Remembering Mets History (1973) Mets Win Mayors Trophy Game- Take 6-5 Lead in Annual Event

 May 10th, 1973: Since 1963 the two New York baseball teams played an annual exhibition game labeled "The Mayors Trophy Game". Tonight Yogi Berra's Mets hosted Ralph Houck's AL team.

The Mets came into the game at 14-14 having won just two of their last eight games. 

The previous night the AL New York team had left Minnesota taking two of three, but like the Mets had won just two of their last six as well. In their travels, their plane could not land at LaGuardia Airport due to foggy conditions. The plane was rerouted to Philadelphia where they had to spend the night. They flew to New York the day of the game & went right to Shea Stadium.

A crowd of 36,9157 came out to see the battle of the New York teams with Mike Pazik starting for
the AL New Yorkers & George Stone for the Mets. 

Pazik Trivia: Pazik was a starter for AAA Syracuse not seeing regular MLB action until he was traded to the Twins for Dick Woodson. Pazik pitched three seasons with the Twins (1975-1977) going 1-4 in 13 career games.

George Stone Trivia: At this point in time, George Stone who had come over from the Braves along with Felix Millan in exchange for Gary Gentry & Danny Frisella, had been a Mets reliever. In five appearances he had a save & a 1.29 ERA in just seven innings of work. 

In his first appearance after the Mayors Trophy Game, Stone pitched six scoreless innings of relief in a 19 inning win over the Dodgers. In June he was put in the starting rotation, after losing his first two starts he went 11-1 with a 2.98 ERA thru the end of the season, helping the Mets win the division.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Jim Fregosi singled & George "the Stork" Theodore drew a walk. Bud Harrelson then doubled bringing in Fregosi for a 1-0 lead. Teddy Martinez drew a walk to load the bases, then Felix Millan singled to center scoring The Stork & Harrelson, but when centerfielder Bobby Murcer's throw to the plate went wild, Martinez scored as well with a 4-0 Mets lead.

In the bottom of the 5th, Cleon Jones who had just returned after missing 17 games with a strained arm, drew a walk. Rusty Staub also walked, then George "the Stork" Theodore doubled bringing in Jones making it a 6-0 Mets lead. In the 6th inning, Cleon Jones added a two run triple making it 8-0.

 On the mound, George Stone, pitched seven scoreless inning, the total amount of innings he had pitched overall in the first five weeks of the season. Stone had allowed just four hits along the way. In the top of the 8th, Gerry Moses & Hal Lanier both singled, then Stone walked Jim Ray Hart. 

Craig Nettles then followed with a grand slam HR, accounting for all the AL New York teams runs in the 8-4 win.

The two newest Mets on the 1973 club played the biggest roles in the victory over the cross town rivals. The win gave the Mets the advantage in the Mayors Trophy Game 6-5 thru the years, after having dropped the last three years.

That year the Mets won the NL Pennant beating the Big Red Machine in the NLCS, losing to the Oakland A's in a seven game World Series. The AL New Yorkers went 80-82 finishing fourth in the AL East.

Trivia: One of few photographs in existence of that game, featured a pregame promo featuring Ed Kranepool & Duffy Dyer with two of the LIRR "Mini Maids". The Maids were designed to be the railroads version of what stewardesses were to airlines. They wore blue & yellow mini dresses, mostly on board the luxury cars where they were available to provide LIRR information. The program began in the late sixties & lasted into the early seventies.