April | Jerry Koosman (NYM) |
| May | Willie Crawford (LAD) |
| June | Greg Luzinski (PHI) |
| July | Pete Rose (CIN) |
| August | Davey Johnson (ATL) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers[30] | 95 | 11.8% | 2,136,192 | 14.8% | 26,373 |
| Cincinnati Reds[31] | 99 | 4.2% | 2,017,601 | 25.2% | 24,909 |
| New York Mets[32] | 82 | −1.2% | 1,912,390 | −10.4% | 23,610 |
| Detroit Tigers[33] | 85 | −1.2% | 1,724,146 | −8.9% | 21,286 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[34] | 81 | 8.0% | 1,574,046 | 31.5% | 19,433 |
| Boston Red Sox[35] | 89 | 4.7% | 1,481,002 | 2.7% | 18,284 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[36] | 71 | 20.3% | 1,475,934 | 9.9% | 18,221 |
| Houston Astros[37] | 82 | −2.4% | 1,394,004 | −5.1% | 17,210 |
| Chicago Cubs[38] | 77 | −9.4% | 1,351,705 | 4.0% | 16,896 |
| Kansas City Royals[39] | 88 | 15.8% | 1,345,341 | 90.1% | 16,609 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[40] | 80 | −16.7% | 1,319,913 | −7.5% | 16,295 |
| Chicago White Sox[41] | 77 | −11.5% | 1,302,527 | 10.6% | 16,081 |
| New York Yankees[42] | 80 | 1.3% | 1,262,103 | 30.6% | 15,582 |
| Montreal Expos[43] | 79 | 12.9% | 1,246,863 | 9.2% | 15,393 |
| Milwaukee Brewers[44] | 74 | 13.8% | 1,092,158 | 81.9% | 13,483 |
| California Angels[45] | 79 | 5.3% | 1,058,206 | 42.2% | 13,064 |
| Oakland Athletics[46] | 94 | 1.1% | 1,000,763 | 8.6% | 12,355 |
| Baltimore Orioles[47] | 97 | 21.3% | 958,667 | 6.5% | 11,835 |
| Minnesota Twins[48] | 81 | 5.2% | 907,499 | 13.7% | 11,204 |
| San Francisco Giants[49] | 88 | 27.5% | 834,193 | 28.8% | 10,299 |
| Atlanta Braves[50] | 76 | 8.6% | 800,655 | 6.3% | 9,885 |
| Texas Rangers[51] | 57 | 5.6% | 686,085 | 3.5% | 8,470 |
| Cleveland Indians[52] | 71 | −1.4% | 615,107 | −1.8% | 7,594 |
| San Diego Padres[53] | 60 | 3.4% | 611,826 | −5.0% | 7,553 |
Venues
The Kansas City Royals leave Municipal Stadium from which they played four seasons and opened Royals Stadium, where they continue to play to the present day.
The New York Yankees would play their final game at Yankee Stadium on September 30, in what would be a two year hiatus caused by renovations. The team would play at Shea Stadium, the home of their cross-towns residents New York Mets before returning to a newly renovated Yankee Stadium in 1976.
Media
Television
NBC was the exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB, airing the weekend Game of the Week, Monday Night Baseball, the All-Star Game, both League Championship Series, and the World Series.
Retired numbers
- Roberto Clemente had his No. 21 retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 6. This was the fourth number retired by the team. The retirement of his number followed his untimely death following a plane crash at the end of 1972.
- Gil Hodges had his No. 14 retired by the New York Mets on June 9. This was the second number retired by the team.
