1971 Boston Red Sox season

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1971 Boston Red Sox
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record85–77 (.525)
Divisional place3rd (18 GB)
Other information
Owner(s)Tom Yawkey
General manager(s)Dick O'Connell
Manager(s)Eddie Kasko
Local televisionWHDH-TV, Ch. 5
Local radioWHDH-AM 850
(Ken Coleman, Ned Martin, Johnny Pesky)
StatsESPN.com
BB-reference
< Previous season     Next season >

The 1971 Boston Red Sox season was the 71st season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished third in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 77 losses, 18 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who went on to win the AL championship.

Offseason[]

Regular season[]

Record by month[5]
Month Record Cumulative AL East Ref.
Won Lost Won Lost Position GB
April 12 7 12 7 1st +1⁄2 [6]
May 17 11 29 18 1st +1+1⁄2 [7]
June 14 13 43 31 2nd 3+1⁄2 [8]
July 16 14 59 45 2nd 6+1⁄2 [9]
August 11 19 70 64 3rd 13+1⁄2 [10]
September 15 13 85 77 3rd 18 [11]

Highlights[]

In the second year of Eddie Kasko's management, the Red Sox finished 16 games behind the eventual American League champions Baltimore Orioles. The Sox did not have a .300 hitter in 1971, with Reggie Smith's .283 batting average being the best among their regulars. Tony Conigliaro, his health still a question, had been traded the previous October to the California Angels for reliever Ken Tatum and rookie infielder Doug Griffin. Conigliaro played in 74 games for the Angels in 1971 but then had to give up baseball, his sight having deteriorated greatly. Tatum was 2–4 with the Red Sox, and Griffin batted a season .244, while becoming the regular second baseman.

Highlights of an otherwise forgettable season included the late arrival of a big catcher from Bellows Falls, Vermont, Carlton Fisk, who got into 14 games for the 1971 Sox and hit two home runs. Making a bigger splash was a utility fielder who had been acquired in 1970 from the New York Yankees but came into his own in 1971. John Kennedy hit .272, with five homers and 22 RBIs, and was nicknamed "Super Sub".

Another bright spot for the Sox in '71 was Jim Lonborg's winning 10 games (and losing 7). But Sonny Siebert, a pitcher acquired in a deal with the Cleveland Indians in 1969, was the top hurler for Boston, winning 16 games. A feisty left-hander, Sparky Lyle was 6–4, with 16 saves and a 2.77 ERA.

Season standings[]

  • v
  • t
AL East 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Baltimore Orioles 101 57 0.639 — 53–24 48–33
Detroit Tigers 91 71 0.562 12 54–27 37–44
Boston Red Sox 85 77 0.525 18 47–33 38–44
New York Yankees 82 80 0.506 21 44–37 38–43
Washington Senators 63 96 0.396 38½ 35–46 28–50
Cleveland Indians 60 102 0.370 43 29–52 31–50

Record vs. opponents[]

1971 American League Records
  • v
  • t

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
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[]

  • April 7, 1971: Tom Satriano was released by the Red Sox.[12]
  • May 17, 1971: Luis Tiant was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[13]

Opening Day lineup[]

11 Luis Aparicio SS
  7 Reggie Smith CF
  8 Carl Yastrzemski     LF
  6 Rico Petrocelli 3B
  5 George Scott 1B
24 Duane Josephson C
40 Billy Conigliaro CF
  2 Doug Griffin 2B
21 Ray Culp P

Source:[14]

Roster[]

1971 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Statistical leaders[]

Sonny Siebert
Category Player Statistic
Youngest player Juan Beníquez
Cecil Cooper
Mike Garman
Roger Moret		 21
Oldest player Luis Aparicio 37
Wins Above Replacement Sonny Siebert 6.6

Source:[15]

Batting[]

Abbr. Category Player Statistic
G Games played Reggie Smith 159
PA Plate appearances Reggie Smith 692
AB At bats Reggie Smith 618
R Runs scored Reggie Smith 85
H Hits Reggie Smith 175
2B Doubles Reggie Smith 33
3B Triples John Kennedy 5
HR Home runs Reggie Smith 30
RBI Runs batted in Reggie Smith 96
SB Stolen bases Doug Griffin 11
Reggie Smith
CS Caught stealing Carl Yastrzemski 7
BB Base on balls Carl Yastrzemski 106
SO Strikeouts Rico Petrocelli 108
BA Batting average Reggie Smith .283
OBP On-base percentage Carl Yastrzemski .381
SLG Slugging percentage Reggie Smith .489
OPS On-base plus slugging Reggie Smith .840
OPS+ Adjusted OPS Reggie Smith 129
TB Total bases Reggie Smith 302
GIDP Grounded into double play George Scott 23
HBP Hit by pitch George Scott 5
Reggie Smith
SH Sacrifice hits Ray Culp 17
SF Sacrifice flies Rico Petrocelli 9
IBB Intentional base on balls Carl Yastrzemski 12

Source:[15]

Pitching[]

Abbr. Category Player Statistic
W Wins Sonny Siebert 16
L Losses Ray Culp 16
W-L % Winning percentage Bill Lee .818 (9–2)
ERA Earned run average Bill Lee 2.74
G Games pitched Bob Bolin 52
GS Games started Ray Culp 35
GF Games finished Sparky Lyle 36
CG Complete games Ray Culp 12
Sonny Siebert
SHO Shutouts Sonny Siebert 4
SV Saves Sparky Lyle 16
IP Innings pitched Ray Culp 242+1⁄3
SO Strikeouts Ray Culp 151
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched Sonny Siebert 1.190

Source:[15]

Awards and honors[]

  • George Scott, Gold Glove Award (1B)
  • Carl Yastrzemski, Gold Glove Award (OF)

Farm system[]

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Louisville Colonels International League Darrell Johnson
AA Pawtucket Red Sox Eastern League Billy Gardner
A Winston-Salem Red Sox Carolina League Don Lock
A Winter Haven Red Sox Florida State League John Butler
A Greenville Red Sox Western Carolinas League Rac Slider
A-Short Season Williamsport Red Sox New York–Penn League Dick Berardino

Source:[16][17]

References[]

  1. ^ Phil Gagliano page at Baseball Reference
  2. ^ Chuck Hartenstein page at Baseball-Reference
  3. ^ John Tamargo page at Baseball Reference
  4. ^ Tony Muser page at Baseball Reference
  5. ^ "The 1971 Boston Red Sox". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "Events of Friday, April 30, 1971".
  7. ^ "Events of Monday, May 31, 1971".
  8. ^ "Events of Wednesday, June 30, 1971".
  9. ^ "Events of Saturday, July 31, 1971".
  10. ^ "Events of Tuesday, August 31, 1971".
  11. ^ "Events of Thursday, September 30, 1971".
  12. ^ Tom Satriano page at Baseball-Reference
  13. ^ Luis Tiant page at Baseball Reference
  14. ^ "Boston Red Sox 3, New York Yankees 1". Retrosheet. April 6, 1971. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  15. ^ a b c "1971 Boston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  16. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
  17. ^ Boston Red Sox Guide for Press TV Radio. 1971. p. 2. Retrieved March 14, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.

External links[]

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