1973 New York Mets: Road to the Pennant 

I remember being disappointed with this 1973 Mets team because they didn't win the World Series (Which I think with a healthy Rusty Staub they would have one) But I see how far they came back to win the National League Pennant, I realize what an EXTRAORDINARY team this was. Thanks for sharing this!!

I followed every game the Mets played in September that year and it was as amazing as described. A game in Atlanta where they came back from a hundred runs down was the most awesome game during the stretch run and you knew they were going to make history. Loved that season!

Super job! What a wonderful collection of rare Mets highlights and interviews! They were a very special team...largely overlooked and forgotten....Rusty, Seaver, Mays, Yogi, Bud, Milner, Garrett...Millan...Cleon....a real bunch of Champs!

I was only 7 in '69, so for me this '73 season was my favorite Mets season. That play against the Pirates in September when the ball somehow came back to Cleon after hitting the top of the fence not only defied physics, it made me think the Mets were actually capable of miracles. I might have been the greatest moment I can remember watching on TV. 40 years later I still can't believe it. Some other notes: I miss the clear plexi walls in left and right field in front of the bullpen. Rusty might have been saved if they thought to pad the walls back then. How great does Shea look? I loved the white mets jackets the coaches wore that year. Very stylish. Fans were in RF well before The hammer touches the bag. Great job putting this together.

This is an incredible video - great editing and storytelling. It's almost cubist. You can tell whoever put it together really loves the Mets. Nice job!

When I was 12, my dad drove me from Toronto to New York that August. I got to see my first live baseball game -- St. Louis @ New York. Tom Seaver was the pitcher that day. I've always had a soft spot for the Mets after that (even though I'm a huge Jay's fan).

The whole post season was great…despite losing World Series …so many close games too

Im not a Met but Tom Seaver was my childhood's favorite pitcher. You see him you see baseball

As a kid growing up in the Bronx almost every friend I had was a Yankee fan.... so it was tough being a Mets fan especially in the 70's ... I grew up in the Throggs Neck section of the East Bronx close to the Throggs Neck & Whitestone Bridges.... & on clear summer evenings when the Mets were in town I could see the Shea Stadium lights on from my house across the river into Flushing Queens... many memories growing up there... my dad was an old Brooklyn Dodger fan & when they moved to L.A. my dad was so mad at them leaving New York that he became a Mets fan.... & that's how I became a Mets fan... LOL.....

2:05 That was the miracle of all plays for the '73 Mets.

I was 7 in 69 and 11 when the 73 Mets had that great run. My 6th grade teacher at PS133 let us listen to game 5 of the NLCS on the radio. That team was magical and I never thought I would ever experience anything that special again. Fast forward to 2014 and Kansas City has been my home for 23 years. The Royals have just amazed me like I never imagined could ever happen again. Last Oct it was like I was 11 again with the Royals making the playoffs for the 1st time in 29 years sweeping thru the wild card game, ALDS, ALCS and making it to the 7th game of the WS. I forgot how much I loved baseball. I forgot how special the amazing Mets of 69 & 73 were. Tug McGraw's phrase "You Gotta Believe" was heard all over Kansas City last Oct. The Mets and the Royals don't win often but when they do it is very special. The Yankees cannot make claim even with all of their championships combined.

This was my first memory as a kid of baseball living on Long Island. This was the team that made me a Mets fan that continues to this day. I used to love those golf carts with the team’s hat that brings the relief pitcher into the game. I wish they still do this.

The 1973 season for the Mets was a fun season. They came close to beating Oakland but did not. If Rusty was healthy, I think the Mets win. Fond memory of that year.

1973 Mets: A gritty, gutsy team that deserved to win the World Series that year. Should have won, but came up short against against Oakland. Looking back on that September when I was 9 years old, it was a great time to be a kid growing up in New York and loving baseball.

I was in the third grade. I saw the NY Mets that season at Shea. It was great and these were all team players. Great role models

I remember the '73 WS as a kid, crying after game 7! I was 9. We only needed 1 of the last 2 games. Looking back at that line up we put out its amazing they were in the World Series. Our 1-8 weren't on the same planet as the Reds or the A's, but our pitching and defense was!

1973 was the first year that I began to follow baseball and the Mets. I always like to think their comeback acually started on August 3, which incidentally was the first Mets game I ever saw live at Shea Stadium. They were 11.5 games out and in last place and were facing the first place Cardinals. Jon Matlack started, Willie Mays homered over to dead center field, Tug McGraw came on in relief in the ninth and the Mets won 7-3. In fact they swept the Cards in a three-game series that weekend! That's when I began to think the Mets were for real that year.

I was six years old and remember Willie Mays and the Bud Harrelson/Pete Rose fight. The Mets of the mid-1970s were fun to eatch. `

Brings me to tears,5 Broadway terrace my grandmothers house and my childhood

This was the team I grew up with as a child since I was only 2 when the Mets won it all in 1969. My favorite player, who is rarely talked about, and rarely (if ever) interviewed was First Baseman John "The Hammer" Milner. Realize for his career, he walked as much as he struck out, was one of the leagues leaders in grand slams, and was a major cog in the wheel of the comeback of this team. But he is rarely mentioned or discussed as part of this teams success. Was a 1972 rookie of the year candidate, was a All-Star back up, and ended up being a 1979 World Champion as a 1B/LF for the "We are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, he was part of the big group of players, that included Keith Hernandez, that was part of the major cocaine scandal of 1980. John was one of my very first sports heroes as I saw him hit a grand slam at the very first Mets game I ever went to with my Dad. I just wished he was more highly spoken of instead of being left out of the 1973 Mets lore. He deserves to be spoken of more about how much he did to help the Mets nearly win a Worlds Championship.

I as 12 at the time, a total Mets fan back in NJ. Remember watching some of the '73 world series on our 13" B&W TV in the kitchen. Kiner's Korner - totally forgot about that. Wish I still had my Tug McGraw autographed baseball.

'69 and '73 are the real Mets. Accept no substitute.

The Good Old Days when Fans could come out to the Field to celebrate.

great video..after the fight whenever i would get a pete rose card,it went right into my bicycle spokes

5:03 - Grote always protects his pitchers!

A really impressive job at clipping the audio, video, and images. I was ten years old living in Elizabeth, New Jersey when the Mets won the pennant in 73. What a joy this is to watch.

This was the team that made me fall in love with baseball....

When his team appeared too cocky on the eve of the World Series, A's manager Dick Williams warned them with words to this effect: "We're not playing the below-.400 Mets of July, we're playing the above-.600 Mets of September." Turned out to be one of the tightest Series ever.

Love how Grote protects Koosman from an overzealous fan at 5:05 and also love when Bench pats Mays on the butt as he comes up to pinch hit at 8:06

This is the greatest piece. Thnx.

Great job! Thanks for doing this video.

1973 was the second straight year that the defending NL champs were defeated 3 games to 2, Cincinnati having done the deed to defending WORLD champion Pittsburgh in '72.

Hahaaa..I remember watching that playoff game on TV when Rose and Buddy went at it...the 55,000 fans at Shea went berserk when Rose took his position in left field....they pelted him with batteries, peanuts, and cups of beer...one dude actually threw a whiskey bottle from the upper deck that missed Pete by inches..Yogi, Tom, Rusty, and Willie Mays had to go out to left field to calm the fans down..this was also the game where Buzz Capra got into a scrap with Reds reliever, Pedro Borbon....Borbon accidentally put Capra’s Met cap on top of his head...and when he saw the Mets players laughing at him, he took off the cap and tore it to pieces....WITH HIS TEETH....what memories...LET’S GO METS!1

Enjoyed this. As a 12 year old was at game 3 of the NLCS. Remember the fight and the Met players going out to left field to calm the fans down. Not much original video from that series

LOVE IT, Thank you!

Excellent films from the playoffs...not many out there. Thank you.

Great, great job putting this highlight reel together. Would love to see game footage from 1973 - regular season, NLCS, or World Series somewhere.

I remember the 1973 Mets. They got the most of a not very good team and they were so close to winning the World Series. I think this was the first time that I started getting interested in team sports. I remember that our grammar school got permission to listen to the clinching game against the Reds during class time and how we all celebrated when the Mets won.

What a way to star a new year and watch this gritty team make it to the World Series!!

This is an excellent video. It covers it all :)

As Cleon has said regarding game 7 of the World Series " We should've started George Stone! " The guy was virtually unhittable down the stretch.

This team was one game away from the greatest Mets team ever

This was almost like 1969 came from way behind to win the East , NLCS they just came one game short in the World Series against the Swinging A's

Tug McGraw was fantastic! Ya gotta believe.

I was 13 years old that year, it was also the last world series willie mays got to play in,

I remember listening to the radio broadcast late at night when Cleon Jones played that ball off the top of the wall and they got the Pirate at home. The KDKA Pirate announcer said there were "angels in the outfield" on that play. That kept the Mets alive during the drive to the division title.

I remembered the 73 Mets run vividly. Mom brought tickets to the Mets/SF game a couple of days after the Mets received Willie Mays. He hit a 9th inning walk on HR and the place went nuts.

Later that school year, our elementary school principal arranged to show the highlight film for the 1973 NL Champion New York Mets in a full-school assembly ... loved watching that film, as it reminded my schoolmates just who called it, that the last-place-on-August-30 Mets could win the pennant

I remember this run, it was great. I agree that the biggest turning point in Sept., was when Dave Augustine's drive hit the top of the wall, and bounced into Cleon's glove.

I was lucky enough to go to all Home NLCS Games my friends father took us little did I know at that time his sister would turn out to be my Bride 38 years and counting Lets Go Mets

Hey MLB: Please transfer ALL games to DVD and put them for sale. It's about time. I'd rather watch the old Mets again and again than any game today.

Nice piece you put together. Brings back a lot of memories. Always thought that George Stone should have started Game Six instead of Tom Seaver ( who started on short rest), because they had the A's on the ropes. Thanks for the post.

1973 had shades of 1969. Mets should've won it all, but Staub's injury, Millan's Buckner-esque error in Game 1, and Yogi's questionable decision to pitch Seaver in Game 6 cost them.

I was in ninth grade listening to the game on the radio under my covers..Hodges got the game winning hit in the bottom of the inning. Also went to the game after the Rose/Harrelson fight……Rusty makes the great catch, dislocates his shoulder. Rose hits a homer off Parker to win Game 4.

I was one of many who definitely wanted a rematch in 1988

I was in the loge seats along the 3rd base line for game 5 of the NLCS against the Reds at Shea. Ed Kranepool hit a bloop single to center that scored 2 runs that started the rally to win the game and the pennant. The highlight was everyone in the stands chanting "Goodbye Rosie" to Pete Rose as he trotted out to left field. The Mets were up 3 games to 2 going back out to Oakland for game 6 of the World Series and lost them both.

Say hey kid was their favorite met..

I know David Wright is the best 3rd baseman in Mets history but Wayne Garrett was a pretty good player in his met career......how long of a career did he have and how many teams did he play for, does anyone know?

Yes Don, I was 10 and too young to realize what a special month that September was, or to understand that the Mets weren't destined to win. If a team ever was, it was them, especially with Garrett hitting home runs in the series.

One of the best baseball fights ever........... from what I've been told.

i want those programs!

Well Done!

Dammit, the Mets had a 3-2 lead heading back to Oakland. Should have won this Series

this stuff is priceless.

this is very good coverage and content.

My first year as a Mets fan at age 9.

and they would have beaten the A's too if Rusty Staub had been healthy, that was the difference...

if the Mets would have won it all in 1973, do you think it would have been a bigger miracle than 1969? of all the pennant winning Mets teams over the years, this seems to be the most forgotten one.

Baseball will miss Rusty Staub. Oh, if my Astros had kept Staub, Cuellar and Morgan! (Nevermind Geronimo and Mayberry).

...Those boys in Flushing !

The 1973 New York Mets came from Last Place to win the National League Pennant. Shades of the 1914 Boston Braves who came out of the Cellar to win the National League Pennant, and ironically enough, did Face the A’s in the World Series(When The A’s were in Philadelphia). But unfortunately, those Boston Braves did Beat the A’s in a 4 Game Sweep.

TIL: McGraw had a walk up music. Irish Medley was played when he came in the game. I never noticed that before.

I went to Willie mays Night sept 25 th 1973

Ed Kranepool -- "... last place, everybody gave up on us." NOT EVERYBODY ... my schoolmates could tell you that I was still talking that the Mets were still in it on August 30 that year ... little over a month later, I looked like The Amazing Kreskin ... Yogi may have been at the helm, but it was Gil's boys who came within one game of a bigger miracle than 1969, including Rusty Staub, who was actually acquired by the Mets before Gil passed away, but could not announce the deal because of that 1972 spring training players' strike ... Gil wanted Rusty and Rusty wanted to play for Gil ... unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be

Growing up in NY, boy did I hate the Mets in those days! I laugh about it now, but when you're a kid you take such things so seriously. I didn't like Pete Rose, but I was glad when he beat up Bud Harrelson, who I used to call the "Barney Fife of Baseball", a little guy with a big mouth. Now older & more mature (LOL) I realize what an ass Rose was/is. It killed me when they beat the Reds, but I loved it when the A's beat them. Nowadays, I don't care much one way or the other about the Mets or MLB

I've never seen Lyndsey Nelson in a straight blue blazer.

Great memories...but still bad memories as a kid as the Mets didnt get it done in the World Series... I see a few commenters saying Mets wudda won the W.S if Staub had been healthy. Problem with that is that it didnt really effect his hitting- and he hit well in that World Series, including a 5 RBI game. Unfortunately, the memory I have of Staub in the World Series was him striking out with the bases loaded and 1 out in a big situation in Game 6... Seaver didnt quite get it done in game 6 , letting Reggie beat him with 2 doubles, and Matlack didnt get it done in game 7 , letting Bert Campenaris and Reggie hit homers to break the game open- both of those pitchers on 3 days rest because Seaver asked Yogi to go in Game 6 instead of George Stone....⚾️

If Berra would have started Seaver for game#7 they would have won.

LETS GO METS !!!!

stone pitched well, as i recall, but reggie also came through big time for them when it counted.

“We can beat the superstars” says the Mets, that is until they faced Oakland.

Tom Seaver, who wore no. 41 for the Mets, was the great closer in that baseball season year in 1973. He was known as "The Franchise." He had that overpowering fast ball. That was why he and his Mets almost won Game 3 of the 1973 World Series. I am guessing that a typical fast ball by a Major League would go about 90-93 mph, but Tom Seaver's working on his own mechanics allowed him to put some more "gusto" into his heaters, adding about 2, 3...maybe even as much as 5 mph more to his typical fast ball. So my guess is that with the overpowering fast ball, Tom Seaver's release and follow-through allowed more acceleration into the ball--from the time he releases it---to the actual swing of the opposing batter, and that acceleration fooled some of the opposing batters when they tried to swing at it.

It still bothers to this day that the Mets lost that 3 games to 2 advantage with Seaver and Matlack pitching.

I miss Shea......

Gotta love Lindsey Nelson's blazers! Bob Murphy's call of the Rose-Harrelson brawl is classic. blog.70sbaseball.com

Rusty Staub hurting his shoulder in Game 4 of the NLCS probably cost the New York Mets the World Series against the Oakland A's even though he did well.

1969 to 1973 the nets ruled

1973 Ya Gotta Believe we came close we should've beaten the A's in the World Series but Yogi made a mistake and should've let George Stone pitch Game 6 and save Seaver for Game 7.......The NLCS was a classic I knew the Mets would've beat the Reds cause of our great pitching Seaver lost a heartbreaker in Game 1 with 13 K's only runs of him when Rose tied it in the 8th and Bench hit a walk off HR in the 9th.......Game 3 was a classic after Matlack shutdown the Reds in Game 2 Mets offense went to work but it wasn't the story that belongs to the brawl between Rose & Harrelson, it started when after the Mets won Game 2 Buddy was interviewed and said that the Reds was hitting like him which he said he was putting himself down Joe Morgan heard it and told his teammates..... before Game 3 Morgan was approaching Buddy but Staub intervene & that double play was planned by Morgan and Rose but they still lost the series.......but it was a great run by the Amazin's.

9:35... Insanity

7:44 Karl Ehrhardt ❤️

that's right dave, and we all thought "why doesn't he start Stone and bring back Seaver for game 7." Of course Yogi's stupid act may not have been an act.

Rusty's great catch cost them the series.

I don't agree with you... at least with the idea that the Mets are "doomed for many years." The fact that they are building with Harvey, Wheeler and such... I think we're headed in the right direction.

Willie May's was old but his spirit wasn't

Willie Mays flopping around on the outfield grass.... Sad..

could you imagine if they would have lost bc of the fans....

I AM NOT A METS FAN BUT THEY DESERVED TO WIN IN 1973. TODAY THEY ARE NOTHING AND THEY ARE DOOMED FOR MANY YEARS.

The Reds were far superior...but the Mets beat them fair and square. Facing Seaver Koosman and Matlack in a short series is a tall order.

That was a gutsy mets team; remember tom seaver trying to pitch on 2 days rest against Oakland and that lineup, but just couldn't do it in the world series, but a great year nontheless.

too much money on oakland "A's