Revisiting the 1973 World Series - Mets vs. A's

The Sports Time Traveler and Ted Kubiak of the 1973 Oakland A's are guests on the Real Voices of the Game Podcast

Last week I had the honor of a guest spot on the Real Voices of the Game Podcast hosted by Dave Dagostino. Dave’s podcast has over 100,000 subscribers. His regular guest hosts include Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Kaat.

Dave invited me on to discuss my new book, “The 1973 Mets - You’ve Got to Believe.”

I was joined on the show by former Oakland A’s player Ted Kubiak. Ted and I have become good friends over the past couple of years and he wrote a fantastic foreword for the book.

Ted played on all three of the Oakland A’s back-to-back-to-back World Series championship teams from 1972 - 1974 as a switch hitting utility infielder.

Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa once said about Ted, “I always thought Kubiak was the most valuable player on that team because he could fill in for Dick Green at second or Campy Campaneris at short or Sal Bando at third and the team would go on winning.”

You can listen to the entire podcast at this link:

The Sports Time Traveler and Ted Kubiak on the Real Voices of the Game Podcast

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PODCAST

It was a special experience being on this podcast with Ted. It was the first time we had ever been interviewed together. And it gave us a chance explore some of the key plays in the 1973 World Series.

Ted is incredible. At age 82, he can recall specific details of individual plays from the World Series 52 years ago.

The highlights of the podcast are as follows:

Ted Scores the Winning Run in Game 3 in the 11th inning

Ted discusses how he leveraged his coaches training when he was a kid, about being aware of all the positions of the outfielders when you’re on base, so that you don’t have to waste valuable time looking backwards when a ball is hit out of the infield. When Bert Campaneris hit a liner to short left while Ted was on 2nd base, Ted didn’t have to wait and look to see if an outfielder could get to the ball before could race home. Ted already knew where the outfielders were positioned prior to the pitch, so he knew that where Campaneris hit the ball, he could reach home safely if put his head down and ran as hard as he could.

I contend that Ted’s heads up play to score from 2nd not only won the game, it saved the World Series for the A’s. If Ted had not scored and the game continued on to the 12th inning, the Mets had the big advantage as they were playing at home, the night was getting bitter cold, and the A’s had already used up most of their players. If the Mets had won the game they would have led the series 2 games to 1.

In games 4 and 5 Mets’ starting pitchers Jon Matlack and Jerry Koosman gave up NO earned runs, leading to 2 Mets victories. That could have closed out the series with the Mets winning 4 games to 1. Instead, the Mets led 3 games to 2 and had to go back to Oakland.

Willie Mays Passionate Plea

Game 2 of the World Series featured an iconic moment as Willie Mays dropped to his knees and begged the umpire to over turn his call at the plate on Bud Harrelson who was out trying to score the go ahead run in the 10th inning.

Video replays show that A’s catcher Ray Fosse clearly missed the tag. Mays, as the on deck batter, had rushed in and had the best view of the play. But no amount of pleading was going to get the umpire to change the call and the game continued on with the score tied.

The image of the legendary Mays looking up at the umpire from his kneeling position, arms raised high in the air as he valiantly tries to make his case for the team, has become one one of the great photos in sports history.

Willie Mays Final Hit

Game 2 also marked the final hit in the legendary career of Willie Mays. And it was a big one.

2 innings after Mays unsuccessfully tried to get the umpire to over turn his call, Mays took the game into his own hands.

Mays punched the go ahead run in the 12th inning that helped the Mets win the game and even the series at 1 game apiece.

It turned out to be the last hit in his 23 year major league career.

The Decision to Pitch Tom Seaver in Game 6

Mets fans have been debating for 52 years the decision by manager Yogi Berra to start Tom Seaver on 3 days rest in game 6. The Mets held a 3 games to 2 lead when Berra sent Seaver to the mound.

The thinking goes that if Yogi had held back Seaver till game 7, and pitched him on 4 days rest, perhaps he would have had the zip on his fastball that he had in game 3 when he struck out 12 A’s in 8 inning including 3 whiffs of Reggie Jackson.

Seaver pitched well in game 6, allowing just 2 runs in 7 innings with 6 K’s, but he didn’t have the same stuff he had in game 3. And Seaver needed to be “Tom Terrific” to win game 6. He needed a shut out, as the Mets only put up 1 run in the game.

In game 7, Yogi sent Jon Matlack to the mound, also on 3 days rest. Matlack, who had not allowed a single earned run in the post season to this point, gave up 2 early home runs, including the 2-run shot by Reggie Jackson that earned him the nickname, “Mr. October.” The Mets found themselves down 5 - 1 going into the 9th inning.

One More Chance for Mays

Ted and I also discuss something that I recently “discovered” regarding the Mets last chance in the 9th inning of game 7.

The Mets were poised to make a miracle rally in the 9th. They scored a run to make it 5 - 2 A’s. The Mets then had 2 runners on base. The tying run was coming to the plate. But they also were down to their last out. The batter up was lefty Wayne Garrett. On the mound for Oakland was lefty reliever Darold Knowles. The A’s had already used their top reliever, the right-handed throwing Rollie Fingers.

Lefty against lefty was not optimal for the Mets.

But they did have righty Willie Mays on the bench.

In a similar situation on July 17th, with the Mets down to their last out in a game in Atlanta, Berra had pinch hit for Wayne Garrett and sent Willie Mays to the plate.

Mays thrived on pressure situations. In that mid-summer game, Mays responded by belting a line drive to right field that scored the tying and go ahead runs and the Mets won the game. It had been a miracle comeback as the Mets had entered the 9th inning down 7 - 1. Mays’ hit put the Mets ahead 8 - 7.

But in game 7 of the World Series, Berra stuck with Wayne Garrett. And left Willie Mays on the bench. Garrett popped up to end the World Series.

As The Sports Time Traveler I go back in time virtually to experience what actually happened, not fantasize about alternate realities or what might have been. But this is one situation in which I really have to wonder - what if Willie Mays had one more at bat?

Needless to say Ted and I both really enjoyed this podcast.

I’d love to hear your feedback.