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1971 Detroit Tigers season

Major League Baseball season


Major League Baseball season

FieldValue
nameDetroit Tigers
season1971
leagueAmerican League
divisionEast
ballparkTiger Stadium
cityDetroit, Michigan
ownersJohn Fetzer
general_managersJim Campbell
managersBilly Martin
televisionWJBK
(George Kell, Larry Osterman)
radioWJR
(Ernie Harwell, Ray Lane)

(George Kell, Larry Osterman) (Ernie Harwell, Ray Lane) |}}

The 1971 Detroit Tigers season was the team's 71st season and the 60th season at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers finished in second place in the American League East with a 91–71 record, 12 games behind the Orioles. They outscored their opponents 701 to 645. They drew 1,591,073 fans to Tiger Stadium, the second highest attendance in the American League.

Offseason

  • October 9, 1970: Denny McLain, Elliott Maddox, Norm McRae, and Don Wert were traded by the Tigers to the Washington Senators for Ed Brinkman, Aurelio Rodríguez, Joe Coleman, and Jim Hannan.
  • March 30, 1971: Jerry Robertson was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Mets for Dean Chance and Bill Denehy.

Regular season

Mickey Lolich became the second pitcher in the history of the American League to win 25 games but not win the Cy Young Award.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

  • April 9, 1971: Dave Boswell was signed as a free agent by the Tigers.
  • May 28, 1971: Dave Boswell was released by the Tigers.
  • June 8, 1971: Gene Pentz was drafted by the Tigers in the 7th round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.
  • June 12, 1971: Carl Cavanaugh (minors) and Mike Fremuth (minors) were traded by the Tigers to the Philadelphia Phillies for Tony Taylor.

Roster

1971 Detroit Tigers
**Roster**
**Pitchers**

Player stats

Batting

= Indicates team leader

Starters by position

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C148516143.2772171
1B135452128.2833291
2B12847799.2081857
3B154604153.2531539
SS159527120.228137
LF119450130.2892272
CF139401117.292755
RF133405119.2941554

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
136459124.2701671
8219566.3381129
5518152.287319
8313835.254511
5911028.255819
295413.24117
314111.26814
38377.18904
7163.18826
7151.06701
8142.14301
242.50001

Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included

Pitching

= Indicates league leader

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
45376.025142.92308
39286.02093.15236
26144.21094.35118

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
31122.1674.4943
3189.2463.5164
3086.1455.0047
1631.2115.1215
930.0214.8014

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGWLSVGFERASO
6911620402.7176
52764233.8651
31031104.2227
1201034.825
1101272.508
710033.276
702125.636
5000013.501
300016.233
3000118.002

Awards and honors

  • Mickey Lolich, Tiger of the Year award from Detroit baseball writers

All-Star Selections

All-Star Game

  • Norm Cash, First Base, Reserve
  • Bill Freehand, Catcher, Reserve
  • Al Kaline, Outfield, Reserve
  • Mickey Lolich, Pitcher, Reserve

League top ten finishers

Ed Brinkman

  • AL leader in games played at shortstop (159)
  • AL leader in innings played at shortstop (1395-2/3)
  • AL leader in assists by a shortstop (513)
  • #4 in AL in games played (159)
  • #7 in AL in times hit by pitch (7)

Norm Cash

  • Finished 12th in AL MVP voting
  • AL leader in at bats per home run (14.1)
  • #2 in AL in home runs (32)
  • #3 in AL in slugging percentage (.531)
  • #3 in AL in OPS (.903)
  • #7 in AL in times hit by pitch (7)
  • #8 in AL in RBIs (91)
  • #9 in AL in runs created (93)
  • 7th oldest player in the AL

Joe Coleman

  • #3 in AL in strikeouts (236)
  • #4 in AL in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (7.43)
  • #5 in AL in win percentage (.690)
  • #5 in AL in innings pitched (286)
  • #5 in AL in batters faced (1174)
  • #6 in AL in wins (20)
  • #9 in AL in complete games (16)

Bill Freehan

  • AL leader in games at catcher (144)
  • AL leader in complete games at catcher (128)
  • AL leader in innings played at catcher (1265)
  • AL leader in putouts by a catcher (912)
  • #3 in AL in times hit by pitch (9)
  • #8 in AL in doubles (26)
  • #9 in AL in extra base hits (51)
  • #9 in AL in at bats per strikeout (10.8)

Willie Horton

  • #7 in AL in slugging percentage (.496)
  • #7 in AL in times hit by pitch (7)
  • #10 in AL in extra base hits (48)
  • #10 in AL in at bats per home run (20.5)

Al Kaline

  • #3 in AL in on-base percentage (.416)
  • #6 in AL in OPS (.878)
  • #7 in AL in time hit by pitch (7)
  • #8 in AL in batting average (.294)
  • #10 in AL in bases on balls (82)
  • 9th oldest player in the AL

Mickey Lolich

  • Finished 2nd in AL Cy Young Award voting (behind Vida Blue)
  • Finished 5th in AL MVP voting
  • MLB leader in wins (25)
  • MLB leader in strikeouts (308)
  • MLB leader in innings pitched (376)
  • MLB leader in games started (45)
  • AL leader in complete games (29)
  • MLB leader in hits allowed (336)
  • MLB leader in batters faced (1538)
  • #2 in MLB in home runs allowed (36)
  • #2 in MLB in earned runs allowed (122)
  • #4 in AL in sacrifice hits (16)
  • #4 in AL in strikeout to walk ratio (3.35)
  • #5 in AL in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (7.37)
  • #7 in AL in Adjusted ERA+ (125)
  • #8 in AL in bases on balls per 9 innings pitched (2.20)
  • #10 in AL in ERA (2.92)

Aurelio Rodríguez

  • #3 in AL in doubles (30)
  • #4 in AL in triples (7)
  • #4 in AL in outs (476)
  • #5 in AL in at bats (604)
  • #8 in AL in extra base hits (52)
  • #10 in AL in strikeouts (104)

Fred Scherman

  • #2 in AL in games by pitcher (69)
  • #3 in AL in saves (20)
  • #3 in AL in games finished (40)

Players ranking among top 100 all time at position

The following members of the 1972 Tigers were ranked among the Top 100 of all time at their position in The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract in 2001:

  • Bill Freehan: 12th best catcher of all time
  • Norm Cash: 20th best first baseman of all time
  • Dick McAuliffe: 22nd best second baseman of all time
  • Aurelio Rodríguez: 91st best third baseman of all time
  • Willie Horton: 55th best left fielder of all time
  • Al Kaline: 11th best right fielder of all time
  • Mickey Lolich: 72nd best pitcher of all time

Farm system

Notes

References

References

  1. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/m/mclaide01.shtml Denny McLain page at Baseball Reference]
  2. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roberje01.shtml Jerry Robertson page at Baseball Reference]
  3. ''Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures'', 2008 Edition, p. 236, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, {{ISBN. 978-0-451-22363-0
  4. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bosweda01.shtml Dave Boswell page at Baseball Reference]
  5. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pentzge01.shtml Gene Pentz page at Baseball Reference]
  6. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/t/tayloto02.shtml Tony Taylor page at Baseball Reference]
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