After a strong finish to the 1972 season, the Cubs dominated the National League East for the first half of 1973. On June 29, they were 47–31 with an 8.5 game lead in the National League East. But then the Cubs fell into a deep swoon, losing 33 of their next 42 games, including 11 straight losses from August 4–16, to fall below .500 and out of the division lead. However, the rest of the division was so mediocre that it was nicknamed the "National League Least", enabling the Cubs to stay in contention even as they remained below .500.
In fact, 1973 was the only season between 1945 and 1984 in which the Cubs were still in contention on the last day of the regular season, September 30. Due to several rainouts, the Cubs still had four games to play against the first place Mets, so double headers were scheduled for September 30 and October 1, the day after the end of the season. If the Cubs were to win all four games, there could have been an unprecedented five-way tie for first place, with each team having a below .500 record of 80–82 (also unprecedented). It would have taken at least three days of games to break a five-way tie.
Rain was still in the forecast for both days, and with Wrigley Field having no lights, National League president Chub Feeney ordered both double headers to start at 10AM (again, unprecedented), making it clear that the umpires would wait out any rain as long as there was daylight.
The Cubs won the first game on September 30, and suddenly it seemed possible that the most unusual end to any season of baseball might happen. But the Mets won the second game, eliminating three of the teams, including the Cubs. On a dismal October 1, in light cold rain, the Mets won the first game and clinched the NL East. The second game was immediately canceled. Milt Pappas was scheduled to pitch for the Cubs in the second game, and the cancellation cost him his chance for his 100th victory in the National League.
Chicago had only 2 players under the age of 30 in their starting lineup, which had been together for a lot of years where they came up short. Their offense really falter. When did you ever expect to see a Cub team finish 10th in the league in runs scored ??? 30 year old Fergie Jenkins had a rough year (14-16, 3.89), but still logged 271 innings. Youngsters Burt Hooton and Rick Reuschel got their chance and did quite well. A customary 20 win season from Fergie would have given them the division. 35 year old Bob Locker (10-6, 2.54, 18 sv) was the most reliable guy in the pen. Jack Aker (4-5, 4.10, 12sv) was hit hard all season.
In total I had to create 18 new Cubs Cards to finish off the set.
30 year old Garrett didn't spend nearly as much time in the biggs or have as much fame as his brother Wayne did, but he still did cobble together a career that spanned parts of 8 seasons with for of them coming in Chicago as a 5th outfielder. In 36 games he hit .222 in 1973. One year in the minors (1971) he hit 43 homers for Tacoma. After the '76 season he joined Hiroshima of the Japanese league and hit 102 home runs in 3 seasons. After the '79 season he hung 'em up and returned to the states.
Rookie "Andy" Thornton hit an even .200 in 35 AB's for the Cubbies in '73. Over the next two seasons he progressed into a genuine long ball threat, but for some unknown reason the team soured on him and traded him to the Expos midway through the '76 season. After a lousy half season north of the border he went to Cleveland where he was their DH for a decade smashing 212 homers and winning a silver slugger in 1984. After the '87 season he retired from the game.
Lock pitched 106+ innings and saved 18 for the Cubbies as their primary closer when Jim Aker showed he couldn't do the job. In an odd twist, in November the Cubs sent him back to Oakland. According to Bruce Markusen in his 1998 book, Baseball's Last Dynasty: Charlie Finley's Oakland A's, Locker had told Cubs general manager John Holland that he would only pitch one season for the Cubs, then he wanted to be traded back to the A's as owner Charlie Finley had agreed to try to arrange. Locker moved his family to Oakland and planned to live and work there after his baseball career. Holland and Charlie Finley obliged the pitcher's request but it turned out to be a bad deal for the A's. Locker had to undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow and would sit out the entire 1974 season. Finley sent Locker back to the Cubs just days after winning the 1974 World Series in exchange for veteran outfielder Billy Williams. Locker's 1975 season would be his last in the majors.
After playing parts of 4 seasons in the majors with the Dodgers (1) and the Cubs (3) james would make his final appearance in 1973 hitting .111 in 45 AB's for the Cubbies. He spent the entire '74 season hitting just .249 in AAA Wichita before heading down to Mexico for one season. James had good speed and could swipe every bag except 1st.
Adam and Andy's dad had his worst statistical season (4-1, 5.80, 4 sv) of his 14 year career for the Cubs in '73. After having a sub par '74 season he was moved to Cleveland where he blossomed into a great relief pitcher. All in toll he pitched for 14 years, for 5 teams, and compiled a 65-58, 3.53, 126sv record. And let's not forget his "La-lob" pitch. Side Note: Dave is another one of my Facebook pals, who's posts I always look forward to seeing.
Dave Rosello was supposed to be the Chicago Cubs' replacement for Don Kessinger at shortstop but he could not hit major league pitching. He wasn't a particularly good shortstop, either. After parts of six seasons with the Cubs, Rosello closed out his career with three seasons for the Cleveland Indians. He hit just .236 overall. His name is sometimes considered to be synonymous with the Cubs' futility of the mid-1970's, similar to the way Yankee fans refer to Horace Clarke.
Dave played for the Mayagüez Indians and the Ponce Lions of the Puerto Rico Winter Baseball League. He hit .263 in 38 AB's for the '73 Cubbies.
Dave played for the Mayagüez Indians and the Ponce Lions of the Puerto Rico Winter Baseball League. He hit .263 in 38 AB's for the '73 Cubbies.
Hiser saw the most action of his career during the '73 season and had the worst BA in his 5 partial big league seasons. As the team's 5th outfielder he played in 100 games and batted .174. He hit is only career HR on Friday June 29th with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th vs Buzz Capra of the Mets with the Cubs down 3-2. Chicago would go on to win the game in the 10th when Jose Cardenal single home Billy Williams with the winner. After splitting the next two seasons between the Chicago and Wichita (AAA) he was demoted for the final time to AAA, where he hit .248 and was given his release.
After playing for close to a decade in his native Venezuela Marquez "burst" on the scene with the 1982 A's hitting .281 in 23 games and hitting .625 (5-8) in the post season as the A's one their first of 3 straight championships. On August 29th he was traded to the Cubs for Pat Bourque. In 19 games he hit just .224. The following season he went 0-11 after hitting .282 in Wichita. Not seeing much of a path to stardom as a 35 year old he played 2 seasons in Mexico and then returned to Venezuela and played 2 more years. Tragically he died in a car crash while driving to a game.
After hitting .309 in Wichita, Alexander was called up to the big club in September and went 1-5 in 12 games, where he was used mostly as a pinch runner. He would sit time between the big club and Wichita over the next 2 seasons before moving on to Oakland and Pittsburgh. Different surroundings, same result. After hitting .324 in Portland (AAA) and .364 in Pittsburgh in 1979 he embarked on a 3 year Mexican League career before retiring at the age of 37. Nicknamed "Matt the Scat" for his pinch running abilities. During his career he was used to PR 271 times where he stole 91 bases and scored 89 runs (MLB records). In 1989 & 1990 he played for the Winter Haven Super Sox in the Senior Professional Baseball Assoc.
He began the 1973 season with the Rangers, going 5–4 with a 4.95 ERA in 36 games (10 starts). On August 31, he was sent to the Cubs for a player to be named later, which ended up being Larry Gura. He made 11 appearances (one start) for the Cubs that year, going 0–1 with a 3.44 ERA. Overall, Paul went 5–5 with a 4.68 ERA in 1973. 1974 would end up being Paul's final season in the major leagues. He appeared in only two games, allowing four earned runs in 1 1⁄3 innings of work for a 27.00 ERA. He played his final game on April 16, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After being released by the Cubs, Paul played in the Mexican League until 1982.
Bourque made his professional debut in 1971 with the Cubs, and went on to play parts of three and a half seasons with the franchise. He had a successful minor league tenure, winning the American Association MVP in 1972 while playing with the Evansville Triplets. Midway through the 1973 season, Chicago traded Bourque to the Oakland Athletics for fellow first baseman Gonzalo Marquez. He spent a season with Oakland before being traded to the Minnesota Twins in another summer deal. Oakland received Jim Holt in return. Oakland reacquired Bourque following the 1974 season, trading Dan Ford and a minor leaguer to the Twins.
Known to many as the son of Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall this slick fielding 1B played 5 season in Chicago before becoming a mainstay on 3 Royals division winning teams. Never a big power threat (27 HRs in 9 seasons), Pete hit for average during his 3 prime years in KC. In just 16 AB's for the '73 Cubs he hit .250. After leaving KC after the 1980 World Series he played one successful season in Japan before hanging it up at the ripe old age of 29.
22 year old rookie Ray Burris was 1-1, 2.92 in 31 relief appearance in 1973. In 2 seasons he would move into the Cub rotation for the 4 seasons before becoming a "well traveled" veteran. He would go 108-134 in 15 MLB seasons as a member of 7 different franchises. Currently he is the pitching coach for the Phillies AAA affiliate in Lehigh Valley.
Chicago was the 2nd of 3 stops for the "Beeg Boy" in 1973. In his brief stint (22 games) with the Cubs he hit .214 with 1 homer. When everyone thought his career was over due to leg injuries he found a home in the AL (Cleveland) as a DH which added 6 years to his career where he finished with a .299 lifetime average and 204 HR's.
Local Illinois product Lundstedt was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1st round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft and signed on June 9, 1970. After playing in 26 games in two seasons with the Cubs, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins on December 6, 1974 in exchange for Mike Adams. He played in 18 games with the Twins in 1975. He went hitless in 4 games (0-5) for the Cubs in '73 and only got 3 hits in 32 AB's the following season.
LaRussa spent the entire '72 season in AAA and hit .308. He spent all but one AB in AAA in '73 and hit .314. He was branded a "quadruple A" player and never given a chance to return to the majors, as a player that is. By playing in the Oakland, White Sox and Cardinal minor league chains he impressed management with his analytical and organizational skills, which he parlayed into a HOF managerial career.
Lockman's coaching career began immediately after his 15 year major league career ended, as he joined the Reds' staff in 1960 under skipper Fred Hutchinson. In 1961, when his old teammate Alvin Dark became manager of the Giants, Lockman became his third base coach, serving through 1964. Lockman then joined the Chicago Cubs as a minor league manager, MLB coach, and, then, supervisor of player development. In July 1972, he succeeded his old mentor, Leo Durocher, as the team's manager, and the revitalized Cubs won 39 of 65 games to improve two places in the standings. But losing streaks in 1973 and into 1974 cost Lockman his job; he was relieved of his duties July 24, 1974 and moved back into the Chicago front office, serving as vice president, player development, to 1976.
Lockman finished with a career major league managing record of 157–162 (.492).
Lockman finished with a career major league managing record of 157–162 (.492).
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