Heading into August the Bronx Bombers were 60-48 one game ahead of the field in the AL East. That was the good news. The bad news was that just a month earlier they were 4 games clear of the field. Ralph Houk had the boys in pinstripes overachieving. Ralph truly doesn't get his due for taking mediocre teams and getting them to contend. By August the Yankees began to run out of gas at the wrong time with the Orioles getting hotter than planet Mercury. In mid August the O's went on an incredible 14 game winning streak, which for all intents and purposes closed the door on the pennant race. New York went 11-15 in the month of September and limped their way to a sub .500 record. Not only did the Yankees lose a golden opportunity to contend, which they hadn't for almost 10 years, but on Sept 30th they lost their home for the past 50 years. In a deal struck between CBS (owners of the team) and NYC in 1972 the Stadium would be closed at the end of the season for 2 years for renovations. The Yanks got a new owner name George M Steinbrenner, from Cleveland that year. He promised to be a hands off owner who would trust his baseball people to run the operation.
Here is a reminiscence from a young 14 year old fan about Old Yankee Stadium:
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| Final pitch @old Yankee Stadium: John Hiller to Mike Hegan |
Here is a reminiscence from a young 14 year old fan about Old Yankee Stadium:
I was also 14 in '73 and remember that season so well; Yanks started off slow but caught fire in June, helped by new pitchers Pat Dobson and Sam McDowell, and vault into first place. Early July, Bobby Murcer and Ron Blomberg are on the cover of Sports Illustrated! I believe the Yanks' biggest lead in the division got to be around 3 or 4 games in July. I was so excited, figuring this might be the year. Started razzing a lot my friends who were Mets fans, as the Mets were struggling. Of course, Yanks faded in August and September, and finished miles behind the Orioles. Compounding my misery was the Mets going on a late season run on their way to the World Series.
A total of 18 new cards were needed to complete the set.
Cox didn't even spend one full year in pinstripes. After arriving on August 31st, 1972 he was released on April 17th 1973. In a total of 6 games in pinstripes across 2 seasons he was 0-1, 4.91 in 6 games. He had some solid seasons with the old Senators in the late 60's. After being cut by NY the Cubbies signed him and sent him to AAA Wichita where he went 6-5, 5.05 and was not resigned after the season ended.
The picture for this photo had to have been taken in 1972, since by '73 the AL had the DH and pitchers did not hit.
Pagan joined the New York Yankees organization in 1970. After three seasons in their farm system, he received his first call up to the majors in 1973, making the start in the second game of a July 1 double header with the Cleveland Indians. After escaping a jam in the first inning, Pagan was pulled in the second with the bases loaded and nobody out, and one run already in. He was far more effective in a second appearance made in relief on July 7 before returning to the minors. After compiling an 8–5 record and 2.03 earned run average between the West Haven Yankees and Syracuse Chiefs, he rejoined the Yankees that September. Pagan was traded to Baltimore midway through the '76 season and after posting a 5.98 ERA was left unprotected and drafted by Seattle in the 1977 Expansion draft. Pagan lasted just 24 games in Seattle before being cut then picked up byt the Pirates where he got into just one game. '78 and '79 saw him languishing in AAA before being given his release.
As a rookie in 1973 Medich pitched in 235 innings and finished with an impressive 14-9, 2.95 record and the #3 slot in he AL ROY voting. After 2 more solid seasons in the Bronx he was traded for Willie Randolph before the '76 season began. After that he bounced around a bit before finishing up in 1982 with the AL Champion Brewers.
...and yes, he eventually did become a doctor and actually saved a fan having a heart attack in the stands.
The man who hit the final home run in the original Yankee Stadium was none other than my Facebook pal Duke Sims. Duke had arrived in the Bronx on September 24th after being claimed off of waivers from Detroit. For close to a decade he was the Indians and Dodgers starting catcher. After starting off the '72 season hitting .192 in 51 games the Dodgers left him unprotected and the Tigers, who were in the midst of a tight pennant race, claimed him off waivers. In 38 games down the stretch for Detroit he hit .316 with 4 homers and 19 RBI, but only hit .214 in the ALCS. Sims would split the '74 season between the Bronx and Texas. After hitting just .208 with 3 homers he was released by the Rangers, who brought him on board because of the magic he supplied for manager Billy Martin 2 years earlier in Detroit.
Since he was both DH and Catcher in his week with the Yankees in '73 I decided to make a card showcasing each position.
"Chicken" Stanley arrived in the Bronx in 1973 as a 25 year old who already had 5 major league seasons under his belt. As the primary infield utility man he spent 8 seasons in the Bronx backing up guys like Gene Michael, Jim Mason and Bucky Dent. In 26 games during the '73 season he hit .212. He would go on to play on 4 AL East Division winners and 2 Yankee World Championship teams.
"Stick" Michael played in 129 games as the Yankee starting shortstop in 1973. His .225 average was pretty much on a par with his normal offensive contributions. Know for his gloves and his smarts, Stick would go on to be one of the greates front office executives that the Yankees ever had. He is credited with building the late 90's Yankee dynasty. Michael played 7 seasons in New York, managed there for 3 seasons and was GM and special advisor for many more.
The Yankees both stole and rescued Nettles from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal in November of 1972. With a swing tailor made for the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium Nettles thrived in New York for 11 seasons. His gold glove skills at third base single-handedly won a World Championship for the Bombers. His 32 homers in 1976 led the league and powered the Yanks to their first pennant in 12 seasons. As a 6 time All-Star he hit 390 career home runs and had 2,224 hits in 22 seasons.
His original '73 card had him wearing a Cleveland road uniform in Yankee Stadium with the interlocking NY airbrushed onto it.
In the Mid 60's Jim Ray Hart was a huge righty power bat that complemented Mays and McCovey in San Francisco. After 5 consecutive injury plagued seasons he wound up in New York hoping to keep his career going as a DH, which would limit his exposure to injury. In 114 games in 1973, strictly as a DH, he hit .254 with 13 homers. After starting the '74 season hitting .053 he was given his unconditional release on June 4th after the Yankees sent him to AAA-Syracuse with the hope that he would find his swing. He finished out the '74 season in Veracruz of the Mexican League, where he would play 2 more seasons in Aguascalientes before retiring to become a Teamster.
Magnuson was a rule 5 draft pick up by the Yankees after spending 5 seasons in the White Sox chain. In both 1970 and 1971 he spent a handful of games in Chicago going a combined 2-6, 4.70. After spending the hole 1972 season in AAA Syracuse (9-7, 3.48) he got one final crack at the bigs in '73 going 0-1, 4.28. When he was returned to Syracuse he didn't fare much better (7-4, 4.04) and was released.
I know, "the Mick" never played for the Bombers during the '73 season. If fact he hadn't played in 5 years after retiring formally during Spring Training in 1969. I made this card to salute the Mick for hitting his final home run in Old Yankee Stadium during the 1973 Old Timer's Game. I remember watching this game on WPIX as a kid. His old running mate, White Ford, grooved a few pitches before #7 launched it out of the old ball orchard in the Bronx. Fans went wild. With his bad knees it took Mickey forever to make it around the bases. Many fans wondered, "could the Mick come back and DH?". Click here to see the footage of Mickey's final Stadium homer.
After bouncing around the league for a few years Hegan returned to the Bronx for his second tour of duty in August. Hegan was the Yankees' regular first baseman for the remainder of the 1973 season; appearing in 37 games he hit 36-for-131 (.275) with six home runs and 14 RBIs. His father, Jim Hegan, was the Yankees' bullpen coach for manager Ralph Houk at the time. On September 30, 1973, Hegan was the last batter in the original Yankee Stadium before its mid-70s renovation. Hegan was with the Yankees in 1974 through mid-May, appearing in 18 games and batting 12-for-53 (.226). On May 13, the Yankees sold his contract to the Brewers.. When he started off slowly the following year he was dealt to Milwaukee where he played 3 1/2 seasons before calling it a day. Hegan was an AL All-Star in 1969 representing the Seattle Pilots.
Velez made his major league debut with the Yanks on 9/4/73, where he recorded his first hit off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Mickey Lolich. Velez hit his first career home run on September 23 off of (future Yankee) Dick Tidrow of the Cleveland Indians in the second inning, then hit another home run in his next at-bat against Tidrow in the fourth inning to lead the Yankees to a 9–1 victory over Cleveland. Velez finished the season hitting .195 with 2 HR and 7 RBI in 23 games with the Yankees. Velez played in 27 games with the Yankees in 1974, batting .209 with 2 HR and 10 RBI, then in 1975, he hit .250 with 0 HR and 1 RBI in six games with New York. Velez saw more playing with the Yankees in 1976, playing in 49 games, as he hit .266 with 2 HR and 10 RBI, as New York reached the post-season. Stuck behind many great outfield/DH type players he was given a reprieve thanks to the expansion draft where he wound up in Toronto in '77 where he had 6 successful seasons.
Dobson arrived in New York on June 7, 1973 as part of a multi-player traded with the Braves. In 21 starts he posted a 9-8, 4.17 record. In 39 starts the following season he won 19 games, but slipped to 11-14, 4.07 in '75 and was traded to Cleveland for Oscar Gamble. After a rock solid 16 win season in '76 he slipped badly in '77 (3-12, 6.12) and was released. Dobson's finest season was 1971 where he was one of 4 starters on the Orioles to win 20 or more games. He is probably the least remembered of the quartet. After sitting out the full '78 season he attempted a comeback in '79 in the Mexican League which lasted just 1 inning in 1 game.
Houk was known as a "player's manager". He was "rough, blunt and decisive". He was ejected 45 times in his career for arguing with umpires. The first team he ever managed was the 1961 Yankees. In 3 years he won 2 championships and 3 pennants. He was rewarded with a promotion to GM, which he held exclusively until he fired Johnny Keane on May 7th 1966 and named himself manager of the team for a second stint. This time he was managing a broken down dynasty that was in full decline. In just 3 short years the same players he piloted to 100+ wins and a pennant had become old, infirm-ed and untalented. Houk oversaw a rebuilding process that was hampered by tradition and meddling from new ownership (CBS). Still he was able to keep the franchise afloat and even won 93 games in 1970. By 1973 the constant booing and the heavy presence of new owner Steinbrenner led Houk to resign his position as manager at the conclusion of the '73 season.
Rick Dempsey caught an amazing 1,765 games over the course of 24 seasons. He arrived in New York from Minnesota during the offseason in exchange for spare part Danny Walton. Since the Yankees had All-Star Thurman Munson as their starter Dempsey was relegated to back up status for 3+ years until he was traded to Baltimore midway through the '76 season. That move helped New York win the pennant and helped Baltimore to find their starting catcher for the next 11 seasons. As a member of the O's Dempsey won played on 2 pennant winners and 1 World Champion. He arrived in LA in 1988 to platoon behind the plate with Mike Scioscia on the Dodgers last World Championship squad. Dempsey is a beloved analyst on Orioles broadcasts. He was a fantastic defensive catcher, who could get a clutch hit when needed. Interesting side note: When Munson died tragically in a plane crash in August of '79 some Yankee fans said, "if we didn't trade Dempsey..." Talk about Monday morning QB'ing ?
There is no doubt that Blomberg needed a new card for this set. His original card showed him as a first basemand. Since Boomer was the first official DH in the history of baseball it was only fitting that he get a revised card with a bat in his hand and the DH position listed accordingly. "Boomer" made history on April 6, 1973 when Luis Tiant walked him with the bases loaded in the top of the 1st during the season opener at Fenway. The fact that Tiant struggled and Blomberg (batting 6th) got to the plate erased Orlando Cepeda's (batting 5th for Boston) chance to be the first DH ever. Boomer hit .329 with 14 homers in almost 300AB's for the Bombers in '73. Talent was never an issue for him, health was. If he could have stayed healthy he would have been a huge addition to the great Yankee teams in the latter part of the decade. In 7 years in pinstripes he hit .302. Blomberg's great sense of humor is evident when he describes his role in history, "I was the first DH ever...Designated Hebrew".
"Sudden Sam" was suddenly losing his greatest asset...his fastball. The man who led the AL in strikeout 5 out of 6 seasons from '65-'70 lost his ability to miss bats. By the time the Yankees acquired him on June 7th, 1973 he was a very old 30 years of age. McDowell's arm was not the same as it once was plus he was suffering from alcoholism. After going 1-6, 4.69 during the '74 season in just 48 innings the Yanks lost hope that he would resurrect his career. A brief 14 game stop in Pittsburgh (2-1, 2.86) in 1975 marked the end of his meteoric career.
After being drafted as a 22 year old out of UNC Buskey rose slowly through the Yankee system. Back in the late 60's / early 70's teams were weary of "college guys", which might have held back his progression. After going 6-4, 2.90 in 30 games out of the pen in AAA Syracuse Buskey was promoted to the parent club in '73, where he got into just 8 games (0-1, 5.40). After a shaky start in '74 he was dealt to Cleveland where when given the opportunity he shined as the team's closer for a number of years. He moved over to Toronto in the late 70's and was solid for both the parent club and their AAA Syracuse club. After going 3-1, 4.46 in 1980 he was released. Buskey died tragically in 1998 at the age of 51 of a heart attack.
There weren't many pictures of his tenure during his brief Yankee days, so I took a B&W photo and colorized it, then superimposed it on top of a background of the old stadium.
Granger is best known as the Big Red Machine's closer during the late 60's and early 70's where he led the league in saves (35) in 1970. His most infamous moment also happened that year in the World Series where he surrendered a grand slam to the opposing pitcher, Dave McNally. To this day that is the only time that has happened in the Fall Classic. For the '73 Yanks Granger pitched in 7 games and was 0-1, 1.76 after arriving on August 7th from St. Louis. Over the next 3 seasons the sore armed Granger bounced to Chicago, Houston and then Montreal before arm woes caused him to retire. By going 1-0 in his final season in the biggs he even his career record to 35-35, 3.14 with 108 saves.
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