PITTSBURGH PIRATES AT CHICAGO WHITE SOX
October 11, 1971
Game One at Comiskey Park, Chicago Illinois
Dock Ellis vs. Wilbur Wood
White Sox jump out to an early lead then fend off a furious Pirate rally to win game one
Rick Reichardt drives in four runs and Vincente Romo stalls a Pittsburgh rally in the ninth inning
Chicago, IL Oct. 11 (AP) - Game one featured a battle between the Pirates ace Dock Ellis and White Sox ace Wilbur Wood. The White Sox faithful crowded into Commiskey Park to watch the Cinderella south siders take on the National League Champions. The White Sox fans did not have to wait long as Chicago's Rick Reichardt blasted a three run homerun in the bottom of the first inning to put Chicago up 4-0. In the second inning Reichardt continued to pound Ellis with a RBI double scoring Walt "No-Neck" Williams. Leading 5-0, White Sox firstbaseman Carlos May singled over Dave Cash's head and the speedy Pat Kelley beat the throw from Roberto Clemente.
Down 6-0 the Pirates had a tough task to overcome. Wilbur Wood, 24-11 on the regular season had kept the powerful Pittsburgh lineup in check with his knuckleball. In the sixth inning Pittsburgh's Gene Alley singled up the middle to cut the White Sox lead to 6-1. Wood continued to struggle as Clemente followed with a double with two out. Willie Stargell then blasted a long drive into rightfield cutting Chicago's lead in half to 6-3.
In the ninth inning Chicago called on the versatile Bart Johnson to close out the game. Johnson was effective as both a starter and reliever for Chicago during the season could not find his rhythm. With one out Manny Sanguillen ripped a double to center. Pirate leader Roberto Clemente followed with a single to left putting runners on the corner. Willie Stargell stepped up and hit a tapper between the mound and home plate which Ed Hermann bobbled, loading the bases. Bob Robertson hit a flair into left center that rolled to fence scoring both Sanguillen and Clemente. The White Sox called on Vincente Romo with one out and third runners on second and third. Rennie Stennett came up to pinch hit for Dave Giusti and promptly popped up Romo's first offering for the second out. With two out Richie Hebner lashed the ball to leftfield right at Rick Reichardt for the final out.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago White Sox
October 11, 1970
Game Two at Comiskey Stadium Chicago Illinois
Steve Blass vs. Tom Bradley
Richie Hebner leads the Buccos to victory
Pittsburgh squeezed out a tight 4-3 win over the ChiSox
Chicago IL, Oct. 11 (AP) - Pittsburgh starter Steve Blass and White Sox hurler Tom Bradley match up in a tight game two of the 1971 World Series. Both pitchers were not sharp but gutted through tough situations. Chicago broke out on top to the delight of their fans. With one out Rich McKinney scored from third base on a flyball from Luis Alvarado. Bradley cruised through the first three innings with little difficulty.
In the fourth inning the Pirates bats got working as Richie Hebner and Al Oliver got on base with two outs. Pittsburgh backstop Manny Sanguillen lashed a double to right center scoring both runners. The White Sox responded in the bottom of the same frame as substitute secondbaseman Rich McKinney slammed a two run blast over the centerfield fence.
Pittsburgh struck back quickly as they scored two runs in the fifth inning. Gene Clines reached on a single. With one out Willie Stargell lined the ball to left putting runners on first and second with one out. Roberto Clemente flied out to Walt Williams in right, moving Gene Clines to third. Bradley now laboring faced Richie Hebner with two outs. Hebner smashed the ball over Chicago's Centerfielder Mike Hershberger's head scoring Clines from third and Willie Stargell chugged home from first. Steve Blass kept the White Sox from mounting any threats until he was relived by Dave Giusti in the eighth inning. Giusti, who had been erratic at times during the season got into trouble in the ninth. With one out pinchhitter Lee Maye doubled and was replaced by the speedy Lee Richards. With one out Pat Kelly lined the ball into rightfield and Richard raced to the plate trying to tie the game. Roberto Clemente threw a missile to home nailing Richard as Kelly raced to secondbase. With two out Walt "No-Neck" Williams popped up to Clemente in short right ending the game.
Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates
October 12, 1970
Game Three at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Wilbur Wood vs. Bruce Kison
Hebner's homerun powers the Pirates past the White Sox
Richie Hebner blast in the bottom of the tenth puts Pittsburgh up 2 games to 1
Pittsburgh PA, October 12 (AP) - After splitting the first two games in Chicago, the two teams travel to Three Rivers Stadium to resume the World Series. Game one starter Wilbur Wood took the mound for Chicago against Pirate rookie hurler Bruce Kison. Pittsburgh jumped on the board first as Roberto Clemente hit a two out solo homerun in the bottom of the first. In the second inning Chicago struck back with a solo homerun of their own by Rick Reichardt.
After trading solo homeruns the two starting pitchers settled down, trading goose eggs for the next five innings. Wood, who was roughed up in game one, had his knuckleball fluttering in the cool Pennsylvania fall. Wood scattered nine hits over nine innings of work. Pirate right-handed rookie Bruce Kison, 9-2 in the second half of the season, was just as sharp, limiting Chicago to just five hits over eight innings.
In the seventh inning Chicago mounted a threat as the speedy Lee Richard walked. Wood then dropped a perfect sacrifice down moving Richard to secondbase. Pat Kelly then hit a slow roller to shortstop Gene Alley for a single, pushing Richard to third base. With runners on the corner, Kelly took off towards second but a snap throw by Manny Sanguillen nailed him for out number two. Kison bore down and fanned Walt "No-Neck" Williams, stranding Richards at third base.
In the eighth it was Pirates turn to threaten. Carl Taylor, pinch-hitting for Kison, singled to rightfield. Following a Dave Cash fly out to centerfield , Al Oliver hit sharp singe to right, moving Taylor to second. The red hot Roberto Clemente beat a Wood knuckler into the ground at shortstop Lee Richard for a routine 6-4-3 doubleplay killing the scoring chance.
Pirates reliever, veteran Bob Miller, held the White Sox over the final two frames. Bart Johnson came on in the tenth to relieve Wood. Richie Hebner drove Johnson's first offering over the rightfield fence to win the game.
Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates
October 13, 1970
Game Four at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Tommy John vs Luke Walker
Pirates late rally to beat the White Sox
Richie Hebner and Roberto Clemente lead Pittsburgh to come from behind win.
Pittsburgh, PA October 13 (AP) Game four featured a battle between lefthanders Tommy John and Luke Walker. Down 2 games to 1 Chicago needed a good outing from John and to get the big bats in the lineup going. In the third inning the White Sox big hitters finally started hitting. With one out Carlos May drilled a single up the middle. Bill Melton faced off against Walker and launched a double into the leftfield corner putting runners on second and third with none out. Rick Reichardt, continued his timely hitting with an infield single, scoring May. White Soc catcher Tom Egan could not add to the score as Walker forced him to hit the ball to Bill Mazeroski who promptly flipped to Gene Alley at short for the second out, Alley relayed the ball to Robertson to end the threat.
In the fifth Rich McKinney, subbing for the injured Mike Andrews, doubled to left center. Lee Richard laid down a bunt to the right side, Walker picked up the ball and fired it to third but the throw was not in time and Chicago had runners on the corner with none out. Tommy John stepped up to the plate with a real chance to help him self. Walker, in trouble for the second straight inning, got John to hit into another 4-6-3 doubleplay, as McKinney raced in for Chicago's second run.
Tommy John breezed through the first five innings keeping the powerful Pirate lineup in check. In the sixth Pittsburgh got to John. Bill Mazeroski lead off the inning and hit a sharp grounder to Rich McKinney who booted the ball. Roberto Clemente followed with a hard single to left. Richie Hebner, who started the day on the bench but an injury to Gene Alley and Willie Stargell forced Pittsburgh to reshuffle their lineup, rammed a triple into the rightfield corner knotting the gake up at 2-2. With Hebner at third and still none out, Bob Robertson got under a Tommy John pitch and lofted a harmless flyball to short center. Al Oliver then stroked the ball to Rich McKinney who fired the ball home nailing Hebner at the plate.
In the sixth inning Gene Clines, who replaced the injured Stargell in left, tripled a triple to right. Rennie Stennett, came up for Walker and John walked him to set up the double play. Dave Cash, now playing shortstop, hit a long flyball to the warning track, scoring the speedy Clines. John, now struggling, then surrendered a singel to Mazeroski moving Stennett to thirdbase. Vincete Romo came out of the pen to face off against Roberto Clemente. Clemente drove the ball to right center for an out, but Stennett raced home tp make the score 4-2.
Rookie Ramon Hernandez came out of the Pirates bullpen and shutdown Chicago in the eighth and ninth inning preserving the Pirates third straight win. Pittsburgh now lead 3-1 with one final game at home.
Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates
October 14, 1970
Game Five at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Tom Bradley vs Dock Ellis
Pirates win the World Series with a 10th inning homerun
Pittsburgh Pirate Bob Robertson solo homerun in the tenth gives Pittsburgh its second World Series ring in three years
Pittsburgh PA, October 14 (AP) The Pirates faithful turned out in record numbers to see if their hometown team could finish off the Chicago White Sox in game five of the 1971 World Series. The White Sox sent 2- game winner Tom Bradley to the hill in an effort to send the games back to Chicago. Pittsburgh countered with their ace Dock Ellis. In the second inning the Pirates got to Bradley. Richie Hebner continued his hot hitting by muscling a double to centerfield. Manny Sanguillen then took Bradley to left for a hard single putting runners on the corner with none out. Veteran secondbaseman Bill Mazeroski then hit a line drive to left for the third straight hit, making the score 1-0 Pittsburgh. Dock Ellis then dropped a perfect bunt to move the runners up. Dave Cash, playing shortstop on this day, bounced a ball pack to the mound which Bradley handled with ease . Vic Davallio flied out to left ending the threat.
Following a rough second inning Tom Bradley settled down to blank Pittsburgh for the next five innings. For the first five inning Dock Ellis handled the White Sox with no problems. In the sixth, down 1-0, Chicago finally put an inning together. Jay Johnstone ripped a single to right with one out. Carlos May then slapped the ball down to Richie Hebner at thirdbase. Hebner kicked the ball then threw it away as Johnstone raced to third and May pulled up at secondbase. With runners on second and third, Dock Ellis faced off against White Sox slugger Bill Melton. Melton stroked a grounder to Cash at third who took the out, allowing Johnstone to score the tying run. Ellis got Rick Reichardt swinging to end the inning.
In the eighth, Bart Johnson came in to relive Bradley. Johns, who had been treated roughly by the Pirates sent Pittsburgh down in order in the eight. In the bottom of the ninth Dave Cash doubled with one out. Johnson bore down and got out of trouble to send game five into extra innings. Bob Miller came out of the bullpen in the tenth to pitch for Pittsburgh. Miller, a mid-season pickup, had been a stalwart for Pittsburgh in their late season drive to the pennant. Miller dispatched of Chicago with out any difficulty. In the bottom of tenth Bob Robertson stepped up with none out and took a mighty hack of a Bart Johnson pitch and drove it over the leftfield wall for a game winning and series winning homerun. The Pirates won their second world championship in three years.