| 1973 Carolina League season | |
|---|---|
| League | Carolina League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 13 – August 29 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Terry Whitfield, Kinston Eagles |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | Winston-Salem Red Sox |
| Runners-up | Lynchburg Twins |
| CL seasons | |
| ← 19721974 → | |
The 1973 Carolina League was a Class A baseball season played between April 13 and August 29. Six teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top team in each half of the season competing for the championship.
The Winston-Salem Red Sox won the Carolina League championship, defeating the Lynchburg Twins in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Burlington Rangers fold.
- The Wilson Pennants join the league.
- The Kinston Eagles ended their affiliation with the New York Yankees.
- The Rocky Mount Leafs ended their affiliation with the Detroit Tigers and begin a new affiliation with the Philadelphia Phillies. The club is renamed the Rocky Mount Phillies.
Teams
Map of teams
KinstonLynchburgRocky MountSalemWilsonWinston-Salem
Carolina League teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Lynchburg Twins finished with the best record in the league for the first time in franchise history.
Standings
| Carolina League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Lynchburg Twins | 78 | 60 | .565 | – |
| Winston-Salem Red Sox | 77 | 62 | .554 | 1.5 |
| Rocky Mount Phillies | 75 | 65 | .536 | 4 |
| Kinston Eagles | 68 | 69 | .496 | 9.5 |
| Salem Pirates | 66 | 72 | .478 | 12 |
| Wilson Pennants | 52 | 88 | .371 | 27 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Terry Whitfield, Kinston Eagles | .335 |
| H | Craig Reynolds, Salem Pirates | 160 |
| R | Omar Moreno, Salem Pirates | 112 |
| 2B | Jeffrey Geach, Kinston Eagles | 34 |
| 3B | Dale Soderholm, Lynchburg Twins | 12 |
| HR | Jim Obradovich, Lynchburg Twins Terry Whitfield, Kinston Eagles |
18 |
| RBI | Chuck Erickson, Winston-Salem Red Sox | 101 |
| SB | Omar Moreno, Salem Pirates | 77 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bill Stiegemeier, Lynchburg Twins Roy Thomas, Rocky Mount Phillies |
15 |
| ERA | Roy Thomas, Rocky Mount Phillies | 2.24 |
| CG | Larry Demery, Salem Pirates | 14 |
| SV | Tippy Martinez, Kinston Eagles Barry Sbragia, Winston-Salem Red Sox |
15 |
| SO | Roy Thomas, Rocky Mount Phillies | 193 |
| IP | Quencey Hill, Rocky Mount Phillies | 203.0 |
Playoffs
- The Winston-Salem Red Sox won their fifth Carolina League championship, defeating the Lynchburg Twins in five games.
- The championship round was extended from a best-of-three series to a best-of-five series.
Playoff bracket
| Finals | ||||
| 1 | Lynchburg | 2 | ||
| 2 | Winston-Salem | 3 | ||
Awards
| Carolina League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Terry Whitfield, Kinston Eagles |
| Manager of the Year | Dick Phillips, Lynchburg Twins |
See also
References
- 1973 CL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed December 9, 2024
- 1973 CL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 9, 2024
- 1973 CL Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed December 9, 2024
- "Carolina League". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved 9 December 2024.