1973 World Series
Encyclopedia
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 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 six games over the Kansas City Royals
then defeated the Baltimore Orioles
, three games to two, in the American League Championship Series
.
history. Under the comparatively new divisional play system, the Mets found themselves back in the World Series
. Contrary to their record, they had a stronger team than in their legendary 1969 championship season
. But injuries plagued them throughout the season. In fact they had more injuries than any other team in major league baseball.
Stumbling through the summer in last place, the Mets got hot in September as the rest of the National League East collapsed, ultimately winning a mediocre division with a mere 82 victories, marking the only time between and that neither their rival Philadelphia Phillies, nor the Pittsburgh Pirates
won the division.
The final standings:
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 Willie Mays
, now 42 years old. Don Hahn
and Mays alternated in center field, although they both batted right-handed.
The Mets' National League playoff opponents: an imposing Cincinnati Reds
squad that posted 99 victories during the regular season, was the favorite to return to the Series for a second consecutive year. (The Reds
had fallen to the A's
in the previous year's Series
.) The 1973 NLCS went the full five games, and featured a now-famous brawl between the barrel-chested Pete Rose
and the wispy Met shortstop
, Bud Harrelson
. In the end, the Mets continued their improbable rise and bumped Rose and the rest of the mighty Reds from the playoffs.
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 saves, 1.92) serving as the A's ace relief pitcher
.
The A's offered entertainment both on and off the field in 1973; their day-glo uniforms were the perfect metaphor for a team notable for clashing personalities. The stars engaged regularly in conflicts with each other and with owner Charles O. Finley
.
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. So it was that a man who had played no offensive role during the regular season came to make a key batting contribution for the A's during the Series. With some extra batting practice, A's pitcher Ken Holtzman
would stroke a double that helped the A's to win Game 1—and another double that helped them secure the deciding seventh game.
This Series was also made famous when Oakland A's owner Charlie O. Finley attempted to "fire" second-baseman Mike Andrews
for his errors in Game 2 (see below). Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
would reinstate Andrews and fine Finley. Despite the hostility of the Oakland players toward the team's owner, the A's would be the first to repeat as World Champions since the 1961
–62 New York Yankees
. Oakland manager Dick Williams
resigned after the Series was over, having had enough of owner Charles O. Finley
's interference.
Oakland reliever Darold Knowles
became the only pitcher to appear in every game of a seven-game World Series.
As previously mentioned, at 82–79, the 1973 New York Mets had the worst record of any team ever to play in a World Series. They had only the ninth-best record in the 24-team major leagues, behind the Oakland Athletics
, the Cincinnati Reds
(who they beat in the National League playoffs), the Baltimore Orioles
(who were defeated by Oakland in the American League playoffs), the Los Angeles Dodgers
, the San Francisco Giants
, the Boston Red Sox
, the Detroit Tigers
and the Kansas City Royals
(none of whom made the postseason).
The 1973 New York Mets also had the lowest winning percentage (now the second-lowest) of any postseason team (the San Diego Padres
finished 82–80 in ).
Willie Mays
would record the final hit of his career in Game 2. In four World Series (1951
, 1954
, 1962
, and 1973), Mays did not hit a single home run. He hit only one in the postseason, during the 1971 NLCS
—San Francisco Giants
versus the Pittsburgh Pirates
. Mays also fell down in the outfield. He commented, "Growing old is just a helpless hurt."
This was the last World Series in which each team produced and sold its own game program
s for its home games. Starting in 1974
, Major League Baseball
printed an official World Series program that for sale in both stadiums.
in Oakland, California
The Mets and A's opened the Series in Oakland with Jon Matlack
and Ken Holtzman
as the Game 1 starters (Matlack, with a 14–16 record during the 1973 season, is one of only four pitchers in history to start Game 1 of a World Series after a regular season losing record). Willie Mays
started in place of the injured Rusty Staub
and batted third in what turned out to be his final big league start.
In the third, pitcher Holtzman doubled and scored when Bert Campaneris
hit a routine grounder that inexplicably bounced between Mets second baseman's Felix Millan
's legs. Campaneris then stole second and scored on a single to right by Joe Rudi
. The Mets came up with a run in the fourth on an RBI single by John Milner
that scored Cleon Jones
. Holtzman, Rollie Fingers
, and Darold Knowles
then shut the door on the Mets offense; Knowles earned the save.
in Oakland, California
Game 2, eventually won by the New York Mets
10–7 in twelve innings, set a new record for the longest game in Series history at four hours and thirteen minutes. Along with blinding sunshine "turn{ing} every fly ball into adventure" (especially for a 42-year old Willie Mays
), Curt Gowdy described the contest in the official MLB 1973 Fall Classic highlight film as one of the "longest and weirdest games in World Series history".
Vida Blue
opposed Jerry Koosman
on the mound, but neither pitched well. In the first inning, the A's jumped on Koosman for two runs on a Jesús Alou
double and scored again in the second on Joe Rudi
's single scoring the ubiquitous Bert Campaneris
, who had tripled. The Mets got solo home run
s from Cleon Jones
and Wayne Garrett
in the second and third innings, respectively.
The A's were up 3–2 going into the sixth when things started to get strange. With one out and two on, Horacio Pina
relieved Blue and promptly hit Jerry Grote
with his first pitch, loading the bases. Don Hahn
then drove home Cleon Jones
with an infield hit and Bud Harrelson
followed with an RBI single to put the Mets ahead 4–3. Jim Beauchamp
then pinch-hit for reliever Harry Parker and hit a comebacker to the mound. Darold Knowles
, who had relieved Pina, fielded the ball cleanly, but mysteriously lost his balance and threw the ball wildly past Ray Fosse
while attempting to start a 1–2–3 double play. Two more Mets runs scored for a 6–3 lead.
Reggie Jackson
had an RBI double in the seventh to make it 6–4. In the ninth, Deron Johnson
, batting for Blue Moon Odom
, lifted a fly ball to center that Willie Mays
lost in the sun and fell down while chasing. Johnson reached second. Allan Lewis
pinch-ran and scored on a single by Jackson after Sal Bando
walked. Gene Tenace
singled in Bando to tie it.
The Mets threatened in the 10th when Harrelson led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by Tug McGraw
. Harrelson went to third when Garrett reached first on a Gene Tenace
error. Harrelson then tagged and attempted to score on a Felix Millan
fly to left. Harrelson appeared to have side-stepped Fosse's tag at the plate, but he was called out by umpire Augie Donatelli
, prompting a heated outburst from Harrelson and on-deck batter Willie Mays
.
The game stayed knotted at 6–6 until the top of the twelfth. Harrelson led off with a double and went to third on a bunt single by pitcher Tug McGraw
. With two outs, Mays drove in Harrelson with a single that would turn out to be the final hit and RBI of his storied career. It gave the Mets a 7–6 lead.
After Jones walked to load the bases, John Milner
grounded to second baseman Mike Andrews
, but the ball went through his legs. McGraw and Mays scored to make the lead 9–6. The next batter, Grote, hit another grounder to Andrews, but he threw past Tenace at first to score Jones and make it 10–6.
The A's added a run in the bottom of the inning when Jackson reached third as Mays lost yet another fly ball in the sun and Alou singled him home, but Andrews' errors proved too much to overcome. McGraw, who pitched six innings total, earned the win, and George Stone the save and the Mets evened the series.
A's Owner Charlie Finley was furious at Andrews' twelfth-inning miscues; he proceeded to punish Andrews (and further alienate A's manager Dick Williams
) by placing the infielder
on the disabled list—citing a fake injury that would have sidelined Andrews for the rest of the Series. Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn
stepped in, reactivated Andrews, and disciplined Finley.
in Queens, New York
Game 3 matched up Tom Seaver
and Catfish Hunter
. Hunter had trouble early on when Wayne Garrett
homered to right and Felix Millan
scored on a wild pitch, but then found his rhythm. Seaver kept the A's off the board until the sixth, when Sal Bando
and Gene Tenace
broke through with consecutive doubles that delivered a run and cut the Met lead to 2–1. Joe Rudi
came up with another clutch hit in the eighth when he singled in Bert Campaneris
to tie the game. In the tenth, Willie Mays
would make his final appearance in an MLB game, unsuccessfully pinch-hitting for Tug McGraw
. Campaneris delivered the game-winning RBI in the eleventh when he singled off Harry Parker to score Ted Kubiak
. Rollie Fingers
got the save.
in Queens, New York
The tide seemed to turn in the Mets' favor beginning in Game 4. A's starter Ken Holtzman
couldn't make it out of the first inning after Rusty Staub
smashed a three-run homer to left-center. Blue Moon Odom
relieved and gave up a two-run single to Staub in a three-run Mets fourth. Jon Matlack
got the win by pitching eight innings of five-hit ball.
Mike Andrews
entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, prompting a standing ovation from the Mets' home crowd, in a display of defiance toward A's owner Charlie Finley. Andrews grounded out in what would be his last ever major league at-bat.
in Queens, New York
Game 5 was a rematch up of Vida Blue
and Jerry Koosman
. This time, both pitchers threw well. John Milner
had an RBI single in the second, and Don Hahn
's triple to center field scored Jerry Grote
with the second Mets run in the sixth. Koosman pitched well and got the win, with a save from Tug McGraw
.
in Oakland, California
The A's won, thanks to the clutch pitching of Catfish Hunter
(who outdueled Tom Seaver
), and the timely hitting of Reggie Jackson
. Jackson doubled and drove in Joe Rudi
in the first inning and doubled in Sal Bando
in the third to give Oakland a 2–0 lead. In the eighth inning, the Mets threatened, knocking Hunter out of the game after Ken Boswell
singled in a run. Reliever Darold Knowles
put out the fire by striking out the sore-shouldered Rusty Staub
on three pitches with two men on base. In the bottom half of the inning, the A's added an insurance run when Jackson singled, advanced to third on center fielder Don Hahn
's error, and scored on Jesús Alou
's sacrifice fly. Rollie Fingers
got the save in the ninth inning to force a seventh game.
in Oakland, California
Jon Matlack
matched up with Ken Holtzman
, who was coming back from his early shower in Game 4. The third inning proved to be the difference, as Holtzman lined a one-out double off Matlack to left, his second of the Series after not batting at all during the season. Matlack then surrendered a two run opposite-field homer to Bert Campaneris
(Oakland's first home run of the series), and then another two run blast to Reggie Jackson
later in the inning, giving the A's a 4–0 lead and Holtzman all the runs he needed. The Mets came back with two runs after Oakland increased their lead to 5–0 in the fifth inning, but it was not enough. Campaneris snagged a Wayne Garrett
pop fly to end the series; and Jackson was named the World Series MVP.
In the third inning, Gene Tenace
walked for the eleventh time tying the Series record set by Babe Ruth
of the Yankees in 1926. In the seventh inning, Wayne Garrett
struck out for the eleventh time tying the Series record set by Eddie Mathews
of the Milwaukee Braves in 1958. Darold Knowles
got the save and became the only pitcher ever to appear in all seven games of a seven-game World Series.
Vern Hoscheit
, a coach with the Athletics in 1973, would win a World Series with the Mets as a coach in .
(A.L.) over New York Mets
(N.L.)
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The 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...
, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions.
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...
won the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division by games over the St. Louis Cardinals
1973 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 92nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 82nd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 81-81 during the season and finished second in the National League East, a-game-and-a-half behind the NL East and eventual NL pennant winners New York...
then defeated the Cincinnati Reds
1973 Cincinnati Reds season
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...
, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series
National 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...
. The Oakland Athletics
1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
won the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
division by six games over the Kansas City Royals
1973 Kansas City Royals season
The 1973 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :...
then defeated the Baltimore Orioles
1973 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses...
, three games to two, in the American League Championship Series
1973 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn Game 1, Jim Palmer spent 16 minutes retiring the side in the top of the first inning. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. The Orioles went to work against lefty Vida Blue and his...
.
New York Mets
The 1973 Mets' .509 season winning percentage is the lowest posted by any pennant-winner in major leagueMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history. Under the comparatively new divisional play system, the Mets found themselves back in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. Contrary to their record, they had a stronger team than in their legendary 1969 championship season
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
. But injuries plagued them throughout the season. In fact they had more injuries than any other team in major league baseball.
Stumbling through the summer in last place, the Mets got hot in September as the rest of the National League East collapsed, ultimately winning a mediocre division with a mere 82 victories, marking the only time between and that neither their rival Philadelphia Phillies, nor the Pittsburgh Pirates
Phillies–Pirates rivalry
The rivalry between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball was considered by some to be one of the best rivalries in the National League...
won the division.
The final standings:
| 1 | 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... |
82 | 79 | .509 | - |
| 2 | St. Louis Cardinals 1973 St. Louis Cardinals season The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 92nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 82nd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 81-81 during the season and finished second in the National League East, a-game-and-a-half behind the NL East and eventual NL pennant winners New York... |
81 | 81 | .500 | 1½ |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Pirates 1973 Pittsburgh Pirates season - Notable transactions :* May 4, 1973: Jerry McNertney was purchased by the Pirates from the Oakland Athletics.* June 17, 1973: Rick Langford was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates.* July 5, 1973: Jerry McNertney was released by the Pirates.... |
80 | 82 | .494 | 2½ |
| 4 | Montreal Expos 1973 Montreal Expos season -Offseason:* January 10, 1973: Dan Boitano was drafted by the Expos in the 2nd round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft , but did not sign.* February 28, 1973: Carl Morton was traded by the Expos to the Atlanta Braves for Pat Jarvis.... |
79 | 83 | .488 | 3½ |
| 5 | Chicago Cubs 1973 Chicago Cubs season - Offseason :* October 27, 1972: Elrod Hendricks was traded by the Cubs to the Baltimore Orioles for Frank Estrada.- Regular season :Of note is that 1973 is the only season between 1945 and 1984 in which the Cubs were still in contention on the last day of the regular season, September 30... |
77 | 84 | .478 | 5 |
| 6 | Philadelphia Phillies 1973 Philadelphia Phillies season The 1973 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 91st season in the history of the franchise. The team, managed by Danny Ozark, played their third season at Veterans Stadium and finished last in the National League East, 11½ games behind the Mets.- Offseason :... |
71 | 91 | .438 | 11½ |
1969
1969 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the eighth season for the Mets franchise, which played its home games at Shea Stadium. Managed by Gil Hodges, the team went 100-62, finishing first in the newly-established National League East by eight games over the Chicago Cubs...
holdovers 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...
, Jerry Grote
Jerry Grote
Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...
, 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...
, 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...
, and 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...
joined forces with the Mets' farm-system alumni John Milner
John Milner
John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
and Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
and trade-acquired 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...
, Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
, and Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, now 42 years old. Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
and Mays alternated in center field, although they both batted right-handed.
The Mets' National League playoff opponents: an imposing Cincinnati Reds
1973 Cincinnati Reds season
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...
squad that posted 99 victories during the regular season, was the favorite to return to the Series for a second consecutive year. (The Reds
1972 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 95-59, 10½ games over the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1972 National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in...
had fallen to the A's
1972 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World...
in the previous year's Series
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
.) The 1973 NLCS went the full five games, and featured a now-famous brawl between the barrel-chested 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....
and the wispy Met shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, 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...
. In the end, the Mets continued their improbable rise and bumped Rose and the rest of the mighty Reds from the playoffs.
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
secured the pennant by overcoming the Baltimore Orioles
1973 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses...
in the 1973 ALCS
1973 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandIn Game 1, Jim Palmer spent 16 minutes retiring the side in the top of the first inning. He walked the first two batters and struck out the next three. The Orioles went to work against lefty Vida Blue and his...
. The A's, defending champions, still possessed a formidable lineup headed by a healthy Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, (.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
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
, the fine defensive outfielder Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, the speedy shortstop Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
, and the A's catcher, 1972 World Series
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
hero Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
. The pitching staff featured three 20-game winners, Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
(21–13), Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
(21–5), and Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
(20–9), with Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
(22 saves, 1.92) serving as the A's ace relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
.
The A's offered entertainment both on and off the field in 1973; their day-glo uniforms were the perfect metaphor for a team notable for clashing personalities. The stars engaged regularly in conflicts with each other and with owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
.
With the designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
rule in effect for the first time in 1973, American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
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. So it was that a man who had played no offensive role during the regular season came to make a key batting contribution for the A's during the Series. With some extra batting practice, A's pitcher Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
would stroke a double that helped the A's to win Game 1—and another double that helped them secure the deciding seventh game.
This Series was also made famous when Oakland A's owner Charlie O. Finley attempted to "fire" second-baseman Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...
for his errors in Game 2 (see below). Commissioner Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
would reinstate Andrews and fine Finley. Despite the hostility of the Oakland players toward the team's owner, the A's would be the first to repeat as World Champions since the 1961
1961 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 59th season for the team in New York, and its 61st season overall. The team finished with a record of 109-53, eight games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and won their 26th American League pennant. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played their home...
–62 New York Yankees
1962 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 60th season for the team in New York, and its 62nd season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-66, winning their 27th pennant, finishing 5 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium...
. Oakland manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
resigned after the Series was over, having had enough of owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
's interference.
Oakland reliever Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
became the only pitcher to appear in every game of a seven-game World Series.
As previously mentioned, at 82–79, the 1973 New York Mets had the worst record of any team ever to play in a World Series. They had only the ninth-best record in the 24-team major leagues, behind the Oakland Athletics
1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
, the Cincinnati Reds
1973 Cincinnati Reds season
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...
(who they beat in the National League playoffs), the Baltimore Orioles
1973 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses...
(who were defeated by Oakland in the American League playoffs), 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...
, the San Francisco Giants
1973 San Francisco Giants season
The 1973 San Francisco Giants season was the franchise's 91st season and 16th season in San Francisco. The team finished third in the National League West with a record of 88-74, 11 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.- Offseason :...
, the Boston Red Sox
1973 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing second in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses.- Offseason :...
, the Detroit Tigers
1973 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers compiled a record of 85-77. They finished in 3rd place in the AL East, 12 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. They were outscored by their opponents 674 to 642.- Offseason :...
and the Kansas City Royals
1973 Kansas City Royals season
The 1973 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.- Offseason :...
(none of whom made the postseason).
The 1973 New York Mets also had the lowest winning percentage (now the second-lowest) of any postseason team (the San Diego Padres
2005 San Diego Padres season
-Opening Day starters:Played at Coors Field on April 4, 2005. The Colorado Rockies defeated the Padres 12-10.-Notable transactions:*June 7, 2005: Josh Geer was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 3rd round of the 2005 amateur draft. Player signed July 1, 2005.-Roster:-Starters by position:Note:...
finished 82–80 in ).
Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
would record the final hit of his career in Game 2. In four World Series (1951
1951 World Series
The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant in a thrilling three-game playoff with the Brooklyn Dodgers on the legendary home run by Bobby Thomson .In the Series, the Yankees showed some power of...
, 1954
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
, 1962
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
, and 1973), Mays did not hit a single home run. He hit only one in the postseason, during the 1971 NLCS
1971 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 2, 1971 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaWith aces Gaylord Perry and Steve Blass taking the mound for their respective teams, Game 1 looked to be a pitchers duel. It sort of was for four innings; the Pirates struck for two in the top of the third when Dave...
—San Francisco Giants
1971 San Francisco Giants season
-Offseason:* December 30, 1970: Ron Hunt was traded by the Giants to the Montreal Expos for Dave McDonald.-Regular season:The Giants battled their arch rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, throughout the season for the NL West Division lead. The Giants led by 8.5 games on September 1. In mid September...
versus the Pittsburgh Pirates
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The Pittsburgh Pirates season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Pirates finishing first in the National League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They defeated the San Francisco Giants three games to one in the National League Championship Series and beat the Baltimore...
. Mays also fell down in the outfield. He commented, "Growing old is just a helpless hurt."
This was the last World Series in which each team produced and sold its own game program
Programme (booklet)
A programme or program is a booklet available for patrons attending a live event such as theatre performances, fêtes, sports events, etc. It is a printed leaflet outlining the parts of the event scheduled to take place, principal performers and background information. In the case of theatrical...
s for its home games. Starting in 1974
1974 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 12, 1974 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReggie Jackson put the A's on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second off 20-game winner Andy Messersmith...
, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
printed an official World Series program that for sale in both stadiums.
Summary
Game 1
Saturday, October 13, 1973 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
The Mets and A's opened the Series in Oakland with Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
and Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
as the Game 1 starters (Matlack, with a 14–16 record during the 1973 season, is one of only four pitchers in history to start Game 1 of a World Series after a regular season losing record). Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
started in place of the injured 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...
and batted third in what turned out to be his final big league start.
In the third, pitcher Holtzman doubled and scored when Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
hit a routine grounder that inexplicably bounced between Mets second baseman's Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
's legs. Campaneris then stole second and scored on a single to right by Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
. The Mets came up with a run in the fourth on an RBI single by John Milner
John Milner
John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
that scored Cleon Jones
Cleon Jones
Cleon Joseph Jones is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered as the man who caught the final out of the "Miracle Mets" improbable World Series Championship over the Baltimore Orioles....
. Holtzman, Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, and Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
then shut the door on the Mets offense; Knowles earned the save.
Game 2
Sunday, October 14, 1973 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
Game 2, eventually won by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The 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...
10–7 in twelve innings, set a new record for the longest game in Series history at four hours and thirteen minutes. Along with blinding sunshine "turn{ing} every fly ball into adventure" (especially for a 42-year old Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
), Curt Gowdy described the contest in the official MLB 1973 Fall Classic highlight film as one of the "longest and weirdest games in World Series history".
Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
opposed 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...
on the mound, but neither pitched well. In the first inning, the A's jumped on Koosman for two runs on a Jesús Alou
Jesús Alou
Jesús María Rojas Alou is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During a 17-year baseball career, he played for the San Francisco Giants , Houston Astros , Oakland Athletics , and New York Mets...
double and scored again in the second on Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
's single scoring the ubiquitous Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
, who had tripled. The Mets got solo home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s from Cleon Jones
Cleon Jones
Cleon Joseph Jones is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered as the man who caught the final out of the "Miracle Mets" improbable World Series Championship over the Baltimore Orioles....
and Wayne Garrett
Wayne Garrett
Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....
in the second and third innings, respectively.
The A's were up 3–2 going into the sixth when things started to get strange. With one out and two on, Horacio Pina
Horacio Piña
Horacio Piña García [pee'-nyah] is a former relief pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between and . Piña also played professionally in Mexico for several years...
relieved Blue and promptly hit Jerry Grote
Jerry Grote
Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...
with his first pitch, loading the bases. Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
then drove home Cleon Jones
Cleon Jones
Cleon Joseph Jones is a former Major League Baseball left fielder who is best remembered as the man who caught the final out of the "Miracle Mets" improbable World Series Championship over the Baltimore Orioles....
with an infield hit and 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...
followed with an RBI single to put the Mets ahead 4–3. Jim Beauchamp
Jim Beauchamp
James Edward Beauchamp was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who played from to for the St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Colt .45s/Astros, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and New York Mets. He attended Grove High School in Grove, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University...
then pinch-hit for reliever Harry Parker and hit a comebacker to the mound. Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
, who had relieved Pina, fielded the ball cleanly, but mysteriously lost his balance and threw the ball wildly past Ray Fosse
Ray Fosse
Raymond Earl Fosse is a former professional baseball player who was a catcher in the Major Leagues. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 amateur draft by the Cleveland Indians. Fosse also holds the distinction of being the Indians' first ever draft pick, as 1965 was the first year of the...
while attempting to start a 1–2–3 double play. Two more Mets runs scored for a 6–3 lead.
Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
had an RBI double in the seventh to make it 6–4. In the ninth, Deron Johnson
Deron Johnson
Deron Roger Johnson was an American professional baseball player. Born in San Diego, California, he played seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball as an infielder, outfielder, and designated hitter for the New York Yankees, Kansas City & Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox,...
, batting for Blue Moon Odom
Blue Moon Odom
Johnny Lee Odom was a Major League Baseball pitcher who won three consecutive World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics in , and .-Early years:...
, lifted a fly ball to center that Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
lost in the sun and fell down while chasing. Johnson reached second. Allan Lewis
Allan Lewis
For the rugby players see Allan Lewis Allan Sydney Lewis is a former professional baseball player. He was an outfielder and pinch runner over parts of 6 seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics. Lewis was a member of the 1972 and 1973 World Series champion Athletics...
pinch-ran and scored on a single by Jackson after Sal Bando
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
walked. Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
singled in Bando to tie it.
The Mets threatened in the 10th when Harrelson led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by 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...
. Harrelson went to third when Garrett reached first on a Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
error. Harrelson then tagged and attempted to score on a Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
fly to left. Harrelson appeared to have side-stepped Fosse's tag at the plate, but he was called out by umpire Augie Donatelli
Augie Donatelli
August Joseph Donatelli was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1950 to 1973. Highly regarded for his ability, he was also known for his inclination to eject players and managers quickly and dramatically.-Biography:Donatelli was born in Heilwood,...
, prompting a heated outburst from Harrelson and on-deck batter Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
.
The game stayed knotted at 6–6 until the top of the twelfth. Harrelson led off with a double and went to third on a bunt single by pitcher 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...
. With two outs, Mays drove in Harrelson with a single that would turn out to be the final hit and RBI of his storied career. It gave the Mets a 7–6 lead.
After Jones walked to load the bases, John Milner
John Milner
John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
grounded to second baseman Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...
, but the ball went through his legs. McGraw and Mays scored to make the lead 9–6. The next batter, Grote, hit another grounder to Andrews, but he threw past Tenace at first to score Jones and make it 10–6.
The A's added a run in the bottom of the inning when Jackson reached third as Mays lost yet another fly ball in the sun and Alou singled him home, but Andrews' errors proved too much to overcome. McGraw, who pitched six innings total, earned the win, and George Stone the save and the Mets evened the series.
A's Owner Charlie Finley was furious at Andrews' twelfth-inning miscues; he proceeded to punish Andrews (and further alienate A's manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
) by placing the infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
on the disabled list—citing a fake injury that would have sidelined Andrews for the rest of the Series. Commissioner of Baseball Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
stepped in, reactivated Andrews, and disciplined Finley.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 16, 1973 at 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...
in Queens, New York
Game 3 matched up 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...
and Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
. Hunter had trouble early on when Wayne Garrett
Wayne Garrett
Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....
homered to right and Felix Millan
Félix Millán
Félix Bernardo Millán Martínez is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball.-Baseball career:Millán, nicknamed "The Kitten" , born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, made his major league debut on June 2, 1966 with the Atlanta Braves, and played for Atlanta until 1973. Millan was primarily a second...
scored on a wild pitch, but then found his rhythm. Seaver kept the A's off the board until the sixth, when Sal Bando
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
and Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
broke through with consecutive doubles that delivered a run and cut the Met lead to 2–1. Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
came up with another clutch hit in the eighth when he singled in Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
to tie the game. In the tenth, Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
would make his final appearance in an MLB game, unsuccessfully pinch-hitting for 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...
. Campaneris delivered the game-winning RBI in the eleventh when he singled off Harry Parker to score Ted Kubiak
Ted Kubiak
Theodore Rodger Kubiak is a former switch-hitting infielder for the Kansas City Athletics, the Oakland Athletics, the Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Texas Rangers, and the San Diego Padres. He was a member of the Oakland Athletics teams that won three World Series in a row...
. Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
got the save.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 17, 1973 at 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...
in Queens, New York
The tide seemed to turn in the Mets' favor beginning in Game 4. A's starter Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
couldn't make it out of the first inning after 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...
smashed a three-run homer to left-center. Blue Moon Odom
Blue Moon Odom
Johnny Lee Odom was a Major League Baseball pitcher who won three consecutive World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics in , and .-Early years:...
relieved and gave up a two-run single to Staub in a three-run Mets fourth. Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
got the win by pitching eight innings of five-hit ball.
Mike Andrews
Mike Andrews
Michael Jay Andrews is a retired American Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics. He is currently the chairman of The Jimmy Fund, an event fundraising organization affiliated with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston,...
entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, prompting a standing ovation from the Mets' home crowd, in a display of defiance toward A's owner Charlie Finley. Andrews grounded out in what would be his last ever major league at-bat.
Game 5
Thursday, October 18, 1973 at 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...
in Queens, New York
Game 5 was a rematch up of Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
and 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...
. This time, both pitchers threw well. John Milner
John Milner
John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series...
had an RBI single in the second, and Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
's triple to center field scored Jerry Grote
Jerry Grote
Gerald Wayne Grote is a former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets and was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era.-Early life:...
with the second Mets run in the sixth. Koosman pitched well and got the win, with a save from 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...
.
Game 6
Saturday, October 20, 1973 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
The A's won, thanks to the clutch pitching of Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
(who outdueled 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...
), and the timely hitting of Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
. Jackson doubled and drove in Joe Rudi
Joe Rudi
Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
in the first inning and doubled in Sal Bando
Sal Bando
Salvatore Leonard Bando is a former third baseman and executive in professional baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed. During the A's championship years of 1971-75, he captained the team and led the club in runs batted...
in the third to give Oakland a 2–0 lead. In the eighth inning, the Mets threatened, knocking Hunter out of the game after Ken Boswell
Ken Boswell
Kenneth George Boswell is a former professional baseball player. He was a second baseman over parts of 11 seasons with the New York Mets and Houston Astros. Boswell was a member of the 1969 World Series champion Mets...
singled in a run. Reliever Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
put out the fire by striking out the sore-shouldered 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...
on three pitches with two men on base. In the bottom half of the inning, the A's added an insurance run when Jackson singled, advanced to third on center fielder Don Hahn
Don Hahn (baseball)
Donald Antone Hahn, born November 16, 1948 in San Francisco, California, is a former Major League baseball player, an outfielder known primarily for his fielding ability. Hahn played for the Montreal Expos, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres.Hahn...
's error, and scored on Jesús Alou
Jesús Alou
Jesús María Rojas Alou is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. During a 17-year baseball career, he played for the San Francisco Giants , Houston Astros , Oakland Athletics , and New York Mets...
's sacrifice fly. Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
got the save in the ninth inning to force a seventh game.
Game 7
Sunday, October 21, 1973 at Oakland-Alameda County ColiseumMcAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
Jon Matlack
Jon Matlack
Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher...
matched up with Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
, who was coming back from his early shower in Game 4. The third inning proved to be the difference, as Holtzman lined a one-out double off Matlack to left, his second of the Series after not batting at all during the season. Matlack then surrendered a two run opposite-field homer to Bert Campaneris
Bert Campaneris
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco , nicknamed "Campy", is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams, primarily the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics...
(Oakland's first home run of the series), and then another two run blast to Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
later in the inning, giving the A's a 4–0 lead and Holtzman all the runs he needed. The Mets came back with two runs after Oakland increased their lead to 5–0 in the fifth inning, but it was not enough. Campaneris snagged a Wayne Garrett
Wayne Garrett
Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....
pop fly to end the series; and Jackson was named the World Series MVP.
In the third inning, Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
walked for the eleventh time tying the Series record set by Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
of the Yankees in 1926. In the seventh inning, Wayne Garrett
Wayne Garrett
Ronald Wayne Garrett was the New York Mets starting third baseman from 1972 through 1975. Garrett also saw occasional duty as a second baseman and as a shortstop....
struck out for the eleventh time tying the Series record set by Eddie Mathews
Eddie Mathews
Edwin Lee "Eddie" Mathews was an American Major League Baseball third baseman. He is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen ever to play the game.-Early life:...
of the Milwaukee Braves in 1958. Darold Knowles
Darold Knowles
Darold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
got the save and became the only pitcher ever to appear in all seven games of a seven-game World Series.
Vern Hoscheit
Vern Hoscheit
Vernard Arthur Hoscheit was an American professional baseball catcher, coach and manager. He served as a coach on four World Series championship Major League Baseball teams with the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets. Hoscheit was the Mets' bullpen coach from 1984–1987, which included their...
, a coach with the Athletics in 1973, would win a World Series with the Mets as a coach in .
Composite box
1973 World Series (4–3): Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
(A.L.) over New York Mets
New York Mets
The 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...
(N.L.)