1973 New York Mets season

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1973 New York Mets
1973 NL Pennant
Major league affiliations
Location
1973 Information
Owner(s) Joan Whitney Payson
General Manager(s) Bob Scheffing
Manager(s) Yogi Berra
Local television WOR-TV
Local radio WHN
(Ralph Kiner, Lindsey Nelson, Bob Murphy)

The New York Mets' 1973 season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berraled the team to a National League's Eastern Division pennant with a 82-79 record, National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the world Series. Their .509 winning percentage was the lowest of any pennant-winner in major league history. However, the season was best know for pitcher Tug McGraw's catchphrase You Gotta Believe!!!

Contents

[edit] Regular Season

[edit] Opening Day Starters

[edit] Season Standings

Team Wins Losses Win % GB
New York Mets 83 79 .509 0
St. Louis Cardinals 81 81 .500 1.5
Pittsburgh Pirates 80 82 .494 2.5
Montreal Expos 79 83 .488 3.5
Chicago Cubs 77 84 .478 5.0
Philadelphia Phillies 71 91 .438 11.5


[edit] Notable Transactions

  • June 5, 1973: Lee Mazzilli was drafted by the New York Mets in the 1st round (14th pick) of the 1973 amateur draft.
  • July 11, 1973: Jim Fregosi was purchased by the Texas Rangers from the New York Mets.

[edit] Roster

1973 New York Mets roster
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Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

[edit] Season Highlights

[edit] It Began With Turmoil

The 1973 version of the mets were a far cry from their miracle 1969 team. All they had was a group of young proven lions like Jon Matlack, Rusty Staub, John Milner and Felix Millan mixed in with veterans from the 1969 club like Jerry Grote, Cleon Jones, Wayne Garrett and Bud Harrelson.

The Mets actually got off to a 4-0 start, they were still at first place by April 29 with a 12-8 record, but then injuries to their key players and turmoil sent the Mets going backwards. By July 26 the Mets were in last place, but only 7 1/2 games behind. On August 16, they were 12 games below .500, with 44 games to play. it was shaping up as a most forgettable season.

At the end of August, the Mets were in last place, nine games under .500, but, in the balanced mediocrity of that year's Eastern Division, just 5 1/2 out of first. The mathematical inequities of divisional play were beginning to show up. It became more and more ludicrous. On September 11, the Mets were in fourth place, five games under .500, but just three games out. Ahead of them were the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Montreal Expos.

[edit] You Gotta Believe!!!

With Tug McGraw urging his teammates on and celebrating victories with what soon became the catch phrase of 1973, "You Gotta Believe!!!" the Mets kept zigging and zagging away from would-be tacklers, and taking an occasional side-swipe, headed for this most unlikely of pennants. Down the stretch, Yogi Berra, that imperturable veteran of many a pennant race, ran four starters at the league: Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, and George Stone, with the suddenly unhittable McGraw coming out of the pen with boisterous-and justified-confidence. (For his last 19 games, the screwball-throwing lefty showed 12 saves, 5 wins, and an ERA of 0.88).

[edit] The Unexpected Clincher

After sweeping a three-game series from the Pirates at Shea on September 21, the Mets' record stood at an even 77-77. But that .500 record was good enough for first place and a half-game lead. Illustraing just how dense the crowd was at the top, fifth-place Chicago Cubs was just 2 1/2 out.

But the Mets did not falter. They finished as National League East Division Champions. the Cardinals were 1 1/2 behind, Pittsburgh next at 2 1/2, Montreal third at 3 1/2, and Chicago fifth, 5 games out.

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

[edit] Other batters

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI

[edit] Starting pitchers

Player G IP W L ERA SO

[edit] Other pitchers

Player G IP W L ERA

[edit] Relief pitchers
Player G W L SV ERA SO

[edit] Award Winners

[edit] NLCS

Main article: 1973 National League Championship Series

[edit] Game 1

October 6: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 6 0
W: Pedro Borbon (1-0)   L: Tom Seaver (0-1)   S: None
HR: NYM – None  CIN – Pete Rose (1), Johnny Bench (1)
Pitchers: NYM – Seaver  CIN – Billingham, Hall (9), Borbon (9)
Attendance: 53,431

[edit] Game 2

October 7: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 5 7 0
Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
W: Jon Matlack (1-0)   L: Don Gullett (0-1)   S: None
HR: NYM – Rusty Staub (1)  CIN – None
Pitchers: NYM – Matlack  CIN – Gullett, Carroll (6), Hall (9), Borbon (9)
Attendance: 54,041

[edit] Game 3

October 8: Shea Stadium, New York City, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 1
New York 1 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 x 9 11 1
W: Jerry Koosman (1-0)   L: Ross Grimsley (0-1)   S: None
HR: CIN – Denis Menke (1)  NYM – Rusty Staub (2), (3)
Pitchers: CIN – Grimsley, Hall (2), Tomlin (3), Nelson (4), Borbon (7)  NYM – Koosman
Attendance: 53,967

[edit] Game 4

October 9: Shea Stadium, New York City, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
Cincinnati 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 8 0
New York 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2
W: Clay Carroll (1-0)   L: Harry Parker (0-1)   S: Pedro Borbon (1)
HR: CIN – Tony Perez (1), Pete Rose (2)  NYM – None
Pitchers: CIN – Norman, Gullett (6), Carroll (10), Borbon (12)  NYM – Stone, McGraw (7), Parker (12)
Attendance: 50,786

[edit] Game 5

October 10: Shea Stadium, New York City, New York

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Cincinnati 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 1
New York 2 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 x 7 13 1
W: Tom Seaver (1-1)   L: Jack Billingham (0-1)   S: Tug McGraw (1)
HR: CIN – None  NYM – None
Pitchers: CIN – Billingham, Gullett (5), Carroll (5), Grimsley (7)  NYM – Seaver, McGraw (9)
Attendance: 50,323

[edit] World Series

Main article: 1973 World Series

AL Oakland Athletics (4) vs. NL New York Mets (3)

Game Score Date Location Attendance Time of Game
1 Mets – 1, A’s – 2 October 13 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 46,021 2:26
2 Mets – 10, A’s – 7 (12 inns) October 14 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 55,989 4:13
3 A's – 3, Mets – 2 (11 inns) October 16 Shea Stadium 54,817 3:15
4 A's – 1, Mets – 6 October 17 Shea Stadium 54,817 2:41
5 A's – 0, Mets – 2 October 18 Shea Stadium 54,817 2:39
6 Mets – 1, A’s – 3 October 20 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 49,333 2:07
7 Mets – 2, A’s – 5 October 21 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum 49,333 2:37

[edit] External links

v • d • e
1973 MLB season by team
AL East
AL West
NL East
NL West
1973 All-Star Game • 1973 World Series
Preceded by
Pittsburgh Pirates
1972		 NL East Championship Season
1973		 Succeeded by
Pittsburgh Pirates
1974
Preceded by
Cincinnati Reds
1972		 National League Championship Season
1973		 Succeeded by
Los Angeles Dodgers
1974
v • d • e
New York Mets
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