
June 24, 1971: Rookie John Caruso’s only pro home run wins Class A Opening Day game
John Caruso’s short-lived professional career was not packed…

June 27, 1971: Roberto Clemente shines late in Pirates win over Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies opened newly built Veterans Stadium…

July 9, 1971: ‘Little Man makes a big difference’: Freddie Patek completes cycle with game-winning homer in ninth
“The Little Man makes a big difference. He can do a lot of…

July 9, 1971: A’s Angel Mangual ends AL’s longest scoreless game with 20th-inning walk-off single
As Roberto Clemente’s career was entering its twilight period,…

July 13, 1971: Reggie Jackson hits the light tower at All-Star Game in Detroit
By the end of the 1960s, it seemed that the Major League Baseball…

July 22, 1971: Tommie Agee homers twice in Mets’ 5-1 victory
When Tommie Agee stepped in the batter’s box, Mets fans attended…

July 26, 1971: Phillies’ Mike Ryan shows ‘great courage’ by playing 15 innings after freak injury
“I’ve played in pain before, but this hurt me just to blink.”1
That…

July 27, 1971: Philadelphia’s Bobby Pfeil hits his only two career home runs during emergency start behind the plate
In the early morning hours of July 27, 1971, the Philadelphia…

July 29, 1971: Jack Maloof’s 6-for-6 day leads to .402 season in New York-Penn League
When Jack Maloof walked down the street in Auburn, New York,…

July 30, 1971: Quiet as kittens against Kaat, Yankees roar back to beat Twins
Jim Kaat knew how to win ballgames. In 1971 Kaat would win at…

August 7, 1971: Nervous Vida Blue wins his 20th game as A’s top White Sox, 1-0
Vida Blue was nervous. He had notched his 19th win of 1971 on…

August 9, 1971: Willie Mays and Harmon Killebrew delight Twins fans in exhibition
Should a midseason exhibition be included among the greatest…

August 10, 1971: Harmon Killebrew ends home run drought by joining 500 club
Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew was in an unusual home-run…

August 14, 1971: Bob Gibson fires his first no-hitter for Cardinals
Bob Gibson thought he was running out of time. At 35 years of…

August 14, 1971: Rookie Mike Thompson gets first (and last) win in Senators’ final season
On Saturday, August 14, 1971, a battle of the two fifth-place…

August 17, 1971: Expos, Padres brawl after Ron Hunt gets plunked in consecutive plate appearances
San Diego Padres hurler Steve Arlin could hardly be classified…

August 23, 1971: Al Oliver ignites ‘Lumber Company’ Pirates with 2-homer game
On August 23, 1971, 24-year-old Al Oliver had one of…

August 25, 1971: Roberto Clemente records 5-hit game for the final time
Roberto Clemente played his entire 18-year career with the…

August 28, 1971: Ron Santo showered with gifts on special day at Wrigley Field
With nearly 35,000 fans on hand on the day set aside to honor…

August 30, 1971: Jay Franklin’s no-hitter wins minor-league pennant for Tri-City
In the summer of 1971, Jay Franklin had the baseball world eating…

September 1, 1971: Pirates field first all-Black lineup in baseball history
Willie Stargell, left, hugs his Pittsburgh Pirates teammate…

September 3, 1971: Red roses, blue buttons, and a George Mitterwald walk-off for Twins
The Minnesota Twins occupied fifth place in the American League…

September 3, 1971: Killebrew’s pinch-hit grand slam propels Twins to 9-4 win over A’s
Harmon Killebrew’s sixth-inning pinch-hit grand slam launched…

September 13, 1971: Frank Robinson smashes his 500th career home run
The year 1971 was a good time to be a sports fan in Baltimore.…