According to wikipedia, there was a 1970 Baseball Seasons episode; according to YouTube, there wasn’t. So, it had to be 1971 up next. I missed a second straight World Series appearance by the Baltimore Orioles in 1970, this time resulting in a World Series title. The Orioles would be back for a 3rd straight time in 1971, winning over 100 games for the third straight season in the process. Something else happened that year in Baltimore; it’s one of those things we’ll probably never see again. The Orioles boasted four 20 game winners in their starting rotation. It’s rare nowadays to have one 20 game winner, let alone four… on the same team! Yeah, as time went on, the handling of starting pitchers has changed dramatically. In 1971, starting pitchers were still workhorses.
Here’s another crazy stat: There were 9 pitchers that had 20+ complete games; holy crap. Mickey Lolich, from World Series fame in 1968 had 29 complete games pitching 376 innings winning 25 games; just nuts. Yet it was Vida Blue pitching for the Oakland As who brought home the Cy Young that year in the AL. 24 wins, 8 shutouts, and a 1.82 ERA… he helped lead Oakland into the playoffs this year, coming up short of the Series though, losing to Baltimore.
There was a workhorse in the National League too, a familiar one. Fergie Jenkins would take home the Cy Young that year with 30 complete games, 325 innings pitched, and 24 wins. The Cubs would finish in 3rd place. Instead, it was the Pirates who would win the division and would beat the Giants in the NLCS that year, setting up the Pirates Orioles Fall Classic.
They showed the 1971 All Star game highlights. Talk about a who’s who of baseball. Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Bench, Jackson, Robinson… Aaron would get his first All Star game extra base hit hitting a home run; Clemente and Bench would homer as well. Yet, it was Reggie Jackson’s shot off the transformer on top of the roof in old Tiger Stadium that stood out. I’ve never been to an All Star game; that’d be cool one day. Bucket list…
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One of my Dad’s favorite players, living not too far from Clemente High School in Chicago, playing them on their field in High School, I was very familiar with Roberto. He was 12 for 29 in this Series; he had also hit safely in each World Series game back in 1960 as well. In his 2 World Series performances, he combined to hit 318; he also played tremendous defense and had a crazy arm. He became the first Latin player to win World Series MVP in 1971, hitting a home run in the deciding Game 7 in the process. Unfortunately, one of the first things that comes to mind with Clemente was his untimely death. He was just as impressive off the field as he was on. Going to help out recovery efforts in Nicaragua after an earthquake after the 1972 season, his plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico, his home country. He was dead at the age of 38. He had just recorded his 3000th hit in the 1972; who knew that would be his last. It’s a tragic story. I think about how I wrote a paper, and in the process learned a lot about Jackie Robinson back when I was in school; I think Roberto Clemente would be a great person for my son to write a paper on one day.
Yes, tomorrow never knows. Although I can’t subscribe to the theory of living every day like your last, because I can’t be in Vegas every day, I do believe in being thankful for each day you wake up, because it is a blessing. I do believe in not taking anything for granted, because it can all change in a second. We don’t know what the future holds, but we can control the right now; damn, that’s a little deep for a look back at the 1971 baseball season. Looks like next up will be 1974… a memorable year for a couple reasons.
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