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.…
September 14, 1971: Pirates win as Roberto Clemente throws out two runners from right field
Over the course of his 18-year major-league career, Pittsburgh…
September 15, 1971: Larry Yount makes his big-league debut, and farewell, for Astros
Among trivia buffs, Houston Astros pitcher Larry Yount is often…
September 18, 1971: Masterful performance by Rick Wise propels Phillies to victory
Rick Wise was a welcome success story for the Philadelphia Phillies.…
September 19, 1971: Astros score five unanswered runs to defeat Reds in 11 innings
Entering their September 19, 1971, Sunday afternoon game against…
September 26, 1971: Tom Seaver throws his third career 1-hitter to beat Pirates
The New York Mets were playing out the 1971 season. They had…
September 28, 1971: Small crowd sees final win for a Washington team for 33 years
Perhaps more than 3,242 people would have shown up at Robert…
September 30, 1971: Bill Melton becomes first White Sox player to lead AL in home runs
Over their first 70 seasons, Chicago White Sox fans saw some…
September 30, 1971: Tom Seaver strikes out 13 Cardinals, wins 20th game on final day of the season
As with so many other games for the man who wore number 41 for…
September 30, 1971: Senators forfeit final home game in Washington, DC
“Well, it’s a strange way to lose a ball game,” said…
September 30, 1971: Giants clinch the NL West on the last day of the season
As play began on the final day of the 1971 regular season, the…
October 9, 1971: Dave McNally leads Orioles to win in World Series opener
The 1971 World Series pitted the best teams from each league,…
October 13, 1971: Kison’s relief, May’s timely pinch hit bring Bucs into World Series tie with Birds
After the Pirates lost the first two games of the 1971 World…
October 16, 1971: Pirates wish for Clemente clones as Orioles extend Series to Game 7
(Photograph by Duane Rieder)
After winning three straight…
October 17, 1971: Blass, Clemente lead Pirates to victory in World Series Game 7
It was the culmination of the 1971 baseball season. Game Seven…
April 15, 1972: After an uncertain spring, Red Sox drop Opening Day game in Detroit
It might be difficult to imagine in the modern era, with big-money…
April 15, 1972: Rangers throw away their first-ever game
The opening of the 1972 season was unforgettable in many ways,…
April 15, 1972: Mets mourn Gil Hodges, win on Opening Day
On April 15, 1972, New York Mets fans filed into Shea Stadium…
April 15, 1972: Fingers blows late lead, but A’s rally to beat Twins on Opening Day
Before the Athletics relocated to Oakland in 1968, they hadn’t…