1973 New York Mets season

Posted on October 27, 2015 by lordneo

Major League Baseball season

The 1973 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 and the National League pennant, though they were defeated by the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. Their .509 winning percentage is the lowest of any pennant-winner in major league history. Having won only 82 games during the regular season, they, along with the 2005 San Diego Padres, qualified for the postseason with the fewest regular season wins since Major League Baseball expanded to a 162-game season in 1961, and the fewest of any team since 1885 (excluding the strike-shortened 1981 season and the 2020 season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic). The season was well known for pitcher Tug McGraw’s catchphrase “Ya Gotta Believe!!!”

Offseason[edit]

Regular season[edit]

Season highlights[edit]

Initial turmoil[edit]

The 1973 Mets were much improved from their “miracle” 1969 team. They had a group of young proven stars—including Jon Matlack, Rusty Staub, John Milner, and Félix Millán—mixed in with veterans from the 1969 club, such as Jerry Grote, Cleon Jones, Wayne Garrett, and Bud Harrelson. Their pitching staff, led by Tom Seaver, was among the finest in baseball. But injuries hampered the Mets throughout the entire season.

The Mets got off to a 4–0 start to the season, and were still at first place by April 29 with a 12–8 record. But then, injuries to their key players caused turmoil. By July 26, the Mets were in last place, yet still only 7+1⁄2 games behind. On August 16, they were 12 games below .500, with 44 games to play.

On August 30, the Mets were in last place, with only a month left to play. However, the division was so tight-knit that the last place standing consisted of only a 6+1⁄2 game deficit. At the completion of August (one day later), the Mets were in fifth place, nine games under .500,^[3] but, in the balanced mediocrity of that year’s Eastern Division, just 5+1⁄2 games out of first. The mathematical inequities of divisional play were beginning to show up. On September 11, the Mets were in fourth place, five games under .500, but just three games out. Ahead of them were the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Montreal Expos.

“You Gotta Believe!!!”[edit]

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

The unexpected clincher[edit]

After sweeping a three-game series from the Pirates at Shea on September 21, the Mets’ record stood at an even 77–77, but that .500 record was good enough for first place and a half-game lead. Illustrating just how dense the crowd was at the top, fifth-place Chicago was just 2+1⁄2 out. The Mets won five of their last seven to finish as National League East Division Champions. The clinching took place at Wrigley Field on October 1 as the Mets beat the Cubs 6-4 as Tom Seaver won his 19th game of 1973 and Tug McGraw made the save. The Cardinals finished second, 1+1⁄2 games behind, Pittsburgh third at 2+1⁄2, Montreal fourth at 3+1⁄2, and Chicago fifth, 5 games out.

This was the only NL East title between 1970 and 1980 not to be won by either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Pittsburgh Pirates.^[4]^[5]

Season standings[edit]

Record vs. opponents[edit]

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
Team	ATL	CHC	CIN	HOU	LAD	MON	NYM	PHI	PIT	SD	SF	STL
Atlanta	—	7–5	5–13	11–7	2–15–1	6–6	6–6	6–6	7–5	12–6	8–10	6–6
Chicago	5–7	—	8–4	6–6	5–7	9–9	10–7	10–8	6–12	7–5	2–10	9–9
Cincinnati	13–5	4–8	—	11–7	11–7	8–4	8–4	8–4	7–5	13–5	10–8	6–6
Houston	7–11	6–6	7–11	—	11–7	6–6	6–6	7–5	6–6	10–8	11–7	5–7
Los Angeles	15–2–1	7–5	7–11	7–11	—	7–5	7–5	9–3	10–2	9–9	9–9	8–4
Montreal	6–6	9–9	4–8	6–6	5–7	—	9–9	13–5	6–12	7–5	6–6	8–10
New York	6–6	7–10	4–8	6–6	5–7	9–9	—	9–9	13–5	8–4	5–7	10–8
Philadelphia	6-6	8–10	4–8	5–7	3–9	5–13	9–9	—	8–10	9–3	5–7	9–9
Pittsburgh	5–7	12–6	5–7	6–6	2–10	12–6	5–13	10–8	—	8–4	5–7	10–8
San Diego	6–12	5–7	5–13	8–10	9–9	5–7	4–8	3–9	4–8	—	7–11	4–8
San Francisco	10–8	10–2	8–10	7–11	9–9	6–6	7–5	7–5	7–5	11–7	—	6–6
St. Louis	6–6	9–9	6–6	7–5	4–8	10–8	8–10	9–9	8–10	8–4	6–6	—

Opening Day starters[edit]

Notable transactions[edit]

Roster[edit]

Player stats[edit]

Batting[edit]

Starters by position[edit]

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Other batters[edit]

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pitching[edit]

Starting pitchers[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers[edit]

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Postseason[edit]

NLCS[edit]

Game 1[edit]

October 6: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

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 (1–0) L: Tom Seaver (0–1) S: None
HR: NYM – None CIN – Pete Rose (1), Johnny Bench (1)
Pitchers: NYM – Seaver CIN – Billingham, Hall (9), Borbón (9)
Attendance: 53,431

Game 2[edit]

October 7: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati

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

Game 3[edit]

October 8: Shea Stadium, New York City

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

Game 4[edit]

October 9: Shea Stadium, New York City

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	1
W: Clay Carroll (1–0) L: Harry Parker (0–1) S: Pedro Borbón (1)
HR: CIN – Tony Pérez (1), Pete Rose (2) NYM – None
Pitchers: CIN – Norman, Gullett (6), Carroll (10), Borbón (12) NYM – Stone, McGraw (7), Parker (12)
Attendance: 50,786

Game 5[edit]

October 10: Shea Stadium, New York City

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

World Series[edit]

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