1971 Washington Senators season
Encyclopedia
The 1971 Washington Senators
season involved the Senators finishing fifth in the American League East
with a record of 63 wins and 96 losses. This was the Senators' 11th and last season in Washington, D.C.
, as they moved to Arlington, Texas
the following season, becoming the Texas Rangers
. The move would leave Washington without a Major League Baseball
team until the Montreal Expos
of the National League
relocated there in 2005, becoming the current Washington Nationals
.
would not pay dividends for the franchise. Amid constant run-ins with no-nonsense Washington manager Ted Williams, Denny McLain lost 22 games in 1971.
had issued an ultimatum: unless someone was willing to buy the Senators for $12 million, he would not renew his lease at RFK Stadium and move elsewhere. Several parties offered to buy the team, but all fell short of Short's asking price.
Short was especially receptive to an offer from Arlington mayor Tom Vandergriff
, who had been trying to get a major league team to play in the Metroplex for over a decade. Years earlier, Charlie Finley, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics
, sought to move his team to Dallas, but the idea was rebuffed by the other AL
team owners.
Arlington's hole card was Turnpike Stadium
, a 10,000-seat park which had been built in to house the AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs
of the Texas League
. However, it had been built to major league specifications. It was also located in a natural bowl; only minor excavations would be necessary to expand the park to major-league size.
After Vandergriff offered a multi-million dollar up-front payment, Short finally decided to pull up stakes and move. On September 20, 1971, he got his wish, receiving approval from AL owners to move the franchise to Arlington for the season.
Washington fans were outraged, leaving public relations director Ted Rodgers with the unenviable task of putting a positive spin on such events as fans unfurling a giant banner that contained Short's name, preceded by a popular four-letter invective. A photo of the banner appeared on the front page of a DC newspaper the following day.
Fan enmity came to a head in the team's last game in Washington, on September 30. Thousands of fans simply walked in without paying because the security guards left early in the game, swelling the paid attendance of 14,460 to around 25,000. The Senators led 7-5 with two outs in the top of the ninth. Just then, fans poured onto the field. A teenager scooped up first base and ran away. With no security guards in sight, the game was forfeited to the Yankees, 9-0.
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
season involved the Senators finishing fifth in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
with a record of 63 wins and 96 losses. This was the Senators' 11th and last season in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as they moved to Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
the following season, becoming the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. The move would leave Washington without a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team until the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
relocated there in 2005, becoming the current Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Offseason
- October 9, 1970: Ed BrinkmanEd BrinkmanEdwin Albert Brinkman was a Major League Baseball shortstop. He played fifteen years in the Major League Baseball, led the American League in games played twice, won a Gold Glove Award at shortstop, and had a career batting average of .224...
, Aurelio RodríguezAurelio RodríguezAurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. , was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles...
, Joe Coleman, and Jim HannanJim HannanJames John Hannan is an American retired professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball from 1962-71. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Senators....
was traded by the Senators to the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Denny McLainDenny McLainDennis Dale "Denny" McLain is a former American professional baseball player, and the last major league pitcher to win 30 or more games during a season —a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century....
, Elliott MaddoxElliott MaddoxElliott Maddox is an African-American former Major League Baseball American player. Maddox, from 1970 to 1980, played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.-Early and personal life:Maddox attended Union High School in...
, Norm McRaeNorm McRaeNorman McRae was an American professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher who appeared in 22 Major League games for the – Detroit Tigers. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he stood tall and weighed ....
, and Don WertDon WertDonald Ralph Wert , nicknamed "Coyote", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers from 1963 to 1970 and also briefly played for the Washington Senators in 1971...
. - November 3, 1970: Greg GoossenGreg GoossenGregory Bryant Goossen was an American catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball, playing from 1965 through 1970 for four different clubs in the American and National leagues...
and Gene MartinGene MartinThomas Eugene Martin is a former Major League Baseball left fielder. He was drafted by the Washington Senators in the 3rd round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft, and he played in nine games for them in ....
were traded by the Senators to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Curt FloodCurt FloodCurtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
and a player to be named. The Phillies completed the deal by sending Jeff TerpkoJeff TerpkoJeffrey Michael "Jeff" Terpko is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Terpko played for the Texas Rangers in and and the Montreal Expos in .-External links:*...
to the Senators on April 10, 1971. - November 30, 1970: Joe FoyJoe FoyJoseph Anthony "Joe" Foy was a Major League Baseball third baseman.-Boston Red Sox:Born in New York City, Foy was signed as an amateur free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1962, but was selected in that year's minor league draft by the Boston Red Sox...
was drafted by the Washington Senators from the New York Mets in the 1970 rule 5 draft. - March 29, 1971: Ed StroudEd StroudEdwin Marvin Stroud is a retired American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played in the Major Leagues from 1966–1971 for the Chicago White Sox and Washington Senators....
was traded by the Senators to the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
for Tommy McCrawTommy McCrawTommy Lee McCraw was a Major League first baseman and outfielder for the Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Cleveland Indians and California Angels ....
.
Regular season
The acquisition of former Cy Young Award winner Denny McLainDenny McLain
Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain is a former American professional baseball player, and the last major league pitcher to win 30 or more games during a season —a feat accomplished by only thirteen players in the 20th century....
would not pay dividends for the franchise. Amid constant run-ins with no-nonsense Washington manager Ted Williams, Denny McLain lost 22 games in 1971.
Relocation to Texas
By the end of the season, Senators owner Bob ShortBob Short
Robert Earl Short was an American sport teams owner and politician.-Biography:A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Short bought the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association in the late 1950s and moved the team to Los Angeles in 1960...
had issued an ultimatum: unless someone was willing to buy the Senators for $12 million, he would not renew his lease at RFK Stadium and move elsewhere. Several parties offered to buy the team, but all fell short of Short's asking price.
Short was especially receptive to an offer from Arlington mayor Tom Vandergriff
Tom Vandergriff
Tommy Joe Vandergriff was a politician from Texas. He served as Mayor of Arlington from 1951 to 1977, as a U.S. Representative from from 1983 to 1985, and as County Judge of Tarrant County from 1991 to 2007...
, who had been trying to get a major league team to play in the Metroplex for over a decade. Years earlier, Charlie Finley, the owner of the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, sought to move his team to Dallas, but the idea was rebuffed by the other AL
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
team owners.
Arlington's hole card was Turnpike Stadium
Arlington Stadium
Arlington Stadium was a baseball stadium located in Arlington, Texas, United States, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. It served as the home for the Texas Rangers from 1972 until 1993, when the team moved into The Ballpark in Arlington .-1960s:The stadium was built in 1965 as Turnpike...
, a 10,000-seat park which had been built in to house the AA Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs
Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs
The Dallas-Fort Worth Spurs were an American minor league baseball team in the Texas League from 1965 to 1971. The team played in Turnpike Stadium in Arlington, Texas....
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. However, it had been built to major league specifications. It was also located in a natural bowl; only minor excavations would be necessary to expand the park to major-league size.
After Vandergriff offered a multi-million dollar up-front payment, Short finally decided to pull up stakes and move. On September 20, 1971, he got his wish, receiving approval from AL owners to move the franchise to Arlington for the season.
Washington fans were outraged, leaving public relations director Ted Rodgers with the unenviable task of putting a positive spin on such events as fans unfurling a giant banner that contained Short's name, preceded by a popular four-letter invective. A photo of the banner appeared on the front page of a DC newspaper the following day.
Fan enmity came to a head in the team's last game in Washington, on September 30. Thousands of fans simply walked in without paying because the security guards left early in the game, swelling the paid attendance of 14,460 to around 25,000. The Senators led 7-5 with two outs in the top of the ninth. Just then, fans poured onto the field. A teenager scooped up first base and ran away. With no security guards in sight, the game was forfeited to the Yankees, 9-0.
Opening Day starters
- Dick BosmanDick BosmanRichard Allen Bosman is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched for the Washington Senators , Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics . Bosman started the final game for the expansion Senators and the first game for the Texas Rangers...
- Paul CasanovaPaul CasanovaPaulino Ortiz Casanova is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1965 to 1974 for the Washington Senators and Atlanta Braves.-Minor league career:...
- Tim CullenTim CullenThis article is about the baseball player. For the article about the Wisconsin state politician, see Timothy Cullen . For the article about the former World Bank spokesman see Tim Cullen ....
- Mike EpsteinMike EpsteinMichael Peter Epstein , nicknamed SuperJew, is a former Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and California Angels from –....
- Curt FloodCurt FloodCurtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...
- Joe FoyJoe FoyJoseph Anthony "Joe" Foy was a Major League Baseball third baseman.-Boston Red Sox:Born in New York City, Foy was signed as an amateur free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1962, but was selected in that year's minor league draft by the Boston Red Sox...
- Toby HarrahToby HarrahColbert Dale Harrah is a former professional baseball player who played with the Texas Rangers both before and after their 1971 franchise shift before later being traded to the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees...
- Frank Howard
- Elliott MaddoxElliott MaddoxElliott Maddox is an African-American former Major League Baseball American player. Maddox, from 1970 to 1980, played for the Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Mets.-Early and personal life:Maddox attended Union High School in...
Notable transactions
- May 8, 1971: Darold KnowlesDarold KnowlesDarold Duane Knowles is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher, and the current pitching coach of the Florida State League's Dunedin Blue Jays...
and Mike EpsteinMike EpsteinMichael Peter Epstein , nicknamed SuperJew, is a former Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and California Angels from –....
were traded by the Senators to the Oakland AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Frank FernándezFrank Fernández (baseball)Frank Fernández is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He signed as an amateur free agent with the New York Yankees upon graduation from Curtis High School in Staten Island in . He spent six seasons in their minor league system before debuting with the Yankees as a September call-up in...
, Don MincherDon Mincher-External links:***...
, Paul LindbladPaul LindbladPaul Aaron Lindblad was an American Major League Baseball left-handed middle-relief pitcher. During his career, he pitched primarily for the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics. At the time of his retirement in , he had recorded the seventh-most appearances of any left-hander in history.Lindblad...
and cash. - June 8, 1971: 1971 Major League Baseball Draft1971 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The June 1971 draft was a productive one, even though none of its top ten choices yielded players who would have memorable major league careers...
- Stan ThomasStan Thomas (baseball)Stanley Brown Thomas is a former professional baseball pitcher. Thomas pitched in all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball from 1974 until 1977....
was drafted by the Senators in the 27th round. - Mike CubbageMike CubbageMichael Lee Cubbage in Charlottesville, VA was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball from 1974 until the close of the 1981 season...
was drafted by the Senators in the 2nd round of the Secondary Phase.
- Stan Thomas
- July 16, 1971: Joe FoyJoe FoyJoseph Anthony "Joe" Foy was a Major League Baseball third baseman.-Boston Red Sox:Born in New York City, Foy was signed as an amateur free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 1962, but was selected in that year's minor league draft by the Boston Red Sox...
was released by the Washington Senators. - September 27, 1971: Jim FrenchJim French (baseball)Richard James French is an American former catcher in Major League Baseball who played between and for the Washington Senators. Listed at 5' 7", 182 lb., French batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
was released by the Senators.
Roster
| 1971 Washington Senators | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3B | 85 | 329 | 92 | .280 | 5 | 33 | |
| RF | 66 | 171 | 44 | .257 | 0 | 16 |
Other batters
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 128 | 258 | 56 | .217 | 1 | 18 | |
| 122 | 207 | 44 | .213 | 7 | 25 | |
| 20 | 40 | 2 | .050 | 0 | 2 | |
| 13 | 35 | 7 | .200 | 0 | 2 | |
| 3 | 9 | 3 | .333 | 0 | 0 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 236.2 | 12 | 16 | 3.73 | 113 | |
| 33 | 216.2 | 10 | 22 | 4.28 | 103 | |
| 18 | 124.2 | 5 | 9 | 3.47 | 89 | |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 124.1 | 5 | 7 | 3.98 | 43 | |
| 27 | 124.1 | 6 | 5 | 2.75 | 70 | |
| 23 | 61.2 | 1 | 5 | 4.96 | 19 | |
| 14 | 47 | 3 | 4 | 5.94 | 21 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3.59 | 38 | |
| 46 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1.92 | 56 | |
| 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3.52 | 16 | |