1971 International League season
| 1971 International League season | |
|---|---|
| League | International League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 16 – September 13 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings |
| Governors' Cup Playoffs | |
| League champions | Rochester Red Wings |
| Runners-up | Tidewater Tides |
The 1971 International League was a Class AAA baseball season played between April 16 and September 13. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, with the top four teams qualifying for the post-season.
The Rochester Red Wings won the Governors' Cup, defeating the Tidewater Tides in the final round of the playoffs.
Team changes
- The Columbus Jets relocated to Charleston, West Virginia and were renamed the Charleston Charlies. The club remained affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Teams
Map of teams
International League teams
Regular season
Summary
- The Rochester Red Wings finished with the best record in the league for the first time since 1966.
- On June 24, 1971, an International League all-star team beat the New York Yankees, 15–13, in an exhibition game at Silver Stadium in Rochester, New York, before a crowd of 11,001—notable players on the all-star squad included Don Baylor, Carlton Fisk, and Bobby Grich.[1]
Standings
| International League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| Rochester Red Wings | 86 | 54 | .614 | – |
| Tidewater Tides | 79 | 61 | .564 | 7 |
| Charleston Charlies | 78 | 62 | .557 | 8 |
| Syracuse Chiefs | 73 | 67 | .521 | 13 |
| Louisville Colonels | 71 | 69 | .507 | 15 |
| Richmond Braves | 69 | 71 | .493 | 17 |
| Toledo Mud Hens | 60 | 80 | .429 | 26 |
| Winnipeg Whips | 44 | 96 | .314 | 42 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings | .336 |
| H | Johnny Jeter, Charleston Charlies | 168 |
| R | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings | 124 |
| 2B | Don Baylor, Rochester Red Wings Leroy Stanton, Tidewater Tides |
31 |
| 3B | Juan Beníquez, Louisville Colonels | 16 |
| HR | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings | 32 |
| RBI | Richie Zisk, Charleston Charlies | 109 |
| SB | Johnny Jeter, Charleston Charlies | 36 |
Pitching leaders
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Jim Bibby, Tidewater Tides Roric Harrison, Rochester Red Wings |
15 |
| ERA | Buzz Capra, Tidewater Tides | 2.19 |
| CG | Lynn McGlothen, Louisville Colonels | 13 |
| SHO | Buzz Capra, Tidewater Tides | 6 |
| SV | Don Koonce, Tidewater Tides | 15 |
| SO | Roric Harrison, Rochester Red Wings | 182 |
| IP | Gary Neibauer, Richmond Braves | 194.0 |
Playoffs
- The Rochester Red Wings won their sixth Governors' Cup, defeating the Tidewater Tides in five games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Governors' Cup | ||||||||
| 1 | Rochester | 3 | |||||||
| 4 | Syracuse | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | Rochester | 3 | |||||||
| 2 | Tidewater | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Tidewater | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Charleston | 0 | |||||||
Awards
| International League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings |
| Pitcher of the Year | Roric Harrison, Rochester Red Wings |
| Rookie of the Year | Rusty Torres, Syracuse Chiefs |
| Manager of the Year | Joe Altobelli, Rochester Red Wings |
All-star team
| International League all-star team | |
|---|---|
| Position | All-star |
| Catcher | Johnny Oates, Rochester Red Wings George Pena, Syracuse Chiefs |
| First base | Dave McDonald, Winnipeg Whips |
| Second base | Rennie Stennett, Charleston Charlies |
| Shortstop | Bobby Grich, Rochester Red Wings |
| Third base | Len Boehmer, Syracuse Chiefs |
| Outfield | Don Baylor, Rochester Red Wings Johnny Jeter, Charleston Charlies Leroy Stanton, Tidewater Tides |
| Pitcher | Roric Harrison, Rochester Red Wings Brent Strom, Tidewater Tides |
| Manager | Joe Altobelli, Rochester Red Wings |
See also
References
- ^ Castor, Jim (June 25, 1971). "Stars Outslug Yanks, 15-13". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. p. D1. Retrieved May 25, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ 1971 IL Standings at stats-crew.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.
- ^ 1971 IL Batting Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.
- ^ 1971 Pitching Leaders at baseball-reference.com, URL accessed 18 November 2024.