1971 Houston Astros | ||
---|---|---|
League | National League | |
Division | West | |
Ballpark | Astrodome | |
City | Houston, Texas | |
Record | 79–83 (.488) | |
Divisional place | 4th–tied | |
Owners | Roy Hofheinz | |
General managers | Spec Richardson | |
Managers | Harry Walker | |
Television | KTRK-TV | |
Radio | KPRC (AM) (Gene Elston, Loel Passe) | |
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The 1971 Houston Astros season was the tenth season for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located in Houston, Texas, their seventh as the Astros, tenth in the National League (NL), third in the NL West division, and seventh at The Astrodome. The Astros entered the season having posted a record of 79–83, for fourth place and 23 games behind the division-champion and NL pennant-winning Cincinnati Reds.
Pitcher Larry Dierker made his third Opening Day start for the Astros, who hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 5, and won, 5–2. The Astros' first-round selection in the amateur draft was shortstop Neil Rasmussen, at 12th overall.
Dierker and fellow pitcher Don Wilson both represented the Astros and played for the National League at the MLB All-Star Game. This was second career selection for Dierker and first for Wilson.
The Astros played 75 games that were decided by a one run margin, which is an all-time MLB record. In those games, the Astros performed to a 32–43 (.427) record.
The Astros concluded the season with a record of 79–83—replicating their performance from the year prior—while maintaining fourth place in the NL West, this time, tying with Cincinnati for 11 games behind the division-champion San Francisco Giants.
Third baseman Doug Rader won his second career Gold Glove Award.
The Astrodome hosted a 15-inning, exhibition "tripleheader" between Houston, the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. For the first five-inning contest, the Astros tripped the Yankees, 2–1. During the middle five, the Twins toppled the Yankees, 4–1, prior to getting ripped by the Astros during the last five frames, 5–3. [2]
28 | César Cedeño | CF |
18 | Joe Morgan | 2B |
24 | Jimmy Wynn | RF |
27 | Bob Watson | LF |
11 | Denis Menke | 1B |
12 | Doug Rader | 3B |
7 | Johnny Edwards | C |
15 | Roger Metzger | SS |
49 | Larry Dierker | P |
Venue: | Astrodome • HOU 5, | LAD 2 |
Making his major league debut on September 5, J. R. Richard struck out 15 San Francisco Giants to tie a record for Major League debuts first established by Karl Spooner. [5]
The Astros played 75 games that were decided by a one run margin, which is an all-time MLB record. In those games, the team had a record of 32–43. [6]
Don Wilson became the first Astros pitcher to lead the NL in hits per nine innings (6.549 H/9). [7]
Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Francisco Giants | 90 | 72 | .556 | — | 51–30 | 39–42 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 89 | 73 | .549 | 1 | 42–39 | 47–34 |
Atlanta Braves | 82 | 80 | .506 | 8 | 43–39 | 39–41 |
Cincinnati Reds | 79 | 83 | .488 | 11 | 46–35 | 33–48 |
Houston Astros | 79 | 83 | .488 | 11 | 39–42 | 40–41 |
San Diego Padres | 61 | 100 | .379 | 28½ | 33–48 | 28–52 |
Sources: | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | HOU | LAD | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | |||||
Atlanta | — | 5–7 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 11–7 | 7–11 | 6–6 | |||||
Chicago | 7–5 | — | 6–6 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 8–10 | 11–7 | 11–7 | 6–12 | 9–3 | 3–9 | 9–9 | |||||
Cincinnati | 9–9 | 6–6 | — | 5–13 | 7–11 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 5–7 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 8–4 | |||||
Houston | 9–9 | 7–5 | 13–5 | — | 8–10 | 4–8 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 10–8 | 9–9 | 2–10 | |||||
Los Angeles | 9–9 | 4–8 | 11–7 | 10–8 | — | 8–4 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 13–5 | 12–6 | 6–6 | |||||
Montreal | 5–7 | 10–8 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 4–8 | — | 9–9 | 6–12 | 7–11 | 6–5 | 7–5 | 4–14 | |||||
New York | 5–7 | 7–11 | 4–8 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 9–9 | — | 13–5 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 10–8 | |||||
Philadelphia | 4-8 | 7–11 | 2–10 | 3–9 | 5–7 | 6–10 | 5–13 | — | 6–12 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 7–11 | |||||
Pittsburgh | 8–4 | 12–6 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 8–4 | 11–7 | 8–10 | 12–6 | — | 9–3 | 3–9 | 11–7 | |||||
San Diego | 7–11 | 3–9 | 8–10 | 8–10 | 5–13 | 5–6 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 3–9 | — | 5–13 | 4–8 | |||||
San Francisco | 11–7 | 9–3 | 9–9 | 9–9 | 6–12 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 9–3 | 13–5 | — | 5–7 | |||||
St. Louis | 6–6 | 9–9 | 4–8 | 10–2 | 6–6 | 14–4 | 8–10 | 11–7 | 7–11 | 8–4 | 7–5 | — |
1971 Houston Astros | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
| Catchers
Infielders
| Outfielders
| Manager
Coaches
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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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Johnny Edwards | 106 | 317 | 74 | .233 | 1 | 23 |
1B | Denis Menke | 146 | 475 | 117 | .246 | 1 | 43 |
2B | Joe Morgan | 160 | 583 | 149 | .256 | 13 | 56 |
SS | Roger Metzger | 150 | 562 | 132 | .235 | 0 | 26 |
3B | Doug Rader | 135 | 484 | 118 | .244 | 12 | 56 |
LF | Bob Watson | 129 | 468 | 135 | .288 | 9 | 67 |
CF | César Cedeño | 161 | 611 | 161 | .264 | 10 | 81 |
RF | Jimmy Wynn | 123 | 404 | 82 | .203 | 7 | 45 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jesús Alou | 122 | 433 | 121 | .279 | 2 | 40 |
Jack Hiatt | 69 | 174 | 48 | .276 | 1 | 16 |
John Mayberry | 46 | 137 | 25 | .182 | 7 | 14 |
Rich Chiles | 67 | 119 | 27 | .227 | 2 | 15 |
César Gerónimo | 94 | 82 | 18 | .220 | 1 | 6 |
Norm Miller | 45 | 74 | 19 | .257 | 2 | 10 |
Larry Howard | 24 | 64 | 15 | .234 | 2 | 14 |
Marty Martínez | 32 | 62 | 16 | .258 | 0 | 4 |
Ray Busse | 10 | 34 | 5 | .147 | 0 | 4 |
Derrel Thomas | 5 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Jay Schlueter | 7 | 3 | 1 | .333 | 0 | 0 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Don Wilson | 35 | 268.0 | 16 | 10 | 2.45 | 180 |
Jack Billingham | 33 | 228.1 | 10 | 16 | 3.39 | 139 |
Ken Forsch | 33 | 188.1 | 8 | 8 | 2.53 | 131 |
Larry Dierker | 24 | 159.0 | 12 | 6 | 2.72 | 91 |
Wade Blasingame | 30 | 158.1 | 9 | 11 | 4.60 | 93 |
Ron Cook | 5 | 25.2 | 0 | 4 | 4.91 | 10 |
J.R. Richard | 4 | 21.0 | 2 | 1 | 3.43 | 29 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Griffin | 10 | 37.2 | 0 | 6 | 4.78 | 29 |
Scipio Spinks | 5 | 29.1 | 1 | 0 | 3.68 | 26 |
Bill Greif | 7 | 16.0 | 1 | 1 | 5.06 | 14 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fred Gladding | 48 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 2.10 | 17 |
George Culver | 59 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 2.64 | 57 |
Jim Ray | 47 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2.12 | 46 |
Denny Lemaster | 42 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3.45 | 28 |
Buddy Harris | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.46 | 21 |
Skip Guinn | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 3 |
Larry Yount | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 0 |