On March 2, 1973, Arizona State left-hander Eddie Bane pitches a perfect game against Cal State Northridge. The five-foot, nine-inch Bane, who wins a 9-0 decision, Bane will rack up a record of 41-4 in college. He will eventually reach the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins, but will win only seven games in three…
On February 27, 1973, Chicago White Sox first baseman Dick Allen signs the richest contract in baseball history-a three-year deal worth $250,000 per season. Allen won the American League’s MVP Award in 1972 after leading the league in home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage.
players and owners come to terms on a three-year collective bargaining agreement
In a national poll, Phillies’ southpaw Steve Carlton beats out golf legend Jack Nicklaus to win the $15,000 diamond-studded gold buckled Hickok Belt, an award given to the top “Professional Athlete of the Year.” Last season’s National League Cy Young Award winner joins an elite list of previous recipients that includes Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, Jim Brown, Rocky Marciano, and Arnold Palmer.
Monte Irvin is elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues
On January 24, 1973, Warren Spahn is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. Spahn, in his first year of eligibility, is named on 316 out of a possible 380 ballots. Spahn won a total of 363 games during a 21-year major league career.
On January 18, 1973, the Boston Red Sox sign veteran slugger Orlando Cepeda to be their first designated hitter. The Red Sox become the first team to sign a player specifically for the role of DH, a new rule that will go into effect in 1973.
Steve Carlton becomes the highest paid pitcher when he signs a contract with the Phillies for a reported $165,000. The 28 year-old southpaw, last season’s unanimous Cy Young Award winner, will lose a league-leading 20 games this season after posting a 27-10 record in the previous campaign for the last place team.
Houston owner Judge Roy Hofheinz votes along with the rest of the National League to allow the American League to conduct a three-year experiment using the Designated Hitter. It will be the first time since the A.L. was formed in 1901 that the two major leagues would have a different set of rules. The gimmick has survived ever since and is now used by National League teams when involved in interleague play.
1973 – In the January amateur draft, the Philadelphia Phillies select P Dick Ruthven, the Texas Rangers take C Jim Sundberg, and the Chicago Cubs pick P Donnie Moore. The Cincinnati Reds pick Southern Mississippi punter Ray Guy in the third round, but he chooses the NFL instead.
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