#230-223 1971 World Series

Since 1959 Topps set aside cards depicting the World Series....1971 a close series, Pirates bent on upsetting and dethroning the 1970 champions, Orioles....Historic in that it  shone the spotlight on the legend of Roberto Clement 15 months before his untimely death.....Baltimore coming into the series  boasted 4 20 game winner...a feat likely never achieved again....Pittsburgh coming off a relatively sedate pennant race breaking persona of good but a also ran that dogged them for decade since their 1960 WS crown.....The start was a standard script of expectation...Game 1 the birds use their veteran savvy to overcome a 3 run defecit with five runs....second game an Oriole beat down at 11-3....A reprise of the 1970 WS is in the works....Historic with  the rescue work by Steve Blass who threw a 3 hitter and takes game 3 by a score of  5-1....Game 4 the first WS night game ever....Horrible start for Bucs and the victim is lefty Luke Walker who yanked after only two outs....enter rookie Bruce Kison who only allow one hit in 6 1/3 innings...Pittsburgh has now evened the series....Game 5 is a two hitter thrown by secret weapon Nelson Briles redeeming his season and his last WS performance....So far all home teams win....Series returns to Baltimore....Orioles pull out all stops, Palmer starts, Dobson middle relief, and McNally closes in a 3-2 extra inning win....Blass takes the hill in Game 7 against Mike Cuellar....Cuellar pitches well but surrenders a home to Clemente in the fourth and a run scoring double to Jose Pagan...Orioles come back with one run but it not enough....Pittsburgh take game and match...MVP Roberto Clemente who had a hit in every game (a feat he also did in the 1961 WS)....Not a miracle but unexpected result....personal recollection indifferent to 1971 baseball season in general (the Twins took a nosedive and no other team I had strong attachment with)....watched the last game of the series and went outside afterward and threw a baseball at my pitch back.  

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