1973 Philadelphia Phillies season
Encyclopedia
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
.
, the highest paid pitcher in the game at $165,000, never recovered from a spring training illness and went 13-20. Pitchers Jim Lonborg
and Ken Brett
, both obtained in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers
, won 13 games each, as did Wayne Twitchell
, whose 2.50 ERA was third in the league. Left fielder
Greg Luzinski led the team with 29 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 76 runs, and hit .285. In his rookie season, Mike Schmidt
hit just .196 and struck out 136 times in 367 at-bats.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
season was the 91st season in the history of the franchise
History of the Philadelphia Phillies
The history of the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball's National League is a long and varied one. The Phillies are based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are a member of the National League East division. Since , the team's home has been Citizens Bank Park in the South Philadelphia...
. The team, managed by Danny Ozark, played their third season at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
and finished last in 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...
, 11½ games behind the 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...
.
Offseason
- October 31, 1972: Don MoneyDon MoneyDonald Wayne Money is a retired major league baseball player. He currently serves as the special instructor of player development for the Milwaukee Brewers....
, John VukovichJohn VukovichJohn Christopher Vukovich was an American third baseman and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his years of service with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in parts of ten seasons from 1970 to 1981 for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Milwaukee Brewers...
, and Bill ChampionBill ChampionBuford Billy Champion , is a retired American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who played in 202 games in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies.-External links:...
were traded by the Phillies to the Milwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BrewersThe Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Jim LonborgJim LonborgJames Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
, Ken BrettKen BrettKenneth Alven Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher and the second of four Brett brothers who played professional baseball, the most notable being the youngest, George Brett.Ken played for 10 teams in his 14-year MLB career.Born in Brooklyn, Ken Brett grew up in southern California and was an...
, Ken SandersKen SandersFor the football player of the same name see Ken Sanders .Kenneth George Sanders is a former professional baseball player...
, and Earl StephensonEarl StephensonChester Earl Stephenson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. The left-hander was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 3rd round of the 1967 amateur draft and played for the Cubs , Milwaukee Brewers , and Baltimore Orioles .Stephenson made his major league debut in relief on April 7, 1971...
. - November 30, 1972: Oscar GambleOscar GambleOscar Charles Gamble is a former outfielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball. He played for 17 seasons, from 1969 to 1985, on seven different teams: the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees on two separate occasions, as well as the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland...
and Roger FreedRoger FreedRoger Vernon Freed was a Major League Baseball outfielder and pinch hitter. He played all or part of eight seasons between and for five different major league teams.-Orioles:...
were traded by the Phillies to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Del UnserDel UnserDelbert Bernard Unser is a retired Major League Baseball center fielder and utility player who had a 15-year career from 1968 to 1982. Unser played for the Washington Senators from 1968 to 1971 and the Cleveland Indians in 1972...
and Terry Wedgewood (minors). - November 30, 1972: Joe Lis, Ken SandersKen SandersFor the football player of the same name see Ken Sanders .Kenneth George Sanders is a former professional baseball player...
and Ken ReynoldsKen ReynoldsKenneth Lee Reynolds was a baseball player with a six-year career in the MLB spanning the years -, excluding . He played for the Milwaukee Brewers of the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres of the National League...
were traded by the Phillies to the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for César TovarCésar TovarCésar Leonardo Tovar , nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins , Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers , Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees...
. - January 10, 1973: Rick BosettiRick BosettiRichard Alan Bosetti is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder who played from to for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oakland Athletics....
was drafted by the Phillies 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...
. Player signed January 17, 1973.
Regular season
Steve CarltonSteve Carlton
Steven Norman Carlton , nicknamed "Lefty", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1965-1988 for six different teams in his career, but it is his time with the Philadelphia Phillies where he received his greatest acclaim as a professional and won four Cy Young Awards...
, the highest paid pitcher in the game at $165,000, never recovered from a spring training illness and went 13-20. Pitchers Jim Lonborg
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
and Ken Brett
Ken Brett
Kenneth Alven Brett was a Major League Baseball pitcher and the second of four Brett brothers who played professional baseball, the most notable being the youngest, George Brett.Ken played for 10 teams in his 14-year MLB career.Born in Brooklyn, Ken Brett grew up in southern California and was an...
, both obtained in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, won 13 games each, as did Wayne Twitchell
Wayne Twitchell
Wayne Lee Twitchell was an American right-handed pitcher who spent ten seasons in Major League Baseball with the Milwaukee Brewers , Philadelphia Phillies , Montreal Expos , New York Mets and Seattle Mariners .Twitchell was an All-Star in 1973 for the last place Phillies when he had a...
, whose 2.50 ERA was third in the league. Left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Greg Luzinski led the team with 29 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 76 runs, and hit .285. In his rookie season, Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman popularly considered among the greatest third basemen in the history of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies....
hit just .196 and struck out 136 times in 367 at-bats.
Notable transactions
- June 5, 1973: 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...
- Todd CruzTodd CruzTodd Ruben Cruz was an American Major League Baseball player who spent all or part of six seasons in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals, California Angels, Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles, from 1978 to 1984...
was drafted by the Phillies in the 2nd round. Player signed June 18, 1973. - Dan BoitanoDan BoitanoDanny Jon Boitano was a Major League Baseball pitcher from to . Boitano holds the distinction of having been the Philadelphia Phillies' first round pick in the secondary phase of both the and amateur draft. A highly touted prospect, he had also been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers , St...
was drafted by the Phillies in the 1st round (11th pick) of the secondary phase. Player signed June 19, 1973.
- Todd Cruz
- September 11, 1973: Willie HernándezWillie HernándezGuillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies.
Roster
| 1973 Philadelphia Phillies | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager Coaches |
||||||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF | 136 | 440 | 127 | .289 | 11 | 52 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 293.1 | 13 | 20 | 3.90 | 223 | |
| 31 | 211.2 | 13 | 9 | 3.44 | 111 | |
| 38 | 199.1 | 13 | 16 | 4.88 | 106 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5.43 | 25 | |