It’s October, so let’s have some World Series action, seventies style. 1973: the Oakland A’s take on the New York Mets.
Here’s the background from the BR Bullpen:
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A’s winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions.
The New York Mets won the National League East division by 1 ½ games over the St Louis Cardinals then defeated the Cincinnati Reds, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series. The Oakland Athletics won the American League West division by 6 games over the Kansas City Royals then defeated the Baltimore Orioles, three games to two, in the American League Championship Series.
The Mets’ .509 season winning percentage was (and remains) the lowest posted by any pennant-winner in major league history. Stumbling through the summer in last place, the Mets had gotten hot in September as the rest of the National League East collapsed, ultimately winning a mediocre division with a mere 82 victories. Under the comparatively new divisional play system, the Mets found themselves back in the World Series, but with a much weaker team than in their legendary 1969 championship season. 1969 holdovers Bud Harrelson, Jerry Grote, Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Tug McGraw joined forces with the Mets’ farm-system alumni John Milner and Jon Matlack and trade-acquired Rusty Staub, Felix Millan, and future Hall of Famer Willie Mays, now 42 years old. Don Hahn and Mays alternated in center field, although they both batted right-handed.
The Oakland Athletics secured the pennant by overcoming the Baltimore Orioles in the 1973 ALCS. The A’s, defending champions, still possessed a formidable lineup headed by a healthy Reggie Jackson, (.293, 32 HR, 117 RBI, 22 stolen bases) who would be named league MVP in 1973. Jackson was joined in the lineup by standouts like third baseman Sal Bando, the fine defensive outfielder Joe Rudi, the speedy shortstop Bert Campaneris, and the A’s catcher, 1972 World Series hero Gene Tenace. The pitching staff featured three 20-game winners, Ken Holtzman (21-13), Catfish Hunter (21-5), and Vida Blue (20-9), with Rollie Fingers (22 svs, 1.92) serving as the A’s ace relief pitcher.
With the designated hitter rule in effect for the first time in 1973, American League pitchers did not bat during the regular season. They were, however, expected to take their turn at the plate during each game of this Series.
The TPB replay will feature all the starting line-ups and will try to reproduce as much of the playing time and substitutions as allowed by the situations. The out-of-the-box rules will be used, with the following exceptions: no weather, no clutch, and injuries will be limited to the game being played.
Game plays & stats will be tracked with Chadwick.
Play ball!
GAME ONE
The series starts off in Oakland with two lefties: Ken Holtzman & John Matlack. The A’s jumped out early with two homers: a Gene Tenace solo shot in the second and a Joe Rudi two-run blast in the third. A’s lead 3-0.
Holtzman (pictured) completely dominated the Mets. After a walk and a single in the top of the first, he would have retired 20 straight if not for Campaneris’ error in the fourth. The Mets threatened in the top of the eighth with singles from Hahn & Hodges, but Rollie Fingers came in to mop up and pitch a scoreless ninth.
New York AB R H RBI Oakland AB R H RBI
Garrett 3b 4 0 0 0 Campaneris ss 4 1 3 0
Millan 2b 4 0 0 0 Rudi lf 3 1 2 2
Mays cf 3 0 0 0 Bando 3b 4 0 0 0
Jones lf 4 0 2 0 Jackson cf-rf 4 1 1 0
Milner 1b 4 0 0 0 Tenace 1b 4 1 3 1
Grote c 3 0 0 0 Alou rf 4 0 2 1
Hahn rf 3 0 1 0 Davalillo cf 0 0 0 0
Harrelson ss 2 0 0 0 Fosse c 3 0 0 0
Hodges ph 1 0 1 0 Green 2b 3 0 0 0
Martinez ss 0 0 0 0 Holtzman p 3 0 0 0
Matlack p 1 0 0 0 Fingers p 0 0 0 0
Boswell ph 1 0 0 0
McGraw p 0 0 0 0
Parker p 0 0 0 0
Kranepool ph 1 0 0 0
Sadecki p 0 0 0 0
31 0 4 0 32 4 11 4
New York 000 000 000 0
Oakland 012 000 01x 4
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Matlack (L) 5.0 5 3 3 2 5
McGraw 1.2 3 0 0 1 1
Parker 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
Sadecki 1.0 3 1 1 0 0
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Holtzman (W) 7.1 3 0 0 1 2
Fingers (S) 1.2 1 0 0 0 2
E: Campaneris
DP: New York 1, Oakland 1
LOB: New York 5, Oakland 7
2B: Campaneris, Alou, Tenace
HR: Tenace, Rudi
CS: Campaneris
REPLAY: Oakland 4 New York 0 Oakland leads 1-0
detailed box & narrative
REAL: Oakland 2 New York 1 Oakland leads 1-0
summary, box/narrative
GAME TWO
Two more lefties started game two: Jerry Koosman vs. Vida Blue, neither of whom were sharp in this back-and-forth game. The Mets scored three in the first. The A’s answered with one in the second and two in the third on a Reggie Jackson home run, to tie the game at 3-3.
The Mets loaded the bases in the sixth, but Horacio Pina came in for the A’s and got the third out.. Also in the sixth, John Milner was shaken up and taken out of the game after colliding with Gene Tenace on a ground out.
Ray Sadecki came on in relief for the Mets in the bottom of the sixth and gave up the lead on a Ray Fosse single. New York broke the game wide open in the seventh, sending 11 men to plate, drawing four walks, and scoring six runs against three Oakland pitchers. The Mets added two more in the eighth on George Theodore’s single.
New York AB R H RBI Oakland AB R H RBI
Garrett 3b 5 1 2 3 Campaneris ss 5 0 1 0
Millan 2b 5 2 2 1 Rudi lf 5 0 1 0
Staub rf 6 0 0 0 Bando 3b 5 2 2 1
Jones lf 5 2 0 1 Jackson cf 5 1 2 2
Milner 1b 2 0 0 0 Tenace 1b 5 2 2 0
Sadecki p 0 0 0 0 Alou rf 5 1 4 1
Kranepool ph 1 0 0 0 Fosse c 3 0 1 1
McGraw p 0 0 0 0 Green 2b 3 0 1 1
Beauchamp ph 1 0 0 0 Andrews ph-2b 1 0 0 0
Stone p 0 0 0 0 Blue p 2 0 0 0
Grote c 4 2 2 1 Pina p 0 0 0 0
Hahn cf 2 1 1 2 Mangual ph 1 0 0 0
Mays cf 1 1 1 0 Knowles p 0 0 0 0
Harrelson ss 3 1 2 0 Odom p 0 0 0 0
Koosman p 3 0 1 0 Fingers p 0 0 0 0
Theodore 1b 1 1 1 3 Lindblad p 0 0 0 0
Conigliaro ph 1 0 0 0
Hamilton p 0 0 0 0
39 11 12 11 41 6 14 6
New York 300 000 620 11
Oakland 012 001 200 6
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Koosman 5.0 7 3 3 1 3
Sadecki (W) 1.0 3 1 1 0 1
McGraw 1.0 3 2 2 0 2
Stone 2.0 1 0 0 0 2
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Blue 5.2 6 3 3 4 4
Pina 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
Knowles (L) 0.2 2 4 4 2 0
Odom* 0.0 1 2 2 2 0
Fingers 1.0 3 2 2 1 0
Lindblad 0.1 0 0 0 0 1
Hamilton 1.0 0 0 0 0 0
* Pitched to 3 batters in 7th
E: Bando
DP: Oakland 2
LOB: New York 11, Oakland 9
2B: Millan, Bando, Jackson, Alou 2, Garrett, Mays
HR: Jackson, Bando
HBP: by Fingers (Millan)
REPLAY: New York 11 Oakland 6 series tied 1-1
detailed box & narrative
REAL: New York 10 Oakland 7 (12 inn.) series tied 1-1
summary, box/narrative
After two games the A’s are outhitting the Mets .342 to .229. Standouts for the A’s are Jesus Alou (6 for 9 with three doubles) and Gene Tenace (5 for 9 with a double and a home run).
GAME THREE
In game three Tom Seaver went against Catfish Hunter as the series moved to Shea. The game was close all the way, with no team leading by more than one run. The Mets continued to struggle at the plate, managing only five hits. However, they were able to neutralize some of Oakland’s 12 hits by recording four double plays.
The A’s struggled in the field in the second, when both Hunter and Tenace committed two-base errors. Don Hahn singled in Jerry Grote to put the Mets up 1-0. John Milner went Deep! in the third with two on, but the ball was gathered in on the warning track to end the threat.
Oakland tied it in the fourth when Bert Campaneris singled, stole second, and scored on Sal Bando’s single up the middle.
Catfish recorded three of his six strikeouts during the bottom of the fifth, but doubles in that inning by Wayne Garrett and Rusty Staub put the Mets up on top agian.
Seaver gave up a solo home run to Reggie Jackson in the seventh, which knotted the score at 2-2. After giving up two more singles, Seaver was lifted for Harry Parker, who retired the side with no further damage.
Extra innings looked very possible, but Sal Bando led off the top of the ninth and sent a long fly ball over the fence in center. The Mets were not able to answer, in fact they went hitless in the last four innings against Hunter and very effective relief from Darold Knowles and Rollie Fingers.
Oakland AB R H RBI New York AB R H RBI
Campaneris ss 4 1 3 0 Garrett 3b 3 1 1 0
Rudi lf 4 0 0 0 Millan 2b 4 0 1 0
Bando 3b 4 1 2 2 Staub rf 3 0 2 1
Jackson rf 4 1 2 1 Jones lf 4 0 0 0
Tenace 1b-c 3 0 0 0 Milner 1b 4 0 0 0
Davalillo cf 4 0 1 0 Grote c 3 1 0 0
Fosse c 2 0 0 0 Hahn cf 3 0 1 1
Bourque ph-1b 2 0 2 0 Mays ph 1 0 0 0
Green 2b 2 0 1 0 Harrelson ss 4 0 0 0
Alou ph 1 0 0 0 Seaver p 2 0 0 0
Kubiak 2b 1 0 0 0 Parker p 0 0 0 0
Hunter p 2 0 1 0 Beauchamp ph 1 0 0 0
Johnson ph 1 0 0 0 Sadecki p 0 0 0 0
Knowles p 0 0 0 0 McGraw p 0 0 0 0
Fingers p 0 0 0 0 Hodges ph 1 0 0 0
34 3 12 3 33 2 5 2
Oakland 000 100 101 3
New York 010 010 000 2
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Hunter 7.0 5 2 1 2 6
Knowles (W) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Fingers (S) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Seaver 6.2 9 2 2 0 4
Parker 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
Sadecki (L) 1.2 3 1 1 1 2
McGraw 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
E: Tenace, Hunter
DP: New York 4
LOB: Oakland 5, New York 7
2B: Garrett, Staub
HR: Jackson, Bando
SB: Campaneris
REPLAY: Oakland 3 New York 2 Oakland leads 2-1
detailed box & narrative
REAL: Oakland 3 New York 2 (11 inn.) Oakland leads 2-1
summary, box/narrative
GAME FOUR
Holztman and Matlack matched up in a repeat of game one, and Holtzman repeated his masterful performance. He allowed seven New York hits, but they were scattered, and the Mets left 11 stranded.
New York’s only run came on John Milner’s RBI single in the first, his only hit of the series so far.
On a steal of second base in the top of the sixth, Bert Campaneris collided hard with Felix Millan when Millan was pulled off the bag in an attempt to field an errant throw from the plate. Both left the game. Ted Kubiak pinch-ran and was driven in by Joe Rudi, who then scored on a Gene Tenace single to put the A’s ahead 2-1.
Jon Matlack struck out ten A’s, but he couldn’t find the strike zone in the eighth, when he walked four straight.
The Mets threatened in the bottom of the ninth, getting the tying run on with one out, but Rollie Fingers was able to retire Ken Boswell and Rusty Staub to seal the win and give Oakland in a commanding 3-games-to-1 series lead.
Oakland AB R H RBI New York AB R H RBI
Campaneris ss 2 0 1 0 Garrett 3b-2b 4 0 0 0
Kubiak pr-ss 2 1 0 0 Millan 2b 3 1 1 0
Rudi lf 4 1 1 1 Boswell 3b 1 0 0 0
Bando 3b 3 1 1 0 Beauchamp ph 1 0 0 0
Jackson cf 3 0 0 0 Staub rf 5 0 2 0
Tenace 1b 3 0 1 1 Jones lf 3 0 1 0
Alou rf 3 0 0 1 Milner 1b 3 0 1 1
Fosse c 4 0 1 0 Grote c 4 0 0 0
Green 2b 4 0 1 0 Hahn cf 4 0 1 0
Holtzman p 3 0 0 0 Harrelson ss 4 0 1 0
Mangual ph 1 0 0 0 Matlack p 2 0 0 0
Fingers p 0 0 0 0 McGraw p 0 0 0 0
Theodore ph 1 0 1 0
Schneck pr 0 0 0 0
32 3 6 3 35 1 8 1
Oakland 000 002 010 3
New York 100 000 000 1
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Holtzman (W) 8.0 7 1 1 2 6
Fingers (S) 1.0 1 0 0 1 1
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Matlack (L) 7.2 6 3 3 5 10
McGraw 1.1 0 0 0 0 0
E: Holtzman
DP: New York 1
LOB: Oakland 7, New York 11
SB: Campaneris
SH: Matlack
REPLAY: Oakland 3 New York 1 Oakland leads 3-1
detailed box & narrative
REAL: New York 6 Oakland 1 series tied 2-2
summary, box/narrative
GAME FIVE
In game five Vida Blue powered the A’s to the championship from both the mound and the plate. He held the Mets to only three hits in 7-2/3 innings of work and made some noise with his bat.
The score was tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth, when Blue came to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. He lifted a ball to deep right field that just cleared the glove of the pursuing Rusty Staub. (Outfield range, over the head.) All three baserunners scored, and just like that the Mets were staring at a three-run deficit. If that wasn’t enough to let the air out of the Mets, they suffered double plays in both the sixth and seventh innings.
After striking out in his first four appearances, Gene Tenace belted a three-run homer in the eighth that would prove to be crucial insurance.
The Mets pulled closer in the bottom of the ninth on a two-on, two-out homer by Wayne Garrett, but it was too little too late, and Oakland successfully defended their world championship, defeating New York four games to one.
Oakland AB R H RBI New York AB R H RBI
Campaneris ss 5 0 2 1 Garrett 3b-ss 4 1 1 3
Rudi lf 5 0 2 0 Millan 2b 5 0 0 0
Bando 3b 5 1 1 0 Staub rf 2 0 1 0
Jackson cf 2 1 0 0 Jones lf 3 0 0 0
Conigliaro cf 0 0 0 0 Milner 1b 3 1 0 0
Tenace 1b 5 1 1 3 Grote c 3 0 1 0
Alou rf 5 1 2 0 Hahn cf 4 1 2 1
Fosse c 4 1 2 0 Harrelson ss 3 0 0 0
Green 2b 4 2 2 0 McGraw p 0 0 0 0
Blue p 4 0 1 3 Beauchamp ph 1 0 0 0
Knowles p 0 0 0 0 Koosman p 2 0 0 0
Mangual ph 1 0 0 0 Parker p 0 0 0 0
Fingers p 0 0 0 0 Boswell 3b 0 1 0 0
40 7 13 7 30 4 5 4
Oakland 001 003 030 7
New York 010 000 003 4
Oakland IP H R ER BB SO
Blue (W) 7.2 3 1 1 7 7
Knowles 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
Fingers 1.0 2 3 3 1 1
New York IP H R ER BB SO
Koosman (L) 5.1 8 4 3 3 4
Parker 1.2 1 0 0 1 2
McGraw 2.0 4 3 3 1 0
E: Milner
DP: Oakland 2, New York 1
LOB: Oakland 12, New York 7
2B: Alou, Blue, Fosse, Hahn
HR: Tenace, Garrett
HBP: by Koosman (Jackson)
WP: Blue
REPLAY: Oakland 7 New York 4 Oakland wins series 4-1
detailed box & narrative
REAL: New York 2 Oakland 0 New York leads 3-2
Oakland won games six and seven.
summary, box/narrative
The replay tracked very close to the real outcome for the first three games, but the Mets were not able to turn around their hitting slump in games four and five, and the A’s kept pounding.
With two wins and only one earned run in 15-1/3 innings, the MVP goes to Ken Holtzman.
The A’s ended up outhitting the Mets .313 to .202. The slugging percentages were even worse: .486 to .256. The A’s hit seven home runs, while the Mets’ only homer came in the last inning of the last game. Bando, Jackson & Tenace each hit two homers. Jesus Alou hit .444 with four doubles & 3 RBIs. Tenace was right behind him with .350 and five RBIs.
Don Hahn was the brightest spot for the Mets, hitting .375 with four RBIs. John Milner really struggled, managing only one hit in 16 ABs.
Batting totals
Pitching totals
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