PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #140
1971 Oakland Athletics (100-60) vs 1913 Chicago White Sox (78-74)
The 1971 Athletics were a year removed from the beginning of their three championship dynasty, but winning 101 games that season shows that they had already arrived. All the pieces were there including manager Dick Williams who filtered the club from an unpredictable owner. Vida Blue emerged with one of the most dominant seasons ever at the ripe age of 21. He went 24-8 with a 1.75 ERA and 301 strikeouts; he was simply unhittable. Blue had 8 shutouts and 24 complete games and ended with a 0.95 WHIP. Behind him was Catfish Hunter who also won 20 games in 272 innings and 4 shutouts. Hunter had a 2.96 ERA but even though he was great, did not have his best season. Chuck Dobson went 15-5 with a 3.81 ERA and a 4.19 FIP as his command could be lost easily and Williams was a bit cautious when to use him. Diego Segui won 10 games with a 3.14 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP making him a probable third starter in the series while Blue Moon Odom went 10-12 with a 4.29 ERA in 140 innings as his control was up towards 5 walks per nine making him hard to trust. Rollie Fingers actually started in 8 games but it was clear he was best set for a closer role. He saved 17 games with a 2.99 ERA but was touched up for 14 home runs leaving fans a bit nervous in close ones. Bob Locker saved six games with a 2.86 ERA and Darold Knowles among others helped the team ERA stay down at 3.05 as a unit. Thirty-five-year-old Mudcat Grant made 15 appearances with a nice 1.98 mark. The two aces at the top were complimented by a good group of arms behind them. Reggie Jackson was the headline maker at 25 years old and in his brash prime. He hit 32 home runs with 80 RBI and 16 steals while of course striking out 161 times. Still one could rarely keep their eyes off Reggie and his monumental power. Rick Monday hit 18 home runs in center but hit only .245 and was relieved at times by Angel Mangual who was also a little more fleet in center. Jo Rudi was proving to be a good line drive hitter in left hitting .267 but it was Rudi’s glove that really gave a boost to a defense that needed it. Sal Bando was a fixture at third hitting 24 home runs with 94 RBI and a 137 OPS+. Bando was also one of the most clutch hitters you can ever meet. Dick Green was the light hitting second baseman at .244 with 49 RBI and a .673 OPS. Bert Campaneris scored 80 runs and stole 34 bases making him the fire starter at the top of the lineup. His defense at short was also solid not being afraid to take a chance. Mike Epstein hit 18 home runs at first but hit only .234 but his OBP was an impressive .368 with 62 walks. Dave Duncan hit .253 as the catcher and drove in 40 runs but it was Duncan behind the plate and his smarts in calling a game that made him very important to the roster. Tommy Davis hit .324 off the bench and young Gene Tenace was coming into his own as an impressive hitting catcher. This is a very very good team in Oakland, with star power, great leaders, and a impactful manager.
With three starting pitchers with an ERA under two, these 1913 White Sox were the perfect example of a successful dead ball era team. Still for manager Jimmy Callahan the results were not all good, as the Sox finished in 5th place with only 78 wins. Reb Russell logged the most innings at 316 and settled with a 1.90 ERA making one wonder how he lost 16 games. Russell had 8 shutouts and a 154 ERA+ while being used in a number of roles including converting four saves. Jim Scott won 20 games with an identical 1.90 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He was essentially the same pitcher as Russell throwing 312 innings and leading the team with 158 strike outs. Eddie Cicotte at 29 years old went 18-11 with an even better ERS of 1.58 while his FIP was 2.60. Cicotte loved the spitter striking out 121 with a 186 ERA+ that was among the highest in the league; Cicotte may be the game one starter of this series. Joe Benz threw in 151 innings and 32 year old legend Ed Walsh 97 innings. Neither really made a big impact with Walh finishing with a 2.58 ERA in 14 starts as his arm at this stage of his career was obviously tired. Doc White was another long time legend at 34 years old, he threw 103 innings and made 8 starts with a more troublesome 3.50 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Frank lange and Poo boy Smith also made starts but the likely hood is they will not be used in the series other then long relief. Hal Chase is said to have taught the Sox their cheating ways, but at first base he was as smooth as a cat while hitting .286 in 102 games adding 10 triples. Morrie Rath hit only .200 at second base in 92 games and lost most of his time to Joe Berger who didn’t do much better hitting.215. Buck Weaver was the everyday short stop who hit .272 with 145 hits and 20 steals. Weaver at only 22 years old would be a main stay for the Sox throughout the decade. Harry Lloyd checked in at third with 18 doubles and 12 triples as he also stole over 20 bases. Lord was the veteran in the lineup at 31. Ray Schalk was an excellent catcher with 14 steals and 15 doubles at only 20 years old. The outfield was lead by Shano Collins who had 26 doubles and 47 RBI even with his paltry average of .239. Ping Bodie hit .264 with a team high 112 OPS+ but was one of the slower footed players in the lineup also impacting his fielding. Wally Mattick hit only .188 and played only 71 game sin right. Larry Chappell played in 60 games in relief at the position but his OPS+ is 69. Jack Fournier was a 20 year old bench bat who looks like he has the making of a legitimate batting talent. The A’s are best to be careful of this White Sox club that has some tools that make it a competitive series or more.
Game 1 At Oakland Coliseum
Rain 62
1913 White Sox.....................4
1971 Athletics........................8
WP: V. Blue (1-0) LP: J. Scott (0-1)
HR: D. Mincher (1), R. Jackson (1), P. Bodie (1)
POG: Ping Bodie
1971 Athletics lead series 1-0
Vida Blue did not have his best stuff in the opening game of this series as Ping Bodie went 3-4 with 3 RBI including a 2 run home run in the first. The Oakland bats however picked up their ace as Bert Campaneris drove in three an Don Mincher hit a go-ahead two run home run. Reggie Jackson also went deep in a 12 run effort as the A's scored runs in all 5 of their first innings. Blue was able to go the distance as Sox starter Jim Scott had a bad day at the office.
Game 2 At Oakland Coliseum
Partly cloudy 63
1913 White Sox....................0
1971 Athletics.......................2
WP: C. Hunter (1-0) LP: E. Cicotte (0-1)
HR: D. Mincher (2)
POG: Catfish Hunter
1971 Athletics lead series 2-0
Throwing 108 pitches and holding the White Sox to only 5 hits in a complete game shutout, Catfish Hunter proved why he is so trusted by his manager and team. Eddie Cicotte pitched a good game for Chicago but was not at the level of Hunter who walked only one and struck out four. Hunter even came through with the bat driving in a run in the seventh after Don Mincher hit another big home run to break a 0-0 tie. Oakland can be confident as the series heads east to Chicago.
Game 3 At Comiskey PArk
69 clear
1971 Athletics....................9
1913 White Sox.................4
WP: B. Locker (1-0) LP: J. Benz (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Joe Rudi
1971 Athletics lead series 3-0
The Athletics are on the verge of sweeping this series as they go into Chicago and score five runs in the last two innings to get the win. Joe Rudi had three hits and ended with 5 RBI in a banner day while Bert Campaneris scored four times. Ed Walsh went six strong innings for the Sox as the veteran was given a roll of the dice start to try and turn the mojo of the series around; the Sox pen however did not cooperate.
Game 4 At Comiskey Park
Clear 66
1971 Athletics...................2
1913 White Sox................3
WP: F. Lange (1-0) LP: C. Dobson (0-1)
HR: J. Fournier (1), P. Bodie (2), R. Jackson (2)
POG: Reb Russell
1971 Athletics lead series 3-1
Down by two runs and facing elimination, the White Sox showed some heart and didnt quit coming back to win game 4 and extend the series. A Reggie Jackson home run had put the visitors up 2-0 behind Chuck Dobson but the Sox would chip away at the lead. Jack Fournier would tie the game with a home run in the 6th and in the 8th Ping Bodie came through with a clutch go ahead home run to put Chicago up. Frank Lange would close the door and get credit for the win as the Sox survive another day.
Game 5 At Comiskey Park
Partly cloudy 57
1971 Athletics....................2
1913 White Sox.................1
WP: V. Blue (2-0) LP: J. Scott (0-2) S: R. Fingers (1)
HR: None
POG: Jim Scott
The 1971 Athletics closed out the series in five and did it in an exceptional way. Oakland was one hit in this game but managed two runs which would be enough to close the deal. Jim Soctt did everything he could but a lead off single to Reggie Jackson followed by a walk, a wild pitch, and then a big error by harry Lord allowed two runs to score. Vida Blue held the lead like a iron safe going seven innings and striking out six. In the 8th and 9th Rollie Fingers came on to close the door, and with two men on in the ninth he escaped the jam and the A's are deserved winners. Scott struck out nine in seven innings of one hit work and took the loss.
1971 Oakland Athletics Win Series 4 Games To 1
Series MVP:
Ping Bodie
(.444, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 2B, 1.42 OPS, 1 SB, 3 R)