1971 Kansas City Royals season
The 1971 Kansas City Royals season was their third in Major League Baseball. The Royals had the first winning season (85-76) in franchise history, good enough for second place in the American League West and 16 games behind the Oakland Athletics. Kansas City earning a winning record in its third season was the second fastest of any expansion club in Major League Baseball history up to that point, the 1962 Los Angeles Angels achieved a winning record in their second season. The record would stand until the 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks won the National League West title in their second season.
1971 Kansas City Royals | |
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Major League affiliations | |
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Location | |
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Results | |
Record | 83-79 |
Divisional place | 2nd |
Other information | |
Owners | Ewing Kauffman |
General managers | Cedric Tallis |
Managers | Bob Lemon (first full season) |
Local television | KMBC-TV |
Local radio | KMBZ (Buddy Blattner, Denny Matthews) |
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By comparison, none of the Royals' expansion brethren--the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres--enjoyed a winning season prior to 1978.
Offseason
- February 2, 1971: Ellie Rodríguez was traded by the Royals to the Milwaukee Brewers for Carl Taylor.[1]
- Prior to 1971 season: Gary Lance was signed as an amateur free agent by the Royals.[2]
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: | |||||||||||||
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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.[3]
- June 8, 1971: George Brett was drafted by the Royals in the 2nd round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.[4]
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
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 |
1B | Gail Hopkins | 103 | 295 | 82 | .278 | 9 | 47 |
2B | Cookie Rojas | 115 | 414 | 124 | .300 | 6 | 59 |
SS | Freddie Patek | 147 | 591 | 158 | .267 | 6 | 36 |
3B | Paul Schaal | 161 | 548 | 150 | .274 | 11 | 63 |
LF | Lou Piniella | 126 | 448 | 125 | .279 | 3 | 51 |
CF | Amos Otis | 147 | 555 | 167 | .301 | 15 | 79 |
RF | Joe Keough | 110 | 351 | 87 | .248 | 3 | 30 |
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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Bob Oliver | 128 | 373 | 91 | .244 | 8 | 52 |
Ed Kirkpatrick | 120 | 365 | 80 | .219 | 9 | 46 |
Bobby Knoop | 72 | 161 | 33 | .205 | 1 | 11 |
Dennis Paepke | 60 | 152 | 31 | .204 | 2 | 14 |
Chuck Harrison | 49 | 143 | 31 | .217 | 2 | 21 |
Bobby Floyd | 31 | 66 | 10 | .152 | 0 | 2 |
Sandy Valdespino | 18 | 63 | 20 | .317 | 2 | 15 |
Buck Martinez | 22 | 46 | 7 | .152 | 0 | 1 |
Carl Taylor | 20 | 39 | 7 | .179 | 0 | 3 |
Rich Severson | 16 | 30 | 9 | .300 | 0 | 1 |
Ted Savage | 19 | 29 | 5 | .172 | 0 | 1 |
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 |
Paul Splittorff | 22 | 144.1 | 8 | 9 | 2.68 | 80 |
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 |
Ken Wright | 21 | 78.0 | 3 | 6 | 3.69 | 56 |
Jim Rooker | 20 | 54.0 | 2 | 7 | 5.33 | 31 |
Bill Butler | 14 | 44.1 | 1 | 2 | 3.45 | 32 |
Lance Clemons | 10 | 24.0 | 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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Ted Abernathy | 63 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 2.56 | 55 |
Tom Burgmeier | 67 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 1.73 | 44 |
Jim York | 53 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2.89 | 103 |
Roger Nelson | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.29 | 29 |
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Elmira, GCL Royals
Notes
- 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.