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1971 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1971 MLB season |
| league | American League (AL) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 162 |
| no_of_teams | 24 (12 per league) |
| TV | NBC |
| draft | Draft |
| draft_link | 1971 Major League Baseball draft |
| top_pick | Danny Goodwin |
| top_pick_link | List of first overall MLB draft picks |
| picked_by | Chicago White Sox |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Vida Blue (OAK) |
| NL: Joe Torre (STL) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| playoffs | Postseason |
| playoffs_link | 1971 Major League Baseball postseason |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_link | 1971 American League Championship Series |
| conf1_champ | [Baltimore Orioles](1971-baltimore-orioles-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Oakland Athletics](1971-oakland-athletics-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_link | 1971 National League Championship Series |
| conf2_champ | [Pittsburgh Pirates](1971-pittsburgh-pirates-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [San Francisco Giants](1971-san-francisco-giants-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1971 World Series |
| finals_champ | [Pittsburgh Pirates](1971-pittsburgh-pirates-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Baltimore Orioles](1971-baltimore-orioles-season) |
| World_Series_MVP | Roberto Clemente (PIT) |
| World_Series_MVP_link | World Series Most Valuable Player Award |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1970 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1970 |
| nextseason_link | 1972 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1972 |
National League (NL) | April 5 – September 30, 1971}}Postseason:{{Bulleted list | October 2–17, 1971}} NL: Joe Torre (STL) | conf1_runner-up = Oakland Athletics | conf2_runner-up = San Francisco Giants | finals_runner-up = Baltimore Orioles The 1971 major league baseball season began on April 5, 1971, while the regular season ended on September 30. The postseason began on October 2. The 68th World Series began with Game 1 on October 9 and ended with Game 7 on October 17, with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League defeating the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, four games to three, capturing their fourth championship in franchise history, since their previous in . Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Baltimore Orioles from the season.
The 42nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 13 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, home of the Detroit Tigers. The American League won, 6–4, and was the first American League win since the second game of 1962, and their last until 1983.
This was the final season that the Washington Senators would play in Washington, D.C., as the team would relocate to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex city of Arlington, Texas, as the Texas Rangers the following season. Washington would remain vacant of a major league team for 33 seasons until the Montreal Expos relocated there as the Washington Nationals in .
This was the final season the majority of MLB teams wore wool flannel uniforms. The Pirates and Cardinals wore double knit uniforms of nylon and rayon throughout 1971, and the Orioles gradually phased out flannels, going all-double knit in time for the ALCS. By 1973, flannel uniforms completely disappeared from the MLB scene.
Schedule
The 1971 schedule consisted of 162 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had twelve teams. Each league was split into two six-team divisions. Each team was scheduled to play 18 games against their five division rivals, totaling 90 games, and 12 games against six interdivision opponents, totaling 72 games. This continued the format put in place since the and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 5, featuring six teams. The final day of the regular season was on September 30, featuring 18 teams. The National League Championship Series took place between October 2 and October 6, while the American League Championship Series took place between October 3 and October 5. The World Series took place between October 9 and October 17.
Rule changes
The 1971 season saw the following rule changes:
- Players on the current hitting team are now required to wear a batting helmet. Players who previously used a cap liner in could continue to do so.
- Rules regarding players interacting fans were relaxed, as previously, players could not talk or give autographs once batting practice started. Now, players could interact with players up to 30 minutes before the start of a game.
- Rule 5.09B was amended to prohibit baserunners from advancing if the home-plate umpire interfered with a catcher.
- The disabled list was expanded. Previously, a team could have as many as three players disabled at a time — two for 21 days and one for 60. Now, a team could also disable a nonpitcher for 15 days, making it permissible to have a total of four at a time.
Teams
| League | Division | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | East | Baltimore Orioles | Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Washington Senators | West | California Angels | Chicago White Sox | Kansas City Royals | Milwaukee Brewers | Minnesota Twins | Oakland Athletics | National League}};" | East | Chicago Cubs | Montreal Expos | New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | West | Atlanta Braves | Cincinnati Reds | Houston Astros | Los Angeles Dodgers | San Diego Padres | San Francisco Giants | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, Maryland | Baltimore Memorial Stadium | 52,137 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 33,379 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 76,966 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Tiger Stadium | 54,226 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 65,010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium | 45,016 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Anaheim, California | Anaheim Stadium | 43,202 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | White Sox Park | 46,550 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas City, Missouri | Municipal Stadium | 35,561 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Milwaukee County Stadium | 45,768 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloomington, Minnesota | Metropolitan Stadium | 45,914 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oakland, California | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 36,644 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montreal, Quebec | Jarry Park Stadium | 28,456 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Shea Stadium | 55,300 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Veterans Stadium | 56,371 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Three Rivers Stadium | 50,235 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Civic Center Busch Memorial Stadium | 50,126 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta, Georgia | Atlanta Stadium | 51,383 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Riverfront Stadium | 51,744 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston, Texas | Houston Astrodome | 44,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Los Angeles, California | Dodger Stadium | 56,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego, California | San Diego Stadium | 50,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Francisco, California | Candlestick Park | 42,500 |
Standings
American League
National League
Postseason
The postseason began on October 2 and ended on October 17 with the Pittsburgh Pirates defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the 1971 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Detroit Tigers | Oakland Athletics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Smith | Billy Martin | |||
| John McNamara | Dick Williams |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Cleveland Indians |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvin Dark | Johnny Lipon |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Tony Oliva (MIN) | .337 |
| OPS | Bobby Murcer (NYY) | .969 |
| HR | Bill Melton (CWS) | 33 |
| RBI | Harmon Killebrew (MIN) | 119 |
| R | Don Buford (BAL) | 99 |
| H | César Tovar (MIN) | 204 |
| SB | Amos Otis (KC) | 52 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Mickey Lolich (DET) | 25 |
| L | Denny McLain (WAS) | 22 |
| ERA | Vida Blue (OAK) | 1.82 |
| K | Mickey Lolich (DET) | 308 |
| IP | Mickey Lolich (DET) | 376.0 |
| SV | Ken Sanders (MIL) | 31 |
| WHIP | Vida Blue (OAK) | 0.952 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Joe Torre (STL) | .363 |
| OPS | Hank Aaron (ATL) | 1.079 |
| HR | Willie Stargell (PIT) | 48 |
| RBI | Joe Torre (STL) | 137 |
| R | Lou Brock (STL) | 126 |
| H | Joe Torre (STL) | 230 |
| SB | Lou Brock (STL) | 64 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | 24 |
| L | Steve Arlin (SD) | 19 |
| ERA | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 1.76 |
| K | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 289 |
| IP | Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | 325.0 |
| SV | Dave Giusti (PIT) | 30 |
| WHIP | Tom Seaver (NYM) | 0.946 |
Regular season recap
Three of the four division races were anticlimactic; the only race was in the NL West between old rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. The Giants led by 8.5 games on September 1 but the Dodgers chipped away. In mid September, the Dodgers won 8 in a row, including 5 over the Giants to narrow the gap to one game. But they could get no closer; ultimately both teams won on the final day of the season and the Giants won the division by 1 game.
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League | Gold Glove Awards | Position | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookie of the Year | Earl Williams (ATL) | Chris Chambliss (CLE) | |||||
| Cy Young Award | Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | Vida Blue (OAK) | |||||
| Most Valuable Player | Joe Torre (STL) | Vida Blue (OAK) | |||||
| Babe Ruth Award | |||||||
| (World Series MVP) | Roberto Clemente (PIT) | — | |||||
| Pitcher | Bob Gibson (STL) | Jim Kaat (MIN) | |||||
| Catcher | Johnny Bench (CIN) | Ray Fosse (CLE) | |||||
| 1st Base | Wes Parker (LAD) | George Scott (BOS) | |||||
| 2nd Base | Tommy Helms (CIN) | Davey Johnson (BAL) | |||||
| 3rd Base | Doug Rader (HOU) | Brooks Robinson (BAL) | |||||
| Shortstop | Bud Harrelson (NYM) | Mark Belanger (BAL) | |||||
| Outfield | Bobby Bonds (SF) | Paul Blair (BAL) | |||||
| Roberto Clemente (PIT) | Amos Otis (KC) | ||||||
| Willie Davis (LAD) | Carl Yastrzemski (BOS) |
Other awards
- Commissioner's Award (Humanitarian): Willie Mays (SF)
- Hutch Award: Joe Torre (STL)
- Sport Magazine's World Series Most Valuable Player Award: Roberto Clemente (PIT)
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Joe Torre (STL) | — | |
| Pitcher of the Year | Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | Vida Blue (OAK) | |
| Fireman of the Year | |||
| (Relief pitcher) | Dave Giusti (PIT) | Ken Sanders (MIL) | |
| Rookie Player of the Year | Earl Williams (ATL) | Chris Chambliss (CLE) | |
| Rookie Pitcher of the Year | Reggie Cleveland (STL) | Bill Parsons (MIL) | |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Al Downing (LAD) | Norm Cash (DET) | |
| Manager of the Year | Charlie Fox (SF) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | — | Cedric Tallis (KC) |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
Main article: Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award
| Month | National League | April | May | June | July | August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willie Stargell (PIT) | ||||||
| Lou Brock (STL) | ||||||
| Willie Stargell (PIT) | ||||||
| Ferguson Jenkins (CHC) | ||||||
| Joe Torre (STL) |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Main article: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
- Dave Bancroft
- Jake Beckley
- Chick Hafey
- Harry Hooper
- Joe Kelley
- Rube Marquard
- Satchel Paige
- George Weiss (executive)
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | 83 | 0.0% | 2,266,680 | −16.0% | 27,984 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 89 | 2.3% | 2,064,594 | 21.7% | 25,489 |
| Boston Red Sox | 85 | −2.3% | 1,678,732 | 5.2% | 20,984 |
| Chicago Cubs | 83 | −1.2% | 1,653,007 | 0.6% | 20,407 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 90 | 18.4% | 1,604,671 | −1.5% | 19,569 |
| Detroit Tigers | 91 | 15.2% | 1,591,073 | 6.0% | 19,643 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 67 | −8.2% | 1,511,223 | 113.4% | 18,657 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 97 | 9.0% | 1,501,132 | 11.9% | 18,764 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 79 | −22.5% | 1,501,122 | −16.8% | 18,532 |
| Montreal Expos | 71 | −2.7% | 1,290,963 | −9.4% | 16,137 |
| Houston Astros | 79 | 0.0% | 1,261,589 | 0.6% | 15,575 |
| San Francisco Giants | 90 | 4.7% | 1,106,043 | 49.3% | 13,655 |
| New York Yankees | 82 | −11.8% | 1,070,771 | −5.8% | 13,219 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 101 | −6.5% | 1,023,037 | −3.2% | 13,286 |
| Atlanta Braves | 82 | 7.9% | 1,006,320 | −6.7% | 12,272 |
| Minnesota Twins | 74 | −24.5% | 940,858 | −25.4% | 11,910 |
| California Angels | 76 | −11.6% | 926,373 | −14.0% | 11,437 |
| Oakland Athletics | 101 | 13.5% | 914,993 | 17.6% | 11,296 |
| Kansas City Royals | 85 | 30.8% | 910,784 | 31.4% | 11,244 |
| Chicago White Sox | 79 | 41.1% | 833,891 | 68.3% | 10,295 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 69 | 6.2% | 731,531 | −21.7% | 8,921 |
| Washington Senators | 63 | −10.0% | 655,156 | −20.6% | 8,088 |
| Cleveland Indians | 60 | −21.1% | 591,361 | −19.0% | 7,301 |
| San Diego Padres | 61 | −3.2% | 557,513 | −13.4% | 6,883 |
Venues
The Philadelphia Phillies leave Connie Mack Stadium from which they played 33 seasons and opened Veterans Stadium (with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles), where they would go on to play for 33 seasons through .
The Washington Senators would play their final game at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium on September 30 against the New York Yankees, relocating to Arlington, Texas at Arlington Stadium as the Texas Rangers for the start of the season. The game was even more notable in that, with the Senators leading the Yankees 7–5 in the top of the 9th inning with one out, fans proceeded to storm and vandalize the field, preventing the game from continuing. The Senators were forced to forfeit the game to the Yankees.
Television coverage
NBC was the exclusive national TV broadcaster of MLB, airing the weekend Game of the Week, the All-Star Game, both League Championship Series, and the World Series.
References
References
- "MLB Rule Changes {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- Armour, Mark. "1970 Winter Meetings: Kuhn Thwarted – Society for American Baseball Research".
- "1971 Major League Managers".
- "1971 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1971 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1971 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1971 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Fireman of the Year Award / Reliever of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Rookie Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "The Sporting News Comeback Player of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "New York Mets Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Washington Nationals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Houston Astros Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Angels Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Kansas City Royals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Milwaukee Brewers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Texas Rangers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Diego Padres Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees vs Washington Senators Box Score: September 30, 1971".
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