Remembering Mets History (1973 World Series) Game #4 - Rusty Staub Drives in Five Runs as Mets Even Up the Series

Wednesday October 17th, 1973: World Series Game #4 

Shea Stadium, Queens New York

Mets pitching coach Rube Walker
with manager Yogi Berra

As the World Series went into its fourth game, the media had a lot to cover. As for baseball, the Mets were coming off a tough extra inning loss in Game #3, that was highlighted by the marquee pitching matchup of Tom Seaver & Catfish Hunter. 

The game's outcome came down to the A's taking advantage of an extra inning error where catcher Jerry Grote had a third strike go by him setting the stage for Bert Campaneris game winning single. 

In the Series Campy was batting .324 with 5 hits 4 runs scored an RBI. He had six post season stolen bases as well.

They Mets felt like they could have won all three of the games had a bad break or two gone their way. They knew they could never be counted out & they could compete with the mighty reigning World Champions. On the diamond there was much excitement heading into Game #4.

A's Captain Sal Bando talks
to the media about the Andrews Saga.

The Mike Andrews Drama: The Mike Andrews situation had finally been settled. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn had A's owner Charlie Finley officially reactivate Andrews on the A's roster. Andrews had been flown to New York was in uniform at Shea Stadium & eligible to play. 

He was greeted by his supporting team mates on the field before the game. Andrews would even make a pinch-hit appearance in the game as well.

Marvin Miller head of the Players Union had supported Andrews as did the baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. A's players, especially team Captain Sal Bando continued to answer questions about the situation. 

Before the game NBC broadcaster, Tony Kubek interviewed Tom Seaver & Catfish Hunter. They
talked about pitching as well as the Andrews situation. Both pitchers shared their feelings on Charlie Finley & agreed the fans come to see the players play not the owners.

On the pregame show "the Baseball World of Joe Garagiola" A's All-Star Reggie Jackson sat with Joe Garagiola talking openly about everything in usual Jackson form. 

Jackson expressed his support for his manager Dick Williams, commented on the Andrews situation & his ongoing displeasure with owner Charlie Finley. 

Quotes- Joe Garagiola: "Is it True you asked to be traded?"

Reggie Jackson replied with a big smile " I sure did".  

The A's Wives: The A's controversies carried over to the player's wives as well. Last night for Game #3 the ladies had been seated in the upper level which did not go over well with them or their husbands. There may have been some speculations that the notoriously cheap owner Charlie Finley may have gone for the cheaper seats. 

The Mets had no knowledge of where the ladies sat, they said they distributed tickets to Oakland on all levels.

Gene Tenace, other A's players & the wives were very vocal about their unhappiness with the seating. The wives even threatened not to show up for the two remaining games.

Quotes- Mrs. Carol Green: "We're not coming back tomorrow, not if we have to sit up here. We want to see out husbands".

Quotes- Sharon Rudi: "Our ticket man put the Mets wives right down where they could almost touch the players. This is inexcusable."

Quotes- A's traveling secretary Jim Hunt: "It was an honest mistake. We were trying to give them the best tickets we had, but we didn't have a diagram of Shea Stadium with us on the plane & I thought we gave them good seats. If we'd done it on purpose, we wouldn't be changing them."

There were concerns for their safety, due to the fact of the unfortunate events of some rowdy fans during the NLCS around the Cincinnati Reds wives in the lower level. One of the A's wives said to have been carrying a knife in her coat pocket for protection.

So, on the flight the A's traveling secretary moved the wives' seats for safety reasons.

Quotes- Jill Fingers: "We saw & read what happened to the Cincinnati wives near the dugout & we thought oh dear, what are they going to do with us? The rumors of Mets fans scared us half to death, we were afraid to wave our banners & get bopped in the head or something."

Usually, the women would dress in bright yellow & green to match the team's uniform colors, but they dressed more discreetly at Shea.

 Although they did join in a chorus of "California Here We Come" when Mets organist Jane Jarvis played the tune.

It was also reported in the papers that A's wives & some of the husbands did enjoy the day shopping in midtown at Tiffany's, Saks Fifth Avenue & Berg dorf Goodman's. 

For Game #4 the ladies were seated in the front row on the field level with extra police & security protection.

Mets proud Owner Mrs. Joan Payson

Oakland A's owner, who was in the center of the team controversy was on hand with his wife as well as his cardiologist. Finley had recently suffered a heart attack & kept his doctor close at all times.

Mets principal owner Mrs. Joan Payson was on hand in her usual box. MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn & New York City Mayor John Lindsay were in attendance as well.

An official crowd of 54,817 paid were in attendance at Shea Stadium to cheer on their Mets. The temperature was forecasted to drop into the forties on a chilly Wednesday night in New York. Attorney, Bill Shea whom the Stadium is named after, began the festivities by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher who was also a fine singer, Nelson Briles sang the National Anthem & it was onto baseball.

Bill Shea & Commissioner Bowie Kuhn

Felix Millan lays down a bunt base hit.

In the top of the 1st inning, the pesky Bert Campaneris dropped a bunt to reach base, but Mets first baseman John Milner made the play unassisted for the first out.  

Campy attempted to slide into first base as he did in Game #1, but his time Milner applied he tag.

Joe Rudi then hit a line drive to right field that Rusty Staub caught for the second out. Matlack walked A's Captain, Sal Bando then struck out Reggie Jackson for the third out.

Trivia: Jackson had now struck out four times in his last six at bats.

In the bottom of the 1st inning, Wayne Garrett led off with a base hit. It was his fourth hit of the
series, he led off with a HR in Game #3. 

Felix Millan then dropped a perfect bunt down third base that Sal Bando had no chance on. Millan reached with a base hit& there were two on with no one out for Rusty Staub.

Rusty Staub then blasted a three run HR to the opposite field over the left center field wall putting the Mets up 3-0. 

Staub who was still recovering from his sore shoulder & missed Game #1, would lead all players with 11 hits in the series. Staub & Reggie Jackson would lead all players with six RBIs.

The Shea Faithful came alive to cheer Rusty & the legendary sign man held up a sign that read "Far Out" & later "Trusty Rusty".
  

John Milner drew a walk & catcher Jerry Grote singled to left center field.  A's manager Dick Williams made two mound visits in the inning & pulled Holtzman out of the game. 

Holtzman the Game #1 winner, couldn't get out of the 1st inning, allowing three runs on five hits & a walk recording just one out.

John "Blue Moon" Odom (5-12 / 4.49 ERA/ 83 Ks) came on to pitch for the A's. Odom had won 15 games or more three times for the A's between 1968 & 1972. Odom got Don Hahn to ground into an inning ending double play.

Jon Matlack retired eight A's in a row, striking out Ray Fosse, Dick Green, John Odom & Joe
Rudi into the top of the 4th inning. Wayne Garrett booted a Sal Bando chopper to third with one out, then Reggie Jackson followed with a base hit. 

Don Hahn didn't hit the cutoff man Bud Harrelson who was standing there with his hands on his hips glaring at Hahn, causing Bando to get to third base. Gene Tenace grounded to short allowing Bando to score to make it 3-1. It was Tenace's third RBI of the series.

Jesus Alou then flew out to Jones in left for the third out.

In the home 4th; the Mets continued to get production from the bottom of the order, Don Hahn singled, he had now hit safely in the last three series games.

Buddy Harrelson also singled with a shot into left field. It was Harrelson's sixth hit of the series. He would have two hits on the night & was batting .400 in the series.

"Blue Moon" Odom was removed for Darold Knowles. For Oakland, John Odom had gone 2.2 innings allowing two runs on three hits, he walked two & didn't strike out anyone. Knowles was making his fourth appearance in as many games.

Knowles struck out Matlack but then hit Wayne Garrett with a pitch.

Felix Millan then chopped a bouncer to second that a charging Dick Green couldn't handle. Green was charged with an error, Millan reached safely & Don Hahn crossed the plate making it 4-0.

Next up, the Mets hitting star of the night Rusty Staub came up & drove a base hit into right field scoring Bud Harrelson & Wayne Garrett giving the Mets a commanding 6-1 lead.

Trivia: Staub had one of the biggest offensive nights in Mets World Series history, collecting four hits going 4-4 (a walk) a HR & five RBIs. Rusty joins 25 other players in World Series history to have five or more RBIs in a game. He still holds the Mets record in that category.

Mets Game Four Winner Jon Matlack

In the top of the 5th, Matlack gave up a leadoff single to Ray Fosse, he then retired six in a row into the 7th inning, holding the 6-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 5th, the side-arm throwing Horatio Pina came on for the A's. He gave up a base hit to Jerry Grote & walk to Bud Harrelson, but Jon Matlack ended the inning in a double play.

In the top of the 7th, Gene Tenace drew his sixth walk of the series to start the inning. Jesus Alou then grounded into a force play. Ray Fosse flew out to Hahn in center & Ted Kubiak now in the game at second was retired by Matlack on a comebacker to the mound.

In the bottom of the 7th, Horatio Pina was still on the mound as John Milner grounded to Kubiak at second for the first out. 

Next Mets catcher Jerry Grote drove a base hit to center field. Grote advanced to second when Don Hahn grounded into a fielder's choice.

Jon Matlack came to bat to a huge ovation from the Mets crowd, he added to his big night with a base hit into left field. Jerry Grote rounded third base & tried to score. 

But the fine left fielder Joe Rudi fielded the ball perfectly & threw directly to home plate to catcher Ray Fosse who stood his ground & applied the tag on Grote for the third out.

Mike Andrews pinch hits to standing ovation.

In the top of the 8th inning, A's manager Dick Williams sent up Mike Andrews to pinch hit. 

Andrews who was activated & joined the team prior to the game had his moment in the spotlight as the Shea Stadium crowd gave him a standing ovation when he came to bat.

A's owner Charlie Finley sat in his box & took it all in stride. Andrews grounded out to third base in what was his final series at bat. He had gone 0-2 with a walk in the drama filled Game #2.

Next Jon Matlack hit Bert Campaneris with a pitch. Campy had been hit with a pitch by Tug McGraw in Game #2. That pitch leveled him as it hit Campy in the head. Here he made his way to first base then advanced on Joe Rudi's single to left field.

But with two one, Matlack got Bando to line out to left field. Then Reggie Jackson grounded to Millan to end the 8th inning. Matlack's night was over.

In another fine performance, Matlack allowed one run (unearned) on three hits. He struck out five & walked two earning the victory. 

Trivia: In his first two World Series games, the young lefthander was 1-1 allowing just three runs, all unearned in 14 innings of work with 8 Ks & five walks. He was still posting a 0.00 ERA. So far in the post season, Matlack had not allowed an earned run in 23 innings of work in three games. 

Overall, in those three games, he had given up just nine hits, walked seven & struck out 17 batters to two of the best offensive teams in the game.

In the top of the 9th, Ray Sadecki making his third appearance in the World Series, came on to close out the game. Gene Tenace led off with a single to left field. Jesus Alou lined out to Bud Harrelson at short for the first out. Sadecki then struck out Ray Fosse for the second out.

Pinch hitter Deron Johnson singled into left field. The A's who refused to go easily then loaded the bases when Sadecki walked pinch hitter Vic Davalillo for the A's most dangerous hitter in the series up too that pint coming up. But Sadecki struck out Bert Campaneris to end the game. 

The Mets won the game 6-1 & evened up the series at two games each. 

Every Met hitter in the game (except for John Milner) had at least one hit in the Mets 13 hit

attack.

Rusty Staub collected four hits in the game with four RBIs & was batting .333 in the series. Mets catcher Jerry Grote had three hits in the game. Cleon Jones collected his sixth hit of the series & was batting .324.

Quotes- Rusty Staub: "To be able to have the kind of fourth game I had, with the four hits & the HR, it just made me feel really good that I did the right thing to get in the lineup. To be part of what a World Series is & to be part of a championship team, has just been the greatest thrill of my entire life, it really has."