Remembering Mets Opening Days (1973) The Start of the Mets N.L. Championship Season

Friday April 6th, 1973: The Mets opened up the 1973 season with plenty of optimism. It had only been four years since the Amazing Mets won the 1969 World Series. 

The 1972 Mets had finished third winning 83 games (83-73) but it was an emotional year after the sudden passing of their beloved manager Gil Hodges at the end of Spring Training. Yogi Berra took over the shocked team & was now in his second year as manager with somewhat better preparation.

You Gotta Believe: Once again, their pitching staff was the team's strength going into this season. Led by that years Cy Young winner Tom Seaver & left handers Jerry Koosman & the 1972 Rookie of the Year Jon Matlack.

In the off season, they had traded away pitcher Gary Gentry to Atlanta & received two key players. Pitcher George Stone went on to go 12-3 with a 2.80 ERA on the year.

They also got Felix Millian who would lead the team in batting (.290) hits (185) sacrifice hits (18) & games played (153). He was an outstanding defensive second baseman as well. He & Bud Harrelson were one of the league's best defensively up the middle. And Jerry Grote was one of the league's best defensive catchers behind the plate anchoring the pitching staff.

The Mets also had a healthy Rusty Staub, arguable their best hitter who missed 96 games in 1972. Young slugger John Milner who was coming off his solid rookie season, would lead the team in HRs (23) playing at first base, sometimes platooning with veteran Ed Kranepool. 

There was hope Jim Fregosi would bounce back from his poor 1972 season, but he would never get it going & be gone by the summer. Wayne Garrett would step up hitting 16 HRs as he was finally given a chance to be the clubs main third baseman after Fregosi was gone. And nothing was more inspirational than having the legendary Willie Mays on the team in his final season.

The Mets suffered thru many injuries to their main players that season. But a tight NL East kept them from falling way too far behind. Even though they were in last place in August they had an incredible run going 23-9 from August 27th thru the end of the season.

In a very colorful & exciting post season, the Mets would shock the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS
& take the mighty Oakland A's to a seventh World Series game before falling short of another Championship.

Opening Day 1973 brought a crowd of 27, 326 to Shea Stadium, on a Friday afternoon as the Mets hosted Danny Ozark's Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies came off a horrible 1972 last place finish where they won just 59 games. 

Thier Hall of Fame pitcher, Steve Carlton was the NL reigning Cy Young winner, as "Lefty" won an incredible 27 games (27-10) almost half of the teams 59 victories. Carlton also struck out 310 batters & posted a 1.97 ERA.

On this opening Day, the two future Hall of Fame pitchers, last year & this coming years Cy Young Award winners would face off against each other in the first of what was to be three straight Opening Day starts.

Before the game multiple ceremonial first pitches were thrown out to catcher Duffy Dyer from returning Vietnam War veterans & POWs.

In the top of the 1st, Tom Seaver retired the first two Phillies, then walked Willie Montanez. he ended the inning getting Tommy Jutton to ground out.

Seaver retired the next eight batters in a row before Montanez singled in the 4th inning. Once again, he retired Hutton to end the inning.

Steve Carlton held the Mets scoreless thru the first three innings. In the bottom of the 4th, Felix Millan led off with a double. After Willie Mays & Rusty Staub were both retired, Cleon Jones gave the Shea crowd a thrill as he blasted a HR over the left field fence to put New York up 2-0.

Seaver continued to hold the Phillies scoreless thru seven innings.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, Cleon Jones led off the inning with his second HR of the game off Carlton. The solo shot gave the Mets all they would need for the 3-0 victory.

Cleon Jones Trivia: In his ten-year career up to that point, this was the first time Cleon had a multi-HR game. Cleon would have another multi-HR game on September 19th that year in the heat of the pennant race in a game at Shea against Pittsburgh. 

In that game he drove in a season high five runs putting the Mets 1.5 games behind the first place Pirates. Cleon would not have another multi-HR game.

In the top of the 8th inning, with one out, pinch hitter Bill Robinson doubled. After retiring Larry Bowa, Seaver issued a walk to Del Unser. The Phillies had the tying run at the plate in pinch hitter Deron Johnson. Two years earlier Johnson had hit 34 HRs.

Mets Manager Yogi Berra felt Seaver was tiring & went to the bullpen, calling on his reliever Tug McGraw. McGraw got Johnson to pop up, in foul territory on the third base side where Jim Fregosi made the out.

In the top of the 9th inning, McGraw retired the Phillies in order complete the combined shut out while earning his first save of the year. 

Tug McGraw Trivia: Tug would record five saves in April with a 1.59 ERA. Then things went bad for Tug, he would have five blown saves or losses & fall to 0-6 by August 20th with a 5.45 ERA. 

This was the year McGraw would coin the phrase "You Gotta Believe" With inspiration from some Catholic Nuns that were big Mets fans & a motivational speaker friend, McGraw eventually got it all together.

From August 22nd to the end of the regular season, McGraw went 5-0 with 12 saves, posting a 0.88 ERA helping the Mets capture the NL East title. In the post season McGraw went 1-0 with two saves, posting a 1.93 ERA in seven games, helping the Mets win the pennant. 

The animated McGraw became one of the first star relief pitchers, known as "fireman," of the early 1970s when the role became glamorized.

The Mets won the season opener, collecting just five hits on the day, with Cleon Jones gathering up three of them. The other two hits were supplied by new Mets, Felix Millan & Jim Fregosi. 

Time: In contrast to today's long games, the 1973 opening day contest only took one hour & fifty-six minutes to play.

Beer Trivia: 1973 would be the final season Rheingold beer would sponsor the Mets.