1971 Oakland Athletics season
Major League Baseball season
The 1971 Oakland Athletics season was the 71st season for the Oakland Athletics franchise, all as members of the American League, and their 4th season in Oakland. The Athletics finished first in the American League West with a record of 101 wins and 60 losses (their best record in the Swingin' A's era). In their first postseason appearance of any kind since 1931, the A's were swept in three games by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series. This would be the final season that the team wore the vest-style uniforms, they would switch to their Swingin' A's era uniforms the next year.
Offseason
January 13, 1971: 1971 Major League Baseball draft (January draft) notable picks:
Round 5: Rich Dauer (did not sign)
Secondary Phase
Round 1: Phil Garner
Round 3: Steve Staggs (did not sign)
Regular season
Vida Blue became the first black player in the history of the American League to win the American League Cy Young Award. He was also the youngest AL player in the 20th century to win the MVP Award. During the year, Vida Blue was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Opening day starters
1B Don Mincher
2B Dick Green
3B Sal Bando
SS Bert Campaneris
LF Felipe Alou
CF Rick Monday
RF Reggie Jackson
C Dave Duncan
P Vida Blue
Notable transactions
May 8, 1971: Frank Fernández, Don Mincher, Paul Lindblad, and cash were traded by the Athletics to the Washington Senators for Darold Knowles and Mike Epstein.
May 26, 1971: Rob Gardner was traded by the Athletics to the New York Yankees for Curt Blefary.
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