Baseball – 1973

Baseball in 1973

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January

January 3A group of investors‚ headed by shipbuilder George Steinbrenner‚ purchases the New York Yankees from CBS for $10 million.
January 10In the January amateur draft‚ the Phillies pick Dick Ruthven‚ who will jump right to the majors‚ the Rangers take C Jim Sundberg‚ and the Cubs pick RHP Donnie Moore. The Reds pick Southern Miss punter Ray Guy in the third round‚ but he chooses the NFL instead.
January 11Cincinnati attorney Louis Nippert assumes control of the Cincinnati Reds when he purchases 51% of the stock from the Gamble and Williams families. Nippert was part of the group that bought the Reds in 1966.
January 18Orlando Cepeda signs with the Boston Red Sox‚ making him the first player signed by a team as a designated hitter.
January 24Warren Spahn is elected to the Hall of Fame in his first try on the BBWAA ballot‚ receiving 316 of 380 votes.
January 28The Hall of Fame Special Veterans Committee selects 19th-century players Mickey Welch and George Kelly‚ plus umpire Billy Evans‚ for enshrinement.

February

February 1Commissioner Bowie Kuhn announces the selection of Monte Irvin for the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.

The Orioles sell OF Don Buford to the Fukuoka Lions in Japan.
February 8The ML owners announce that “early bird” spring training camps are canceled until all bargaining with the Players’ Association is concluded.
February 25A new 3-year Basic Agreement is reached between players and owners‚ and spring training is slated to start March 1st. Among the provisions of the agreement are a $15‚000 minimum salary‚ salary arbitration‚ and the “10 and 5” trade rule‚ which permits a player with 10 years in the ML‚ the last 5 of which are with his current team‚ to veto any trade involving him.
February 27White Sox slugger Dick Allen signs a 3-year contract for an estimated $250‚000 per year‚ making him the highest-paid player in ML history.

March

March 2Eddie Bane of Arizona State University pitches a 9-0 perfect game against Cal State Northridge University. Bane will rack up a record of 41-4 in college and‚ after being drafted by the Twins‚ jump right to the majors.
March 5Yankee teammates Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich arrive at spring training and announce that wives and families have been swapped. Even the family dogs were traded.
March 6In an exhibition game with the Pirates‚ the Twins Larry Hisle becomes the first designated hitter in ML history. Hisle makes the new AL rule look good by collecting 2 HRs and 7 RBI.
March 20In a special election held by the BBWAA‚ the late Roberto Clemente receives 393 of 424 votes to earn entry in the Hall of Fame. The Hall’s Board of Directors had earlier waived the 5-year-wait rule for Clemente.
March 24The Indians trade C Ray Fosse and SS Jack Heidemann to the A’s for C Dave Duncan and OF George Hendrick.
March 27The Braves release P Denny McLain‚ ending his stormy big-league career 2 days before his 29th birthday.

The Red Sox swap Andy Kosco and Phil Gagliano to the Reds for P Mel Behney‚ who was 0-2 for the Reds in 1970. His ML record will remain unchanged.
March 29Orange baseballs‚ the brainchild of Oakland owner Charlie Finley‚ are used in the A’s 11-5 exhibition loss to the Indians.

April

April 5In the cold‚ windy ML Opener in Cincinnati‚ the Giants beat the Reds‚ 4-1. Juan Marichal is the winner over Don Gullett. Despite the weather‚ 51‚579 are on hand.

The New York Yankees trade SS Frank Baker to the Orioles for INF Tom Matchick.
April 6At Fenway Park‚ the first ball is thrown out by Ed Folger‚ a Boston Red Sox farm hand who had his legs amputated last September following a farm accident. In the top of the first inning, Ron Blomberg of the New York Yankees becomes the first regular season designated history in major league history when he faces righthander Luis Tiant. Blomberg walks with the bases loaded and winds up 1-for-3 in the 15-5 loss to the Boston. Sox DH Orlando Cepeda goes 0-for-6‚ but Carlton Fisk strokes two homers‚ one a grand slam‚ in the 20-hit Boston assault. Second baseman Doug Griffin notches four hits for Boston‚ which overcomes a 3-0 by scoring eight runs to chase Mel Stottlemyre by the third inning. The Yanks record eight hits off Tiant‚ five by the Alou brothers, Matty and Felipe.

At Three Rivers Stadium‚ 51‚695 fans watch as the jersey of the late Roberto Clemente is retired. The Pirates then beat St. Louis‚ 7-5‚ with a 9th inning rally.

At Baltimore‚ Dave McNally fires a three-hitter as the Orioles roll over the Brewers‚ 10-0. Don Baylor has three doubles‚ a homer‚ and 4 RBIs‚ while Brooks Robinson bangs two homers for 4 RBIs.
April 7Cleveland sets day-game and opening-game attendance records as 74‚420 fans watch the Indians beat the Tigers 2-1. Gaylord Perry is the winner over Mickey Lolich as Chris Chambliss and Mickey Stanley match homers.
April 10Kansas City opens its new park‚ Royals Stadium‚ with a 12-1 rout of the Rangers. The game is attended by 39‚464 fans braving 39-degree weather.
April 12Giant Willie McCovey belts 2 HRs in the 4th inning of a 9-3 win over the Astros. McCovey’s feat is the first time in 24 years in the NL.

Dave McNally and the Orioles edge the Tigers‚ 1-0‚ in 10 innings. A throwing error by starter Mickey Lolich allows the only run.
April 15Brewer rookie Gorman Thomas hits his first ML homer‚ off Jim Palmer‚ to tie the O’s in 9th‚ and Milwaukee wins it in the 11 on Pedro Garcia‘s game-winner‚ The Orioles split for the day by taking the nitecap.

In the first of 2 in San Francisco‚ Cesar Geronimo has 4 singles and a double to lead the Reds to an 11-0 pasting of the Giants. The Reds pin the loss on Juan Marichal. Cincy completes the sweep in game 2‚ winning 7-3.
April 16At Fenway‚ Boston’s Reggie Smith homers from both sides of the plate during a 9-7 loss to Detroit.
April 17Relief hurler Eddie Fisher‚ trying to become “another Wilbur Wood‚” beats the Rangers 10-5 in his first complete game in 10 years. It is only the 6th CG of his long career.

Earl Williams hits his first AL homer‚ a three-run shot off Sparky Lyle‚ to lead the Orioles to a 4-3 win over the Yankees.

The Phils Dick Ruthven‚ signed from Fresno State‚ makes his ML debut without ever playing in minors. He starts against Montreal‚ but doesn’t finish‚ taking the loss in a 9-6 decision to Dick Selma.
April 19Al Kaline‚ 38‚ steals home on a double steal with Willie Horton as the Tigers defeat Boston 11-7.
April 22Ron Lolich hits a 2-out walk off grand slam off reliever Sonny Siebert to give the Indians an 8-7 win over the Red Sox in game 1. The Sox come back to win game 2‚ 5-2.
April 27In 50-degree Detroit weather‚ Royals rookie Steve Busby no-hits the Tigers 3-0. It is the first Royals no-hitter‚ and the first in Tiger Stadium since Virgil Trucks‘s in 1952. Busby is the first no-hit game pitcher not to bat.
April 28Bobby Bonds hits a leadoff homer off Reggie Cleveland for the game’s only score‚ as the Giants beat the Cardinals‚ 1-0. Jim Willoughby throws his lone career shutout for the victory.
April 30There are no games scheduled today. Except for All-Star games and labor strikes‚ this won’t occur again until June 29‚ 1998.

May

May 1With 2 outs in the 9th inning and Chris Speier on 1B‚ the Giants‚ trailing 8-1‚ score an NL-record tying 7 times to beat the Pirates 8-7. Chris Arnold’s pinch grand slam is the big blow‚ along with Bobby Bonds‘ bases-loaded double.

Brewers starter Bill Parsons walks the first three A’s batters and is lifted for Jim Colburn‚ who pitches a complete game‚ 4-3‚ win. Johnny Briggs drives in all the Milwaukee runs‚ including a home run in the 9th inning off Blue Moon Odom (0-5)‚ to win it.
May 4The Phillies edge the Braves 4-3 in a 20-inning marathon. Dick Ruthven starts for the Phils and Jim Lonborg finally gets the win over Ron Reed.
May 7Five solo HRs account for all of the Pirates scoring in a 5-4 win over the Dodgers.
May 8Cubs manager Whitey Lockman is ejected during a 12-inning 3-2 win over the Padres. Coach Ernie Banks fills in for the last few innings‚ technically becoming the ML’s first black manager. Cubs Bob Locker pitches in his 500th game: all have been in relief‚ a ML record.

For the second time in his career‚ Pirate Willie Stargell poles one out of Dodger Stadium. His blast off Andy Messersmith is over the 50-foot high RF pavilion roof 470 feet away. His first HR‚ a 506-foot shot‚ came off Alan Foster on August 5‚ 1969. No other player has hit one out of the stadium. LA wins‚ 7-4‚ despite a second homer by Stargell and one by Al Oliver. Ron Cey‘s 3-run HR is the difference.

In a 9-7 losing effort against the Giants‚ Cardinals ace Bob Gibson makes his 242nd consecutive start. It is a new 20th century record passing that of Red Ruffing‚ who never pitched in relief the last 10 years of his career.

Former P Ralph Miller dies in Cincinnati at age 100. Miller was the last survivor of 19th-century ball‚ and the first former ML player to reach the century mark.
May 9The Reds Johnny Bench slugs 3 HRs and knocks in 7 runs in a 9-7 defeat of Steve Carlton and the Phillies. Bench homers in the 1st‚ walks in the 3rd‚ and homers again in the 5th and 7th. It is the 2nd time Bench has hit 3 HRs in a game against Carlton; the first came on July 26‚ 1970. Bench ties a ML record with 4 consecutive homers‚ having hit one in his final at bat last night in the Reds 7-1 win. Despite the 3 homers‚ Dave Concepcion‘s 2-run homer in the 9th‚ off Barry Lersch‚ is the game-winner.

Al Bumbry and Rich Coggins hit their first major league homers‚ slugging them back-to-back off the A’s Catfish Hunter. The A’s still win‚ 4-3.
May 13In the first of two‚ the Yankees tie a ML record by hitting 4 HRs in a shutout game in which no other runs are scored. The mark was originally set by Cleveland on August 2‚ 1956. White‚ Murcer‚ Blomberg and Nettles hit solos in the 4-0 win over Baltimore. Mel Stottlemyre is the winner. The Yanks jump on Dave McNally for 5 runs in game 2 but score zero when Eddie Watts relieves him for 4 IP. Baltimore wins‚ 9-6.
May 15California’s Nolan Ryan strikes out 12‚ including the side in the 1st‚ and hurls his first career no-hitter in beating Kansas City 3-0. For C Jeff Torborg‚ it is his 3rd no-hitter. SS Rudy Meoli preserves the no-no with a spectacular over the shoulder catch in the 8th.

Milwaukee beats the Indians 2-1 on Dave Mays’ HR in the bottom of the 17th inning. It is May’s 10th HR of the season‚ one more than he had in 1972.
May 17Angels OF Bobby Valentine breaks a leg trying to scale a wall to prevent a Dick Green HR during a 5-4 loss to the A’s.
May 18During a 5-4 win over the Royals‚ the A’s Bill North punches Kansas City P Doug Bird‚ earning a 3-day league suspension.
May 19Philadelphia’s Ken Brett holds Chicago’s Glenn Beckert hitless in the first game‚ a 3-0 win‚ of a doubleheader‚ ending his 26-game hitting streak. Chicago takes the nitecap‚ 7-6.

In what is considered one of the worst trades in Braves history‚ Atlanta sends 23-year-old Andre Thornton to the Cubs for 1B Joe Pepitone. Pepi will go to bat just 11 times for the Braves and never play again.
May 20In a 5-player deal‚ Angels 1B Jim Spencer and Rangers 1B Mike Epstein switch teams.
May 24The Dodgers Willie Davis gets 6 hits‚ the Mets Rusty Staub 5‚ during a 19-inning game. The Mets win 7-3. The two teams combine to ground into 9 double plays‚ a NL record.

The Twins Bert Blyleven one hits the Royals to win‚ 2-0. Ed Kirkpatrick‘s bunt single in the 5th is the only hit.
May 25The Giants activate 43-year-old coach Don McMahon as pitcher. McMahon will go 4-0 with 6 saves and a 1.50 ERA the rest of the season‚ before being released October 9th.
May 26The White Sox and Cleveland game is suspended after 16 innings with the score at 2-2. Stan Bahnsen and Gaylord Perry each pitch the first 13 innings. The game will be completed on the 28th.
May 27The Padres announce the impending sale of the club to a group that plans to move the team to Washington‚ DC in 1974.
May 28Chicago’s rubber-armed knuckleballer Wilbur Wood wins the completion of a suspended game‚ allowing 2 hits and an unearned run in 5 innings‚ winning 6-3 on Dick Allen‘s 3 run homerun in the 21st. Wood then shuts down Cleveland on 4 hits in the regularly scheduled contest. After the White Sox’ first 40 games‚ Wood’s record is a remarkable 13-3.

At Chavez Ravine‚ the Dodgers’ Andy Messersmith strikes out the 1st six Phillies’ batters. The Phils still win 5-1.
May 31Against Houston‚ Cubs pitcher Fergie Jenkins gives up HR to Jesus Alou‚ but holds on as the Cubs win‚ 16-8. Dave Roberts takes the loss. The tally of Alou family homers off Jenkins is as follows: Jesus homered on July 7th and 23rd‚ 1967 while with the Giants: Felipe homered on April 25‚ 1968 as a Brave; Matty hit a homer on Sept. 5‚ 1971 while with the Cards.

June

June 2Dodgers 2B Davey Lopes ties the ML record with 3 errors in the first inning of a 6-3 loss to the Expos.
June 3At Pittsburgh‚ Tony Perez hits a 3rd inning grand slam to power the Reds to a 5-1 win over the Pirates.
June 5In Cincinnati‚ the Mets score 3 runs in the 10th inning‚ then watch as the Reds come back with 4 runs to win‚ 6-5. Johnny Bench ends the scoring with a 3-run homer.

In Pittsburgh‚ Bobby Bonds hits a leadoff homerun and adds 3 walks as the Giants edge the Pirates‚ 3-2. Ron Bryant (9-3) is the winner. Bonds will pop another leadoff HR tomorrow in a losing cause.
June 7The Rangers make Texas high school P David Clyde the number-one pick in the free-agent draft. He will make his ML debut later this month. U of Minnesota star Dave Winfield‚ the number 4 pick (Padres)‚ will also go straight to the ML. Winfield was also taken in the ABA (Utah)‚ NBA (Atlanta) and NFL (Minnesota) drafts. John Stearns is taken 2nd by the Phillies‚ and the Brewers‚ picking 3rd‚ take Robin Yount. Randy Scarbery becomes the first player selected twice in the first round of the regular phase of the draft when the A’s take him 23rd. The Astros picked him first in 1970‚ but he chose college instead. Eddie Bane‚ 41-4 in his collegiate career‚ is taken 11th overall by the Twins‚ who sign him to a club-record bonus. He debuts a week after David Clyde. The Reds have a 3rd straight draft in which they come up short‚ this time selecting California prep OF Brad Kessler with their 1st choice.

The Yankees trade 3 players-1B Frank Tepedino‚ OF Wayne Nordhagen and a player to be named-to the Atlanta Braves for P Pat Dobson. Dobson had struggled in his one year in Atlanta after the Braves had acquired him from the Orioles. The player to be named will turn out to be 2-Alan Closter and Dave Cheadle. The Yanks also purchase 30-year-old Sam McDowell (1-2) from the San Francisco Giants for $100‚000+. McDowell‚ who will later admit to a drinking problem (teammate Dick Radatz later remarked‚ “We thought he was just stupid. It turned out he was never sober.”) will pitch 2 seasons in New York before being released.
June 9At KC‚ the Yankees rally for 5 runs in the 9th to stop the Royals‚ 6-4. Newcomer Pat Dobson pitches 5 innings and allows one hit to win in relief. New York moves into first with the win.

After the old timer’s game at Shea‚ Willie Mays puts on his own show with a homer and circus catch and the Mets top the Dodgers‚ 4-2. Willie‚ older than a half dozen of the old Mets‚ hits #655 of his career. Rusty Staub drives in two runs to back Jon Matlack. In the old timers game‚ the Brooklyn Dodgers/Yankees lose to the Mets‚ 1-0‚ in two innings.

At Wrigley‚ the Reds turn a 4-1 deficit into an 8-4 win over the Cubs‚ by scoring 7 runs in the 9th inning. Dan Driessen‚ in his ML debut‚ has a double and walk in the 9th.
June 12White Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen surrenders 12 hits‚ but shuts out the Indians‚ 2-0.

The Yankees send P Mike Kekich to Cleveland for P Lowell Palmer. Kekich’s days were numbered in New York after he and teammate Fritz Peterson swapped wives.

The Reds trade OF Gene Locklear and P Mike Jackson to the Padres for P Fred Norman (1-7). With Cincy‚ Norman will go 12-6 this year‚ the first of 7 straight seasons of 10 or more wins with the Reds.

After beating Oklahoma State in the CWS opener‚ 1-0‚ while striking out 14‚ Minnesota’s Dave Winfield makes his final start as a pitcher‚ facing 3-time defending champ Southern Cal. Through 8 innings Winfield allows an infield single while striking out 15 as the Gophers take a 7-0 lead. After a single and a FC‚ which results in coach Dick Siebert being ejected‚ Winfield gives up 3 runs and moves to LF. USC scores twice more and a spent Winfield is asked to come back in. But Gordon Peterson pitches instead and gives up 2 runs as the Trojans come back with an incredible 8-7 win.
June 13At Riverfront Stadium‚ Cards pitcher Rick Wise loses a no hitter when the Reds Joe Morgan singles with one out in the 9th. Wise finishes with a one-hit 8-0 win. Wise pitched a no-hitter over the Reds in 1971.

At Montreal‚ Expos Mike Marshall relieves in the 7th with the bases loaded and no outs. Marshall’s 1st pitch to Jerry Morales is hit to 2B Ron Hunt‚ who tosses to Tim Foli to Mike Jorgensen at 1st‚ to John Boccabella behind the plate for a triple play on one pitch. The Expos win‚ 3-2.
June 15Fred Norman quickly pays dividends to the Reds by shutting out the Pirates‚ 6-0‚ in his first start for Cincinnati.
June 16The Orioles Jim Palmer retires the first 25 batters before Ken Suarez singles with one out in the 9th. Palmer holds on for a 2-hit 9-1 win over the Rangers.
June 17Darrell Porter and Joe Lahoud each contribute grand slams to Milwaukee’s 15-5 rout of Chicago. Lahoud has 6 RBI in the win. It is Milwaukee’s 9th straight victory‚ all on the road. The Brewers‚ first in the East‚ will extend their win streak to 10 before sliding down to 5th place.
June 18Philadelphia’s Ken Brett tops the Mets 9-6 and cracks his 3rd HR in his last 3 starts.

The Brewers win their game in their last 16‚ beating the Red Sox 8-3 behind Jim Colburn’s 6th win. George Scott leads Milwaukee with 2 homers and 3 RBIs.
June 19Cleveland’s George Hendrick hits a single and 3 consecutive HRs in an 8-7 win over Detroit.

The Reds Pete Rose (single versus the Giants) and the Dodgers Willie Davis (HR versus the Braves) each collect their 2‚000th career hit. Pistol Pete’s comes in a 4-0 win over the Giants‚ as Fred Norman pitches his 2nd shutout in a row for the Reds.

Before a crowd of 37‚836‚ the visiting Red Sox sweep the Brewers‚ winning 8-4 and 4-1. The Brewers win streak stops at 10.
June 20Chicago’s Cy Acosta becomes the first AL pitcher to bat since the DH rule went into effect. Acosta strikes out in the 8th inning‚ but is credited with an 8-3 victory over California.

Bobby Bonds leads off with a HR‚ but the Giants lose 7-5 to the Reds. It is Bonds’s 22nd leadoff HR‚ breaking Lou Brock‘s NL record.

Red Sox lead off batters Rick Miller and Reggie Smith belt homers off Milwaukee’s Bill Parsons. In 1971‚ Smith also followed a leadoff homer with one of his own. Bill Lee makes the lead stand up in beating the Brewers Bill Parsons‚ 3-2.
June 21Houston’s Lee May collects 3 HRs and a single in a 12-2 win over San Diego. The bright side for the Pads is Dave Winfield‘s first ML homer‚ off Ken Forsch.

White Sox pitcher Stan Bahnsen shuts out the Indians‚ 2-0‚ but gives up 12 hits while doing it‚ 2 shy of the record in a shutout.
June 23Phillies P Ken Brett beats the Expos 7-2 and hits a HR for a ML-record 4th consecutive game‚ three of them leading off innings. He hit HRs on June 9th‚ 13th‚ and 18th‚ all solo: he will total 10 homers for his career.

In his major league debut‚ Orioles P Jesse Jefferson loses his shut out when Red Sox infielder Rico Petrocelli lofts a Fenway homer with 2 out in the 9th. Baltimore pushes over a run in the 10th to give Jefferson a 10-inning‚ 2-1 victory.

Newly acquired Fred Norman almost picks up his 3rd shutout in 3 starts for the Reds‚ but gives up a 2-out 9th inning homer to Ron Cey. The Reds still beat the Dodgers‚ 4-1.
June 27David Clyde‚ 18 and fresh out of Houston’s Westchester High School‚ makes his eagerly awaited debut with the Rangers‚ before 35‚698‚ the largest Rangers’ crowd of the year. Clyde‚ the number one pick in the draft‚ walks the first 2 Twins he faces‚ then gets Bob Darwin‚ George Mitterwald‚ and Joe Lis on swinging 3rd strikes. Clyde goes 5 innings and gives up only one hit-a 2-run HR-walks 7 and strikes out 8. He is the winner 4-3.

Led by 1B Joe Torre‚ who hits for the cycle‚ the Cards tally 22 hits to roll over the Pirates 15-4. Torre hit a double in the 1st‚ homered in the 3rd‚ and tripled in the 4th. After hitting into a double play‚ and then walking in the 8th‚ Torre asks to be pinch run for‚ but Schoendienst leaves him. Torre then singles in the 9th inning completing the cycle‚ and raising his average to .338.
June 28During a 2-0 win over the Angels‚ White Sox star Dick Allen breaks his leg in a collision with Mike Epstein at 1B. Allen will come to bat only 5 more times all season.
June 30The first-place Dodgers spot the Reds a 5-1 lead‚ before coming back to win‚ 8-7‚ in 13 innings. The Reds (39-37) are in 4th place.

The Cubs‚ leading by 7 games‚ lose to the Mets and Jon Matlack‚ 2-1.

July

July 1The Reds‚ 11 games behind the Dodgers at the beginning of the day‚ stage two dramatic comebacks to snatch a doubleheader win from LA. Hal King‘s clutch 3-run pinch hit HR with 2 outs wins the first game 4-3 against Don Sutton‚ while Tony Perez‘s 10th-inning hit wins the 2nd 3-2. This day will be looked upon as the turning point of the National League‘s Western Division race.

At Wrigley Field‚ the Mets edge the Cubs 6-5 in the 1st game of a doubleheader. Then its the Cubs turn‚ as Randy Hundley bangs a 9th inning 3-run homer to give Chicago the 6-5 edge. Ron Santo has 7 hits for the afternoon‚ five in the nitecap

Luis Aparicio of the Red Sox steals the 500th base of his career in a 9-5 loss to Milwaukee. It is the highest total in the AL since Eddie Collins retired in 1930.

At California‚ the Twins’ Jim Kaat fires a one-hitter to beat the Angels‚ 2-1. Frank Robinson‘s HR in the 2nd is the only hit. This is the 2nd time in his career that Robby hits a HR to break up a no hitter: he did it July 30‚ 1971 against KC’s Dick Drago.
July 2The Reds continue to roll as Tony Perez hits a 2-run homer in the 9th to beat the Dodgers‚ 4-2.
July 3Brothers Gaylord (Indians) and Jim (Tigers) Perry pitch against each other for the only time in their careers. Neither finishes the game‚ but Gaylord is charged with the 5-4 loss. Two Norm Cash HRs help Detroit.

Minnesota’s Tony Oliva hits 3 solo HRs during a 7-6 loss at Kansas City.
July 4The Orioles win their 3rd come from behind win over the Brewers‚ this time scoring 10 runs in the last 3 innings to win‚ 10-7.

Before 45‚000 Twins fans‚ Eddie Bane‚ the top collegiate pitcher this year and Minnesota’s top pick‚ makes his ML debut against the Royals. Bane pitches well for 7 innings‚ but the Royals emerge with a 5-4 win‚ beating reliever Ray Corbin. Bane will finish the season at 0-5.
July 5Davey Concepcion collects a triple‚ double and 3 singles to lead the Reds to a 4-3 win over the Giants. His 3rd single drives in the winning run in the 9th.
July 6The Expos take 2 in a doubleheader with the Astros 12-8 and 14-6. In the first game‚ John Boccabella hits 2 HRs in the 6th inning for Montreal.

Chicago Cub P Fergie Jenkins beats the Padres‚ 8-5‚ for his 13th straight win over San Diego. The streak began on May 12‚ 1969.
July 7The Brewers unload on 18-year-old P David Clyde to whip the Rangers 19-5 and hand Eddie Rodriguez his first ML win‚ a complete-game effort. Milwaukee has a 5-run 6th and 7-run 7th and is paced by Bobby Coluccio’s grand slam and Don Money’s 3-run homer.
July 9In a record-setting walkathon between the Reds and Expos‚ 25 base on balls are handed out as Montreal strolls to an 11-6 win. Well off the AL’s two-team mark of 30‚ this tops the NL record of 23‚ last reached on July 7‚ 1911. Six Montreal pitchers walk 16‚ one short of the record for an NL team‚ while Reds pitchers Clay Carroll and Tom Hall walk 9. Hal King pinch hits a grand slam for the Reds in the 6th inning‚ his 2nd pinch dinger in 9 days.
July 11Jim Northrup‚ batting leadoff for Detroit‚ drives in 8 runs in a 14-2 win over Texas.

In San Diego‚ the Pirates drub the Pads 10-2. Willie Stargell contributes the 302nd HR of his career to pass Ralph Kiner as the all-time Pirate HR leader.
July 13Montreal’s Hal Breeden pinch-hits HRs in each game of a doubleheader split with Atlanta‚ tying the ML record set by Joe Cronin on June 17‚ 1943. Expo pinch hitter Jim Lyttle also adds a homer. Montreal outslugs Atlanta‚ 11-7 in game 1‚ and the Braves return the favor‚ 15-6 in game 2.

Bobby Murcer hits 3 HRs‚ all off starter Gene Garber‚ and knocks in all the runs in the Yankees’ 5-0 win over the Royals. Mel Stottlemyre scatters 6 hits in racking up his 39th shut out.

Jack Billingham outduels Tom Seaver to give the Reds a 2-1 win over the Mets. Billingham allows just 2 hits in winning his 13th‚ the victory coming on Friday‚ the 13th.
July 14Lefthander Al Downing of the Dodgers beats the Cubs, 7-3, and records the first 7 outs on strikeouts. He K’s 9 overall. Downing will surrender Hank Aaron’s 715th career home run the following season.
July 15Before 41‚411 in Detroit‚ Angel ace Nolan Ryan hurls his 2nd no-hitter of the season in taming the Tigers 6-0. Ryan fans 17 batters-the most ever in a 9-inning no-hitter-including 8 straight‚ but only one over the last two innings. Nolan’s arm stiffens while watching his team rally for 5 runs in the top of the 8th. With 2 outs in the 9th‚ Norm Cash‚ who had struck out his 3 other times at bat‚ comes to bat wielding a piano leg. Umpire Ron Luciano points out the illegality and Cash then pops out using a regulation bat. Ryan’s 8 in a row ties the AL record he set last year.

The Twins connect for 3 consecutive home runs in the 8th against Cleveland‚ and all are needed in the 7-6 win. George Mitterwald‚ Joe Lis‚ and Jim Holt homer‚ all off Gaylord Perry.
July 20Chicago’s Wilbur Wood starts and loses both games of a doubleheader with the Yankees 12-2 and 7-0.
July 21Atlanta Brave Hank Aaron hits a Ken Brett fastball into the left-CF stands for a 2-run HR during an 8-4 loss to the Phillies. It is career HR 700 for Aaron‚ only the 2nd player to reach that milestone.
July 22Reds All-Star SS Dave Concepcion suffers a season-ending broken ankle in a 6-0 win over the Expos.

Helped by 7 Atlanta errors‚ Jim Lonborg and the Phillies win‚ 5-1. The Braves club record is 11 errors‚ set on June 11‚ 1906 as the Boston Braves.
July 24The NL wins the All-Star Game at Kansas City 7-1. A record 54 players are used‚ including Willie Mays‚ who strikes out in his final All-Star appearance‚ and Catfish Hunter‚ who sustains a fractured thumb that will sideline him for 4 weeks. The A’s ace has a 15-3 record at the time.
July 26In the first of 2 at Riverfront Stadium‚ the Reds beat the Braves‚ 5-3. Despite a homer and 4 singles by Pete Rose in the nitecap‚ the Reds lose 6-4.
July 27Thurman Munson singles home the winner in the bottom of the 12th to give the Yankees a 1-0 win over the Brewers starter Jim Colburn.

In the first game of a twinbill‚ Cleveland’s George Hendrick singles in the 8th to stop Jim Palmer‘s no-hit bid. Palmer and the O’s coast to a 9-0 win. The Tribe takes the nitecap‚ 5-2‚ with Bob Reynolds getting the W.

The Reds wallop the Braves‚ 12-2‚ as Johnny Bench drives home six runs with a pair of homers. Joe Morgan has no hits but scores 4 runs.
July 28Tony Perez makes his 4th hit of the game a good one‚ homering in the 10th to beat the Padres‚ 2-1. Don Gullett‚ in relief of Tom Hall‚ is the winner over Randy Jones.

The Kansas City Royals blow out the Oakland A’s‚ 19-8‚ with Aurelio Monteagudo picking up the win. A defensive moment is provided by A’s CF Billy North‚ who makes an unassisted DP.
July 29Wilbur Wood wins his 20th game of the season as the White Sox beat the Twins 8-6.
July 30The Rangers Jim Bibby no-hits first-place Oakland 6-0‚ while teammate Jeff Burroughs hits the 2nd of 3 grand slams in a 10-day period (July 26th-August 4th). Bibby‚ who came to Texas in a June 6th trade with the Cardinals‚ strikes out 13 batters.
July 31The Tigers win a pair from the Brewers 6-5 and 9-4 and end Dave May‘s AL season-best hitting streak at 24 games.

The Reds sweep a pair from the Braves‚ winning 9-5 in the opener‚ then scoring 5 runs in the 9th to take the nitecap‚ 13-11. Joe Morgan totals 3 homers and 7 RBIs for the afternoon. The Reds set a club record with 24 wins in the month of July.

August

August 1Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk brawl at Fenway. With the score 2-2 in the top of the 9th‚ Munson‚ attempting to score from 3rd on a missed bunt by Gene Michael‚ crashes into Fisk and they both come up swinging. Boston wins 3-2 in the bottom of the inning to push New York into 2nd place, .004 behind the Orioles.

In the hot N.L. East Division race, first place Cardinals (58-48) take a pair from Montreal, winning 9-3 behind Rick Wise in the opener. Wise hits a 3-run homer. Reggie Cleveland wins the nitecap, 2-0. The second-place NL-East Cubs lose, 2-0, to Wayne Twitchell and the Phillies. The Mets (46-57) remain in last place in the NL-East despite a pair of wins over third place Pittsburgh. Tom Seaver strikes out 11 and the Mets win the opener, 3-0. George Stone goes 8 2/3 innings to win the nitecap, 5-2. John Milner chips in with a pair of homers.

The Chicago White Sox fall 4-2 to Kansas City as Royals righthander Steve Busby picks off Pat Kelly in the 8th. Kelly is on 1B when Busby fakes a pickoff on the runner on 3B and whirls and fires to 1B to catch Kelly. Busby has done this move several times this season including once on national television.
August 2The Reds score 9 in the 4th and roll by the Braves‚ 17-2‚ in Atlanta.
August 3The Braves edge the Padres‚ 5-4‚ despite a pinch home run by Dave Winfield. Big Dave’s next pinch homer will come on September 29‚ 1990.
August 4John Briggs of the Brewers goes 6-for-6 in a 9-4 win over the Indians. Jim Colburn (14-7) is the winner.

In an outstanding relief performance‚ Yankee Lindy McDaniel comes to the rescue of Fritz Peterson‚ who exits with a muscle pull in the 2nd inning‚‚ and allows just one run in 13 innings to earn a 3-2 victory over the Tigers. Horace Clarke‘s HR is the game winner.
August 5Braves knuckleballer Phil Niekro no-hits the Padres 9-0 and improves his record to 11-4. He walks 3 and strikes out 4 in recording the 1st no-hitter by the franchise in Atlanta. Ralph Garr has 3 hits‚ 3 runs‚ and a steal‚ and Paul Casanova records an inside-the-park homer on a long fly ball missed by LF Gene Locklear.
August 6Roberto Clemente and Warren Spahn head the list of new inductees at Cooperstown. Clemente is the first Latin-born player to achieve membership at Cooperstown. The plaque for Spahn‚ the winningest lefty of all time‚ will credit him with 2853 strikeouts; the correct total is 2583. The incorrect plaque will stay up for decades. The Rangers beat the Pirates in the Hall of Fame game 6-4.

In Milwaukee‚ an exhibition game between the Brewers and the Atlanta Braves draws 33‚337. The Brewers win‚ 7-5 in the 4th and last exhibition between the two teams. But the big thrill is provided by Hank Aaron‚ who homers.
August 7In Cincinnati‚ Don Gullett pitches a 2-hitter to beat the Cubs‚ 1-0. The only run is a HR by Joe Morgan.

Two days after Phil Niekro‘s no-hitter‚ the Braves purchase Joe Niekro‚ Phil’s pitching brother‚ from the Tigers.
August 8Boston DH Orlando Cepeda ties the ML record with 4 doubles in a 9-4 triumph over Kansas City. Luis Tiant is the winning pitcher.

Against Texas‚ Yankee starter Fritz Peterson injures himself fielding a bunt single by leadoff hitter Dave Nelson and he is replaced by Fred Beane. Beane pitches 9 innings‚ allowing 4 hits and winning‚ 3-2 on Gene Michaels 2-out single in the 9th off starter Jim Merritt.
August 11White Sox rookie Brian Downing cracks his first major league hit‚ a home run off Detroit’s Mickey Lolich. Downing’s debut dinger is a first in the majors since at least 1945-an inside the park homer. It’ll be matched in two years by the Giants Johnny LeMaster‚ who will do it in his first at bat.
August 12The A’s‚ 6 runs behind in the 7th inning‚ rally to beat the Yankees 13-12 and move to within one game of the first-place Royals in the AL West.
August 13Roy White homers from both sides of the plate as the Yankees top the Angels‚ 6-0.
August 14Don Baylor is 5-for-5 to lead the Orioles to a 1210 win over Texas. Baylor has nine hits in his last two games.
August 15In Pittsburgh‚ Reds ace Jack Billingham wins‚ 1-0‚ notching his 7th shutout of the year. This ties the club record set by Hod Eller back in 1919.
August 17Willie Mays hits the 660th-and last-HR of his ML career off Don Gullett of Cincinnati‚ but the Reds win‚ 2-1 in 10 innings at Shea. Hal King‘s pinch homer‚ his 3rd pinch dinger of the year‚ in the 10th wins it.
August 19Behind P Jim Rooker‚ the Pirates top San Francisco 5-0 to move 2 games out of 1st in the NL East. Rooker also leads the way hitting 3-for-3 .
August 20In New York‚ the Reds score 5 runs in the 16th to beat the Mets‚ 8-3. Each team scores in the 13th.
August 21Cleveland’s Walt Williams singles with 2 outs in the 9th‚ breaking up Stan Bahnsen‘s no-hitter. Bahnsen completes the one-hit shutout and the White Sox win‚ 4-0.

Rick Wise hits the 2nd grand slam off his career‚ off Roric Harrison‚ as the Cards score 7 runs in the 3rd inning. But the Braves score six runs in the 6th to win‚ 11-7.
August 25Dan Driessen drives in 5 runs to pace the Reds to a 6-4 win over the visiting Cardinals. Ken Griffey debuts in the ML with a pair of hits.
August 26In a 10-1 win over the Royals‚ Oriole Paul Blair hits an inside-the-park grand slam off Paul Splittorff. Amos Otis and Steve Hovley collide in midair while chasing Blair’s ball to help the O’s win their 13th straight.
August 27The 1st-place Orioles beat the Rangers 6-1 for their 14th consecutive victory. It is the longest winning streak in the AL since 1960‚ and in the major leagues since 1965. The streak began on August 12.
August 29Thurman Munson gets a tainted first-inning hit as a pop ?y drops between 2 Angels infielders calling for it. It turns out to be the only hit allowed by Nolan Ryan as he beats the Yankees‚ 5-0.

The Reds trade Jim McGlothlin to the White Sox for Steve Kealey. Kealey will do no pitching for the Reds‚ while McGlothlin will have just one decision in his last ML season.
August 30After a 10-inning 1-0 loss to Cardinals‚ the last-place Mets drop to 61-71. They’ll finish at 82-79 and make it to first place in the NL East.

September

September 1In San Diego‚ Johnny Bench belts a 2-run homer in the 9th as the Reds edge the Padres‚ 3-2.
September 2Montreal’s Hal Breeden gets 2 triples and 2 HRs in a 12-0 win over Philadelphia.

The Tigers fire Billy Martin due to continuous differences with the front office.
September 6The Yankees bid adieu to the Alous‚ selling Felipe to Montreal and Matty to St. Louis.

The Pirates fire manager Bill Virdon. Danny Murtaugh takes over the club for the 4th and final time.
September 7The Rangers fire manager Whitey Herzog. Recently fired Billy Martin takes over the following day.

The 4th place Mets sweep a pair from the host Expos to move a half game behind Montreal. New York takes the opener as Wayne Garrett‘s leadoff homer is the only score of the game. His roundtripper off Steve Renko gives Jon Matlack the only run he needs. Tug McGraw picks up a save in game 1 and a win in game 2 with 5 1/3 innings of relief. New York scores 3 runs in the 15th to win‚ 4-2. McGraw drives in his only 2 runs this year with a single. Mike Marshall pitches 8 1/3 innings of relief‚ only to lose.
September 10Against the Giants‚ Hank Aaron connects for his 37th homer (career #710) in the 3rd inning‚ and then is lifted in the 4th when he doesn’t feel well. Infielder Marty Perez pinch hits for Aaron. Davey Johnson adds his 40th homer of the year.

The Brewers reach 70 wins for the first time in franchise history‚ besting the Tigers. Jim Colborn goes all the way for his 19th win and Dave May hits his 25th HR of the year.
September 11Samuel Ewing sets an unenviable record by striking out 4 times in his first ML game‚ as the White Sox are throttled by Nolan Ryan and the Angels 3-1.

The Reds whip the visiting Dodgers‚ 6-3‚ as Ed Armbrister hits a bases loaded double in the 8th inning to drive in 3 runs. Ken Griffey’s 3-run homer in the 4th off Don Sutton starts the Reds scoring. The Reds push their lead to 4 games over LA in the NL West.
September 12Pitcher Jack Billingham hits a bases-loaded double to help his cause as the Reds beat the Dodgers‚ 7-3.
September 13During an 8-6 win over the Padres‚ the Giants Tito Fuentes ties a ML record by being hit by pitches 3 times.
September 14In Cincinnati‚ the Reds score three runs in the 9th to trip the Braves‚ 7-6. Bobby Tolan drives in the winner after Phil Gagliano drives in 2 runs with a 2-out single.
September 17The Pirates wallop the Mets 10-3 to lead the NL East by 1 1/2 games. Willie Stargell collects 4 extra base hits including his 40th HR of the season.
September 19The Angels down the Rangers 6-2 and 9-4 at Arlington Stadium. Frank Robinson homers in the 32nd different park of his ML career-a record.

Chicago’s Ron Santo and Billy Williams celebrate their long association together by each hitting their 20th homer of the season in an 8-6 win over Montreal. It is number 325 for Santo and 376 for Williams in more than 2‚000 games together.

In San Francisco‚ Fred Norman pitches a 2-hitter as the Reds beat the Giants‚ 5-1.
September 20The Pirates lose 4-3 in 13 innings in New York and their lead over the Mets is cut to one-half game. A Wayne Garrett relay from Cleon Jones nails Richie Zisk at the plate in the top of the last inning.

A’s speedster Bill North trips over 1B in a 5-4 loss to the Twins‚ severely spraining his right ankle and costing him both the AL SB crown and a chance to play in the WS. The Twins are 14-4 against Oakland this year‚ tying the AL record of the 1909 A’s for most wins against a pennant winner.
September 21Jim Rice’s 3-run HR is the key blow as Pawtucket (International League) defeats Tulsa (American Association) 5-2 to win the Junior WS.

The Mets complete an amazing climb from last place to first‚ as a 10-2 win over the Pirates raises their record to a modest 77-77. They will finish 82-79‚ 11?2 games ahead of St. Louis‚ and 21?2 ahead of Pittsburgh.

At Los Angeles‚ Tony Perez has 5 hits to lead the Reds to a 4-1 win over the Dodgers. Tony’s last hit is a 3-run homer in the 10th.
September 22Al Bumbry ties the ML record with 3 triples as the Orioles beat the Brewers 7-1 and clinch the AL East title.
September 24Montreal sweeps a doubleheader from the 1st place Pirates‚ winning 5-4 and 3-0. Pittsburgh is now a half game ahead of the Mets in the NL East.

The Reds clinch another NL West crown‚ beating the Padres‚ 2-1‚ in Cincinnati. Dick Barney‚ making his 2nd ML start‚ is the winner.
September 25The Mets beat the Expos 2-1 on Willie Mays Night at Shea Stadium. “The ‘Say Hey’ Kid” had announced his retirement 5 days earlier.
September 26The Twins Bert Blyleven posts his 2nd one-hitter of the season‚ beating the A’s 4-1. Mangual’s single in the 5th is the only hit.

In front of a home crowd of 4‚804‚ Jim Colborn wins his 20th for the Brewers‚ defeating the Yankees‚ 5-2. George Scott chips in with 2 RBIs‚ giving him 100 for the year. Colborn is the Brewers first 20-game winner and the first in Milwaukee since Tony Cloninger did it for the Braves in 1965.

A $1 million law suit against the Dodgers brought by the parents of a young fan who was struck and killed by a foul ball in a 1970 game is dismissed. Alan Fish’s parents initially sued the attending doctor and 2 hospitals‚ but the latter were dismissed early. As noted by Bob Timmerman‚ a jury returned a verdict in favor of the Dodgers and Dr. Jones.
September 27The Angels Nolan Ryan fans 16 in 11 innings‚ beating the Twins 5-4. The final strikeout victim‚ Rich Reese‚ is 383 of the season for Ryan‚ enabling him to surpass the ML record set by Sandy Koufax in 1965. Ryan opts to skip his next start on the 30th‚ thus passing on a shot at 400 K’s.

After a series of incidents‚ the Reds suspend OF Bobby Tolan for insubordination. Tolan was in several scuffles with club personnel‚ went AWOL for 2 days in August‚ and began growing a beard‚ a no no with the Reds. Tolan‚ hitting .206‚ will be traded in November.
September 29In the Red Sox 9-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers‚ Bobby Mitchell crushes a home run out of Fenway to right of flagpole. This is just the 5th homer hit out there (Green Cathedrals). Lefty Roger Moret wins his 13th against just 2 losses.

The Angels’ Bill Singer pitches an 11-inning 4-3 win over the Twins for his 20th victory of the year. Singer now has had 20-win seasons in both leagues‚ having also posted that with the Dodgers.
September 30Going into today‚ a five-way tie is still possible in the NL between Montreal‚ Pittsburgh. New York‚ St. Louis and Chicago. In the first of two‚ Chicago wins 1-0 over the Mets behind Bob Locker 2-inning relief effort‚ then is eliminated when New York wins game 2 by a 9-2 score. Jerry Koosman tops Fergie Jenkins. The two teams will play a make-up doubleheader tomorrow.

Pittsburgh eliminates the Expos‚ 10-2‚ behind a complete game effort by Jim Rooker. The Bucs play a makeup game tomorrow with the Padres.

Ron Bryant wins his 24th and the visiting Giants beat the Reds‚ 4-3. Bobby Bonds has 3 hits and 3 RBI. Tony Perez hits a two-out homer in the 7th to break up Bryant’s no-hit bid. The Reds draw 50‚776 to go over the 2 million mark in attendance for the first time in team history.

Following an 8-5 loss to the Tigers‚ Yankees manager Ralph Houk announces his retirement. New York City begins a $27.9 million renovation on Yankee Stadium.

The Red Sox fire manager Eddie Kasko and promote Darrell Johnson.

Angel Ron Perranoski announces his retirement after 13 years as one of the premier relief pitchers in the major leagues.

October

October 1In a makeup game in Pittsburgh‚ the Padres top the Bucs 4-3. The loss leaves the Pirates in 3rd place‚ 2 1/2 games behind the champion Mets‚ 6-4 winners today over the host Cubs. Tom Seaver scatters 11 hits in 7 innings for his 19th win. With the win cementing first place for New York‚ the second game is skipped.
October 6Jim Palmer fans 12 in shutting out the A’s 6-0 in the opening game of the AL Championship Series. Meanwhile‚ Tom Seaver fans 13 and takes a 1-0 lead into the 8th inning of the NL opener‚ only to be beaten by HRs by Pete Rose and Johnny Bench. The Reds top the Mets 2-1.
October 7Jon Matlack gives up 2 hits to Andy Kosco‚ but none to the rest of the Reds‚ as the Mets even the series with a 5-0 win.

The A’s‚ led by 2 Sal Bando HRs‚ even the AL series with a 6-3 triumph over the Orioles.
October 8Rusty Staub homers in the first and 2nd innings as the Mets crush the Reds 9-2‚ in a game featuring a bench-clearing brawl between Rose and Bud Harrelson. Rain postpones the AL game.
October 9The Reds beat the Mets 2-1 on a 12th-inning HR by Rose to even the Series 2-2.

Bert Campaneris leads off the 11th with a HR to give Oakland a 2-1 win over Mike Cuellar and the Orioles.
October 10Bobby Grich’s 8th-inning HR gives Baltimore a come-from-behind 5-4 victory in game 4.

Tom Seaver hurls the Mets into the Series with a 7-2 victory over the Reds. New York has 13 hits in the contest.
October 11Catfish Hunter throws a 5-hitter as Oakland wins 3-0 to take the AL flag.

Ralph Houk signs a 3-year contract to manage the Detroit Tigers. He had resigned from the Yankees 11 days earlier.
October 13In the WS opener‚ the Mets hold the A’s to 4 hits‚ but 3 come in the 2-run 3rd inning‚ allowing the A’s to win 2-1.
October 14The Mets win game 2‚ 10-7‚ scoring 4 runs in an 11th inning featuring the last ML hit by Willie Mays and 2 errors by Oakland 2B Mike Andrews. Andrews is subsequently put on the “disabled list” by Finley.
October 16The A’s win game 3 of the WS 3-2 in 11 innings as Bert Campaneris gets the winning RBI. In a private clubhouse meeting‚ Dick Williams tells A’s players he will resign after the Series.
October 17The Mets even the Series with a 6-1 win in New York. Rusty Staub goes 4-for-4 with a HR and 5 RBI.
October 18The Mets win the 5th game 2-0 behind the 3-hit pitching of Jerry Koosman and Tug McGraw. Cleon Jones doubles in a run in the second and Don Hahn‘s triple scores the other run.
October 20Reggie Jackson hits 2 doubles‚ scores one run‚ and knocks in the other 2‚ as the A’s even the Series with a 3-1 win.
October 21Oakland wins the World Championship for the 2nd straight year as Campaneris and MVP Jackson homer in the 5-2‚ 7th-game victory.
October 22The Angels and Brewers engineer a 10-player swap featuring P Clyde Wright and OF Ken Berry going to Milwaukee‚ and P Skip Lockwood‚ C Ellie Rodriguez‚ and OF Ollie Brown heading to California.
October 23Charlie Finley reveals that he will not release Dick Williams from his contract unless he receives adequate compensation from the team that signs him. Williams had resigned following the WS victory 2 days earlier.

The Tigers trade 2B Dick McAuliffe to the Red Sox for OF Ben Oglivie.
October 25The Cubs trade 6-time 20-game winner Ferguson Jenkins to the Rangers for 3B Bill Madlock and utility man Vic Harris. Fergie has led the Cubs in wins in each of the past seven seasons‚ the only pitcher ever to do so and then be traded. Meanwhile‚ the Giants trade 3-time HR champion Willie McCovey‚ a Giant since 1959‚ together with a minor leaguer‚ to the Padres for P Mike Caldwell.
October 26The Red Sox trade P Ken Tatum and OF Reggie Smith to the Cardinals for P Rick Wise and OF Bernie Carbo.
October 31The Astros trade P Jerry Reuss to the Pirates for C Milt May. Reuss will finally put it all together in Pittsburgh and win 58 games in 4 seasons.

Tom Seaver wins the NL Cy Young Award‚ the first time the honor has gone to a player with fewer than 20 wins. Seaver was 19-10 and led the league in ERA (2.08) and strikeouts (251).

November

November 7The Cubs trade 2B Glenn Beckert and a minor league player to the Padres for OF Jerry Morales.
November 9The Reds trade Bobby Tolan and Dave Tomlin to the Padres for P Clay Kirby. All 3 will have decent years with their new teams.
November 14Reggie Jackson wins the AL MVP Award unanimously. The Oakland star led the league in runs (99)‚ HRs (32)‚ RBI (117)‚ and slugging (.531). Jim Palmer is named the AL Cy Young winner‚ beating out Nolan Ryan and Catfish Hunter. Wilbur Wood garners just 3 votes despite winning 24 games for the 2nd year in a row‚ and starting 48 games‚ the 4th highest total this century. He started 49 last year.
November 21Pete Rose wins the NL MVP in a controversial vote‚ edging out Willie Stargell. Rose led the league with 230 hits and won his 3rd batting crown with a .338 mark. Stargell led with 44 HRs‚ 119 RBI‚ and a .646 slugging average while batting .299.
November 24Bob Gibson wins the last of 9 Gold Glove on the mound‚ and Joe Morgan wins the first of 5 at 2B.
November 27Gary Matthews outpolls 8 other vote-getters‚ receiving 11 of 24 nominations for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The Giants OF batted .300 in 145 games.
November 28Orioles OF Al Bumbry beats out 5 other vote-getters to win AL Rookie of the Year honors. The OF played just 110 games‚ but tied for the league lead in triples (11) and batted .337.

December

December 4The Reds trade P Ross Grimsley to the Orioles for OF Merv Rettenmund and INF Junior Kennedy. Grimsley will win 18 in 1974 for the Orioles.
December 5Ron Santo becomes the first player to invoke the new 10 and 5 rule. The Cubs want to trade Santo to the Angels for 2 pitchers‚ but he vetoes the deal.

The Dodgers trade OF Willie Davis to the Expos for relief P Mike Marshall. Marshall will win the Cy Young Award for the Dodgers in 1974.
December 6The Astros trade OF Jimmy Wynn to the Dodgers for P Claude Osteen and Dave Culpepper.
December 7A controversial trade for Kansas City: they get veteran P Lindy McDaniel from the Yankees for OF Lou Piniella and P Ken Wright.

In a continuing housecleaning of hometown heroes‚ the Giants sell future Hall of Famer Juan Marichal to the Red Sox.
December 11The Cubs come up with a team; Ron Santo will agree to be traded to the southside rivals the White Sox for P Steve Stone and 3 other players.

In a motel in the Dominican Republic‚ Cesar Cedeno is with a girl friend when she takes his gun and accidentally shoots and kills herself. After the gunshot‚ Cedeno calls the police and says that a woman has been killed. Then he flees the scene before turning himself in to the police 8 hours later. Cedeno is charged with voluntary manslaughter‚ and spends 20 days in jail before the charges are reduced to involuntary manslaughter and he is released. He will be found guilty of the latter‚ fined‚ but spend no more time in jail.
December 18The Yankees announce the signing of Dick Williams as manager‚ precipitating a legal showdown with Charlie Finley. Two days later‚ AL president Joe Cronin rules that the Yankees cannot sign Williams.