1973 Kansas City Royals season
Encyclopedia
The 1973 Kansas City Royals
season was a season in American baseball
. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West
with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.
threw the first no-hitter
in Royals history. The Royals beat Detroit
by a score of 3-0.
On May 15, in a game against the Royals, Nolan Ryan
of the California Angels
threw the first no-hitter of his career.
On August 2, George Brett
made his major league debut.
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West
American League West
The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the...
with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses.
Offseason
- November 30, 1972: Roger NelsonRoger Nelson (baseball)Roger Eugene Nelson is a former professional baseball pitcher. Nelson pitched all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball between 1967 and 1976 with a record of 29 wins, 32 losses, and 5 saves....
and Richie ScheinblumRichie ScheinblumRichard Alan "Richie" Scheinblum is a former professional All Star Major League Baseball player.He played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels, and St. Louis Cardinals...
were traded by the Royals to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for Hal McRaeHal McRaeHarold Abraham McRae is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals . Utilized as a designated hitter for most of his career, McRae batted and threw right-handed...
and Wayne SimpsonWayne SimpsonWayne Kirby Simpson , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1970-1977. He played for the Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, and California Angels. Hank Aaron got his 3,000th career hit off Simpson.Simpson was 14-3 with a 3.02 Earned...
. - February 1, 1973: Joe KeoughJoe KeoughJoseph William Keough is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1968 through 1973 for the Oakland Athletics , Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox . Keough batted and threw left-handed...
was traded by the Royals to the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Jim LyttleJim LyttleJames Lawrence Lyttle Jr. is a former major league baseball player from Hamilton, Ohio. He played as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Montreal Expos, and Los Angeles Dodgers...
.
Regular season
On April 16, Steve BusbySteve Busby
Steven Lee Busby is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed.-Professional career:...
threw the first no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
in Royals history. The Royals beat Detroit
1973 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers compiled a record of 85-77. They finished in 3rd place in the AL East, 12 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. They were outscored by their opponents 674 to 642.- Offseason :...
by a score of 3-0.
On May 15, in a game against the Royals, Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
of the California Angels
1973 California Angels season
The California Angels season involved the Angels finishing fourth in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.- Offseason :...
threw the first no-hitter of his career.
On August 2, George Brett
George Brett
George Brett , is an American baseball player.George Brett may also refer to:*George Edward Brett , British-born American publisher*George Brett , World War II USAAF general...
made his major league debut.
Notable transactions
- April 2, 1973: Greg MintonGreg MintonGregory Brian Minton is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played for the California Angels and San Francisco Giants....
was traded by the Royals to the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
for Fran HealyFran Healy (baseball)Francis Xavier Healy , is a former Major League Baseball catcher best known for his long tenure calling television broadcasts for the New York Mets on the MSG Network and Fox Sports Net New York....
. - May 8, 1973: Tom MurphyTom Murphy (baseball)Thomas Andrew Murphy is a former professional baseball pitcher who played twelve seasons for the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball.He was one of only two American League pitchers to get a...
was traded by the Royals to the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
for Al SantoriniAl SantoriniAlan Joel Santorini is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, from until , for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.-External links:...
. - June 5, 1973: 1973 Major League Baseball Draft1973 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1973 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :Four dominating players of the late 70s and 80s were selected in the June regular phase...
- Ruppert JonesRuppert JonesRuppert Sanderson Jones is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers and California Angels...
was drafted by the Royals in the 3rd round. - Rob PiccioloRob PiccioloRobert Michael Picciolo is a former Major League Baseball player who currently serves as the bench coach of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He played nine seasons in the major leagues, from 1977–1985, for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, and California Angels, the predecessor of his...
was drafted by the Royals in the 4th round of the secondary phase, but did not sign.
- Ruppert Jones
Roster
| 1973 Kansas City Royals | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 95 | 279 | 77 | .276 | 6 | 34 | |
| DH | 106 | 338 | 79 | .234 | 9 | 50 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 104 | 232 | 59 | .254 | 2 | 24 | |
| 69 | 145 | 33 | .228 | 0 | 16 | |
| 51 | 139 | 31 | .223 | 0 | 5 | |
| 13 | 40 | 5 | .125 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | 25 | 7 | .280 | 1 | 6 | |
| 8 | 9 | 2 | .222 | 0 | 3 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 238.1 | 16 | 15 | 4.23 | 174 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 59.2 | 3 | 4 | 5.73 | 29 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 2.99 | 83 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.85 | 13 | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5.40 | 4 | |
| 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4.91 | 3 |