Top 5 Players of the 1971 World Series

Originally published on Jun. 12, 2019

By Zane Miller

On Sunday, October 17th, 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore to win the 68th World Series four games to three. It was the fourth World Series championship for the Pirates franchise and the third that was won in Maryland. These are the top five players that I felt most stood out during the series.

5. #5 Brooks Robinson (Orioles)- 3B

Robinson got player of the game honors in game two, as he knocked in three RBIs with a pair of runs, three hits and a pair of walks as the Orioles went on to win 11-3.

4. #22 Jim Palmer (Orioles)- P

Palmer earned player of the game in game six, pitching nine innings while allowing two earned runs on eight hits and a walk as the Orioles won it 3-2 in 10 innings.

3. #16 Al Oliver (Pirates)- CF

Oliver picked up player of the game honors in game four, driving in two RBIs with two hits and a walk in the Pirates’ 4-3 victory.

2. #28 Steve Blass (Pirates)- P

Blass pitched his way to player of the game honors in game seven, pitching a complete game with just one earned run allowed along with four hits and a pair of walks in the Pirates’ 2-1 victory to win the series.

1. #7 Bob Robertson (Pirates)- 1B

Robertson got player of the game honors in games three and five, as game three saw him hit three RBIs with a run and a hit as the Pirates went on to win 5-1, followed by a game five performance where he hit an RBI along with a run, a hit and a walk as the Pirates won 4-0.

Players of the Game Breakdown:

 

Link to stats database: https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1971_WS.shtml