1971 Kansas City Royals season
1971 Kansas City Royals | ||
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File:KansasCityRoyals 100.png | ||
Division | West Division | |
Ballpark | Municipal Stadium | |
City | Kansas City, Missouri | |
Owners | Ewing Kauffman | |
Managers | Bob Lemon | |
Television | KMBC-TV | |
Radio | KMBZ (Buddy Blattner, Denny Matthews) | |
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The 1971 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing second in the American League West with a record of 85 wins and 76 losses, 16 games behind the Oakland Athletics. This was also the first time in franchise history that the Royals had finished with a winning record.[1] It happened in only their third season, the fastest of any expansion club in Major League Baseball history to that point. The record would stand until the 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League West title in their second season.
Offseason
- February 2, 1971: Ellie Rodríguez was traded by the Royals to the Milwaukee Brewers for Carl Taylor.[2]
- Prior to 1971 season: Gary Lance was signed as an amateur free agent by the Royals.[3]
Regular season
Season standings
AL West | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
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Oakland Athletics | 101 | 60 | 0.627 | — | 46–35 | 55–25 |
Kansas City Royals | 85 | 76 | 0.528 | 16 | 44–37 | 41–39 |
Chicago White Sox | 79 | 83 | 0.488 | 22½ | 39–42 | 40–41 |
California Angels | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 25½ | 35–46 | 41–40 |
Minnesota Twins | 74 | 86 | 0.463 | 26½ | 37–42 | 37–44 |
Milwaukee Brewers | 69 | 92 | 0.429 | 32 | 34–48 | 35–44 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] | |||||||||||||
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Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIL | MIN | NYY | OAK | WSH | |
Baltimore | — | 9–9 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 8–10 | 6–5 | 9–3 | 10–2 | 11–7 | 7–4 | 13–3 | |
Boston | 9–9 | — | 6–6 | 10–2 | 11–7 | 12–6 | 1–11 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 7–11 | 3–9 | 12–6 | |
California | 5–7 | 6–6 | — | 8–10 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 6–12 | 12–6 | 6–6 | 7–11 | 4–8 | |
Chicago | 4–8 | 2–10 | 10–8 | — | 3–9 | 7–5 | 9–9 | 11–7 | 7–11 | 5–7 | 11–7 | 10–2 | |
Cleveland | 5–13 | 7–11 | 4–8 | 9–3 | — | 6–12 | 2–10 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 8–10 | 4–8 | 7–11 | |
Detroit | 10–8 | 6–12 | 6–6 | 5–7 | 12–6 | — | 8–4 | 10–2 | 6–6 | 10–8 | 4–8 | 14–4 | |
Kansas City | 5–6 | 11–1 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 10–2 | 4–8 | — | 8–10 | 9–9 | 5–7 | 5–13 | 9–3 | |
Milwaukee | 3–9 | 6–6 | 12–6 | 7–11 | 8–4 | 2–10 | 10–8 | — | 10–7 | 2–10 | 3–15 | 6–6 | |
Minnesota | 2–10 | 4–8 | 6–12 | 11–7 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 9–9 | 7–10 | — | 8–4 | 8–10 | 5–6 | |
New York | 7–11 | 11–7 | 6–6 | 7–5 | 10–8 | 8–10 | 7–5 | 10–2 | 4–8 | — | 5–7 | 7–11 | |
Oakland | 4–7 | 9–3 | 11–7 | 7–11 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 15–3 | 10–8 | 7–5 | — | 9–3 | |
Washington | 3–13 | 6–12 | 8–4 | 2–10 | 11–7 | 4–14 | 3–9 | 6–6 | 6–5 | 11–7 | 3–9 | — |
Notable transactions
- May 11, 1971: Tom Matchick was traded by the Royals to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ted Savage.[4]
- June 8, 1971: George Brett was drafted by the Royals in the 2nd round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.[5]
Roster
1971 Kansas City Royals | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Player stats
Batting
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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C | Jerry May | 71 | 218 | 55 | .252 | 1 | 24 |
3B | Paul Schaal | 161 | 548 | 150 | .274 | 11 | 63 |
LF | Lou Piniella | 126 | 448 | 125 | .279 | 3 | 51 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Chuck Harrison | 49 | 143 | 31 | .217 | 2 | 21 |
Carl Taylor | 20 | 39 | 7 | .179 | 0 | 3 |
Ted Savage | 19 | 29 | 5 | .172 | 0 | 1 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Dick Drago | 35 | 241.1 | 17 | 11 | 2.98 | 109 |
Mike Hedlund | 32 | 205.2 | 15 | 8 | 2.71 | 76 |
Bruce Dal Canton | 25 | 141.1 | 8 | 6 | 3.44 | 58 |
Wally Bunker | 7 | 32.1 | 2 | 3 | 5.01 | 15 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Al Fitzmorris | 36 | 127.1 | 7 | 5 | 4.17 | 53 |
Roger Nelson | 13 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 5.29 | 29 |
Lance Clemons | 10 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 4.12 | 20 |
Monty Montgomery | 3 | 21.1 | 3 | 0 | 2.11 | 12 |
Mike McCormick | 4 | 9.2 | 0 | 0 | 9.31 | 2 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Tom Burgmeier | 67 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 1.73 | 44 |
Ted Abernathy | 63 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 2.56 | 55 |
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Elmira, GCL Royals
Notes
- ^ Kansas City Royals Team History & Encyclopedia
- ^ Ellie Rodríguez at Baseball Reference
- ^ Gary Lance at Baseball Reference
- ^ Tom Matchick at Baseball Reference
- ^ George Brett at Baseball Reference
References
- 1971 Kansas City Royals at Baseball Reference
- 1971 Kansas City Royals at Baseball Almanac
- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.