Baltimore’s Al Bumbry and Rich Coggins hit their first major league homers, slugging them back-to-back off the Athletics’ Catfish Hunter. The A’s still win, 4 – 3.
On a rainy night at Shea Stadium, the seventh-inning line drive off the bat of Atlanta’s Marty Perez strikes Jon Matlack’s forehead so hard that the ball ricochets into the Mets dugout. Fortunately, the 23 year-old southpaw sustains only a hairline fracture of his skull, and will return to the mound on May 19 to blank the Bucs for six innings at Pittsburgh.
Ralph Miller, the last living 19th century ballplayer, dies in Cincinnati at 100 years of age. He is the first former major leaguer to become a centenarian.
For the second time in his career, Pirate Willie Stargell poles one out of Dodger Stadium. His blast off Andy Messersmith hits the right field pavilion roof 470 feet away. His first home run, a 506-foot shot, came off Alan Foster on August 5, 1969. No other player has hit a fair ball out of the stadium. Los Angeles wins, 7 – 4.
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.
On May 8, 1973, Chicago Cubs coach Ernie Banks becomes the first African American to manage during a major league game. When Cubs manager Whitey Lockman is ejected in the third inning, Banks takes over the reigns for the rest of the game. With Banks at the helm, the Cubs edge the San Diego Padres,…
1973 – Houston scores four in the 14th to topple the Mets, 9-5. Doug Rader’s two-run double is the big blow in the inning. Cesar Cedeno has four hits, including a home run. Jim Ray is the winning pitcher.
The Giants, one out from defeat, score seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the Pirates at Candlestick Park, 8-7. Three batters after Chris Arnold pinch-hits a two-out grand slam, Bobby Bonds delivers a walk-off three-run double to left field to complete San Francisco’s amazing come-from-behind victory.
1973 – Montreal’s Mike Marshall walks home the tying run in the bottom of the ninth before Tom Walker balks home Cesar Cedeno for a 4-3 Astros win. Bob Watson’s two solo homers plated the other two Houston runs.
April 27, 1973 Kansas City’s 22 year-old starter Steve Busby becomes the 13th rookie to throw a no-hitter, beating Detroit, 3-0, at Tiger Stadium. It is the first ever no-hit game thrown by a Royals pitcher, the first at Tiger Stadium since Virgil Trucks did it in 1952. Busby also becomes the first no-hit game…
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