Orioles Keep Record Unblemished - Sweep Tigers

Game 1 - Baltimore 9  Detroit 5
WP - Mike Cuellar (1-0, 5.14 ERA 5ks)
LP - Joe Niekro (0-1, 17.18 ERA)

This one was all Baltimore from start to finish.  The Orioles rolled out 16 hits including 4 home runs
and a total of 7 extra base hits.  Boog Powell went 3 for 5, 3 RBI and 2 homers.  Davey Johnson chipped in 3 hits with 2 RBI's as well.

Game 2 - Baltimore 5  Detroit 2
WP - Jim Palmer (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
LP - Mickey Lolich (1-1, 4.20 ERA 7 K's)
SV - Pete Reichart (1)

Baltimore scored 4 runs in the first 3 innings and then hung on to grab their 3rd victory of the season.  Both teams hit well as Orioles fans saw 21 hits amass (Baltimore 11, Detroit 10) between the two squads.  Jim Palmer pitched well in his first outing going 8 innings and allowing only 2 runs.  Pete Reichart came in to close the deal earning his first save.

Game 3 - Baltimore 3  Detroit 2
WP - Pat Dobson (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 6 K's)
LP - Tom Timmerman (0-1, 10.80 ERA)
SV - Eddie Watt (1)

An Al Kaline (2) 6th inning homer gave Detroit a 1 run lead, but it was short lived as the Orioles retaliated with a 3 run bottom of the inning run spree.  Led by a couple Tom Timmerman walks, followed by Baltimore precise batting, the Orioles would take a lead they would not relinquish going into the 7th.  The Tigers made a valiant effort to try and tie the game in the top half of the 9th by putting up a solo run, but Eddie Watt would thwart Detroit's chance at a win by earning his first save of the season.

Game 4 - Baltimore 4  Detroit 1
WP - Dave McNally (2-0, 1.00 ERA, CG)
LP - Kilkenny (0-1, 6.90 ERA)

The story of this one was another complete game victory by Baltimore's Dave McNally.  His second complete game of the season (in as many attempts) helped the Orioles cruse to a sweep of the visiting Tigers.  McNally's performance included only one blemish when Willie Horton doubled off the wall, with two outs, followed by a Jim Northrup single for Detroit's only run. Baltimore's Davey Johnson hit his first homer of the season which helped garner the Orioles a 4 run 3rd inning. This would be all the runs the O's would need to capture the win and a 4 game sweep of the Tigers.

Orioles win their 5th straight game of the young season and travel to Cleveland next week for their first road trip.   Detroit drops to 1-4 and will play the Yankees at Yankee Stadium next.

Orioles Open 1971 with Victory over Senators

Game 1: Baltimore: 7  Washington 1
W McNally (1-0, 1.00 ERA)
L Cox (0-1, 8.53 ERA)

After dropping back to back World Series attempts (1969, 1970), to capture a title in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles set there sites high for the 1971 season.  Opening day came to Memorial Stadium as the nations capital team, the Washington Senators, invaded Baltimore.  Washington was riding an opening day high of their own slipping past Oakland 4-3 just 2 days previous.  But today was a new day as Earl Weaver's Orioles came to play.  Dave McNally was stellar in his complete game, 4 hit, 1 run opening day performance.  His lone blemish was a grooved pitch, down the center of the plate, teeing up Frank Howard for a 406 ft solo shot bomb in the 1st inning.  But McNally cruised the rest of the way to earn his first victory of the season.  McNally, Frank Robinson and Elrod Hendricks contributed 6 of the Orioles 9 hits; including a two run home run by Hendricks (his 1st) in the 6th inning.

The Orioles (1-0) will host Detroit in a 4 game series coming up later this week.  Washington (1-1) will host the Yankees.

Opening Day in our Nation's Capital

Rumors have been swirling around our Nation's Capital that this will be the final home opener for the Senators here in DC.  Negotiations to move the team after 70 years of baseball here in the District seem to be serious.  Owner Bob Short tells us that's just hogwash, but he did say the team needs to pick up its attendance, so he doesn't lose money again.  Manager Ted Williams says, "Players need to play and not worry about the off field chatter".  The Nats listened to their manager and jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st via a Frank Howard longball.  There was no doubt about that shot, which the "Capital Punisher" crushed off of youngster Vida Blue.  Oakland chipped away at the Nats 3-0 lead and by the end of 4 innings the game was tied up 3-3.  The A's looked to go up in the 6th when Dick Green doubled and Sal Bando tried to score all the way from first.  Bando is a good solid young player, but he's not to be confused with Lou Brock on the basepaths.  A perfectly executed relay throw from Howard to Harrah to Casanova erased Bando at the plate to end the inning.  Oakland again threatened in the 7th by loading the bases, only to see Rick Monday line out to right.  Neither team scored the rest of the way, so opening day became extra inning day.  The A's had runners on 1st and 2nd in the 10th, but couldn't score off reliever Joe Grzenda.  A's reliever Jim Roland recorded two easy outs in the bottom of the frame, then walked Mike Epstein and Joe Foy to put runners on 1st and 2nd.  Klimkowski was brought on to face Elliott Maddox who shot a 2-2 pitch through the 3-4 hole to plate Epstein and award the Senators faithful with an opening day win.

George Glavas, Owner of the Atlanta Braves for the 1971 season and my FIRST playing Action PC so lots to learn. We don't expect big things out of the team, up and coming rookie Earl Williams will provide some punch and I look forward to seeing Hank his some bombs this year, that could be our only enjoyment this year. Will trot Phil Niekro out there for as many starts as possible, who knows what this team will do but should be a great year.

Have a great year,

George Glavas

1971 Season Coming Soon!

Season starting in late January.

The 1971 Major League Baseball season was the final season for the Senators in Washington, D.C., before the team's relocation to the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb Arlington for the following season, as the Texas Rangers, leaving the nation's capital without a baseball team of its own until 2005.

This was the final season the majority of MLB teams wore wool flannel uniforms. The Pirates and Cardinals wore double knit uniforms of nylon and rayon throughout 1971, and the Orioles gradually phased out flannels, going all-double knit in time for the ALCS. By 1973, flannel uniforms completely disappeared from the MLB scene.

World Series MVP Roberto Clemente

Three of the four division races were anticlimactic; the only race was in the N.L. West between old rivals Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. The Giants led by 8.5 games on September 1 but the Dodgers chipped away. In mid September, the Dodgers won 8 in a row, including 5 over the Giants to narrow the gap to one game. But they could get no closer; ultimately both teams won on the final day of the season and the Giants won the division by 1 game.

World Series:

• October 17 – Pitcher Steve Blass throws a four-hitter and Roberto Clemente homers as the Pittsburgh Pirates win Game Seven of the World Series over the Baltimore Orioles, 2–1, becoming World Champions for the first time since 1960. Clemente is named the Series MVP. Game Four of this World Series was the first night game played in Series history.

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Vida Blue, Oakland Athletics (AL)
  • Joe Torre, St. Louis Cardinals (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • Vida Blue, Oakland Athletics (AL)
  • Ferguson Jenkins, Chicago Cubs (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Chris Chambliss, Cleveland Indians (AL)
  • Earl Williams, Atlanta Braves (NL)

Cincinnati SWEEPS Baltimore to Capture World Series Crown

The Baltimore Orioles and the Cincinnati Reds squared off in the 1970 Series.

  Both teams had defeated powerful opponents in the League Championship 

Series, and both featured powerful offenses (Cincinnati was first in the majors

 in OPS, Baltimore fifth), strong pitching (Baltimore first in ERA, Cincinnati 

eight.

Game 1 (Gary Nolan vs Jim Palmer)

Cincinnati jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd as Bench, Helms, and Concepcion

 strung together hits off Palmer. Cincinnati would make the lead 5-0 in the top 

of the 7th, as Tolan singled, stole second, and scored on a Bench single. Lee 

May then hit a 2-run homer to clear the bases.

Baltimore threatened in the bottom of the 7th, as two singles and a walk to 

lead off the inning chased Nolan. Wayne Granger was summoned from the 

Reds pen to face Davey Johnson with the bases loaded and no outs. Johnson 

would drive in a run with a sac fly, but Mark Belanger grounded into a double 

play to end the threat.

Baltimore would get one more run in the bottom of the 8th, but never seriously 

challenged again.

WP: Nolan LP: Palmer S: Granger

HR: May

 Game 2 (Tony Cloninger vs Dave McNally)

 Neither team scored in the first 3 innings, but the Reds broke out for 6 runs in 

the top of the 4th. Tony Perez led off the inning with a home run. After Bench 

struck out, Lee May doubled, Hal McRae singled, and Tommy Helms popped 

out, Dave Concepcion came to the plate with two on and two out. The Reds 

offense then exploded, as Concepcion doubled, pitcher Cloninger singled, 

Rose singled, Tolan singled, and Perez capped off the sequence with another 

single. The inning ended with the Reds on top 6-0. The Reds held on to win 7-3.

WP: Cloninger LP: McNally S: Gullett

HR: Perez

Game 3 (Tony Cloninger vs Dave McNally)

The Reds once again jumped on Orioles’ pitching early, as Rose and Perez 

scored on a Bench double in the bottom of the 1st. Cincinnati added 4 more 

in the bottom of the 3rd as Bench hit a 3-run homer followed by a Lee May 

solo shot. Cincinnati scratched out another run in the 4th, and added 3 more 

in the 8th as Tolan singled Woodward home and Perez followed with a 2-run 

homer. Davey Johnson hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th, but the Orioles

 never really threatened in this one.

WP: McGlothlin LP: Cuellar

HR: Perez, Bench, May, D. Johnson

Game 4 (Gary Nolan vs Jim Palmer)

The Reds again jumped out to an early lead, as Perez, May, and Carbo singles 

sandwiched a Bench walk to generate 2 runs. The Reds added another run in the 

3rd as Perez once again homered.

The Orioles would now bow out quietly in this one, however. In the top of the 6th, 

Don Buford singled, Boog Powell doubled, and Frank Robinson doubled them both

 home to make the score Reds 3 Orioles 2. The Orioles added another 2 runs in the

 top of the 7th to take the lead against Reds reliever Don Gullett. The Reds tied the 

game in the bottom of the 7th, as pinch hitter Pat Corrales singled home May with 

the tying run.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 11th. Against Orioles reliever Eddie 

Watt, Perez doubled to lead of the inning. Bench was intentionally walked. Lee May

 struck out, followed by a walk to Jimmy Stewart. With the bases loaded, Reds 

manager Schneider was forced to send up pitcher Jim McGlothlin as a pinch hitter 

due to an empty bench. McGlothlin predictably struck out, bringing Woody Woodward 

to the plate with two outs. Woodward forced a walk to complete the Reds sweep.

WP: Wilcox LP: Watt

HR: Perez

Series MVP was Tony Perez, who hit 3 home runs in 4 games to go along with a .450 

average and 6 RBIs.

Baltimore Trumps Twins in ALCS 3-2

The Minnesota Twins and the Baltimore Orioles battled to the end but the O's hung on to move to the World Series with a 3-2 win.  It is the second year in a row the both teams faced each other for the right to move on to to the big show.  Baltimore looked like they may sweep Minnesota by winning games 1 (4-2) and 2 (6-3) on the road and having to travel back to Memorial Stadium for game 3 left Oriole fans feeling like it was a done deal for their team.  However, Minnesota captured the next two games (3-1 and 4-1) leaving the Baltimore faithful feeling stunned.  But the Baltimore bats came alive in game 5 rocking out 15 hits and 9 runs to capture the ALCS title.

In 1969 the Orioles defeated the Twins 3-1, only to end up losing to Pittsburgh in the World Series.  This time Baltimore will face Cincinnati for the right to wear baseballs elusive crown.