1973 Baltimore Orioles season
Encyclopedia
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. They went on to lose to the Oakland Athletics
in the 1973 American League Championship Series
, three games to two.
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...
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. They went on to lose to 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...
in the 1973 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...
, three games to two.
Offseason
- October 27, 1972: Frank EstradaFrancisco EstradaFrancisco "Paquín" Estrada Soto is a former Major League Baseball player for the New York Mets. Estrada, a catcher, appeared in one game for the Mets in . Estrada is the current manager of the Chihuahua Dorados in the Mexican League , Hermosillo Naranjeros in the Mexican Pacific League...
was traded by the Orioles to the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
for Elrod HendricksElrod HendricksElrod Jerome "Ellie" Hendricks was a catcher and coach in Major League Baseball. Hendricks played during a 12-year career that lasted from through for the Baltimore Orioles , Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees...
. - November 30, 1972: Johnny OatesJohnny OatesJohnny Lane Oates was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees from 1970 to 1981...
, Pat DobsonPat DobsonPatrick Edward Dobson, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians...
, Roric HarrisonRoric HarrisonRoric Edward Harrison is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He holds the distinction of being the last American League pitcher to hit a home run in an American League game before the introduction of the Designated Hitter.-Early years:Harrison signed with the Houston Astros out of Westchester...
, and Davey JohnsonDavey JohnsonDavid Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
were traded by the Orioles to the Atlanta BravesAtlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Earl Williams and Taylor DuncanTaylor DuncanTaylor McDowell "Dunc" Duncan was an American baseball infielder. Duncan, who was a college teammate of Leon Lee in Sacramento, was selected by the Atlanta Braves as the 10th overall pick of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft...
. - January 10, 1973: John FlinnJohn FlinnJohn Richard Flinn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Flinn pitched in all or part of four seasons between and . He had two separate stints with the Baltimore Orioles, the first in 1978-, and the second in 1982, in between which he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers in .-Sources:...
was drafted by the Orioles in the 2nd round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft1973 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
, secondary phase. - February 2, 1973: Don BufordDon BufordDonald Alvin Buford is a former Major League Baseball player. An infielder/outfielder, the switch-hitting Buford played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles ....
was released by the Orioles.
Notable transactions
- April 5, 1973: Tom MatchickTom MatchickJohn Thomas Matchick is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder over parts of 6 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles. Matchick was a member of the 1968 World Series champion Tigers...
was traded by the Orioles to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Frank BakerFrank Baker (shortstop)Frank Watts Baker is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. Baker attended school at the University of Southern Mississippi and was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1967 MLB draft....
. - June 5, 1973: Mike Flanagan was drafted by the Orioles in the 7th round of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft1973 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
. - July 18, 1973: Curt MottonCurt MottonCurtell Howard Motton was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. Mainly a reserve left fielder and pinch hitter, he was with the Baltimore Orioles when they won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series from to...
was signed as a free agent by the Orioles.
Roster
| 1973 Baltimore Orioles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
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Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 132 | 459 | 109 | .237 | 22 | 83 | |
| 1B | 114 | 370 | 98 | .265 | 11 | 54 | |
| 2B | 162 | 581 | 146 | .251 | 12 | 50 | |
| 3B | 155 | 549 | 141 | .257 | 9 | 72 | |
| SS | 154 | 470 | 106 | .226 | 0 | 27 | |
| LF | 118 | 405 | 116 | .286 | 11 | 51 | |
| CF | 144 | 500 | 140 | .280 | 10 | 64 | |
| RF | 95 | 321 | 84 | .262 | 9 | 44 | |
| DH | 137 | 552 | 169 | .306 | 7 | 89 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110 | 356 | 120 | .337 | 7 | 34 | |
| 110 | 389 | 124 | .319 | 7 | 41 | |
| 54 | 131 | 27 | .206 | 3 | 15 | |
| 54 | 152 | 39 | .257 | 2 | 23 | |
| 44 | 63 | 12 | .190 | 1 | 11 | |
| 41 | 101 | 18 | .178 | 3 | 15 | |
| 32 | 47 | 10 | .213 | 1 | 3 | |
| 17 | 28 | 7 | .250 | 1 | 5 | |
| 10 | 18 | 2 | .111 | 0 | 3 | |
| 9 | 26 | 3 | .115 | 2 | 4 | |
| 8 | 13 | 1 | .077 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | 6 | 2 | .333 | 1 | 4 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 267 | 18 | 13 | 3.27 | 140 | |
| 38 | 266 | 17 | 17 | 3.21 | 87 | |
| 38 | 296.1 | 22 | 9 | 2.40 | 158 | |
| 29 | 174.2 | 12 | 8 | 3.86 | 63 | |
| 18 | 100.2 | 6 | 5 | 4.11 | 52 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 44.2 | 1 | 1 | 4.03 | 23 | |
| 8 | 32.1 | 3 | 2 | 3.90 | 18 | |
| 4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 3.94 | 10 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 1.90 | 47 | |
| 42 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 1.95 | 77 | |
| 30 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.30 | 38 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 2 |
Game 1
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...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Baltimore | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 6 | 12 | 0 |
| W: Jim Palmer Jim Palmer James Alvin "Jim" Palmer , nicknamed "Cakes", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in .As of 2008, Palmer and his wife Susan have homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and... (1-0) L: 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... (0-1) |
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| HR: None | ||||||||||||
Game 2
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...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 0 |
| Baltimore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| W: 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... (1-0) L: Dave McNally Dave McNally David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League... (0-1) S: 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... (1) |
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| HR: OAK – 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... (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... (1), 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... 2 (2) |
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Game 3
October 9, 1973 at Oakland Coliseum| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |
| W: 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... (1-0) L: Mike Cuellar Mike Cuellar Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels... (0-1) |
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| HR: OAK – 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... (2) BAL – Earl Williams (1) |
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Game 4
October 10, 1973 at Oakland Coliseum| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| Oakland | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| W: Grant Jackson (1-0) L: 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... (0-1) |
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| HR: BAL – 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 .... (1), Bobby Grich Bobby Grich Robert Anthony "Bobby" Grich is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball... (1) |
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Game 5
October 11, 1973 at Oakland Coliseum| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Oakland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| W: 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... (2-0) L: Doyle Alexander Doyle Alexander Doyle Lafayette Alexander is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Detroit Tigers... (0-1) |
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| HR: None | ||||||||||||