1971 Baltimore Orioles season

In 1971, the Baltimore Orioles finished first in the American League East, with a record of 101 wins and 57 losses. As of 2023, the 1971 Orioles are one of only two Major League Baseball clubs (the 1920 Chicago White Sox being the other) to have four 20-game winners in a season: Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.

Offseason

 * December 16, 1970: Roger Freed was traded by the Orioles to the Philadelphia Phillies for Grant Jackson, Jim Hutto and Sam Parrilla

Opening Day starters

 * Mark Belanger (SS)
 * Paul Blair (CF)
 * Elrod Hendricks (C)
 * Davey Johnson (2B)
 * Dave McNally (P)
 * Boog Powell (1B)
 * Merv Rettenmund (LF)
 * Brooks Robinson (3B)
 * Frank Robinson (RF)

Notable transactions

 * May 28, 1971: Jim Hardin was traded by the Orioles to the New York Yankees for Bill Burbach.
 * May 28, 1971: Dave Boswell was signed as a free agent by the Orioles.

Draft picks

 * June 8, 1971: 1971 Major League Baseball Draft
 * Randy Stein was drafted by the Orioles in the 1st round (23rd pick).
 * Kiko Garcia was drafted by the Orioles in the 3rd round. Player signed June 27, 1971.

Starters by position
''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Other batters
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

ALCS
Baltimore Orioles defeat the Oakland Athletics, 3–0

World Series
NL Pittsburgh Pirates (4) vs. AL Baltimore Orioles (3)

Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Rochester, Miami, Bluefield

Japan tour
Three days after the conclusion of the World Series, the Orioles embarked on a tour of Japan to play 18 games against Nippon Professional Baseball competition beginning on October 23. The team had accepted the invitation to participate in the Yomiuri Shimbun-sponsored event at the start of the calendar year on January 1. Included in the 12–2–4 overall record was the Orioles going undefeated at 8–0–3 in head-to-head competition against the Yomiuri Giants which was owned by the tour's sponsor and had recently captured its seventh consecutive Japan Series championship.

The Japanese point of view of high hopes entering the exhibitions and the disappointment with the unfavorably lopsided results is chronicled in Robert Whiting's 1977 book The Chrysanthemum and the Bat.

Source: Baltimore Orioles 1972 Media Guide (scroll down to pages 25 and 26).