1973 American League Championship Series
Encyclopedia
Game 1
Saturday, October 6, 1973 at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
in Baltimore, Maryland
In 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 successor, Horacio Piña
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...
. During that time, Merv Rettenmund
Merv Rettenmund
Mervin Weldon Rettenmund is a former Major League Baseball player and coach. He played thirteen seasons with the Baltimore Orioles , the Cincinnati Reds , the San Diego Padres and the California Angels ....
singled, Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
walked, Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
doubled, Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
walked. Earl Williams singled, Andy Etchebarren
Andy Etchebarren
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren is an American former Major League Baseball catcher who played for a total of 15 seasons. He played for the Baltimore Orioles , California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers ....
was hit by a pitch and Mark Belanger
Mark Belanger
Mark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles...
singled. When the carnage was over, the Orioles had four runs. It was much more than they needed as Palmer proceeded to hurl a five-hit shutout, and striking out 12 A's along the way.
Game 2
Sunday, October 7, 1973 at Memorial StadiumMemorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
in Baltimore, Maryland
The Orioles' playoff winning streak was snapped at 10 when Sal Bando hit two home runs off Dave McNally while Bert Campaneris and Joe Rudi hit one apiece. Catfish Hunter, who served up so many during the season that he threatened an A.L. record, didn't allow any as the A's evened the series as the two teams go to Oakland for Game 3.
Game 3
Tuesday, October 9, 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 third game, postponed a day by rain—the postponement trigged a rhubarb between A.L. President Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin
Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...
and A's President Charlie Finley—was played at Oakland and produced a brilliant pitching battle between a pair of southpaws, Mike Cuellar of Baltimore and Ken Holtzman. Up to that point, Cuellar had allowed only three hits. he had a one-hit shutout for the first seven innings as he carefully nursed a 1–0 lead given him by Earl Williams' homer in the second inning. But in the eighth, pinch-hitter 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...
singled and pinch-runner 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...
was sacrificed to second by 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,...
. The play was controversial in that Cuellar appeared to have a force out at second base, but he ignored catcher Etchebarren's yells and took the safe out at first. This proved costly as, one out later, 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...
singled home Lewis to tie the score.
In extra innings, Bert Campaneris, first man up in the 11th, snapped a 1–1 tie by hitting Cuellar's second pitch over the left-field fence for a home run.
Game 4
Wednesday, October 10, 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...
In Game 4, The A's knocked out Palmer with a three-run outburst in the second inning and, going into the top of the seventh, Blue was breezing along with a 4–0 bulge when he suddenly came apart at the seams. Earl Williams drew a base on balls and Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
followed with a single. Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
came through with a run-producing single and Andy Etchebarren hit the next pitch for a home run, making the score 4–4. The tie didn't last long. The next inning Bobby Grich hit a home run off Rollie Fingers and that, coupled with Grant Jackson's shout relief pitching, gave the game to the Orioles.
Game 5
Thursday, October 11, 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...
A surprisingly small crowd of 24,265 showed up for the final game and they saw Catfish Hunter pitched a five-hit shutout, winning 3–0. Right-hander Doyle Alexander was the Baltimore starter but he lasted only until the fourth inning. In that frame he was the victim of singles by 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...
and Jesús Alou wrapped around a triple by Vic Davalillo
Vic Davalillo
Víctor José Davalillo Romero [da-va-LEE-yo] , is a former Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , California Angels , St. Louis Cardinals , Pittsburgh Pirates , Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. He was relieved by Palmer, who shut out Oakland the rest of the Way, but the Orioles were helpless against Hunter's powerful pitching. The A's first run in the game come in the third inning on an error by Brooks Robinson, a sacrifice, and a single by Joe Rudi.
Composite box
1973 ALCS (3–2): 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....
over Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...