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10/20/19

John From Albany – Yogi didn’t lose the 1973 World Series



October 20th 1973, that was the day that Yogi lost the 1973 World Series.  It was not the day that the Oakland A’s won the World Series, that came the next day, October 21st   in Game 7.  No, the popular theory was that Yogi started the wrong pitcher in game 6 and that cost the Mets the World Series.

Yogi started Tom Seaver on three days rest in game 6 with the Mets leading the series 3-2.  Everyone knew Seaver needed 4 full days rest to pitch his best.  George Stone that year had gone 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA.  George Stone should have pitched game 6 and Yogi should have saved Seaver for game 7.  That is why the Mets lost the 1973 World Series.

Hogwash.

First, a lot of things happened before we got to game 6 of that series.  Had the ball bounced a little differently in game one, Felix Millan, a great defensive second baseman, would not have made an error and two runs would not have scored in the Mets 2-1 loss. 

Second, in game three, with the series tied at one game each, Tom Seaver, on his full rest, was given a 2-0 lead after the first inning and the Mets lost the game 3-2 in 11 innings.  

Seaver was electric that night and struck out 12 in 8 innings (including Reggie Jackson three times) but he also gave up two runs on 7 hits. 

Wayne Garret hit Catfish Hunter’s second pitch of the night into the Right Field seats for the first run.  Felix Millan then singled and went to third on a hit and run single by Rusty Staub.  After a wild pitch, it was 2-0 Mets, Rusty on second.  No Outs.

But you have to get good pitchers early and Catfish was one of the best.  He then struck out Cleon Jones and after John Milner reached first on a roller that Catfish had trouble handling, Catfish struck out Jerry Grote and retired Don Hahn on a liner to left.

Hey but full rest Seaver is on the mound and pitching great, right?  Because when he is at full rest, the Mets always win, right?  Well, in the sixth, with one out, Sal Bando doubled. Seaver struck out Jackson for the second out but Gene Tenace doubled to put the A’s on the board. 

In the eighth, Bert Campaneris lead off with a single, stole second and came home on a single by Joe Rudi.  Game tied 2-2.

Harry Parker got the loss in the 11th inning.  With one out Parker walked Ted Kubiak who then took second when Jerry Grote dropped the third strike to Angel Mangual.  Bert Campaneris then singled to score what proved to be the winning run for the A’s. 

To me, game three was where the series was lost.  At home, up by two runs with your ace on the mound, you need to win.

The Mets came back to win the next two at home including a 2-0 win in game five on a combined shutout from Jerry Koosman and Tug McGraw to take a 3-2 series lead.

Game six, the one that Yogi supposedly blew, Seaver, on three days rest, pitched 7 innings giving up 2 runs on six hits.  Both runs being driven in by Reggie Jackson.  The Mets only managed to score one run in that game and lost 3-1.

In the seventh game, Campaneris and Jackson each hit two run homers in the third inning off Jon Matlack and the Mets lost 5-2.

In August the Mets were in last place 11 and a half games out.  In October they were in the World Series.  M. Donald Grant wanted to fire Yogi Berra but Bob Scheffing told him that M. Donald would have to be the one to tell him. 

Yogi just kept telling his players “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over”.  An injured Mets team got healthy, got hot in September and won the division with a 82-79 record.

They went on to beat a far superior Cincinnati Reds team in the NLCS.

They really had no business being in the World Series against a great A’s team that featured Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Bert Campaneris, Reggie Jackson, and Rollie Fingers.   

You could blame the way the ball bounced (or did not bounce) to make Millan commit the error.  

You can blame the Mets scoring just 1 run in two of the losses and two runs in the other two losses. 

You can blame the 1966 Mets management that had the number one pick in the draft and chose catcher Steve Chilcott (who never made it to the majors) over Reggie Jackson.

But don’t blame Yogi. 

14 comments:

  1. No blame - Oakland and the Reds were both GREAT. The Mets stunned everyone in beating the Reds, but Oakland was just a little better than a good Mets team, which could not match the As in hitting. They sure got close though.

    Steve Chilcott - the Mets have had many first round bummer selections over the years. He was a huge one. I hope race was a complete non-factor in that decision.

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  2. Reggie seemed to think race was a factor:

    https://tht.fangraphs.com/cooperstown-confidential-reggie-jackson-and-the-mets/

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  3. Who knows why but it was clearly the wrong choice. Steve Chilcott is one of only twp first in the nation draft picks that never played in the majors. The other, Brian Taylor of the Yankees.

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  4. I blame Jeff Wilpon. I was ahead of my time :)

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  5. Chilcott was a colossal bust, but because he tore his shoulder up diving back into 2B we'll never know how egregious the choice was. He was touted as a Campy/Yogi class talent (rarer than potential superstar OF's) pre-draft.

    But it gets worse. The following year, with a franchise-to-be catcher on the farm, they pass on Johnny Bench. Now Jackson-Bench would have been nice core pair for the '70's, no?

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  6. Hobie, please tell us more about the Mets passing up Johnny Bench. He was drafted by the Reds in the second round in 1965 after the Mets had drafted Pitcher Les Rohr and Catcher Randy Kohn. Are you saying they were thinking of drafting Johnny Bench?

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  7. Hobie, Bench and Jackson with Seaver and Koosman? Dang.

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  8. One of my fond memories is when Yogi got fired.

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  9. Rds 900, why do you say that? I don't disagree, but if you care to share why, go ahead.

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  10. Sorry but I still go with Seaver in game 7 on regular rest and take my chances with 2 runs as he was surely used to little run support. I'm sure not picking Reggie was race related and if you were alive then you'd know why with M.Donald our "first owner" and the man Seaver himself called "the plantation owner" and for good reason.

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  11. It's interesting to compare '73 era starting pitching to now.

    Back then, starters were more accustomed to pitching eight innings versus today maybe five or six if they are pitching well enough to. Pitchers back then didn't get hurt as much as today's pitchers do either. It is probably due to the amount of really high mph fastballs employed now even coming thru the minors. The art of mastering the more finesse type pitches was more important then, and more a core to a starting pitcher's arsenal than today as well. But even today, the best starters have a really good second pitch they can use. Most clubs prefer the guy with a 99 mph heater than a really good assortment of finesse pitches only.

    Yes, the game has changed Edith.

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  12. Very sorry to hear about MLB umpire Eric Cooper passing away recently.

    At first, and after having watched pretty much all the playoff games this season, I immediately thought of the home plate umpire who got hit on the head recently during a game. But Eric Cooper had actually died from a travelling blood following a knee surgery.

    I cannot even count how many times (too many) this season that I saw a home plate umpire get almost knocked unconscious by a missed catchers attempt to catch it, an errant bat swing, or a foul tip. Todays' pitchers predominantly throw a lot harder now than in '73. Which does not help this situation for the home plate umpiring crew.

    So what's a solution then?

    Not sure really, but it certainly does need to be further explored some more by the league. Maybe moving the catcher and the home plate umpire a little further away from the plate would help some. Or even better designed helmets designed to prevent concussions, something light weight but effective. Maybe better helmets for the plate umpires, and something like the large vest padding the AL umpires had to use in decades past? There has to be some way to protect these umpires behind the dish.

    Some people might also suggest trying a computer set-up for the home plate umpiring of balls and strikes. But not sure how that would work yet.

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  13. The latest buzz on a possible new Mets manager.

    Certainly not me and thank goodness for that. Too many plane rides. Although I do love sunflower seeds and can spit them further than anyone I have ever met.

    Actually, the most popular buzz on the web today is mostly surrounding: Joe Girardi, Carlos Beltran, Derek Shelton, Luis Rojas, and Cosmo Kramer of course. He could use a new gig most likely.

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  14. Kosmo is the Mystery Candidate? It would sure be interesting.

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