Remembering Mets History (1973 World Series) Game #1: Mets Lose the Opener 2-1

Saturday, October 13th, 1973: World Series Game #1 

@Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland California 

Mets manager Yogi Berra with Tony Kubek

Quotes- Mets Manager Yogi Berra: "We've never seen them play. I know they led the AL in scoring runs, I know they got good pitching. But then they haven't seen us either".

Tony Kubek- Sal Bando & Bud Harrelson joke before the game

The 1973 World Series opened up on beautiful Saturday afternoon in Oakland, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. An official crowd of 46,021 came to the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum for the 130 pm West coast start.

The game was short of a sellout crowd, as was the case often with the A's teams even though they won three straight World Series Championships. Even the A's players made remarks & criticized the local fans in their support of the team. 

Curt Gowdy

The A's were the reigning World Champions & had just won their third straight AL Western title.
They came into the series as the heavy favorite. But the Mets who came back all season long with a slogan of "You Gotta Believe" were ready for the challenge.

The game would be broadcast n\by NBC Sports as legendary broadcaster Curt Gowdy along with Tony Kubek & A's announcer Monte Moore called the game. In New York, Lindsey Nelson would join Gowdy & Kubek for the play by play. The weather was a beautiful sunny afternoon with abundant sunshine which would become a problem for both teams, especially the outfielders.

The Mets would have to start the Series, without their main run producer; Rusty Staub, due to the injured shoulder he suffered crashing into the outfield wall in Game #4 of the NLCS. Although Staub would have a great series, batting .423 leading both teams with eleven hits & tying Reggie Jackson for six RBIs but his ailing shoulder would still be an issue the entire series.

Hall of Famer Willie Mays, one of the most popular players in history was in the lineup today making the start in place of Rusty Staub. Mays was playing centerfield to the delight of America & the Bay area fans where he spent the majority of his career playing in San Francisco.

Willie received a tremendous standing ovation from the Bay Area crowd during the pre-game player introductions. There weren't any banners in the ballpark as there was to be in Shea Stadium, but most of them in Oakland paid homage to Mays. This would be the last start of his fantastic career.

During the pregame meeting at home plate between the managers & the umpires, A's manager Dick Williams asked if Yogi Berra minded if Manny Trillo, who had been denied late activation by the Mets could sit in the dugout. 

Berra responded with a classic response in reference to Game #3 of the NLCS Bud Harrelson - Pete Rose brawl. 

Quotes- Yogi Berra: "I don't mind as long as if a fight breaks out, he stays there!" 

The starting pitchers were Jon Matlack for New York (14-16 / 205 Ks / 3.20 ERA) who had pitched a two-hit shutout in his last outing in Game #2 of the NLCS. Matlack had won four of his last six regular season games as well. 

Although he was much better than his record shows, history remembers him as one of just four pitchers who started a World Series Game #1 after posting a regular season losing record.

Matlack went up against left hander Ken Holtzman (21-13 / 2.97 ERA / 157 Ks) one of Oakland's three twenty game winners that season. 

Ken Holtzman had out dueled Baltimore's Mike Cuellar in Game #3 of the ALCS, pitching eleven innings allowing just one run on three hits striking out seven Orioles.

Hank Aaron who was chasing Babe Ruth's all time HR mark, finishing the year at 713 career HRs threw out the ceremonial first pitch. 

He became the first active player to ever throw out a ceremonial first pitch in a World Series game. Aaron was a guest in the Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's box.

 

Jim Neighbors, Gomer from the Andy Griffith Show & a well accomplished opera singer started out by singing the National Anthem.

The World Series opened up with Wayne Garrett popping up to Sal Bando in foul territory for the first out. Felix Millan then grounded out to second baseman Dick Green & there were two away. 

Next up, America's favorite ball player the legendary Willie Mays walked to the plate to another standing ovation.

In storybook fashion, "The Say Kid" Mays appropriately got the first hit of the World Series with a single into left field. The crowd loved it & it was perfect entertainment for the TV audience at home as well.

Cleon Jones then grounded out to end the inning.

Mets Willie Mays Gets First Hit of '73 World Series

Jon Matlack retired the A's in order in the first two innings, with a strike out of Gene Tenace in the 2nd inning.

In the top of the 3rd, Bud Harrelson drew a walk & was moved over by Jon Matlack's bunt. But Wayne Garrett popped up & Felix Millan grounded out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Ray Fosse started out the inning popping out. Matlack then walked Dick Green. A's pitcher Ken Holtzman squared to bunt, but Green got thrown out trying to steal second base. 

Felix Millan's Error

Holtzman then got the A's first hit of the series as he doubled down the left field line. 

Trivia: 1973 was the first year of the designated hitter in the American League. Ken Holtzman did not get an bat all season. Holtzman had spent seven years in the NL with the Cubs & prior to the DH in the AL he was a career .158 hitter (87-552) with 15 doubles, two HRs & 33 RBIs.

Bert Campaneris followed with a ground ball to second base, the usually sure handed Mets second baseman, Felix Millan made a rare error letting the ball go through his legs. Holtzman came around to score the Series' first run, 1-0 Oakland.

Trivia: Millan had made just nine errors in 830 chances in 153 regular season games.

The Two All Star Short Stops
Bert Campaneris & Bud Harrelson

The A's speedster Bert Campaneris, was a six-time AL stolen base leader, who had 34 steals in the 1973 regular season, which was a rather total for him. 

Jon Matlack had a great pick off move, the left hander threw to first base, fooling Campaneris with his pickoff throw. But the throw was too high as first baseman John Milner leaped in the air to make the catch. Campy took off was safe at second base.

Joe Rudi then delivered a base hit to right field scoring Campy & just like that it was 2-0 Oakland.

Bert Campaneris would cause trouble for the Mets the entire series batting .290 leading the A's with Joe Rudi & Reggie Jackson with nine hits. Campaneris led both teams with a best nine runs scored. He stole three bases, hit a HR & drove in three runs. 

In the top of the 4th, Willie Mays led off grounding out in his second series at bat. Cleon Jones who had batted .300 in the NLCS (6-20) with two doubles & three RBIs, doubled to left center field. 

Next, John Milner nicknamed "the hammer" brought in Cleon with a single to center field. Reggie Jackson playing center for the first time all year, filling the spot for the injured Bill North overthrew home plate allowing Milner to go to second.

Trivia: Milner would be one of three Mets with eight hits in the series, second highest total behind Rusty Staub's eleven hits. Milner would bat .296 & post a .406 on base % drawing five walks.

Next, Jerry Grote hit a long line 375-foot drive to center field that was snagged by Reggie Jackson going back on the ball saving a sure double for the second out. 

Don Hahn walked but Bud Harrelson struck out to end the inning.

Matlack retired the A's in order in the bottom of the 4th.

In the top of the 5th, Holtzman walked Jon Matlack, but got Wayne Garrett attempted to bunt & popped up to Ken Holtzman. Holtzman caught it & caught Matlack off first for the double play. 

Felix Millan then hit a fly ball over the head of Joe Rudi who was playing him shallow in left field. Millan reached third with a triple. Willie Mays then flew out to end the inning.

That was it for Ken Holtzman, he went five innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking three with two strike outs. 

Matlack retired nine batters in a row, in the 5th he struck out Dick Green & Bert Campaneris. Angel Mangual was robbed of a base hit when Bud Harrelson dove & snagged a line drive. Since the 3rd inning, when the A's had scored their runs, Matlack had not allowed any more base runners.

Oakland A's Ball Girls: At the end of the 5th inning, Charlie Finley's Oakland A's had a tradition of having two young ladies, who worked the foul lines as ball girls, bring refreshments out to the umpires. 

The A's Ball Girls were the first in MLB baseball. The two girls were usually dressed in white hot pants shorts, with high gold sox, white shoes & yellow or green sleeveless shirts. On cooler nights they would wear loose jogging pants.

When owner Charlie Finley was asked about using girls instead of ball boys, he replied " to get the female interested in baseball." Finley was forever the salesman & showman.

The two girls Marry Berry & Debbie Sivyer first debuted in 1971 & eventually became minor celebrities of their own around baseball. Today they got exposure on national TV during the World Series.

Debbie Sivyer came with the idea to bring the umpires cookies which she baked herself. A few years later she & her husband opened a bake shop in Paolo Alto, California, which became so successful it went worldwide as Mrs. Fields Cookies. She sold the business in the 1990's. It is still one of the largest bakery outlets in the USA.

The A's eventually did away with the ball girls after the 1974 season due to complaints from the players' wives.

In the top of the 6th, play resumed, the American League's best relief pitcher, future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers (7-8 / 22 saves / 1.92 ERA) came on to pitch for Oakland.

Cleon Jones led off with his second hit of the day, a single to centerfield. John Milner then tapped a ball in front of the plate, Ray Fosse fielded it & threw him out at first. Then Jerry Grote blasted a long drive down the left field line, just foul of the 330 ft mark. He then flew out to Jackson for the second out. Jackson & Dick Green almost collided on the play.

Rollie Fingers then struck out Don Hahn, but the ball scampered away from A's catcher Ray Fosse & Hahn reached first base, Cleon Jones went to third. But Fingers then struck out Bud Harrelson to end the threat & leave two men stranded. They would leave nine men on base throughout the afternoon.

In the 6th, Joe Rudi attempted to bunt but was called out for interference on Jerry Grote, Matlack walked Reggie Jackson but retired the side leaving him stranded at first base.

In the Mets 7th, pinch hitter Kenny Boswell singled but was quickly erased as Wayne Garrett

grounded into another double play, his second of the day. Ken Boswell would set a World Series record with three pinch hits. The Mets went down quietly as Felix Millan lined out to short.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, Tug McGraw (5-6 / 25 saves/ 3.87 ERA) came on to pitch & finished off the game allowing no runs on one hit with a strike out & a walk.

In the top of the 8th, Fingers struck out Willie Mays to start the inning. With two outs, John Milner collected his second hit of the game, but Jerry Grote popped out for the third out.

In the home 8th, with one out Campy Campaneris bunted between home plate & first base. Mets first baseman John Milner fielded the ball & attempted a tag on Campy on his way to first base. But Campy slid under the tag, jumped up & ran to first base, possibly out of the baseline but he was ruled safe on all accounts. 

Mets manager Yogi Berra came to argue the call saying Milner tagged him, but to no avail. The play made the cover of that week's Sports Illustrated Magazine.

Joe Rudi sacrificed Campaneris to second base. Matlack chose to walk Sal Bando intentionally & got Reggie Jackson to ground out to Millan at second base.

In the top of the 9th, Yogi Berra sent up three pinch hitters. First Ed Kranepool lined out to short, then Ron Hodges drew a walk in his only series at bat. Teddy Martinez came on to pinch run.

A's manager Dick Williams removed Fingers when Rusty Staub was announced as a pinch hitter then brought in Darold Knowles. 

Fingers pitched 3.1 innings of relief shut out the Mets on three hits with a walk & three strike outs. Knowles would set a series record appearing in all seven games. Berra made a move to counter Williams sending Jim Beauchamp up as a pinch hitter. 

Beauchamp was 9-34 on the year as a pinch hitter. He blooped a shot behind second base but Dick Green robbed him of hit, leaping in the air to snag it for out number two. Wayne Garrett then flew out to right field to end the game.

The A's took the opener in a 2-1 heartbreaking loss for the Mets that could have gone either way with a different break or two.

Quotes- Ken Holtzman: I'm not a bad hitter. I used to get 15 or 20 hits a year. But I still don't think of myself as a good one. I just figured he didn't want to walk me & I figured that on 3-2 he wouldn't throw me any breaking balls".

Quotes- Jon Matlack: "He's a fair hitter".