Baltimore Orioles in the context of "Multi-purpose stadium"

The 1971 major league baseball season began on April 5, 1971, while the regular season ended on September 30. The postseason began on October 2. The 68th World Series began with Game 1 on October 9 and ended with Game 7 on October 17, with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League defeating the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, four games to three, capturing their fourth championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1960. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Baltimore Orioles from the 1970 season.

The 42nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game, was held on July 13 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, home of the Detroit Tigers. The American League won, 6–4, and was the first American League win since the second game of 1962, and their last until 1983.

In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth.

As closers were reduced to one-inning specialists, setup men became more prominent. Setup pitchers often come into the game with the team losing or the game tied. They are usually the second best relief pitcher on a team, behind the closer. After closers became one-inning pitchers, primarily in the ninth inning, setup pitchers became more highly valued. A pitcher who succeeds in this role is often promoted to a closer, and often fill in for the regular closer when the regular closer needs a day off for rest. Setup men are paid less than closers and mostly make less than the average Major League salary.

Samuel Peralta Sosa (/ˈsoʊsə/; born November 12, 1968) is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Cubs. After playing for the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox, Sosa joined the Cubs in 1992 and became regarded as one of the game's best hitters. Sosa hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, reaching this milestone quicker than any player in National League history. He is one of nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs.

In 1998, Sosa, along with Mark McGwire, achieved international fame for his home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' single-season home-run record. With the Cubs, Sosa became a 7-time All-Star while holding numerous team records. He finished his career with stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Rangers for a second time. With the Rangers, Sosa hit his 600th career home run to become the fifth player in MLB history to reach the milestone.

In baseball, to tag up is for a baserunner to retouch or remain on their starting base (the time-of-pitch base) until (after) the ball is first touched by a fielder. By rule, baserunners must tag up when a hit ball is caught by a fielder before it bounces, and in such situations, the baserunners are out if any fielder with possession of the ball touches their starting base before they do. After a legal tag up, runners are free to try and advance, even if the ball was caught in foul territory. On long fly ball outs, runners can often gain a base. When a runner scores by these means, it is known as a sacrifice fly. On short fly balls, runners rarely attempt to advance after tagging up, due to the high risk of being thrown out.