1973 Cincinnati Reds season
Encyclopedia
The Cincinnati Reds
season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West
with a record of 99-63, 3½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers
, before losing the NLCS to the New York Mets
in five games. The Reds were managed by Sparky Anderson
, and played their home games at Riverfront Stadium
.
, César Gerónimo
, and Bobby Tolan
) hit a combined .204 for the season, and being in fourth place, 11 games behind
the Dodgers on June 30. After that point, the Reds went 60-26 to finish the season. Pete Rose
won his third and final batting title with a .338 average, collected a career-high 230 hits and was named the NL MVP.
to the Mets
3 games to 2 despite heroics by Rose and Bench in Game 1 and Rose again in Game 4. Rose’s eighth-inning home run against Tom Seaver tied the score at 1-1 and Bench won it in the 9th with another solo home run. Rose also hit a game-winning home run in the 12th-inning to tie the series at 2-2. During Game Three of the series, Rose got into a fight with the popular Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson
while trying to break up a double play; the fight resulted in a bench-clearing brawl. The game was nearly called off when, after the Reds took the field, fans threw objects from the stands at Rose, causing the Reds team to leave the field until order was restored.
, New York City, New York
, New York City, New York
, New York City, New York
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
with a record of 99-63, 3½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers
1973 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season in second place in the Western Division of the National League.- Offseason :* October 26, 1972: Larry Hisle was traded by the Dodgers to the St...
, before losing the NLCS to the New York Mets
1973 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
in five games. The Reds were managed by Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, and played their home games at Riverfront Stadium
Cinergy Field
Riverfront Stadium , later known as Cinergy Field , was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the...
.
Offseason
- November 27, 1972: Nardi ContrerasNardi ContrerasArnaldo Juan Contreras is a former professional baseball pitcher and coach. His brief time in Major League Baseball, as well as the majority of his time as a coach, came with the Chicago White Sox...
was drafted from the Reds by the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in the 1972 minor league draft. - November 30, 1972: Hal McRaeHal McRaeHarold Abraham McRae is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals . Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed...
and Wayne SimpsonWayne SimpsonWayne Kirby Simpson , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1970-1977. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, and California Angels. Hank Aaron got his 3,000th career hit off Simpson.Simpson was 14-3 with a 3.02 Earned...
were traded by the Reds to the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
for Roger NelsonRoger Nelson (baseball)Roger Eugene Nelson is a former professional baseball pitcher. Nelson pitched all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball between 1967 and 1976 with a record of 29 wins, 32 losses, and 5 saves....
and Richie ScheinblumRichie ScheinblumRichard Alan "Richie" Scheinblum is a former professional All Star Major League Baseball player.He played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels, and St. Louis Cardinals...
. - March 27, 1973: Mel BehneyMel BehneyMelvin Brian Behney is a retired American professional baseball player. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Behney was a left-handed pitcher who had a five-game trial, one as a starting pitcher, with the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball...
was traded by the Reds to the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for Andy KoscoAndy KoscoAndy Kosco is a former Major League Baseball player who was affiliated at various times with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds....
and Phil GaglianoPhil GaglianoPhilip Joseph Gagliano is a former Major League Baseball infielder from 1963-1974. His brother, Ralph Gagliano, also played professional baseball. He became a good utility player during his early career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs...
.
Regular season
The Reds won their division despite having three regular players (Denis MenkeDenis Menke
Denis John Menke is a former professional baseball infielder. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwaukee Braves , Atlanta Braves , Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds , all of the National League...
, César Gerónimo
César Gerónimo
César Francisco Gerónimo Zorrilla , known as César Gerónimo, is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball, who was a member of the famed Big Red Machine of the Cincinnati Reds during the 1970s. He batted and threw left-handed....
, and Bobby Tolan
Bobby Tolan
Robert Tolan is a former center and right fielder in Major League Baseball. Tolan, who batted and threw left-handed, played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Cincinnati Reds , San Diego Padres , Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates...
) hit a combined .204 for the season, and being in fourth place, 11 games behind
Games behind
In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...
the Dodgers on June 30. After that point, the Reds went 60-26 to finish the season. Pete Rose
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
won his third and final batting title with a .338 average, collected a career-high 230 hits and was named the NL MVP.
Notable transactions
- June 12, 1973: Gene LocklearGene LocklearGene Locklear is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, born in Lumberton, North Carolina. He played all or part of five seasons, from until , in the major leagues. He also played one season in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Nippon Ham Fighters in ....
and Mike JohnsonMike Johnson (1970s pitcher)Michael Norton Johnson is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Johnson played for the San Diego Padres in . He batted and threw right-handed.-External links:*...
were traded by the Reds to the San Diego PadresSan Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
for Fred NormanFred NormanFredie Hubert Norman , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1962–1964, 1966–1967, and 1970-1980....
.
Roster
| 1973 Cincinnati Reds | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
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Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 152 | 557 | 141 | .253 | 25 | 104 | |
| 1B | 151 | 564 | 177 | .314 | 27 | 101 | |
| 2B | 157 | 576 | 167 | .290 | 26 | 82 | |
| 3B | 139 | 241 | 46 | .191 | 3 | 26 | |
| SS | 89 | 328 | 94 | .287 | 8 | 46 | |
| CF | 139 | 324 | 68 | .210 | 4 | 33 | |
| RF | 129 | 457 | 94 | .206 | 9 | 51 |
Other batters
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | 118 | 33 | .280 | 9 | 21 | |
| 63 | 69 | 20 | .290 | 0 | 7 | |
| 29 | 54 | 12 | .222 | 1 | 8 | |
| 29 | 26 | 5 | .192 | 0 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 293.1 | 19 | 10 | 3.04 | 155 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 54.2 | 3 | 2 | 3.46 | 17 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 2.16 | 60 | |
| 53 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 3.69 | 41 | |
| 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2.93 | 17 | |
1973 National League Championship Series
The Reds lost the National League Championship SeriesNational League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
to the Mets
1973 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
3 games to 2 despite heroics by Rose and Bench in Game 1 and Rose again in Game 4. Rose’s eighth-inning home run against Tom Seaver tied the score at 1-1 and Bench won it in the 9th with another solo home run. Rose also hit a game-winning home run in the 12th-inning to tie the series at 2-2. During Game Three of the series, Rose got into a fight with the popular Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson
Bud Harrelson
Derrel McKinley "Bud" Harrelson is a former Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers from to . After retiring, he served as a coach for the World Champion Mets, and as manager of the Mets in 1990 and 1991...
while trying to break up a double play; the fight resulted in a bench-clearing brawl. The game was nearly called off when, after the Reds took the field, fans threw objects from the stands at Rose, causing the Reds team to leave the field until order was restored.
Game 1
October 6: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
| 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 Borbón Pedro Borbón Spudro spärde Von Dolan is a former pitcher. He played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons for four teams, including 10 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds , playing on two World Series winning teams... (1-0) L: Tom Seaver Tom Seaver George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets... (0-1) S: None |
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| HR: NYM – None CIN – Pete Rose Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989.... (1), Johnny Bench Johnny Bench Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame... (1) |
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| Pitchers: NYM – Seaver CIN – Billingham, Hall (9), Borbón (9) | ||||||||||||
| Attendance: 53,431 | ||||||||||||
Game 2
October 7: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
| 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 Jon Matlack Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher... (1-0) L: Don Gullett (0-1) S: None |
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| HR: NYM – Rusty Staub Rusty Staub Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder, designated hitter, and first baseman. He enjoyed a 23-year baseball career with 5 different teams... (1) CIN – None |
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| Pitchers: NYM – Matlack CIN – Gullett, Carroll (6), Hall (9), Borbón (9) | |||||||||||||
| Attendance: 54,041 | |||||||||||||
Game 3
October 8: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, 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 Jerry Koosman Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985... (1-0) L: Ross Grimsley Ross Grimsley Ross Albert Grimsley II is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians... (0-1) S: None |
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| HR: CIN – Denis Menke Denis Menke Denis John Menke is a former professional baseball infielder. He played all or part of thirteen seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwaukee Braves , Atlanta Braves , Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds , all of the National League... (1) NYM – Rusty Staub Rusty Staub Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder, designated hitter, and first baseman. He enjoyed a 23-year baseball career with 5 different teams... (2), (3) |
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| Pitchers: CIN – Grimsley, Hall (2), Tomlin (3), Nelson (4), Borbón (7) NYM – Koosman |
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| Attendance: 53,967 | ||||||||||||||
Game 4
October 9: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, 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 Clay Carroll Clay Palmer Carroll is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball with a 15-year career from 1964 to 1978. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves & Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, St... (1-0) L: Harry Parker (0-1) S: Pedro Borbón Pedro Borbón Spudro spärde Von Dolan is a former pitcher. He played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons for four teams, including 10 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds , playing on two World Series winning teams... (1) |
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| HR: CIN – Tony Perez Tony Pérez Atanasio Pérez Rigal , more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."... (1), Pete Rose Pete Rose Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989.... (2) NYM – None |
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| Pitchers: CIN – Norman, Gullett (6), Carroll (10), Borbón (12) NYM – Stone, McGraw (7), Parker (12) |
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| Attendance: 50,786 | ||||||||||||||||
Game 5
October 10: Shea StadiumShea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, 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 Tom Seaver George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets... (1-1) L: Jack Billingham Jack Billingham John Eugene Billingham is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Houston Astros , Cincinnati Reds , Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox... (0-1) S: Tug McGraw Tug McGraw Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw... (1) |
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| HR: CIN – None NYM – None | |||||||||||||
| Pitchers: CIN – Billingham, Gullett (5), Carroll (5), Grimsley (7) NYM – Seaver, McGraw (9) | |||||||||||||
| Attendance: 50,323 | |||||||||||||
Awards and honors
- Pete RosePete RosePeter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
– National League Most Valuable Player - Pete Rose – National League Batting Champion