1971 Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 97-65, Finished 1st in NL Eastern Division (1971 NL)

Clinched Division: September 22, 1971, At St. Louis Cardinals

World Series Champs

Managed by Danny Murtaugh

On September 1st, the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team in history to field an all-black lineup. It consisted of 2B Rennie Stennett; CF Gene Clines; RF Roberto Clemente; LF Willie Stargell; C Manny Sanguillen; 3B Dave Cash; 1B Al Oliver; SS Jackie Hernandez; and P Dock Ellis. The line-up was not the result of a stunt, but was a genuine attempt by manager Danny Murtaugh to field his strongest line-up that day (regular third baseman Richie Hebner, who was not black, was not available). The team went on to win the 1971 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles with all of the aforementioned players getting significant playing time.

Further Reading[edit]

"Pittsburgh Manager Says His Nine Black Starters Are Just Pirate", Jet, November 4, 1971, p. 51. [1]
Nathalie Alonso: "The Pirates lineup that changed baseball", mlb.com, September 1, 2021. [2]
Adam Berry: "Bucs fielded Majors' first all-minority lineup: Hall of Famers Clemente, Stargell among those to make history on Sept. 1, 1971", mlb.com, February 10, 2017. [3]
Bruce Markusen: The Team That Changed Baseball: Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, Westholme Publishing, Yardley, PA, 2006.
Blake W. Sherry: "1971: Willie Stargell's Pivotal Season", in Cecilia M. Tan, ed.: Steel City Stories, The National Pastime, SABR, 2018, pp. 99-102.
George Skornickel: "Characters with Character: Pittsburgh's All-Black Lineup", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 40, Number 2 (Fall 2011), pp. 42-43.
Washington Post: "Pirates slap Cards with clincher, 5-1", historic-newspapers.com, September 23, 1971

<< 1970

1972 >>