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| Chief Noc-a-Homa counsels Hammerin' Hank |
The 1973 Braves started the season slow and never recovered. By the end of May they were 10 games out of first and dropping like a bomb over Hanoi. One thing for sure, these Braves could rake. Check the stats and you'll see that they dominated the league in almost every important offensive category (runs, BA, HR...). For the first time in the history of baseball a team had 3 sluggers smash 40 or more home runs. All time great Hank Aaron hit 40 in just 120 games. No shock there. Up and coming superstar Darrell Evans smashed 41, in a break out season. The real shocker was the 43 homers hit by newly acquired second baseman Davey Johnson. In 7 full seasons with Baltimore as an All-Star Gold Glove 2B Johnson hit a total of 66 homers with a max of 18. No one could have seen this coming and the following season Johnson fell back down to earth hitting just 15. How does a team that dominated the league offensively finish 22 1/2 games back and 9 games under .500. ANSWER: They had the worst pitching staff in the league in regards to ERA. Both Carl Morton (15-10, 3.41) and Phil Niekro (13-10, 3.31) had pretty good seasons, yet their won-loss records were on the average side. Look no further than their putrid bullpen and there is your answer as to why this team never contended. Simply the only excitement that Brave fans had was watching Chief Noc-a-homa exit his Tee-pee to celebrate one of Hammerin' Hank's homers. The real question was: Could Henry tie or over take the Babe and his his 714th and 715th homers before the '73 season ended. Hank wound up coming up 1 short of 714, which would provide a lot of offseason talk in regards to when he would break the record.
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| The Chief exits his Tee-Pee to celebrate a Brave HR |
To complete the 1973 Braves set I had to create 32 new cards. That's an unusually high number of cards needed for this era. Atlanta used 43 players that season. There were many players who were traded to the Braves and either didn't card or were on their previous team, had a horizontal card, had a bad airbrush job or BHNH. In any case, the Braves set took an especially long time to complete. One thing for sure they had one of the best 1970's era uniforms !
The 21 year old Devine was one of the key culprits in the great bullpen heist of '73. With a 2-3, 6.40, 4sv record in 24 games Devine did his share of blowing games and adding to the deficit. For his troubles the 21 year old rookie spent all of 1974 and most of 1975 in AAA. He returned to the the Braves in '76 and compiled a nice season out of the pen then was traded to Texas, who 2 years later traded him back to Atlanta, who then traded him back to Texas. I hope he rented and didn't purchase his dwelling.
Closter was a 30 year old career minor leaguer who got his last chance in the major with the pitching starved Braves. In 4 games he compiled a 14.54 ERA after being acquired from the Yankees mid season. The Braves thought enough of him to assign him to their Richmond AAA affiliate for the next 2 seasons, but no return call to the majors would ever come. Even back then left handers were able to stick around longer than their actual shelf life would have dictated. Closter represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics, where baseball was a demonstration sport. He was signed by the New York Yankees before the beginning of the 1965 season, was drafted from them by the Cleveland Indians before being purchased from them by the Washington Senators before the 1966 season. Closter was severely injured in a collision with Dallas Green, which derailed his career for some time
Atlanta flat out fleeced the Expos when the acquired the 1970 NL ROY in exchange for an over the hill Pat Jarvis. Morton responded by being the ace of the staff. In 38 starts he posted 256 innings with a 15-10, 3.41 record. If the Braves had any sort of pen he might have had a shot to win 20. Morton would spend the next 4 seasons playing for some awful Braves teams. He ate up innings and eventually that caught up to him. By the age of 33 his arm was shot and after a season in OKC (Phillie AAA) where he went 9-12, 3.32 he retired from baseball. Tragically he died of a heart attack while jogging at the age of 39.
To the average baseball fan Chuck Goggin is just some late bloomer who put together a 3 year MLB career as a utility player. In 64 games for the '73 Braves he hit .289 and played just about everywhere. What most people do not know that he was the most decorated Vietnam Veteran to play major league baseball. In short, Goggin is a real hero, not just a cardboard hero. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantryman in 1966 and 1967. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart and served under the famous Marine Col John Ripley. After his brief baseball career he went on to manage in the Mexican League and the Minor Leagues. Sadly he didn't have enough time served in baseball to earn a pension, because the MLBPA decided to give away those rights to pre-1980 ballplayers.
Frisella came over from the pitching rich Mets in exchange for Felix Millan. The Mets, who usually get the bad end of a trade, got the better in this one. Millan hit .290 and played a solid 2B for them. Frisella was 1-2, 4.20 with just 8 saves for Atlanta, blowing 9 save opps. Frisella would never get on track in Atlanta and was sent to San Diego 2 years later. He bounced to STL and then MIL in '76 and had a decent season. Tragically he was killed on New Year's day 1977 in a Dune Buggy accident.
Davey was shipped to the Braves in a huge multi-player deal so the Orioles could make room for emerging star Bobby Grich. To say he posted a career year in 1973 for the Braves is an understatement. Out of thin air he produced 43 homers, which was only 23 less than his career total to that point. By the next year his numbers came back down to earth and in a few years he was headed off to play in Japan. Davey would return from Japan and play a few more years before moving on to managing in the Mets system, where he eventually got promoted to the big club and won the 1986 World Series. Along the way he took 4 separate franchises to the post season. At the age of 70 he retired for the final time as a baseball manager.
Dietz had some nice years with the Giants in the late 60's and early 70's. Atlanta would be his final stop as a backup to Johnny Oates. In his final season Dietz hit .295 in 83 games and was released by Atlanta. No team picked him up in 1974, so his career was over. Many speculate that his role as a player rep during the 1972 strike got him somewhat blackballed from the game.
Eddie Mathews was a true HOF player and the only man to play for the Braves in all 3 cities that the franchise called home (Boston, Milwaukee & Atlanta). Unfortunately Eddie's managerial skills were not equal to his playing skills. In parts of 3 seasons as the Braves skipper the team languished in mediocrity. Midway through the '74 season with the team slumping the Braves fired him as manager. Stars Darrell Evans and Hank Aaron were upset by the move considering the team was 50-49 at that point. Ownership made the right move as the team went 38-25 down the stretch under Clyde King.
In 74 games Tepedino hit .304 with 4 homers for Atlanta. In the same exact role the folling season he hit almost 70 points lower. The Braves ssent him down to Richmond (AAA) where he hit powerless .270 and was subsequently released. After leaving baseball he became a member of FDNY, where he served with distinction. He and 3 others on their day off drove to Ground Zero on 9/11 but arrived just at the time that the towers collapsed. He has given many speeches to youngsters about that day and about the evils of alcohol, since he is a recovering alcoholic.
Velazquez, who last saw major league action (6 games) as a member of the '69 Pilots, hit .348 in 15 games as the Braves 3rd string catcher. At 35 Velazquez knew his chances were fleeting, but still spent the next 3 seasons in the minors hoping to pursue his dreams. After 14 minor leadue seasons, dating back to 1964, Freddie retired at the age of 38 after hitting .228 for the Braves AA team in Savannah. As you can tell this card was a very poor airbrush job done my yours truly. It looks just as good as any of the 1973 airbrush cards, but I was hoping to find a real Braves photo to use.
26 year old Gary Gentry could throw a ball through a wall. He will always be remembered as a key contributor on the 1969 Amazin' Mets staff. By 1973 his arm was falling off. In just 14 starts he pitched 86+ innings and compiled a 4-6, 3.43 record. He would try to pitch during the next two seasons, but his arm just wasn't right. By the age of 28 his career was over.
The Braves traded him to the Phillies as part of a four-player deal; he pitched nine times for Philadelphia before his release in June 1973. Atlanta signed him, and in his last Major League season he posted a 2–1 record and 7.17 ERA in 17 games. Neibauer spent the 1974 season with Richmond, winning seven of ten decisions and recording a 4.26 ERA. Following his playing career, Neibauer became a mortgage broker, after a stint as a Texas Rangers scout.[4] He later joined a committee of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, helping to increase the number of former players who receive pensions
Pierce played in parts of three seasons in the majors from 1973 until 1975 for the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. He also played for the Nankai Hawks in Japan in 1977. However, Pierce is better known for his exploits in minor league baseball. As of 1998, he ranked 9th all-time in minor league home runs with 395. In just 18 AB's he posted 4 hits and no homers for an .051 avg for the '73 Braves. He was a 2001 inductee in the Mexican Baseball HOF.
Jim Panther (2-3, 7.63) was nother one of the Braves bad bullpen boys. His AAA numbers weren't all that much better, so he was released at season's end.
22 year old lefthander Jimmy Freeman was 0-2, 7.71 ERA in 13 games for the Braves in 1973. In 2 major league seasons he compiled an abysmal 2-4, 6.87 career stat line. From 1974-1976 he would play in the Braves, Orioles and Cardinals minor league chains producing below average results (46-49, 4.14). After the '76 season he was given his release by Baltimore. Freeman came up in June 1973 as a starting pitcher, however after pitching poorly in both of his first two starts, he was moved into the bullpen. He earned his only career save against the New York Mets on July 16. After one final start on July 31, in which he gave up five earned runs in 3.1 innings of work, he was returned to the Richmond Braves
As a lefty reliever Hoerner was able to carve out a respectable 14 year major league career. All 493 of his appearances were in relief. In the mid to late 60's he was the primary closer for 2 pennant winning Cardinal teams. By 1973 he was a 36 year old journeyman bouncing around from team to team. in just 20 games his 2-2, 6.39 record helped to contribute to the Braves bullpen woes.
Phil's little brother Joe bounced around from team to team hoping to find a home in Atlanta. In his 2 seasons at Fulton-County Stadium he compiled a 5-6, 3.76 record, while pitching in his HOF brother's shadow. Don't cry for Joe, because he would eventually go to Houston and discover success and the emery board. In total he would float the knuckler for 22 season for a 221-204, 3.59 lifetime record. Sadly he passed away at the age of 61 of a brain aneurysm.
On May 19th 1973 the Cubs tired of Joe's act and shipped him off to the Braves for Andre Thornton. Joe didn't lasted barely a month in Atlanta and was given his release on June 13th. In just 3 games with the Braves he was 4-11 (.364). At the age of 32 his hard partying lifestyle got the best of him and his major league career was over. Pepi would wind up in Japan where he hit just .163 in 14 games. He attempted a comeback in Hawaii in 1976 and was released after hitting just .222 in 13 games. The photo used for this card was taken during his time in Chicago. The only photo I found of him during his brief stint in Atlanta was a grainy B&W pictures.
Oates arrived in Atlanta as part of the Earl Williams trade. He spent the next two seasons platooning behind the plate and performing adequately. He would spend the next 8 seasons in the majors in various back up roles for contending Dodger and Yankee teams. In 1982 the Yankees assigned him to AA Nashville as the team's rookie manager. He paid his dues and eventually managed the Orioles for 4 years and the Rangers for 6, where he won 3 straight division titles. At the age of 58 Oates succumbed to brain cancer. To honor him his good friend Buck Showalter wore his #26 as the O's manager in 2010. He was elected to the O's HOF on 8/7/2010.
Howard came on the major league season with a splash hitting .307 for the Astros in 1970. After that it was all downhill. By 1973 he was released by the Astros after hitting just .167 in 20 games. The Braves gave him his final shot where he hit .125 in 10 AB's and was farmed out to Richmond (AAA). After 3 below average AAA season he was released at the age of 31 in 1976.
Having been used all over the infield in the minors. Blanks played second base primarily in 1972. He ended his first month in the majors with a .415 batting average, but cooled off to .329 by the end of the season. During the off-season, regular second baseman Félix Millán was dealt to the New York Mets, seemingly opening the door for Blanks to inherit the second base job until the Braves acquired Davey Johnson from the Baltimore Orioles four weeks later. Instead, Blanks spent the first two months of the 1973 season as a pinch hitter and pinch runner for Atlanta before being demoted to the triple A Richmond Braves at the end of May. Blanks batted .261 with twenty home runs and 82 runs batted in over two seasons at Richmond before receiving a call back up to the majors in September 1974.
Foster had one of the more unfortunate debuts in Major League history, when playing his first game for the Braves against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium on July 9, 1971. Fielding at shortstop, he commits an error on the first ball hit to him. After flying out in the 3rd inning, Foster hits into a double play in the 5th inning, followed by hitting into a triple play in the 7th inning. Foster hit .167 in just 6 AB's in 3 games for the '73 Braves. In '74 he was given extensive playing time where he failed miserably (hit .196). He was traded to the Mets where he played 2 seasons in a utility role. In 5 MLB seasons he hit .198.
In a six-season MLB career, León posted a 14–18 record with 170 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA in 162 appearances, including 13 starts, two complete games, one shutout, 13 saves, and 310.1 innings of work. León had an extensive career in the Mexican League, playing for the Charros de Jalisco, Alacranes de Durango, Piratas de Campeche, Diablos Rojos del México, Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo, Tabasco, Leones de Yucatán and Rieleros de Aguascalientes in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, and the Naranjeros de Hermosillo and Tomateros de Culiacán in the Mexican Pacific League. He was elected to the Mexican Baseball of Fame in 1997. For the '73 Braves he was 2-2, 5.33 pitching mainly out of the pen.
Miller, who was best known for his years in Houston during the late 60's / early 70's was barely hanging on by 1973. In limited action (9 games) he hit .374. In 42 games the following season he hit just .171 and was given his outright release. He wound up working in the Astros front office for a while before he settled into a role in Sports Talk radio.
Dobson will be remembered as being one of 4 Orioles pitchers to win 20 games in 1971. Just 2 short years later he went from being a 20 game winner to a guy who was 3-7 with a 4.99 ERA. On June 7th the Braves shipped him off to the Yankees where he didn't fare much better until he had a nice Renaissance season in 1974 (19-15, 3.07). Dobson would pitch 2 more seasons and hang it up in 1977. He was also a key member of the 1968 Detroit Tigers championship team.
Gilbreath was selected by Atlanta in the third round (69th overall) of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft. He progressed through the Braves' farm system and entered the Majors, at age 19, after his promotion from the Double-A Savannah Braves during the midseason of 1972. He divided his next two seasons between Atlanta and the Triple-A Richmond Braves, then played the full seasons of 1975–1978 in Atlanta, exceeding the 100-games played mark during his last three seasons. In 1976 he led the National League with 20 sacrifice hits. Gilbreath retired as an active player after the 1980 minor league baseball season. He then rejoined the Braves as a scout, minor league manager, and player development executive. In 2011, he was still a member of the Braves' organization, working as a member of its professional scouting staff.
After finishing 8-7, 3.87 for the Braves in 1973 Schuler was dealt to the Phillies for Barry Lersch and Craig Robinson, two players who would not help Atlanta in any way shape or form. Schuler would have some modest success in Philly before moving on to Minnesota and Chicago (AL). After retiring from the game as a player he would achieve success as a scout, pitching coach and front office executive.
Harrison was used as both a starter and reliever in Atlanta, compiling an 11–8 record and 4.16 ERA in both roles. He also added two home runs to his career total despite having only three hits all season (the other was a double). Harrison was 20–23 with a 4.45 ERA in his career for Atlanta when he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians during the 1975 season for disgruntled pitcher Blue Moon Odom and a player to be named later. Harrison went 7–7 with a 4.79 ERA in nineteen starts for the Indians in 1975. During Spring training 1976, he was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals for Harry Parker. After one season playing triple A ball for the franchise, he was released. He played minor league ball with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers before seeing major league experience again with the Minnesota Twins in 1978. In nine games, he was 0–1 with a 7.50 ERA.
Best know for catching Hank Aaron's 715th home run in the bullpen, House spent 5 seasons in the Braves pen before moving on to Boston and Seattle before hanging it up after the 1978 season. House was 4-2, 4.68 for the '73 Braves in 52 games out of the pen. In '74 he would have his career best season (6-2, 1.93, 11sv). House has spent his post playing days as a pitching coach/guru. He has also worked with many NFL QB's on their throwing motions. He was also a consultant on the Million Dollar Arm reality show and Disney movie.
Kelley spent the entire 1966 season with Cleveland, but could only manage a 4-8 record with a 4.34 ERA in 31 games, including seven starts. After that, he underwent shoulder surgery and languished in the Minor Leagues during three years before reviving his career with the Atlanta Braves in 1971. In that season, Kelley made 28 pitching appearances for the Braves, including 20 starts, posting a 9-5 record with a solid 2.96 ERA and five complete games, as part of pitching rotation that included Phil Niekro, Ron Reed, George Stone and Pat Jarvis. He then spent four years in Triple-A with the Braves and New York Mets organizations before retiring in 1976
In his Major League debut on September 10, 1973, he started against the San Francisco Giants at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium. Opposing future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal, Ford threw a complete game, 10–4 triumph, surrendering five hits (four of them singles) and six bases on balls, with three strikeouts. He also cracked two singles in four at bats. Five days later, he appeared in 3⅔ innings pitched in relief against the Cincinnati Reds, allowing only two hits and one earned run, but that run came on a ninth-inning, walk-off home run to Tony Pérez to saddle Ford with a loss. He was ineffective in his next two outings, one each as a reliever and starter, and finished his MLB career with a 1–2 record, with 17 hits and eight bases on balls allowed, with four strikeouts, in 16⅓ innings pitched. Ford died at age 33 in an automobile accident in his home town of Nassau after apparently falling asleep at the wheel of his car while driving home from work
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