# 1971 Boston Red Sox 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

* December 3, 1970: Carmen Fanzone was traded by the Red Sox to the Chicago Cubs for Phil Gagliano.
* December 31, 1970: Chuck Hartenstein was purchased from the Red Sox by the Chicago White Sox.
* January 13, 1971: John Tamargo was drafted by the Red Sox in the 3rd round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft (secondary phase), but did not sign.
* March 31, 1971: Tony Muser and Vicente Romo were traded by the Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox for Duane Josephson and Danny Murphy.

## Regular season

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

### 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 .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 2.75 ERA.

### Season standings

vteAL East :
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
| Baltimore Orioles | 101 | 57 | .639 | — | 53‍–‍24 | 48‍–‍33 |
| Detroit Tigers | 91 | 71 | .562 | 12 | 54‍–‍27 | 37‍–‍44 |
| Boston Red Sox | 85 | 77 | .525 | 18 | 47‍–‍33 | 38‍–‍44 |
| New York Yankees | 82 | 80 | .506 | 21 | 44‍–‍37 | 38‍–‍43 |
| Washington Senators | 63 | 96 | .396 | 38½ | 35‍–‍46 | 28‍–‍50 |
| Cleveland Indians | 60 | 102 | .370 | 43 | 29‍–‍52 | 31‍–‍50 |

### Record vs. opponents

1971 American League recordvte Sources: :
| 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.
* May 17, 1971: Luis Tiant was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.

### 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:

### Roster
## Player stats
### Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases; BB = Walks; AVG = Batting average; SLG = Slugging average
| Player | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | AVG | SLG |
| Reggie Smith | 159 | 618 | 85 | 175 | 33 | 2 | 30 | 96 | 11 | 63 | .283 | .489 |
| Rico Petrocelli | 158 | 553 | 82 | 139 | 24 | 4 | 28 | 89 | 2 | 91 | .251 | .461 |
| George Scott | 146 | 537 | 72 | 141 | 16 | 4 | 24 | 78 | 0 | 41 | .263 | .441 |
| Carl Yastrzemski | 148 | 508 | 75 | 129 | 21 | 2 | 15 | 70 | 8 | 106 | .254 | .392 |
| Luis Aparicio | 125 | 491 | 56 | 114 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 6 | 35 | .232 | .303 |
| Doug Griffin | 125 | 483 | 51 | 118 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 27 | 11 | 31 | .244 | .319 |
| Billy Conigliaro | 101 | 351 | 42 | 92 | 26 | 1 | 11 | 33 | 3 | 25 | .262 | .436 |
| Duane Josephson | 91 | 306 | 38 | 75 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 22 | .245 | .395 |
| John Kennedy | 74 | 272 | 41 | 75 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 14 | .276 | .412 |
| Joe Lahoud | 107 | 256 | 39 | 55 | 9 | 3 | 14 | 32 | 2 | 40 | .215 | .438 |
| Bob Montgomery | 67 | 205 | 19 | 49 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 16 | .239 | .341 |
| Phil Gagliano | 47 | 68 | 11 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | .324 | .397 |
| Mike Fiore | 51 | 62 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 12 | .177 | .258 |
| Juan Beníquez | 16 | 57 | 8 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | .298 | .333 |
| Carlton Fisk | 14 | 48 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | .313 | .521 |
| Cecil Cooper | 14 | 42 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | .310 | .452 |
| Ben Oglivie | 14 | 38 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .263 | .342 |
| Rick Miller | 15 | 33 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 8 | .333 | .576 |
| Don Pavletich | 14 | 27 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | .259 | .407 |
| George Thomas | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .077 | .077 |
| Buddy Hunter | 8 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .222 | .333 |
| Pitcher Totals | 162 | 424 | 29 | 89 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 48 | 0 | 20 | .210 | .302 |
| Team Totals | 162 | 5401 | 691 | 1360 | 246 | 28 | 161 | 650 | 51 | 552 | .252 | .397 |
Source:

### Pitching

Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | W | L | ERA | G | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Ray Culp | 14 | 16 | 3.60 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 242.1 | 236 | 108 | 97 | 67 | 151 |
| Sonny Siebert | 16 | 10 | 2.91 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 235.1 | 220 | 84 | 76 | 60 | 131 |
| Gary Peters | 14 | 11 | 4.37 | 34 | 32 | 1 | 214.0 | 241 | 111 | 104 | 70 | 100 |
| Jim Lonborg | 10 | 7 | 4.13 | 27 | 26 | 0 | 167.2 | 167 | 86 | 77 | 67 | 100 |
| Bill Lee | 9 | 2 | 2.74 | 47 | 3 | 2 | 102.0 | 102 | 35 | 31 | 46 | 74 |
| Luis Tiant | 1 | 7 | 4.85 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 72.1 | 73 | 42 | 39 | 32 | 59 |
| Roger Moret | 4 | 3 | 2.92 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 71.0 | 50 | 24 | 23 | 40 | 47 |
| Bobby Bolin | 5 | 3 | 4.26 | 52 | 0 | 6 | 69.2 | 74 | 34 | 33 | 24 | 51 |
| Ken Brett | 0 | 3 | 5.34 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 59.0 | 57 | 38 | 35 | 35 | 57 |
| Ken Tatum | 2 | 4 | 4.19 | 36 | 1 | 9 | 53.2 | 50 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 21 |
| Sparky Lyle | 6 | 4 | 2.75 | 50 | 0 | 16 | 52.1 | 41 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 37 |
| Mike Nagy | 1 | 3 | 6.63 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 38.0 | 46 | 29 | 28 | 20 | 9 |
| John Curtis | 2 | 2 | 3.12 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 26.0 | 30 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 19 |
| Cal Koonce | 0 | 1 | 5.57 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 21.0 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 9 |
| Mike Garman | 1 | 1 | 3.86 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 18.2 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Team Totals | 85 | 77 | 3.80 | 162 | 162 | 35 | 1443.0 | 1424 | 667 | 610 | 535 | 871 |
Source:

## Statistical leaders

| 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:

### 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 |
| SB | Stolen bases | Reggie Smith | 11 |
| 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 |
| HBP | Hit by pitch | Reggie Smith | 5 |
| SH | Sacrifice hits | Ray Culp | 17 |
| SF | Sacrifice flies | Rico Petrocelli | 9 |
| IBB | Intentional base on balls | Carl Yastrzemski | 12 |
Source:

### 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 | Sonny Siebert | 2.91 |
| G | Games pitched | Bob Bolin | 52 |
| GS | Games started | Ray Culp | 35 |
| GF | Games finished | Sparky Lyle | 36 |
| CG | Complete games | Ray Culp | 12 |
| CG | Complete games | Sonny Siebert | 12 |
| 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:

## Awards and honors

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

## Farm system

| 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: