Senior Citizen Softball Players in their 80’s and 90’s Dedicate Annual Bristal All-Star Game to 50th Anniversary of 1973 World Series

The Bristal All-Stars, softball players in their 80’s and 90’s who play two doubleheaders a week in the New York Senior Softball Association (NYSSA)  held their annual All-Star game at Cantiague Park in Hicksville. The players who range in age from 80 to 92, and reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens commemorated the 50^th anniversary of the 1973 World Series between the New York Mets and the Oakland Athletics. The Mets beat the Athletics 8-5.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The Bristal All-Star feature players who have undergone a kidney transplant, quadruple bypass surgery, knee and hip replacements and a number of All-Stars ran the bases thanks to their pacemakers.

The Bristal All-Stars say the 1973 Mets who were just 36-47, in last place in the N.L. East, 12 games back of the first place Chicago Cubs on July 12^th should give current day Met fans reason for hope in this disappointing season. Or as Tug McGraw, the Mets 1973 bullpen closer would say “YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!!”

The Mets who were ravaged by injury in 1973 were in last place in the National League East on August 30^th, ten games under 500. However, they won 20 of their last 28 games to win the division with a record of just 82-79, the lowest winning percentage of any team to reach the World Series. The Mets then defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games, a series remembered for a bench clearing brawl in game two between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose when Rose slid hard into second base trying to avoid an inning ending double play.

• Oakland won the 1973 World Series in 7 games.
• Reggie Jackson was the World Series MVP.
• The 1973 World Series was the first World Series in which all the weekday games were played at night.
• Charlie Finley the Owner of the Oakland A’s fired second baseman Mike Andrews after he committed two errors in game two, forcing the infielder to sign an affidavit that he was injured. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn would reinstate Andrews.
• In the regular season Tom Seaver led the 1973 Mets with 19 Wins. Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack would each win 14 games. George Stone had a 12-3 record and Tug McGraw who coined the phrase “You Gotta Believe” won 4 games and saved 9 during a 13 game period down the stretch in September.
• 42 Year Old Willie Mays would appear in just 66 games and bat a mere 211 with just 6 homeruns.