Games : 1971 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)
 

1971 Games Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Ken Sanders 83 Milwaukee Brewers 1
Fred Scherman 69 Detroit Tigers 2
Tom Burgmeier 67 Kansas City Royals 3
Ted Abernathy 63 Kansas City Royals 4
Eddie Fisher 57 California Angels 5
Phil Hennigan 57 Cleveland Indians  
Denny Riddleberger 57 Washington Senators  
Dave LaRoche 56 California Angels 8
Horacio Pina 56 Washington Senators  
Darold Knowles 55 Washington Senators 10
Oakland Athletics  
Lloyd Allen 54 California Angels 11
Casey Cox 54 Washington Senators  
Steve Kealey 54 Chicago White Sox  
Steve Mingori 54 Cleveland Indians  
Bart Johnson 53 Chicago White Sox 15
Jim York 53 Kansas City Royals  
Bobby Bolin 52 Boston Red Sox 17
Ray Corbin 52 Minnesota Twins  
Tom Timmermann 52 Detroit Tigers  
Paul Lindblad 51 Oakland Athletics 20
Washington Senators  
Vince Colbert 50 Cleveland Indians 21
Sparky Lyle 50 Boston Red Sox  
Rollie Fingers 48 Oakland Athletics 23
Tom Hall 48 Minnesota Twins  
Bill Lee 47 Boston Red Sox 25



Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Jose Cruz of the Houston Astros had his number twenty-five retired on October 3, 1992, and became the first Major League player with that particular retired number.