Background
The Pirates won the National League East division by seven games over the St. Louis Cardinals then defeated the San Francisco Giants, three games to one, in the National League Championship Series. The Orioles won the American League East division by twelve games over the Detroit Tigers then defeated the Oakland A's, three games to none, in the American League Championship Series.
The Orioles were coming off their third straight playoff series sweep (over the Oakland A's) and their third straight season with over 100 wins (1969 — 109, 1970 — 108, 1971 — 101). Featuring four (4) pitchers with 20 or more wins (Dave McNally — 21, Mike Cuellar — 20, Pat Dobson — 20, Jim Palmer — 20), the booming bats of sluggers Frank Robinson (28, 99, .281) and Boog Powell (22, 92, .256), and the sure hands of Brooks Robinson at third and Mark Belanger at short, the O's were primed to defend their title, winning the last eleven games of the regular season.
The Pirates were in the World Series for the first time since the heroics of Bill Mazeroski (who appeared in this series as a pinch-hitter in Game 1) in Game 7 of the 1960 match-up against the New York Yankees. Though not as decorated as the O's staff, the Pirates featured 19-game winner Dock Ellis and 15-game winner Steve Blass. The Bucs did boast a murderous lineup led by Willie Stargell (48, 125, .295), Bob Robertson (26, 72, .271) and Roberto Clemente (13, 86, .341), who collected 12 series hits and hit .414.
Read more about this topic: 1971 World Series
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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