Swinging '73: Baseball's Wildest Season

by Matthew Silverman

Interest and attendance were dropping, and football was ascending. Stuck in a rut, baseball was dying. Then Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, a second-division club with wife-swapping pitchers, leaving the House That Ruth Built not with a slam but a simper. He vowed not to interfere—before soon changing his mind. Across town, Tom Seaver led the Mets’ stellar pitching line-up, and iconic outfielder Willie Mays was preparing to say goodbye. For months, the Mets, under Yogi Berra, couldn’t get it right. Meanwhile, the A’s were breaking a ban on facial hair while maverick owner Charlie Finley was fighting to keep them underpaid. But beneath the muttonchops and mayhem, lay another world. Elvis commanded a larger audience than the Apollo landings. A Dodge Dart cost $2,800, gas was a quarter per gallon. A fiscal crisis loomed; Vietnam had ended, the vice president resigned, and Watergate had taken over. It was one of the most exciting years in the game’s history, the first with the designated hitter and the last before arbitration and free agency. The two World Series opponents went head-to-head above the baby steps of a dynasty that soon dwarfed both league champions. It was a turbulent time for the country and the game, neither of which would ever be the same again.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Author of
Out of a Dog's Mouth: A Novel (under pseudonym McNally Berry)
Shea Stadium Remembered
One-Year Dynasty
Swinging '73
Best Mets
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...
100 Things Mets Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die
New York Mets: The Complete Illustrated History
Mets Essential
Baseball Miscellany
--Co-Author of
Mets by the Numbers
Red Sox by the Numbers
Cubs by the Numbers
--Former associate publisher at Total Sports Publishing
--Managing editor of Total Baseball, Total Football and ESPN Baseball and Pro Football Encyclopedias

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of a book on the politics and social culture of that year with baseball thrown in. The book concentrated on three teams of the 24 in MLB at the time. Not a good one and not worth the effort to write a full review or post on the blog.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book made me believe it was a retrospective of the 1973 MLB season, but it's a New York City-centric (Mets, Yankees) look at the season, plus the Oakland A's, who were World Series champs. Despite that, and despite some occasional clunky writing, there are some interesting stories about the three teams and even a 2013 look at what some of the players/managers/owners did later and/or are doing now. Worth a read for '70s-era baseball fans.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but was looking forward to reliving the exciting comeback that season of my Reds overtaking the Dodgers. Sadly this part of the season was reduced to one sentence as the main focus of the book centered on the Mets, Yankees and A's. Oh, and the author really disliked Richard Nixon.

[Jim Hendrickson]

Fantastic read. If you love baseball and especially the 1970s baseball, this book is terrific. Being an Oakland A's fan this was great but also for stories of the Mets and Yankees in that very strange year of 1973.

[Edward Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good book very interesting on how baseball players where also in the reserve to avoid being drafted

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice recounting of an interesting season. The focus of the book is primarily on the two World Series participants, one expected and one not at all.

The Oakland A's were the defending champions on a quest for respect from the media, all the while dealing with their quixotic owner, Charlie Finley.

The New York Mets spent much of the season at the bottom of their division until Tug McGraw began shouting, "Ya gotta believe"

The end result was a entertaining seven-game series.

In between, you had a new gimmick called the "desiginated hitter", wife-swapping pitchers, Willie Mays retiring, Vietnam ending, Watergate beginning, and Spiro Agnew resigning. Interesting times.

The author blends all these elements well and captures the flavor of the times.

[David Carraturo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book tremendously. The coordination on the alternating teams and drawing in the events of 1973 was very informative and entertaining. This was my year - I was 9 and fell in love with the Mets - rarely missed a game on TV and even attended a few of the Mets games highlighted (the Harrelson fight, Willie Mays night). The research done here was extraordinary and the way Silverman tied in the teams & players to correlate with the social/political/economic history or the day (or baseball history) was great. I would recommend this to everyone - but especially those 50 and older who lived through this time.

[Brett Van Gaasbeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really flies for a baseball fan. It doesn’t get too bogged down in the numbers, whether they be the standings or the individual statistics. This focuses more on the stories of people and teams. Whether the ownership groups that changed the face of modern baseball, such as the emergence of Steinbrenner, or the twilight of players, like the immortal Willie Mays, this book tells the story within the story about how these people affected the season that culminated in the As winning against the Mets. It also spends time putting the season into context with the political and social climate of America, as Watergate was swirling around the fringes. Interesting read.

[Shay Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

When he sticks to the on the field action in '73, the book is good enough, but Silverman gets off into the weeds far too often, dwelling on stuff I could not have cared less about. He spends WAY too much time on the 4th place '73 Yankees, but hardly even mentions the teams the Mets beat out to take their division that year. Strictly for New York fans, and even then, I don't think it's anything special.

[zumiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and sometimes poignant look at the 1973 season, with a particular focus on the A's, Mets, and Yankees. It captures a particular moment in time very well, the period right before free agency changed baseball forever.
The book could have spread its focus to other teams a little better; in particular, it was disappointing to see no mention of Bobby Bonds' terrific season.

[Adam J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a captivating book about a captivating year. There are times when too many characters are introduced, but on the whole I enjoyed this romp through the past tremendously.

6/9/24: Read again. About the same thoughts!

[Kenneth Gura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of an enjoyable read than I was anticipating. I love reading about specific season most. I have to admit my expectations were low when I began reading this title, but grew to appreciate as I continued. I have to add this to my list of titles as surprise reads.

[Jim Melcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good though not great book about the 1973 major league baseball season. The author is overly focused on the A's and Yankees for my native Midwestern taste, and there are some errors and typos along the way. But it is a fun slice of life from an interesting season. Overall, I recommend it.

[Budd Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://allsportsbooks.blogspot.com/20...

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book reviewed several events from the 1973 baseball season. How can you lose with that?

[Kenneth Gura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched, learned quite a bit about the 1973 Baseball season as well about that years social events...Political and Popular culture.

[Ed Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read of one of the funkiest seasons in baseball (and I've always been curious how the Mets made the World Series with 83 wins). And wow, Charlie Finley sounds like kind of a jerk.

[Patrick Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light, fun look at a pretty crazy time in the country and in our national pasttime.

[Joe Santa Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The 70's MLB was everything to me growing up and this book was like going back in time. Great mix of 73 season stories along with national news from the day. Baseball Forever!