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The following are the baseball events of the year 1973 throughout the world.  

This year in baseball

2020s

2029 • 2028 • 2027 • 2026 • 2025
2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020

2010s

2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015
2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

2000s

2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005
2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

1990s

1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995
1994 • 1993 • 1992 • 1991 • 1990

1980s

1989 • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985
1984 • 1983 • 1982 • 1981 • 1980

1970s

1979 • 1978 • 1977 • 1976 • 1975
1974 • 1973 • 1972 • 1971 • 1970

1960s

1969 • 1968 • 1967 • 1966 • 1965
1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960

1950s

1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955
1954 • 1953 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950

1940s

1949 • 1948 • 1947 • 1946 • 1945
1944 • 1943 • 1942 • 1941 • 1940

1930s

1939 • 1938 • 1937 • 1936 • 1935
1934 • 1933 • 1932 • 1931 • 1930

1920s

1929 • 1928 • 1927 • 1926 • 1925
1924 • 1923 • 1922 • 1921 • 1920

1910s

1919 • 1918 • 1917 • 1916 • 1915
1914 • 1913 • 1912 • 1911 • 1910

1900s

1909 • 1908 • 1907 • 1906 • 1905
1904 • 1903 • 1902 • 1901 • 1900

1890s

1899 • 1898 • 1897 • 1896 • 1895
1894 • 1893 • 1892 • 1891 • 1890

1880s

1889 • 1888 • 1887 • 1886 • 1885
1884 • 1883 • 1882 • 1881 • 1880

1870s

1879 • 1878 • 1877 • 1876 • 1875
1874 • 1873 • 1872 • 1871 • 1870

1860s

1869 • 1868 • 1867 • 1866 • 1865
1864 • 1863 • 1862 • 1861 • 1860

See also
Sources


This article is currently under construction.

Champions[]

Major League Baseball[]

  League Championship Series World Series
                 
East  Baltimore Orioles 2  
West  Oakland Athletics 3  
    AL  Oakland Athletics 4
  NL  New York Mets 3
East  New York Mets 3
West  Cincinnati Reds 2  

Other champions[]

Awards and honors[]

MLB Statistical Leaders[]

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Rod Carew MIN .350 Pete Rose CIN .338
HR Reggie Jackson OAK 32 Willie Stargell PIT 44
RBI Reggie Jackson OAK 117 Willie Stargell PIT 119
Wins Wilbur Wood CHW 24 Ron Bryant SFG 24
ERA Jim Palmer BAL 2.40 Tom Seaver NYM 2.08
Ks Nolan Ryan1 CAL 383 Tom Seaver NYM 251

1 Modern single season strikeout record.

Major League Baseball final standings[]

American League final standings[]

American League
Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
Baltimore Orioles 97 65 .599 --
Boston Red Sox 89 73 .549 8
Detroit Tigers 85 77 .525 12
New York Yankees 80 82 .494 17
Milwaukee Brewers 74 88 .457 23
Cleveland Indians 71 91 .438 26
West Division
Oakland Athletics 94 68 .580 --
Kansas City Royals 88 74 .543 6
Minnesota Twins 81 81 .500 13
California Angels 79 83 .488 15
Chicago White Sox 77 85 .475 17
Texas Rangers 57 105 .352 37

National League final standings[]

National League
Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
East Division
New York Mets 82 79 .509 --
St. Louis Cardinals 81 81 .500 1.5
Pittsburgh Pirates 80 82 .494 2.5
Montreal Expos 79 83 .488 3.5
Chicago Cubs 77 84 .478 5
Philadelphia Phillies 71 91 .438 11.5
West Division
Cincinnati Reds 99 63 .611 --
Los Angeles Dodgers 95 66 .590 3.5
San Francisco Giants 88 74 .543 11
Houston Astros 82 80 .506 17
Atlanta Braves 76 85 .472 22.5
San Diego Padres 60 102 .370 39

Events[]

January-March[]

  • January 28 - The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee selects 19th-century pitcher Mickey Welch and Giants first baseman George Kelly, plus umpire Billy Evans, for enshrinement.
  • March 5 - New York Yankees teammates Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich arrive at spring training and announce that wives and families have been swapped. Even the family dogs were traded.
  • March 20 - In a special election held by the Baseball Writers Association of America, the late Roberto Clemente receives 393 of 424 votes to earn entry into the Hall of Fame. The Hall's Board of Directors had earlier waived the five-year-wait rule for Clemente.

April-June[]

  • April 17 - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Dick Ruthven, signed from Fresno State, makes his major league debut without ever playing in the minor leagues. He starts against Montreal but doesn't finish, taking the loss in a 9-6 decision to Dick Selma.
  • May 9 - Johnny Bench of the Cincinnati Reds hit three home runs off Philadelphia's Steve Carlton for the second time in his career, in a 9-7 victory. Bench drove in seven runs.
  • June 19 - In a Dodgers 4-0 victory over Cincinnati, Pete Rose (single) and Willie Davis (HR) each collect their 2,000th career hit.
  • June 23 - Pitcher Ken Brett of the Philadelphia Phillies tops the Montreal Expos 7-2, and hits a home run for his fourth consecutive game, setting a major league record. Previously, Brett hit home runs on June 9, 13, and 18. He will total 10 for his career.

July-September[]

  • July 9 - In a record-setting walkathon between the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos, 25 bases on balls are handed out as Montreal strolls to an 11–6 win. Well off the American League's two-team mark of 30, this tops the National League record of 23, last reached on July 7, 1911. Six Montreal pitchers walk 16, one short of the record for an NL team, while two Reds pitchers walk nine. Hal King pinch hits a grand slam for the Reds in the 6th inning, his second pinch homer in nine days.
  • August 6 - An exhibition game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves held at Milwaukee draws 33,337. The Brewers win, 7-5, in the fourth and last exhibition between the two teams. But the big thrill is provided by Hank Aaron, who hits a home run.
  • August 11 - Chicago White Sox rookie Brian Downing cracks his first major league hit, a home run off Detroit's Mickey Lolich. Downing's debut dinger is a first in the majors since at least 1945 – an inside-the-park homer. It'll be matched in two years by the Giants Johnnie LeMaster, who will do it in his first at bat.
  • August 17 - The New York Mets' Willie Mays hits the 660th (and last) home run of his career off Don Gullett of Cincinnati, but the Reds win 2-1 in 10 innings at Shea Stadium, after pinch hitter Hal King bats a walk-off home run, his third pinch homer of the year.

October-December[]

  • October 8 - In Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, the New York Mets' Rusty Staub homers in the first and second innings as the Mets crush the Cincinnati Reds 9-2 at New York's Shea Stadium, in a game featuring a bench-clearing brawl involving Pete Rose and Bud Harrelson.
  • October 10 - Like 1969, no one thought the Mets would win the National League pennant, but they amazingly did as New York's Tom Seaver hurls the Mets into the World Series with a 7-2 victory over the Reds in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. New York has 13 hits in the contest.
  • October 23 - Athletics owner Charlie Finley reveals that he will not release manager Dick Williams from his contract unless he receives adequate compensation from the team that signs him. Williams had resigned following the World Series victory two days earlier.

Movies[]

Births[]

January-June[]

July-December[]

Deaths[]

  • January 9 - Lyn Lary, 66, shortstop for seven teams who led AL in steals in 1936
  • February 28 - Syl Simon, 75, infielder and pinch hitter for the Browns who played in the minor leagues after losing much of his left hand in an accident
  • March 12 - Frankie Frisch, 74, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Giants and Cardinals who scored 100 runs seven times, led the NL in steals three times, and was the 1931 MVP; a lifetime .316 hitter, he twice batted .400 in the World Series, and also managed the Cardinals to the 1934 World Series title
  • March 26 - George Sisler, 80, Hall of Fame first baseman for the St. Louis Browns widely recognized as the best defensive player ever at that position, he twice batted over .400 and hit .340 lifetime; the AL's 1922 MVP, he had a record 257 hits in 1920 and also led the league in steals four times
  • June 11 - Bill Burwell, 78, pitcher for the St. Louis Browns in 1920-21, later a scout
  • July 2 - Chick Hafey, 70, Hall of Fame left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, a career .316 hitter who made the first hit in All-Star history and was the first batting champion to wear eyeglasses
  • July 2- George McBride, 92, shortstop for the Washington Senators known for his defense
  • July 12 - Billy Urbanski, 70, shortstop for the Boston Braves from 1931-1936
  • August 7 - Wilbur Cooper, 81, pitcher who won over 200 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was the first NL lefthander to reach that milestone
  • August 22 - George Cutshaw, 86, shortstop for the Dodgers, Pirates and Tigers who excelled on defense
  • September 5 - Jack Fournier, 83, first baseman for five teams who hit .313 lifetime, led NL in homers in 1924
  • September 10 - Roy Johnson, 70, outfielder who batted .300 four times and led AL in doubles and triples once each
  • September 11 - Del Baker, 81, member of the Detroit Tigers organization for 28 years as a catcher, coach and manager, he led the team to the 1940 pennant
  • September 14 - René Monteagudo, 57, Cuban pitcher and outfielder for the Senators and Phillies
  • October 24 - Al Brazle, 60, pitcher who won 97 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, also leading the NL in saves twice
  • November 2 - Greasy Neale, 81, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds who batted .357 in the 1919 World Series, but began coaching football to fill the time between baseball seasons
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