Giants' '73: A Season Unveiled
An analytical exploration of the 1973 San Francisco Giants' performance, from standings to player statistics, presented with historical context and detailed data.
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Season Overview
Franchise Context
The 1973 season marked the 91st year for the San Francisco Giants franchise, their 16th season in San Francisco, and their 14th playing at Candlestick Park. The team navigated the competitive National League West division.
Performance Metrics
The Giants concluded the season with a respectable record of 88 wins and 74 losses. This performance placed them third in the National League West standings, finishing 11 games behind the division-winning Cincinnati Reds.
Home Ground
Candlestick Park served as the home venue for the Giants throughout the 1973 season. This iconic stadium was the backdrop for their home games, contributing to the team's unique home-field advantage and atmosphere.
National League West Standings
Divisional Performance
The team's third-place finish reflected a strong competitive showing within the NL West. Here's a breakdown of the final standings:
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | 99 | 63 | .611 | โ | 50โ31 | 49โ32 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 95 | 66 | .590 | 3ยฝ | 50โ31 | 45โ35 |
| San Francisco Giants | 88 | 74 | .543 | 11 | 47โ34 | 41โ40 |
| Houston Astros | 82 | 80 | .506 | 17 | 41โ40 | 41โ40 |
| Atlanta Braves | 76 | 85 | .472 | 22ยฝ | 40โ40 | 36โ45 |
| San Diego Padres | 60 | 102 | .370 | 39 | 31โ50 | 29โ52 |
Head-to-Head Performance
Inter-Division Matchups
Understanding performance against divisional rivals provides critical insight into a team's season. The Giants demonstrated a competitive record against several opponents, notably excelling against the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||||
| Atlanta | โ | 7โ5 | 5โ13 | 11โ7 | 2โ15โ1 | 6โ6 | 6โ6 | 6โ6 | 7โ5 | 12โ6 | 8โ10 | 6โ6 | |||||
| Chicago | 5โ7 | โ | 8โ4 | 6โ6 | 5โ7 | 9โ9 | 10โ7 | 10โ8 | 6โ12 | 7โ5 | 2โ10 | 9โ9 | |||||
| Cincinnati | 13โ5 | 4โ8 | โ | 11โ7 | 11โ7 | 8โ4 | 8โ4 | 8โ4 | 7โ5 | 13โ5 | 10โ8 | 6โ6 | |||||
| Houston | 7โ11 | 6โ6 | 7โ11 | โ | 11โ7 | 6โ6 | 6โ6 | 7โ5 | 6โ6 | 10โ8 | 11โ7 | 5โ7 | |||||
| Los Angeles | 15โ2โ1 | 7โ5 | 7โ11 | 7โ11 | โ | 7โ5 | 7โ5 | 9โ3 | 10โ2 | 9โ9 | 9โ9 | 8โ4 | |||||
| Montreal | 6โ6 | 9โ9 | 4โ8 | 6โ6 | 5โ7 | โ | 9โ9 | 13โ5 | 6โ12 | 7โ5 | 6โ6 | 8โ10 | |||||
| New York | 6โ6 | 7โ10 | 4โ8 | 6โ6 | 5โ7 | 9โ9 | โ | 9โ9 | 13โ5 | 8โ4 | 5โ7 | 10โ8 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 6-6 | 8โ10 | 4โ8 | 5โ7 | 3โ9 | 5โ13 | 9โ9 | โ | 8โ10 | 9โ3 | 5โ7 | 9โ9 | |||||
| Pittsburgh | 5โ7 | 12โ6 | 5โ7 | 6โ6 | 2โ10 | 12โ6 | 5โ13 | 10โ8 | โ | 8โ4 | 5โ7 | 10โ8 | |||||
| San Diego | 6โ12 | 5โ7 | 5โ13 | 8โ10 | 9โ9 | 5โ7 | 4โ8 | 3โ9 | 4โ8 | โ | 7โ11 | 4โ8 | |||||
| San Francisco | 10โ8 | 10โ2 | 8โ10 | 7โ11 | 9โ9 | 6โ6 | 7โ5 | 7โ5 | 7โ5 | 11โ7 | โ | 6โ6 | |||||
| St. Louis | 6โ6 | 9โ9 | 6โ6 | 7โ5 | 4โ8 | 10โ8 | 8โ10 | 9โ9 | 8โ10 | 8โ4 | 6โ6 | โ | |||||
Key Transactions
Player Movement
Strategic player acquisitions and trades are pivotal for team success. The Giants made several notable moves during the offseason and leading up to the season:
- January 10, 1973: Participation in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft, including drafting Rob Picciolo (who did not sign) and Dave Heaverlo in the first round.
- February 7, 1973: A trade involving Skip Pitlock sent to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Chuck Hartenstein and Glenn Redmon.
- April 2, 1973: Fran Healy was traded to the Kansas City Royals for Greg Minton.
- June 5, 1973: Johnnie LeMaster was drafted in the first round (6th pick) of the amateur draft. Jeff Little was also drafted in the third round.
- June 7, 1973: Sam McDowell was purchased by the New York Yankees from the Giants.
Opening Day Lineup
Key Personnel
The starting lineup on Opening Day represents the core strategy and talent assembled for the season. The Giants featured a blend of established stars and emerging players:
- Bobby Bonds (Outfield)
- Tito Fuentes (Second Base)
- Al Gallagher (Third Base)
- Garry Maddox (Center Field)
- Juan Marichal (Pitcher)
- Gary Matthews (Left Field)
- Willie McCovey (First Base)
- Dave Rader (Catcher)
- Chris Speier (Shortstop)
Full Roster
Player Compilation
The complete roster details the depth and composition of the 1973 San Francisco Giants squad, encompassing pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders, and coaching staff.
| 1973 San Francisco Giants | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Batting Statistics
Offensive Output
An examination of batting statistics reveals the offensive prowess of the 1973 Giants. Key performers like Tito Fuentes, Garry Maddox, and Bobby Bonds led the team in several statistical categories.
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Dave Rader | 148 | 462 | 106 | .229 | 9 | 41 |
| 1B | Willie McCovey | 130 | 383 | 102 | .266 | 29 | 75 |
| 2B | Tito Fuentes | 160 | 656 | 182 | .277 | 6 | 63 |
| SS | Chris Speier | 153 | 542 | 135 | .249 | 11 | 71 |
| 3B | Ed Goodson | 102 | 384 | 116 | .302 | 12 | 53 |
| LF | Gary Matthews | 148 | 540 | 162 | .300 | 12 | 58 |
| CF | Garry Maddox | 144 | 587 | 187 | .319 | 11 | 76 |
| RF | Bobby Bonds | 160 | 643 | 182 | .283 | 39 | 96 |
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
# = Indicates team leader
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Kingman | 112 | 305 | 62 | .203 | 24 | 55 |
| Gary Thomasson | 112 | 235 | 67 | .285 | 4 | 30 |
| Mike Phillips | 63 | 104 | 25 | .240 | 1 | 9 |
| Jim Howarth | 65 | 90 | 18 | .200 | 0 | 7 |
| Mike Sadek | 39 | 66 | 11 | .167 | 0 | 4 |
| Chris Arnold | 49 | 54 | 16 | .296 | 1 | 13 |
| Steve Ontiveros | 24 | 33 | 8 | .242 | 1 | 5 |
| Bruce Miller | 12 | 21 | 3 | .143 | 0 | 2 |
| Dรกmaso Blanco | 28 | 12 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Al Gallagher | 5 | 9 | 2 | .222 | 0 | 1 |
| Jim Ray Hart | 5 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 1 |
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pitching Performance
Mound Dominance
The pitching staff's effectiveness was crucial to the Giants' success. Ron Bryant emerged as a standout performer, leading the league in wins and strikeouts.
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Bryant | 41 | 270.0 | 24 | 12 | 3.53 | 143 |
| Jim Barr | 41 | 231.1 | 11 | 17 | 3.81 | 88 |
| Tom Bradley | 35 | 224.0 | 13 | 12 | 3.90 | 136 |
| Juan Marichal | 34 | 207.1 | 11 | 15 | 3.82 | 87 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
# = Indicates league leader
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Willoughby | 39 | 123.0 | 4 | 5 | 4.68 | 60 |
| John D'Acquisto | 7 | 27.2 | 1 | 1 | 3.58 | 29 |
| Charlie Williams | 12 | 23.0 | 3 | 0 | 6.65 | 11 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elias Sosa | 71 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 3.28 | 70 |
| Randy Moffitt | 60 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 2.42 | 65 |
| Don Carrithers | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4.81 | 36 |
| Don McMahon | 22 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1.48 | 20 |
| Sam McDowell | 18 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4.50 | 35 |
| John Morris | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.53 | 3 |
| Dave Kingman | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 | 4 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Awards and Honors
All-Star Recognition
Individual accolades highlight outstanding player performance. For the 1973 season, Bobby Bonds received recognition for his exceptional play.
- Bobby Bonds, Outfield - Selected to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Farm System Affiliates
Developing Talent
The Giants' minor league system was structured to cultivate future talent. The following teams served as affiliates during the 1973 season:
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Phoenix Giants | Pacific Coast League | Jim Davenport |
| AA | Amarillo Giants | Texas League | Dennis Sommers |
| A | Fresno Giants | California League | Frank Funk |
| A | Decatur Commodores | Midwest League | John VanOrnum |
| Rookie | Great Falls Giants | Pioneer League | Art Mazmanian |
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References
References
- Rob Picciolo at Baseball Reference
- Dave Heaverlo at Baseball Reference
- Chuck Hartenstein at Baseball-Reference
- Greg Minton at Baseball Reference
- Jeff Little at Baseball Reference
- Sam McDowell at Baseball Reference
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007
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Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for consulting official MLB historical data or seeking advice from qualified sports historians or analysts. Always refer to official sources for the most current and comprehensive information.
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