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The map…
The map shows the 30 MLB teams. The larger the team’s average attendance, the larger their circle is on the map. The circles on the map contain each MLB teams’ 2025 home cap logo. That is, except with respect to Baltimore’s cap-logo, which is of their all-black road cap, because the Orioles wear their white-paneled cap at home, and I wanted to maintain a uniformity to all 30 of the circular-cap-logos on the map.

The circles-with-cap-logos were then sized to reflect crowd size, utilizing a constant gradient. If you are unsure about the term “paid-attendance”, my post on MLB paid-attendance from 2015 can clear that up for you {here, 2014 MLB paid-attendance map}.

The chart at the right-hand-side of the map page shows 5 things: 2025 Attendance-Rank, 2025 Average Paid-Attendance, Numerical Change in Average Paid-Attendance from Previous Season [2024], Venue Capacity [2025 season], 2025 Percent-Capacity.

At the top of the chart is a new list i put together, showing 2 things: MLB overall attendance for the last 10 years (2016-2025), and the top-3 highest drawing teams in each of those years.
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In 2025, MLB as a whole drew 29,386 per game, a slight increase over 2024, and a figure that would have been higher without the stadium situations of the Athletics and of the Tampa Bay Rays {see Notes, at the foot of the attendance chart at the bottom-right-hand-side of the map page}. Major League Baseball has still not gotten back to their most recent attendance peak in the 2016 season, when the league averaged 30,131. But every season since the COVID-impacted years of 2020 and 2021 have seen more fans at MLB ballparks. (In the 150 years that Major League Baseball has existed, there have been only 15 years when the league drew higher than 30-K-per-game, and all of those highest-drawing seasons occurred between 1993 and 2016 {source: baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/misc}.)
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Top 4 highest-drawing MLB teams in 2025…

(All teams that drew above 40,000 per game.)…

1. The Los Angeles Dodgers drew 49,537 per game, with an increase of 880 per game from 2024. In 2025, the Dodgers played to 88.4-percent-capacity at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. It needs to be pointed out that Dodger Stadium, the largest venue in the Major Leagues, is simply a beautiful, stunning, and fan-friendly ballpark. And the Dodgers have been consistently competitive for several decades now. So it is not a real surprise that the Dodgers have had the highest attendance in MLB now for 12 straight seasons (2013 to 2025, w/ the COVID-affected 2020 season excluded). And in 2025, the Dodgers repeated as World Series champions, winning their 9th title (and their 8th WS title in Los Angeles, following a 36-year title drought).

2. The San Diego Padres drew 42,435 per game, with an increase of 1,317 per game. In 2025, the playoff-bound Padres were again able to draw in excess of their seated capacity (of 39.8-K). The Padres played to a rather impressive, league-leading 106.4-percent-capacity. How? Well their ballpark, Petco Park, is awesome, and the Padres are very competitive. And thanks to the vast lawn seating behind the center field fence at Petco Park, they can just pack them in there. It also helps that, Major-league-wise, the Padres are the only game in town. Because the city of San Diego, after losing their NFL team to LA a few years back, has now become the only city in the USA (and Canada) which only has an MLB team, but not an NFL or an NBA or an NHL team. So you can see why San Diego sports fans have so strongly gravitated to Petco Park.

4. The New York Yankees drew 41,885 per game (at 90-percent-capacity). The Yankees drew their highest since 2018. But as the playoff-bound reigning AL champions (2024 AL pennant winners), and as the all-time most successful MLB ball club, in the biggest city in the country, the Yankees really should be drawing higher. I mean, OK, the Yankees had an attendance increase of 1,023 per game in 2025 – but as a team that had just made it to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, that 1.0-K-per-game attendance increase doesn’t seem like much {see the Phillies, next paragraph, who drew 9.5-K more following a recent WS appearance}. And last season the Yanks were still playing to 4,500 empty seats every game (and they drew 8-K per-game less than the Dodgers). At that overblown and fan-unfriendly monolith of a stadium in the Bronx.

4. The Philadelphia Phillies drew 41,672 per game. For the second straight season the playoff-bound Phillies played to 97-percent-capacity at Citizens Bank Park. In 2022, the Phillies had drawn 28-K-per-game en route to an NL pennant and a World Series defeat to the Astros. The next season (2023), the playoff-bound Phils had a 9.5-K-per-game crowd increase (drawing 37.6-K-per-game). And the next season (2024), the playoff-bound Phils had a 3.9-K-per-game crowd increase (drawing 45.1-K-per-game). And last season, the playoff-bound Phillies had a 135-per-game attendance increase. So unless the Phillies stop their winning ways, it looks they will continue to inch towards full-time/full-capacity crowds at Citizens Bank Park.

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The 4 Largest Attendance Increases in MLB in 2025…

1. New York Mets, attendance up 10,559 per game. The Mets drew 39.3-K per game (which was 5th-best in 2025). And they set a record for attendance in their ballpark, Citi Field (which opened in 2009). In 2025, the Mets had the second-highest payroll in MLB. At the end of April, the Mets were 11 games above .500. And they had the best record in baseball by mid-June. But…the hapless, offense-heavy/mediocre-pitching/abysmal-defense Mets of 2025 had an epic late season collapse. In the end, the Mets barely broke .500, and on the final day of the season, they were eliminated from the playoffs {see second photo below}.

Photos above – Getty Images via sportsbusinessjournal.com; Lynne Sladky at psu.edu/story/mlb-new-york-mets-2025-collapse.

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2. Detroit Tigers, attendance up 6,854 per game. The Tigers drew 29.7-K per game at Comerica Park (15th-best). This is the second straight season that Detroit has had a large attendance increase: in 2024, they saw a 3,000-per-game attendance increase {see my 2024 MLB map & post}. In 2025, although the Tigers made the playoffs (as the lowest [6th] seed), Detroit had totally choked down the stretch, giving up a 9½-game September lead in the AL Central (to Cleveland). But then in the post-season, the Tigers recovered, and beat Cleveland in the ALWCS, 2-1. But Detroit then fell to the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS, 3-2. In game 4 vs Seattle, there were 4,000 empty seats for a playoff game at Comerica Park {see second photo below}. Many blamed MLB, and its penchant for scheduling work-week postseason day-games on short notice. But Tigers fans’ disaffection following the team’s late-season collapse should also be factored in to account for the no-shows.

Photos above – unattributed at mlive.com/tigers/2025/10[/8]; Robin Buckson, The Detroit News at detroitnews.com/picture-gallery.

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3. San Francisco Giants, attendance up 3,433 per game. The Giants drew 36.1-K per game (7th-best). In 2025, it was the 25th season of the Giants’ home Oracle Park, and there were several renovations in the ballpark that attracted more fans. Then the Giants started out very strong (winning 8 of their first 9 games). And by mid-June, the Giants were 11 games above .500, and they had just acquired slugger Raphael Devers, and they were regularly pulling in 40,000 on weekend games. It looked like the Giants were on course for the playoffs for the first time since 2021. But the Giants played below .500 ball for the rest of the season, and ended up finishing at 81-81.

Photo above – unattributed at sftravel.com/article/your-guide-to-san-francisco-giants-baseball-oracle-park.

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4.Toronto Blue Jays, attendance up 2,082 per game. After two straight playoff seasons (in 2022 and ’23) with solid 37-K-per-game attendance, Toronto’s sub-par 2024 season saw them lose 4,000-paying-customers per-game. In 2025, the Blue Jays reclaimed back half of that number, drawing 35.1-K (9th best). Why the attendance rebound? Because in 2025, the Blue Jays improved by 20 wins. They went 94-68, and beat out the New York Yankees for the AL East title, winning it on the last day of the season {see photo below}. In the playoffs, the Blue Jays were the #1-seed, with a 1st round bye. In the ALDS, they beat the Yankees, 3-1. Then in the ALCS they beat Seattle 4-3, winning the Toronto Blue Jays’ 3rd AL pennant. But in the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays came close, but ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7 games.

Photo above – Andrew Osmond, City News at toronto.citynews.ca
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Thanks to NuclearVacuum for the blank map, File:BlankMap-North America-Subdivisions.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for attendances, baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2025-misc.
Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos.net, for several (~17) of the cap logo images, sportslogos.net.
Thanks to the contributors at en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball#Current_teams.

By Bill Turianski on the 3rd of July 2025; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1972 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1972 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1972 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1972 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1972 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).

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1972 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1972 attendances, featuring the 1972 World Series champions: the Oakland Athletics.

This is my sixth in a series. Here are links to the first five posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.
•1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos and Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets.
•1970 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions: the Baltimore Orioles.
•1971 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1971 World Series champions: the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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The map.
The map shows the locations of the 24 MLB teams of 1972. On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their 1972 jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1972, and home average attendance in ’72). All the jersey-logos are from photos of the old jerseys (see 24 photo credits at the foot of this post).

The jersey-logo: sized to reflect that team’s 1972 average attendance. The larger the jersey-logo, the higher their attendance. Any other logos on the team’s uniforms in 1972 are also shown. Specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 8 of such in 1972…The Braves [in two styles: feather-logo on blue jersey from 1972-79; feather-logo on white jersey from 1972-75]. The White Sox [Gothic 'Sox'-script-over-white-sock-in-red-circle, in Chicago's 1971 to '75 colors of red-white-powder blue]. The Angels [scarlet-state-of-California-with-halo-on-top logo, 1970-82]. The Astros [simplified Astrodome-with-orbiting-balls logo, 1972 only]. The Cubs [modified blue-bear-cub-with-tan-face logo, 1972-78]. The Royals [Royals'-shield-in-circle logo, 1971-92]. The Mets [Metro-NY-skyline-with-bridge logo, 1962-63; 1966-68; 1970-81; 1993-2011; 2014-25]. The Twins [Twin-smiling-heads-over-river-and-bridge logo, 1972 only].

1972 Team Average Attendance: shown at the right-hand side of the map-page. In 1972, for the fourth straight year, the best-drawing MLB team was the New York Mets, who drew 27.3-K per game at the then-9-year-old Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, NY. This was during the peak years of the New York Mets outdrawing the then-moribund New York Yankees: 1972 was the third-straight year that the Mets were drawing double that of the Yankees (Mets at 27.3-K-per-game, the Yankees at a meager 12.5-K). From the mid-Sixties to the mid-Seventies, the Mets ended up outdrawing the Yankees for 12 seasons (1964 to ’75). Second-best drawing ball club in 1972 was the Los Angeles Dodgers again, at 24.8-K-per-game.

Two other teams drew above 20-K per game in 1972: the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds. Drawing 19 K per game were the 11-year-old Houston Astros, who had their best season at that point, with 84 wins. There was an alarming amount of teams that had poor attendance in ’72…8 teams drew under 10-K per game: Atlanta, California, Kansas City, the brand new Texas Rangers (see further below), San Francisco, Cleveland, San Diego, and Milwaukee. With the exception of Cleveland, every one of those teams was either a relocated franchise, and/or a relatively new franchise.

1972 was the last season that MLB cumulatively drew below 15,000 per game. The peak of MLB attendance at that point had been in 1966 (15.5-K-per-game/LA Dodgers over Baltimore in WS). In 1971, MLB drew 15.0-K-per-game; then in 1972 the league’s attendance dipped almost 500 per game down to 14.5 K. Attendance rebounded in 1973, up almost one thousand per game, to 15.4 K. There were two more seasons of 15-K-per-game, and then Major League Baseball never looked back – crowds steadily increased through the next 4 seasons, from 1976 to 1979. In 1979, MLB finally broke the 20,000 per game attendance mark. {Data: Major League Miscellaneous Year-by-Year Averages and Totals (baseball-reference.com).}

Franchise re-location. The 13-year-old Washington Senators (II), who drew 8.0-K in 1971, departed the nation’s capital after the 1971 season, and moved to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, as the Texas Rangers (est. 1972). On the map-page here, I have shown the 1972-franchise-shift of Washington Senators (II) to Texas Rangers, using a long pale-gray line-segment with arrows pointing to their new location in Arlington, Texas.

1972 MLB champions, the Oakland Athletics: at the top of the map-page are photos of the 12 players on the ’72 A’s with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Dick Williams (HoF). Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Joe Rudi (LF), Jim ‘Catfish’ Hunter (RHP & HoF), Reggie Jackson (CF/RF & HoF), Sal Bando (3B), Bert Campaneris (SS), Mike Epstein (1B), Ken Holtzman (LHP), Darold Knowles (LHP), John ‘Blue Moon’ Odom (RHP), Rollie Fingers (RHP & HoF), Ángel Mangual (OF/PH).

1972 MLB Statistical Leaders: Shown at the foot of the map. (In both the American League and the National League.) Leaders in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post. Members of the Hall of Fame that were statistical leaders in 1972: Steve Carlton (Phillies LHP & ’72 NL Cy Young). Gaylord Perry (Indians RHP). Rod Carew (Twins 2B). Billy Williams (Cubs LF/1B). Dick Allen (White Sox 1B/3B &’72 AL MVP). Johnny Bench (Reds C & ’72 NL MVP). Joe Morgan (Reds 2B).

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1972 World Series: the Oakland A’s defeat the Cincinnati Reds in 7 games

The Reds had been in the World Series two years previous (in 1970, when they lost to the Orioles in 5 games). At this point in their history, the Cincinnati Reds had won 2 World Series titles (1919, 1940), and 4 National League pennants (last in 1970). Like several MLB teams at the time, the Cincinnati Reds had recently moved into a dual-purpose concrete stadium (Riverfront Stadium, opened June 1970, capacity 51,500 for baseball, which the Reds shared with the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals). The Reds of 1972 had the nucleus of their championship teams of 1975 and ’76, including C Johnny Bench, 2B Joe Morgan, LF Pete Rose, and LHP Don Gullett…a lineup that came to be known as “the Big Red Machine”. In 1972, the Reds went 95-59 and won the NL West with ease. In the playoffs, the Reds beat the reigning champions and the team with the best record in ’72, the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 games to 2.

The Oakland Athletics, est. 1968, and better known as the A’s, were making their first World Series appearance. But as a franchise, the ball club, originally located on the East Coast in Philadelphia, was making its first World Series appearance since 1930. The Philadelphia Athletics existed from 1901 to 1954, and had won 5 World Series titles (last in 1930), and had won 11 American League pennants (last in 1931). All the Athletics’ titles in Philadelphia were won when owner/manager Connie Mack was at the helm. Connie Mack assembled such powerful teams that, for a while in the late 1920′s and early 1930′s, the Philadelphia Athletics challenged the dominance of the New York Yankees, and kept the Murderer’s Row-era Yankees out of the postseason for 3 years (1929-31). The Philadelphia Athletics from that era wore white-and-royal-blue, with a Gothic-A on their caps. After 50 years of managing the Athletics, Mack retired in 1950. And five years later, the franchise was sold and moved to the Midwest, as the Kansas City Athletics (1955-67, no titles).

The Kansas City Athletics were hapless basement-dwellers. They were bought by Charles O. Finley in December 1960. In 1963, the Kansas City Athletics changed their colors from navy-blue-and-red, to a garish kelly-green-and-gold. In 1968, the franchise moved to the West Coast, to the Bay Area across from San Francisco, as the Oakland Athletics, where they shared a venue with the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders. That venue was the recently-built, utilitarian dual-purpose Oakland-Alameda County Stadium (cap. ~50,000). The Oakland A’s wore the same type of Gothic-A logo on their bright kelly-green caps that their predecessors, the Philadelphia Athletics, did. The Oakland A’s were a young team that improved each season, and they featured the young slugger Reggie Jackson, and a solid pitching staff which included starters Vida Blue (1971 Cy Young/MVP winner), Jim “Catfish” Hunter, and John “Blue Moon” Odom, and reliever Rollie Fingers. By 1969, the A’s were postseason contenders. In 1970, the Gothic lettering on Oakland’s kelly-green cap changed from “A” to “A’s”. In 1972, the A’s were coming off a 101-win season the year before, and they repeated as AL West winners again, though there was serious pursuit from the Chicago White Sox. Oakland then beat the Detroit Tigers in a tight playoff series, 3 games to 2.

1972 World Series…
The A’s Reggie Jackson was on the disabled list for the Series (he was injured stealing home base, versus Detroit in the playoffs,). The Reds were the bookies’ favorite to win. Six of the seven games in the 1972 World Series were to be decided by one run.

In game 1, Oakland’s back-up catcher Gene Tenace homered in his first two at bats (WS record), and Ken Holtzman, Rollie Fingers and Vida Blue combined for the win. In game 2, Oakland’s LF Joe Rudi made a spectacular catch {which can be seen in a photo below}. And Joe Rudi also homered, and Catfish Hunter pitched 8 scoreless innings, and so the A’s were up 2 games to none.

But when the series resumed in Oakland, the visiting Reds won 2 of the 3 games. In game 3, Jack Billingham held the A’s to 3 hits in 8 scoreless innings. The only run came in the 7th inning, when César Gerónimo singled home Tony
Pérez. Clay Carroll (Saves leader in the NL) got the save. Games 4 and 5 there were tightly contested. The A’s won game 4 in the 9th inning, on four consecutive singles. Three of those four-straight-base-hits were by pinch hitters: PH Gonzalo Márquez, Gene Tenace, PH Don Mincher, PH Ángel Mangual (3-straight PH hits was a WS record). {In a screenshot below, you can see A’s players congratulating Mangual, and also below, at the lower left, there is a photo of 1972 WS MVP Gene Tenace’s emphatic plate-stomping winning run.} Then in game 5, the Cincinnati Reds, facing elimination, staged a comeback. Pete Rose’s single off Rollie Fingers won it for the Reds in the 9th {Rose’s GW RBI can be seen below}. And so the series went back to Cincinnati, with the A’s leading 3 games to 2.

Then the Reds blew out the A’s 8-1 in game 6. It was the only game in the series that was not a one-run-game. And so the series went to a seventh game.

Game 7: A’s win 3-2. Blue Moon Odom vs Jack Billingham. In the 1st, Gene Tenace drove in a run. In the 5th, Blue Moon Odom departed for Catfish Hunter, and the Reds tied it up, on a SF by PH Hal McRae. But using that pinch hitter forced Billingham out of the game. And in the 6th, the new pitcher for the Reds, Pedro Borbón, gave up 2 runs, on a pair of doubles by Gene Tenace and Sal Bando (and so the A’s were up 3-1). Then in the 8th, the Reds pulled to within 1 run, on a SF by Tony Pérez. But Rollie Fingers then stopped the Reds, with a base runner on 3rd, to end the inning. Fingers then shut down the Reds in the ninth, for the World Series title. Catfish Hunter (2.2 IP, 1 ER) got the win. Rollie Fingers pitched in 6 of the 7 games of the series (1.74 ERA, 1-1, 1 H, 2 SV, 10.1 IP, 11 SO/4 BB). Gene Tenace was voted MVP (8-for-23 (.348) 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1.313 OPS). He also threw out a baserunner.

The 1972 World Series was the last time anyone ever referred to Gene Tenace as a backup catcher. Gene Tenace went on the have five 20+ HR seasons, four with the A’s (1973-76), and one with the Padres (1979). The Oakland A’s would repeat as WS champions the next year (1973, over the Mets), and the following year as well (1974, over the Dodgers). The Oakland A’s were the last MLB team to win 3 straight World Series titles, and were the only ball club to have done so apart from the New York Yankees.

-Here is a 40-minute video of the 1972 World Series, MLB 1972 World Series Highlights (video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com).

Photo and Image credits above – 2 screenshots from video of NBC broadcast: 1) view outside Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium prior to Game 1; 2) managers Sparky Anderson (Reds) and Dick Williams (A’s) prior to Game 1: screenshots of video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com. Oakland Alameda County Coliseum [photo circa 1968-71], from Photoscream at flikr.com via newballpark.org. -Gene Tenace, photo by Walter Iooss Jr./SI via si.com/[world-series-heroes-of-the-1970s]. -Joe Rudi, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sportsdayspast]. -Jack Billingham, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk. -Ángel Mangual, screenshot from video uploaded by MLB at youtube.com. -Pete Rose, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com. -Johnny Bench, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Rollie Fingers, screenshot of video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com. -Gene Tenace (4th game, winning run), photo by Herb Scharfman /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Celebrating after final out in game 7, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via yardbarker.com/the_best_world_series_matchups_of_all_time. – A’s 1972 WS champions stadium flag, screenshot from video uploaded by Luigi Aguilera at youtube.com.
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Jersey-logo photo credits -
-Atlanta Braves 1972 road (blue) jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1972 home jersey [Dave McNally], photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Boston Red Sox circa 1969-72 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-California Angels 1972 home jersey, photo from dhgate.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1970 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds circa 1972-75 home jersey [Johnny Bench], photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1970 home jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Detroit Tigers 1972 road jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-Houston Astros 1972 road jersey, photo from ebay.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1972 road jersey, photo from nasljerseys.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1972 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Milwaukee Brewers 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins 1972 road jersey, photo from retro2heritage.com.
-Montreal Expos 1970 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-New York Mets 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-New York Yankees 1972 road jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Oakland A’s 1972 green jersey-logo, photo from greyflannelauctions.com.
-Philadelphia Phillies 1972 road jersey, photos unattributed at baseballessential.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 home jersey, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-San Diego Padres 1972 gold jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-San Francisco Giants 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-St. Louis Cardinals 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Texas Rangers 1972 home jersey, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.

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1972 Oakland A’s players: photo and image credits…
-1972 Oakland A’s gold jersey [#19 Bert Campaneris], photo from greyflannelauctions.com. -1972 Oakland A’s away (green) jersey [#38 Gene Tenace], photo from greyflannelauctions.com.
-Joe Rudi, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Catfish Hunter, Oct. 23 1972 Sports Illustrated cover, from sicovers.com.
-Reggie Jackson, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Sal Bando, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Bert Campaneris, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Mike Epstein, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Ken Holtzman, photo unattributed at alchetron.com.
-Dave Duncan, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Darold Knowles, 1973 Topps card, via tcdb.com/[Gallery, Darold-Knowles].
-Blue Moon Odom, photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Rollie Fingers, photo by Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated at si.com.
-Ángel Mangual, screenshot from video uploaded by MLB at youtube.com.
-Dick Williams (manager), photo by Focus On Sports/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.

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Photos of 1972 MLB leaders on map page…
-Luis Tiant, The Sporting News cover [Oct 14 1972], via sabrbaseballcards.blog.
-Steve Carlton, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@jdaniel2033].
-Gaylord Perry, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Wilbur Wood, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via ballnine.com.
-Steve Carlton, photo unattributed at mlb.com.
-Gaylord Perry, photo by Louis Requena/MLB via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Steve Carlton, 1972 Topps card, via psacard.com.
-Rod Carew, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.dk.
-Billy Williams, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Dick Allen, photo by John Iacona – Sports Illustrated cover [June 12 1972], via si.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by Getty Images/SPX via elextrabase.com.
-Dick Allen, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@espnstatsinfo].
-Johnny Bench, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Dick Allen, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via ballysports.com.
-Joe Morgan, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.

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The map…
The larger the team’s average attendance, the larger their circle is on the map. The circles on the map contain each MLB teams’ 2024 home cap logo. That is, except with respect to Baltimore’s cap-logo, which is of their all-black road cap, because the Orioles wear their white-paneled cap at home, and I wanted to maintain a uniformity to all 30 of the circular-cap-logos on the map. The circles with cap-logos were then sized to reflect crowd size, utilizing a constant gradient. If you are unsure about the term “paid-attendance”, my post on MLB paid-attendance from 2015 can clear that up for you {here, 2014 MLB paid-attendance map}. The chart at the right-hand-side of the map page shows 5 things: Attendance-Rank, Average Paid-Attendance, Numerical Change in Average Paid-Attendance from Previous Season [2023], Venue Capacity, Percent-Capacity.
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Attendance was up 0.9% in 2024. In 2024, in MLB’s 3rd post-COVID season, attendance increased again, but only very slightly, by 139 per game, to 29,373 per game. Since 2022, league average attendance has risen from 26.5-K to 29.3-K (an increase of 2.8-K per game). 2024′s attendance was MLB’s best since 2017. {See this press release from October 2024, MLB Finishes 2024 Season With Highest Attendance in Seven Years (mlb.com).}

(In case you are wondering, the MLB attendance record was set in 2007, with 32,696 per game.) {All-time MLB attendance on a sortable chart, here (baseball-reference.com).}

For 2025, two teams, the “Athletics” and the Tampa Bay Rays, are both stuck playing in tiny 10-thousand seat stadiums. The Athletics are playing in a 10.6-K-capacity ballpark because the franchise bolted from their Oakland home without securing a new venue, and now are playing for at least 3 seasons in a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, CA before they move to Las Vegas in 2028 or 2029 [sigh]. The Rays are playing in a 10.0-K-capacity ballpark this year because the roof of their home in St. Petersburg, FL (Tropicana Field) was severely damaged in Hurricane Milton in October 2024, and so are playing at the Yankees’ spring training ballpark in Tampa, FL; see this from ESPN, MLB 2025: Inside the transformation of Steinbrenner Field.)

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Top 4 MLB teams with the highest average attendance in 2024. (All teams that drew above 40,000 per game.)…

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 48,657 per game, with an increase of 1,286 per game from 2023 (and played to 86.8-%-capacity). The Dodgers have had the highest attendance in MLB now for 11 straight seasons (2013 to 2024, w/ the COVID-affected 2020 season excluded). And in 2024, the Dodgers won their first World Series title in a full season, since 1988 (a 36-year wait).

Photo: unattributed at rugoodet.live.

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2. Philadelphia Phillies: 41,527 per game (at 97.6-%-capacity). If the Phillies keep drawing this well – and playing this well – they could get to near 100%-capacity this year.

Photo: unattributed at mlb.com/phillies/tickets/specials/bennettstrong-foundation.

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3. San Diego Padres: 41,118 per game (at 103.1%-capacity). In 2024, the Padres were able to draw in excess of their seated capacity (of 39.8-K) thanks to the lawn seating behind the centerfield fence at Petco Park.

Photo: unattributed at linkedin.com.
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4. New York Yankees: 40,862 per game (at 87.8%-capacity). The Yankees drew their highest since 2018.

Photo: Luke Hales/Getty Images via sportico.com.

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The 6 Largest Attendance Increases in MLB in 2024…

1. Arizona Diamondbacks, attendance up +4,700 per game.
Arizona drew 24.2-K per game [20th best]. Arizona were 2023 National League pennant winners, so an increase in crowds was expected. And the Diamondbacks ended up winning 89 games, and drawing their best in 16 years. But they just missed out on the playoffs, losing out to both the Mets and the Braves on a 3-way tiebreaker.

Photo above – Rob Schumacher/The Republic at azcentral.com/.

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2. Kansas City Royals, attendance up +4,337 per game.
Kansas City drew 20.4-K per game [26th best]. The Royals improved by 30 wins in 2024, and made the playoffs for the first time in 9 years. In the postseason, the Royals swept the higher-seeded Orioles in the ALWCS, then fell to the Yankees in the ALDS, 3 games to 1.

Photo above – Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images via foxnews.com/lifestyle.

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3. Baltimore Orioles, attendance up +4,251 per game.
Baltimore drew 28.1-K per game [19th best]. The Orioles made the postseason for the 2nd straight season. But for the second straight years they were shut out in the playoffs, losing to the Royals in the wild card series.

Photo above – Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images via si.com/fannation.

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4. Philadelphia Phillies, attendance up +3,841 per game.
Philadelphia drew 41.5-K per game…2nd best in MLB. And the Phillies played to an MLB-2nd-best 96.7 percent capacity (only the San Diego Padres filled their ballpark better). In 2024, the Phillies made the playoffs for the third straight year, and they sold out Citizens Bank Park an impressive 47 times. In the playoffs, the Phillies lost to the Mets, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS.

Photo above – Philadelphia Phillies’ facebook.com via philadelphia.today.

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5. Cleveland Guardians, attendance up +3,060 per game.
Cleveland drew 25.7-K per game [20th best]. Cleveland won 16 more games than in 2023, en route to an AL Central title, and their third postseason in 5 years. In the playoffs, the Guardians beat Detroit in the ALDS, 3 games to 1. Then Cleveland lost to the Yankees in the ALCS, 4 games to 1.

Photo above – Cleveland Guardians’ facebook.com.

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6. Detroit Tigers, attendance up +3,030 per game.
Detroit drew 22.9-K per game [24th best]. The Tigers’ late-season run saw them pack Comerica Park and win just enough games to snag the last playoff spot. Detroit improved by 16 wins in 2024, and made the playoffs for the first time in a decade. In the playoffs, the lower-seeded Tigers swept the Astros in the ALWCS, then lost to Cleveland in the divisional series.

Photo above – Junfu Han / USA Today Network via audacy.com/971theticket/sports.
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___
Thanks to NuclearVacuum for the blank map, File:BlankMap-North America-Subdivisions.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for attendances, baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2024-misc.
Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos.net, for several (~17) of the cap logos, sportslogos.net.
Thanks to the contributors at en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball#Current_teams.

By Bill Turianski on the 6th of July 2024; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-1971 MLB season (en.wikipedia.org).
-1971 MLB (baseball-reference.com).
-Year in Review: 1971 American League (baseball-almanac.com).
-Year in Review: 1971 National League (baseball-almanac.com).
-1971 MLB logos (sportslogos.net).

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1971 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1971 attendances, featuring the 1971 World Series champions: the Pittsburgh Pirates.
This is my fifth in a series. Here are links to the first four posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.
•1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos and Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets.
•1970 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions: the Baltimore Orioles.

The map shows the locations of the 24 MLB teams of 1971.
On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their 1971 jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1971, and home average attendance in ’71). All but one of the jersey-logos are from photos of the old jerseys (see 23 photo credits at the foot of this post); one jersey-logo – the Detroit Tigers’ 1971 away jersey-logo – I drew myself.

The jersey-logo: sized to reflect that team’s 1971 average attendance. The larger the jersey-logo, the higher their attendance. Any other logos on the team’s uniforms in 1971 are also shown. Specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 9 of such in 1971: the White Sox [in 1971-75 colors: red-white-powder blue], the Angels, the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Royals, the Indians, the Mets, and the Twins.

1971 Team Average Attendance: shown at the right-hand side of the map-page. For the third straight year, the best-drawing MLB team in 1971 was the New York Mets, who drew 27.9-K per game at the then-8-year-old Shea Stadium in Queens, New York City, NY. This year was the peak of the Mets’ outdrawing the then-moribund New York Yankees: 1971 was the second-straight year the Mets were drawing double that of the Yankees (Mets at 27.9-K-per-game, the Yankees at a meager 13.2-K). From the mid-Sixties to the mid-Seventies, the Mets ended up outdrawing the Yankees for 12 seasons (1964 to ’75). Second-best drawing ball club in 1971 was the Los Angeles Dodgers, at 25.4-K-per-game. Two other teams drew above 20-K: the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs.

The worst drawing clubs in 1971 were the Padres, the Indians, the Senators, and the Brewers, all of whom drew below 10-K. It was worrying that two of these poor-drawing teams were only two or three years, old (Padres, est. 1969; Brewers est. 1970). And the twelve-year-old Washington Senators (II), who drew 8.0-K in 1971, would depart the nation’s capital after the ’71 season, and move to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, as the Texas Rangers (est. 1972). On the map-page here, I have shown the 1972-franchise-shift of Washington Senators (II) to Texas Rangers, using a long pale-gray line-segment with arrows pointing to their new location in Arlington, Texas.

Section for the 1971 MLB champions, the Pittsburgh Pirates: at the top of the map-page. I featured photos of the 13 players on the ’71 Pirates with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Danny Murtaugh. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Willie Stargell (LF & HoF), Roberto Clemente (RF & HoF), Manny Sanguillén (C), Bob Robertson (1B), Steve Blass (RHP), Al Oliver (OF/1B), Gene Clines (OF/PH), Dave Cash (2B/3B), Nelson Briles (RHP), Richie Hebner (3B), Dock Ellis (RHP), Rennie Stennett (2B/PH), Milt May (C).

1971 MLB Statistical Leaders: at the foot of the map. (In both the American League and the National League.) Leaders in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.
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1971 World Series – Pittsburgh Pirates beat Baltimore Orioles in 7 games.

The Baltimore Orioles, the reigning MLB champs, had just completed their third straight AL playoff series sweep (twice over the Minnesota Twins, and then in ’71 over the Oakland A’s). And the Orioles had just finished their third straight season with over 100 wins. The O’s were tied with the NY Mets for the best team-ERA in 1971 (at 2.99), and featured four pitchers who were 20-Game Winners: Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and future-Hall-of-Famer Jim Palmer (10th-best ERA in ’71 at 2.63). Baltimore scored the second-most Runs in 1971, and their offense was powered by two sluggers: future-Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson (OF), and Boog Powell (1B). In 1971, two Orioles were in the top 7 of American Leaguers for WAR [Position players]: Frank Robinson and OF/PH Merv Rettenmund. And the Orioles had a solid defensive unit, with future-Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson at Third Base, and 8-time Gold Glove-winner Mark Belanger at Shortstop. Baltimore’s manager was the wily Earl Weaver (who managed the Orioles for 17 years (1968–1982; 1985–86). The Baltimore Orioles were the heavy favorites to win the ’71 World Series.

The Pittsburgh Pirates had last won the World Series in 1960 (in an upset win over the NY Yankees). In ’71, Pittsburgh won the NL East by 7 games over St. Louis; in the playoffs they beat San Francisco 3 games to 1.

On September 1 1971, the Pirates had fielded the first all-minority line-up (Rennie Stennett, Gene Clines, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Manny Sanguillen, Dave Cash, Al Oliver, Jackie Hernandez, Dock Ellis and Bob Veale). Which was a long 24 years after Jackie Robinson had first broke the color barrier, back in 1947. This came as a result of the fact that Pirates front office and General Manager Joe L. Brown ignored the de-facto rule of the day, of racial quotas. MLB teams put a few black and Latin players in starting roles, leaving benches of MLB teams full of white players. In the MLB in the 1950s and the ’60s, teams had two or three or four minority players, maybe five or six, but almost always, never more than six (an exception being the NL-pennant-winning San Francisco Giants of 1962, who had 8 minority players on their roster, including Willie Mays, Felipe Alou, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, and José Pagán, all 5 of which were in the SF Giants top-12-for-WAR that year).

In The Team that Changed Baseball – Roberto Clemente and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, Bruce Markusen writes, ‘In general, very few African-American and Latino players made major league rosters as utility players. It was clear that most teams in the fifties and the sixties were operating under another unwritten rule: an African American or Latino had to be considered a star, or at least good enough to make it as a starter, to be included on the roster – at all.”

The Pirates refused to follow that vestige of segregation. The Pirates scouted extensively in the Caribbean and in Central America for black and Latin players to fill any role (including leadership roles), and at any position, and not just as marquee players. Joe L. Brown was Pirates GM from 1955 to 1976. Brown took over the General Manager’s job in Pittsburgh from Branch Rickey, in November 1955, when Rickey retired. Branch Rickey is the man who was the most instrumental in breaking the color barrier, by convincing the Brooklyn Dodgers Board of Directors to start looking for a black ballplayer to sign (this was in 1943), and then signing Jackie Robinson for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946.

In 1971, the list of the 12 top players on each MLB team (as measured by WAR), showed almost all MLB teams having 3 or 4 minority players in their top-12-for-WAR. Two teams had 5 minority players in their top-12-for-WAR: the Minnesota Twins and the San Francisco Giants. The Pittsburgh Pirates had 8 minority players in their top-12-for-WAR.

The 1971 Pirates were not especially dominant in terms of pitching, with the 11th-best ERA (5th-best in the NL). They featured 19-game winner Dock Ellis, 15-game winner Steve Blass (2.85 ERA) and closer Dave Giusti (with the most Saves in the NL, 30). The real strength of the ’71 Pirates was in their offense: they scored the most Runs and had the best Slugging Percentage. They featured three sluggers: future-Hall-of-Famer Willie Stargell in Left Field (.295, 48, 125), Bob Robertson at 1st Base (.271, 26, 72) and Richie Hebner at 3rd Base (.271, 17, 67). And they featured 3 who could hit for average: future-Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente in Right Field (.341, 13, 86), Al Oliver in Center (.282, 14, 64), and the Panama-born Manny Sanguillen behind the plate (.319, 7, 81). On the 1971 Pirates’ roster were two players who remained from their 1960 championship team, Roberto Clemente, and, in a utility role, the 1960 World Series MVP Bill Mazeroski (2B) [inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001]. The 1971 Pirates’ manager was the same who had led the team in 1960 – the Chester, Pennsylvania-born Danny Murtaugh, who was well liked by players. Murtaugh would serve for 15 seasons, in 4 stints, as the Pirates’ skipper (the gap-years being for health reasons) (1957-64, 1967, 1970-71, 1973-76).

Photo and Image credits above – Aerial shot of Three Rivers Stadium [circa 1970], photo by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at post-gazette.com/sports. -Exterior shot of Baltimore’s Municipal Stadium, 1971 NBC World Series broadcast, screenshot from video uploaded by Stephen Alexander at youtube.com. -Merv Rettenmund, screenshot from video uploaded by Stephen Alexander at youtube.com. -Jim Palmer, screenshot from video uploaded by Stephen Alexander at youtube.com. -Bob Robertson, photo unattributed at ebay.com. -Bruce Kison, screenshot from video uploaded by Stephen Alexander at youtube.com. -Nelson Briles, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Brooks Robinson, photo by Tony Triolo/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Steve Blass, photo from National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at baseballhall.org. -Roberto Clemente, photo unattributed at bucsdugout.com. -Pirates players celebrating after the final out, screenshot from video uploaded by Stephen Alexander at youtube.com.

Game 1: Orioles win, 5-3.
Merv Rettenmund hit a 3-run HR in the 3rd inning, and Dave McNally pitched a 3-hit, 3-run Complete Game. Win: Dave McNally.

Game 2: Orioles win, 11-3
The Orioles pounded the six Pirates pitchers w/ 14 hits (all singles). Jim Palmer went 8 innings, the first 7 scoreless. Win: Jim Palmer; Save: Dick Hall.

Game 3: Pirates win, 5-1
Bob Robertson hit a 3-run HR in the 7th inning, and Steve Blass pitched a 3-hit, 1-run Complete Game. Win: Steve Blass.

Game 4: Pirates win, 4-3
First-ever World Series night game. O’s scored 3 in the 1st; then Bruce Kison pitches 6⅓ scoreless innings. Game-winning-RBI by backup-C Milt May. Win: Bruce Kison; Save: Dave Giusti.

Game 5: Pirates win, 4-0
Nelson Briles pitched a 2-hit shutout, and had an RBI. Bob Robertson hit his 2nd HR of the Series. Win: Nelson Briles.

Game 6: Orioles win, 3-2 (10)
The Orioles win it in 10 innings, on a sacrifice fly by Brooks Robinson, with Frank Robinson scoring on a close play at the plate. Win: Dave McNally (2-0).

Game 7 Pirates win, 2-1, and win the Series 4 games to 3
A pitcher’s duel between the Orioles’ lefty Mike Cuellar, and the Pirates’ Steve Blass. In the 4th inning, Series MVP Roberto Clemente hit his 2nd HR. In the top of the 8th, Pirates backup-3B José Pagán doubled to score Willie Stargell. In the bottom of the 8th, the O’s got their only run, on a ground-out-RBI by Don Buford. Winning Pitcher: Steve Blass, who went all 9 innings, again, and finished the Series at an MVP-worthy 2-0, 18 IP, 1.00 ERA.

Roberto Clemente: 1971 World Series MVP
12-29, 3 R, .414 BAvg, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1.210 OPS.

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Jersey-logo photo credits -
-Atlanta Braves 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1971 jersey, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Boston Red Sox 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-California Angels 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1970 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds 1970 home jersey photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1970 home jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Houston Astros 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1971 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1971 road jersey, photo from lofty.com.
-Milwaukee Brewers 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins home jersey circa 1968-71, photo from lelands.com.
-Montreal Expos 1970 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-New York Mets 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-New York Yankees road jersey circa 1967-71, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Oakland A’s road uniform-logo, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Philadelphia Phillies 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 home jersey, photo from robertedwardauctions.com.
-San Diego Padres 1970 road jersey, from lelands.com.
-San Francisco Giants 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-St. Louis Cardinals 1971 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Washington Senators 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.

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1971 Pittsburgh Pirates players: photo and image credits…
-1971 Pittsburgh Pirates home jersey, from robertedwardauctions.com. 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates road jersey, from mlbshop.com/pittsburgh-pirates. -Willie Stargell, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.es. -Roberto Clemente, photo unattributed at cowlatinamerica.voices.wooster.edu. -Manny Sanguillén, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Bob Robertson, photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Steve Blass, 1971 Sports Illustrated cover via mbird.com. -Al Oliver, unattributed at pinterest.com. -Gene Clines, photo unattributed at history.pittsburghbaseball.com. -Dave Cash, 1971 Topps card via vintagecardprices.com. -Nelson Briles, photo from Pittsburgh Pirates via oldbucs.blogspot.com. -Richie Hebner, photo unattributed at pinterest.com. -Dock Ellis, photo unattributed at gameusedonly.com. -Rennie Stennett, photo unattributed at pinterest.com via usdaynews.com. -Milt May, photo unattributed at ebay.com. -Danny Murtaugh (manager), photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images via gettyimages.in. -1971 Pittsburgh Pirates uniforms [illustrations], by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines.

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Photos of 1971 MLB leaders on map page…
-Vida Blue, photo unattributed at dglsports.ca.
-Tom Seaver, 1971 Topps card, at pinterest.com.
-Mickey Lolich, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Ferguson Jenkins, August 20 1971 Sports Illustrated cover, via gettyimages.com.
-Wilbur Wood, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via southsidesox.com.
-Tom Seaver, photo by Malcolm Emmons/USA Today Sports via amazinavenue.com.
-Tony Oliva, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Joe Torre, 1972 Street and Smith’s Baseball magazine, photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Bill Melton, photo by Doug McWilliams/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at baseballhall.org.
-Willie Stargell, photo by Tony Tomsic/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Harmon Killebrew, photo unattributed at baberuthmuseum.org.
-Joe Torre, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Graig Nettles, photo unattributed at pristineauction.com.
-Willie Stargell, August 2 1971 Sports Illustrated cover, from sicovers.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1971 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

By Bill Turianski on the 7th of April 2024; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-Official site…mlb.com.
-Teams, etc…Major League Baseball (en.wikipedia.org).
-Attendance figures (2023 home regular season tickets sold), baseball-reference.com/2023-misc.

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The map…
The circular-cap-logos on the map page are all each MLB teams’ 2023 home cap logo. That is, except with respect to Baltimore’s circular-cap-logo, which is of their all-black road cap, because the Orioles wear their white-paneled cap at home, and I wanted to maintain a uniformity to all 30 of the circular-cap-logos on the map. The circular-cap-logos were then sized to reflect crowd size, utilizing a constant gradient (the larger the team’s average paid-attendance, the larger their circle is on the map). If you are unsure about the term “paid-attendance”, my post on MLB paid-attendance from 2015 can clear that up for you {here, 2014 MLB paid-attendance map}. The chart at the right-hand-side of the map page shows 5 things: Attendance-Rank, Average Paid-Attendance, Numerical Change in Average Paid-Attendance from Previous Season [2022], Venue Capacity, Percent-Capacity.
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-From MLB.com, Attendance up, game time down in record-setting ’23 season (by David Adler at mlb.com on Oct. 2 2023).

Attendance was up 9.1% in 2023. In 2023, Major League Baseball saw an average attendance increase of 2,452 per game – an increase of 9.1% from 2022. No less than 26 of the 30 MLB teams increased their attendance {see the top 5 teams in this category, further below}. And 17 teams drew above 30,000 per game. That was the highest percentage of teams drawing above 30-thousand-per-game, ever. Total attendance numbers would have been even higher, had not the Oakland A’s become a lame-duck franchise with negligible home-fan-support (due to the A’s ownership’s intention of moving the team to Las Vegas).

Quicker games drew more fans to the ballpark in 2023… Almost certainly, the biggest influence on the attendance increase was the shortening of game times, following rule changes designed to speed up games (most notably, a 15-second pitch clock). In 2023, games finished 24 minutes faster, compared to 2022! MLB games have not ended that quickly since 1985. See list below…
MLB average time of game by season
9-inning games only
2015 — 2:56:14
2016 — 3:00:42
2017 — 3:05:11
2018 — 3:00:44
2019 — 3:05:35
2020 — 3:07:46
2021 — 3:10:07
2022 — 3:03:44
2023 — 2:39:49

There were other factors in the attendance increase. Runs per game were up 0.6 per game, from 8.6 runs-per-game in 2022, to 9.2 runs-per-game in 2023. There was a more balanced schedule, which saw all teams play each other at least once. And there were a whole lot of teams that were in contention for playoff spots, right up until the last day. In fact, some of the teams with the biggest attendance increases did not even make the postseason – like Cincinnati, Cleveland, and San Diego.

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Top 10 teams with the highest average attendance in 2023…
1. Los Angeles Dodgers: 47,371 per game (at 84.5-%-capacity). The Dodgers have had the highest attendance in MLB for 10 straight seasons (2013 to 2023, w/ the COVID-affected 2020 season excluded).

Photo: unattributed at rugoodet.live.

2. San Diego Padres: 40,390 per game (at 95.1-%-capacity [best percent-capacity in MLB/see further below]).
3. New York Yankees: 40,358 per game (at 86.7-%-capacity).
4. St. Louis Cardinals: 40,013 per game (at 90.1-%-capacity).
5. Atlanta Braves: 39,401 per game (at 94.9-%-capacity [2nd-best percent-capacity in MLB]).
6. Philadelphia Phillies: 37,686 per game (at 87.8-%-capacity).
7. Houston Astros: 37,683 per game (at 91.5-%-capacity [3rd-best percent-capacity in MLB]).
8. Toronto Blue Jays: 37,307 per game (at 89.8-%-capacity).
9. Chicago Cubs: 34,261 per game (at 82.2-%-capacity).
10.Seattle Mariners: 33,215 per game (at 69.3-%-capacity).

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Top 5 teams with the highest average attendance increase in 2023…
1. Philadelphia Phillies, up 9,579 per game (PHI drew 37.6 K per game [6th best].)

Photo: Getty Images via sportsbusinessjournal.com.

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2. Cincinnati Reds, up 7,932 per game (CIN drew 25.1 K per game [18th best].)

Photo: Aaron Doster/AP Photo via local12.com/sports/reds.

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3. Baltimore Orioles, up 7,018 per game (BAL drew 23.9 K per game [21st best].)

Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images via sportico.com.

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4. Cleveland Guardians, up 6,644 per game (CLE drew 22.6 K per game [23rd best].)

Photo: unattributed at sportskeeda.com/baseball.

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5. Texas Rangers, up 6,441 per game (TEX drew 31.2 K per game [16th best].)

Photo: unattributed at cbsnews.com/texas.

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The team that filled their ballpark the best in 2023 (highest Percent-Capacity figure)…
1. San Diego Padres. Drew 40,930 per-game [which was 2nd-best in MLB], at their 42,445-capacity Petco Park. That is an impressive 95.1 percent-capacity. And this included 59 sellout games. The Padres increased their crowds by 3,507-per-game in 2023. The Padres drew better despite losing 7 more games than in 2022. Although in 2023, the Padres were coming off a 2022 postseason which saw them defeat their SoCal rivals the LA Dodgers (in the NLDS), which certainly increased local fan interest in 2023. And the Padres are the only MLB team that plays in a city without any other major-league representation in either the NFL, the NBA, or the NHL.

Photo: unattributed at espn.com/mlb/[san-diego-padres].
___
Thanks to NuclearVacuum for the blank map, File:BlankMap-North America-Subdivisions.svg (commons.wikimedia.org).
Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com for attendances, baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2023-misc.
Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos.net, for several (~17) of the cap logos, sportslogos.net.
Thanks to the contributors at en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball#Current_teams.

Billsportsmaps.com had its 15th year anniversary, on the 17th of August 2022. So I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. This hand-drawn map was originally posted in November 2007.

Major League Baseball, 1903 to 1952 [Hand-drawn map]
Between 1903 and 1952, there was no franchise movement among the 8 National League and 8 American League baseball clubs. This map shows all the 16 MLB clubs from that time period, with emblems, cap crests and uniform details. Included is an inset map of the Greater New York City area. In the inset map, the locations of Yankee Stadium (NY Yankees), the Polo Grounds (NY Giants), and Ebbets Field (Brooklyn Dodgers) are marked. The evolution of these three NYC clubs’ crests and the evolution of the three ball clubs’ colors are also shown here.

This map would not have been possible without the incredible book “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” {at Amazon, here}. That book was researched, written, and illustrated by Marc Okkonen. His artwork for this book can now be found as the main uniform database (from 1900 to 1994) for the Baseball Hall of Fame site “Dressed to the Nines – A History of the Baseball Uniform”…{exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/database}

I made this map in early 1993, after my brothers had given me, for Christmas, the now-out-of-print “Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century” by Marc Okkonen. I used Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils and graphite pencil, on Bienfang semi-transparent paper. In 2023, I added the banner at the top of the map.

By Bill Turianski on the 1st of May 2023; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Billsportsmaps.com had its 15th year anniversary, in August 2022. So I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. This map was originally posted in October 2007.

The National League was established in 1876. It had competition from other pro baseball leagues, most notably the American Association (1882-91). Then for several years at the close of the Nineteenth Century, the National League was the sole major league. That changed in 1901: The Western League had renamed itself the American League for 1900, while it was still a minor league. But the next year – 1901 – the American League broke from the National Agreement, and declared itself a major league. So starting in 1901, there were once again two major leagues in pro baseball, and that has not changed since then. And since 1903, the winner of each league has gone on to play in the best-of-7-game World Series.

I hand-drew this map in 2005. The media I used were Caran d’Ache watercolor-pencils, graphite pencil, and Sharpie markers. Featured on this map are caps, logos, and cap crests from the past, with the ball clubs’ years of existence listed. I usually selected the oldest distinctive logos of each team. The text-box overlays, for each team’s formation-dates and for the logos’ time periods, were done on the computer in 2007. Franchise shifts are also noted. The map was updated and tightened up in 2023. And I added a banner at the top showing the 8 charter members of the 1901 American League, which includes any name-changes or franchise-shifts of those 8 ball clubs {info gleaned from this page at Wikipedia…American League: Charter franchises}.

The map lists every ball club that has played in the American League, since its inception as a major league in 1901. The main map is focused on the Northeast and the Midwest of the United States, which, of course, is the area where all of the original teams of both the National League and the American League were located. There are also 5 inset-maps. One inset-map is of Greater New York City (the New York Yankees), and the other four inset-maps are for areas where the American League expanded to, or moved into: California (the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakand Athletics), the state of Washington (the defunct Seattle Pilots, and then the Seattle Mariners), Texas (the Texas Rangers, and the Houston Astros [who switched over from the N.L. in 2013]), and Florida (the Tampa Bay Rays).

The logos and cap designs were primarily sourced from Sportslogos.net and from Marc Okkonen’s drawings found at the HoF site Dressed to the Nines.
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In the 18-year interim between when I made this map [2005], and now [2023], there have been 5 changes. These following five things I have added to the information on the map…There have been two changes in the names of teams in the American League, there has been one league-status change, and there will be another change – a franchise-shift – after the 2024 season, plus there is one change in the way that the history of the A.L. is officially reported.

A). The two team name changes: 1) in 2008, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays changed their name to the Tampa Bay Rays; 2) in 2022, the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Cleveland Guardians. B). The league-status change: in 2013, the Houston Astros switched from the National League to the American League. C). The change soon to happen: the Oakland A’s will leave Oakland, CA after 2024, and will move to Las Vegas, Nevada. D). The recent ‘change’ in the history of the American League: according to Baseball-reference.com and official Baseball Hall of Fame baseball historian John Thorn, the New York Highlanders [the present-day New York Yankees] were actually an expansion team, and the franchise has no links to the defunct Baltimore Orioles of 1901-02.

The Baltimore Orioles (II, A.L., 1901-02) went bankrupt in the mid-summer of 1902, following ex-Orioles’ manager John McGraw defection to the New York Giants of the National League. And so the American League took over the operations of the 1902 Orioles for the remainder of the season. Following the 1902 season, the American League, under the directive of commissioner Ban Johnson, placed a franchise, under new ownership, in New York City. The team would turn out to be called the New York Highlanders, and they would play at Hilltop Park, about a mile south of the old Polo Grounds in northern Manhattan Island. (That team would change its name to the New York Yankees in 1913, move into Yankee Stadium in The Bronx in 1923, and then go on to become the most successful ball club in the history of Major League Baseball.) Five players from the 1902 Baltimore Orioles joined the roster of the new 1903 New York Highlanders. There are several reports in the news media, during the August-1902-to-March-1903 time frame, that the defunct 1902 Orioles’ franchise was transferred to new ownership in New York City {see 2 paragraphs below}.

And it is even more complicated than that, as described in this July 2014 article from the NY Yankees fan-site called The Captains’ Blog, Yankees Lose Their Oriole Way: BR.com Removes Baltimore Years From Franchise History. Here are some excerpts from that article…“American League President Ban Johnson endeavored to place a team in New York, which, not surprisingly, the incumbent Giants of the National League did everything possible to thwart. Although Johnson wasn’t able to establish a franchise in New York when the A.L. ramped up in 1901, his ultimate plan was to eventually move an existing team into the Big Apple. By many accounts, the Baltimore Orioles were that team.”…“John McGraw was selected to manage the Orioles in 1901, and, he believed, eventually shepherd the team to New York. However, when he learned that Johnson’s plan to reach Gotham didn’t include him, McGraw decided to write his own ticket. Not only did the fiery manager jump ship to the New York Giants in the middle of the 1902 season, but he helped his new bosses gain a majority ownership stake in the Orioles, which he then used to sabotage the franchise. This subterfuge eventually put the Orioles on the brink of collapse, and only by Johnson seizing the reigns was the team able to complete the 1902 season. Then, after negotiating a peace settlement with the National League during the offseason and securing a site for a new ballpark, Johnson folded the tents in the Baltimore and brought his show to the big top in New York.”…“…it could be argued that Johnson was the de facto owner of both the 1902 Orioles and 1903 Highlanders because the A.L. president was largely responsible for constructing their rosters and determining where they played. Who knows, if not for the inhospitable political climate in New York, which forced Johnson to award the franchise to owners backed by the powerful Tammany Hall, the A.L. might have retained control of the team in its early goings. In Yankees Century, baseball historians Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson go so far as to say Johnson was basically extorted out of the franchise by Tammany big wig Joseph Gordon, who forced the sale to a syndicate led by cronies Frank Farrell and Bill Devery in exchange for being able to build a ballpark within the city. “To make it happen,” Stout and Johnson wrote, “all Johnson had to do was say yes – and hand the franchise over to Tammany.” [New paragraph]…“Stout and Gordon’s research also showed that the American League footed some of the bill for the construction of the new ballpark, giving further credence to the notion that the league was a “part owner” of the new franchise in New York. Finally, the commissioner’s lawyers directly advanced a legal argument asserting Johnson’s status as owner. In response to a lawsuit filed by the remnants of the Baltimore American League Baseball Club, which asked for a judge to place the team’s assets in receivership, the New York Times wrote, “Mr. Johnson’s attorney…claims that Mr. Johnson, as President of the American League, is continually acting not only as owner of the Baltimore club, but all other clubs of the American League.”…“…[Ban Johnson]‘s mission was to land a franchise in New York, with or without nominal ownership, meaning only one asset had real value: the right to operate as a franchise. This asset was retained by Johnson and eventually conferred to new owners. Had McGraw not instigated a coup, it’s likely that the transition would have preceded more smoothly and with legal blessing. That it did not shouldn’t erase the clear ties that bind the Baltimore Orioles of 1901 to 1902 to the Yankees of the present day.” [Excerpts written by William Juliano / twitter.com/williamnyy23.]

Via the Wayback Machine, here is a fascinating thread from Baseball-Reference.com…1901-02 Orioles Removed from Yankees History [76 Responses to “1901-02 Orioles Removed from Yankees History”.] In this thread, you can see that John Thorn never addresses the issue, raised by irate commenters, that there is media evidence of a franchise transfer. Here are two, plus a screen-shot of the newspaper article quoted in the second comment. Comment #54…[via the Cleveland Leader from Aug. 27 1902]: “The players, it is said, were given to understand that the franchise of the Baltimore club would be transferred to New York and all hands signed by the Baltimore management switched over there.” Comment #63…[via the Philadelphia Inquirer from March 10, 1903]: “Baltimore franchise will be formally transferred to Gotham and all details announced”. Comment #74: {screenshot of Philadelphia Inquirer from March 10 1903}.

Here’s one more link, from the Reddit.com/Orioles page, posted by u[deleted] on the 22nd of July 2014, On the nonsense that is BBRef trying to strip the 1901/1902 Orioles from the Yankees history.
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1970 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1970 attendances, featuring the 1970 World Series champions: the Baltimore Orioles.
This is my fourth in a series.
Here are links to the first three posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.
•1969 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos and Attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champions: the New York Mets.

The map shows the locations of the 24 Major League Baseball teams of 1970.
On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their 1970 jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1970, and home average attendance in ’70). All but one of the jersey-logos are from photos of the old jerseys (see 23 photo credits at the foot of this post); one jersey-logo – the Detroit Tigers’ 1970 away jersey-logo – I drew myself.

The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1970 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher their attendance was that year. Any other team logos on the team’s uniforms in 1970 are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 8 of such in 1970: Angels [new State-with-halo logo (1971-85)], the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Royals, the Indians, the Mets, and the Twins).

1970 Average Attendances are shown at the right-hand side of the map-page. Best-drawing MLB team in 1970 were the reigning champions, the New York Mets, who drew 32.8-K per game at the then-7-year-old Shea Stadium in Queens, NYC. For this time period, that was a rather impressive figure, as it was slightly more than ten thousand per game better than any other big league club that year. Second- best draw were the NL pennant-winners, the Cincinnati Reds, who drew 22.2-K per game in the 1970 season, half of which they played at their old Crosley Field, and half at their then-new venue Riverfront Stadium. Three other teams drew above 20,000 per game in 1970: the LA Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and the St. Louis Cardinals.

At the top of the map-page is a section for the 1970 MLB champions, the Baltimore Orioles. I featured photos of the 13 players on the ’70 Orioles with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Earl Weaver. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Jim Palmer (RHP & HoF), Paul Blair (CF), Boog Powell (1B & 1970 AL MVP), Frank Robinson (RF/1B & HoF), Merv Rettenmund (OF/PH), Don Buford (LF/Infield), Dave MacNally (LHP), Brooks Robinson (3B & HoF), Davey Johnson (2B), Pete Richert (LHP/Reliever), Mike Cuellar (LHP), Mark Belanger (SS), Elrod Hendricks (C/PH).

At the foot of the map-page are 1970 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.

In 1970, there was an MLB franchise-move… after only one season, the just-formed Seattle Pilots of 1969 (AL) moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. This strange affair resulted in two things. First it gave the city of Milwaukee a big-league ball club once again, after the city had lost their Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta, Georgia (following the 1965 season). Second, the abrupt departure of the Seattle Pilots resulted in the city of Seattle suing Major League Baseball for breach of contract. {See this, Seattle Pilots: Lawsuit (en.wikipedia.org).} The lawsuit was finally settled out of court 6 years later, when MLB awarded Seattle another expansion franchise: the Seattle Mariners of 1977. On the map-page here, I have shown the 1970-franchise-move of Seattle-Pilots-to-Milwaukee-Brewers, using a long pale-gray line-segment with arrows, and with the Pilots’ old gear shown in gray-tone.
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1970 World Series – Baltimore Orioles beat Cincinnati Reds in 5 games

The Baltimore Orioles were the dominant team in the American League in 1970, winning the AL East by 15 games. The 1970 Orioles featured no less than three 20-game-winners in their pitching rotation (Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Dave McNally). Baltimore’s offense was powered by a couple of sluggers in Frank Robinson (OF) and the 1970 AL MVP Boog Powell (1B), plus Gold Glove winner Brooks Robinson (3B). In the playoffs, the O’s swept the Minnesota Twins 3-0 (again), and so Baltimore was headed back to the World Series, hoping to make amends for losing to the underdog NY Mets in the previous year’s Fall Classic.

The Cincinnati Reds were likewise the dominant team in the National League in 1970, winning the NL West by 14.5 games, and then sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the playoffs. Compared to the Orioles, the Reds boasted more offensive firepower (with Johnny Bench, Lee May, Tony Pérez, and Pete Rose), but the Reds had a less commanding, and somewhat disabled, pitching staff.

Game 1. The Reds took a 3-0 lead with 1 run in the 1st inning, and 2 in the 3rd. But Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer settled down, and did not allow any more runs in his 8.2 innings. The Orioles evened up the 3-0 deficit, starting with a 2-run HR by Boog Powell in the 4th inning, and a solo shot by catcher Elrod Hendricks in the 4th. Then there was a huge fielding play by Brooks Robinson in the 6th inning: a back-handed grab of a hard grounder down the line by the Reds’ Lee May, with Robinson spinning to throw him out. It was one of several spectacular plays Brooks Robinson would make in the series. Also in the 6th inning there was a missed call by the home-plate umpire {see photo and caption below}, which prevented the Reds from reclaiming the lead. (Replays showed that in the collision at the plate, Orioles’ catcher Hendricks tagged Reds’ baserunner Bernie Carbo with an empty mitt.) The Orioles claimed the lead for good in the 7th, on a Frank Robinson HR. Orioles won 4-3; Win: Jim Palmer; Save: Pete Richert.

Game 2. Again the Reds took a lead, and again the Orioles rallied back. The Reds chased O’s starter Mike Cuellar after 2.1 innings. Trailing 4-0, the Orioles got one back in the 4th, on a Boog Powell HR. Then in the 5th inning, Baltimore scored 5 runs…the O’s hit 5 consecutive singles, followed by a 2-run double by Elrod Hendricks. The Reds got one back in the 6th, but Baltimore’s bullpen kept the lead. Orioles won 6-5; Win: Tom Phoebus [in relief]; Save: Dick Hall.

Game 3. Dave McNally and Brooks Robinson were the heroes of the day for the Orioles. Brooks Robinson made three spectacular fielding plays. In the 1st inning, he made a leaping grab of a Tony Pérez hopper, stepped on third and fired to first for the double play. In the 2nd, Robinson snagged a slow grounder by Tommy Helms, and threw him out. And in the 6th, he made a diving catch off a liner by Johnny Bench. With Baltimore leading 4-1, Brooks Robinson then led off the bottom of the 6th, and received a standing ovation from the home crowd; he then doubled. Three batters later, with the bases full, pitcher Dave McNally stepped up, and hit the ball out of the park. McNally became the first (and only) pitcher to hit a World Series grand slam. McNally pitched a complete game, and the O’s coasted to a 3-0 lead in the Series. Orioles won 9-3; Win: Dave McNally.

Game 4. The Reds avoided a Series sweep. Cincinnati came back from a 4-2 deficit, thanks to fine relief pitching by both rookie Don Gullett (2.2 innings), and veteran Clay Carroll (3.2 innings). The Reds won it on a game-winning 3-run HR, by Lee May, in the 8th inning. Reds won 6-5; Win: Clay Carroll.

Game 5. Mike Cuellar gave up 3 runs in the 1st inning, but settled down and shut the door, going the whole 9 innings. The Orioles scored 2 runs in each of the first three innings. Frank Robinson and Merv Rettenmund each hit homers, and both had 2 RBI, as did Davey Johnson. The Orioles won 9-3, and claimed their second World Series title in 4 years. Orioles won 9-3; Win: Mike Cuellar. Orioles won the World Series in 5 games.

Brooks Robinson won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, thanks his clutch fielding, but also thanks to his offensive contributions: he hit .429, and he broke the record for total bases in a five-game series, with 17.

So in 1970, the Baltimore Orioles (established 1954) won their second World Series title in 4 years (they had swept the LA Dodgers in 1966). The Orioles would go on to their third straight World Series appearance in the following year of 1971 (losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 7 games). The Baltimore Orioles [as of 2022] have won 3 World Series titles (their third WS title was won in 1983, when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games).

1970 WS photo and image credits -
-Memorial Stadium (Baltimore), aerial photo unattributed at eutawstreetreport.com. -Orioles’ 1st Baseman Boog Powell holds the Reds’ Pete Rose at 1st, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sigg20]. -Orioles’ Catcher Elrod Hendricks tags out Reds’ Bernie Carbo at home (Game 1), photo unattributed (Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) at pinterest.com. -Brooks Robinson fielding a grounder, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Dave McNally, pitching in game 3 of 1970 WS, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.jp. -Frank Robinson, photo by SPX/Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Mike Cuellar hugs Brooks Robinson as Davey Johnson rushes to the mound in celebration, photo from Baltimore Orioles via pressboxonline.com.
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Jersey-logo photo credits -
-Atlanta Braves 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1970 jersey, photo from mitchellandness.com.
-Boston Red Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-California Angels 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1970 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds 1970 home jersey photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1970 home jersey, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Houston Astros 1970 home jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1970 jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Milwaukee Brewers 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins home jersey circa 1968-71, photo from lelands.com.
-Montreal Expos 1970 road jersey, photo from goldinauctions.com.
-New York Mets 1970 jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-New York Yankees road jersey circa 1967-71, photo from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Oakland A’s 1970 home (gold) jersey, photo from worthpoint.com.
-Philadelphia Phillies 1970 road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates 1970 home alternate jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com
-San Diego Padres 1970 road jersey, from lelands.com.
-San Francisco Giants 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-St. Louis Cardinals road jersey circa 1967-71, from scpauctions.com.
-Washington Senators 1970 home jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
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Baltimore Orioles players: photo and image credits – 1970 Baltimore Orioles road jersey, from goldinauctions.com.1970 Baltimore Orioles home jersey, from mitchellandness.com. -Jim Palmer, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Paul Blair, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. -Boog Powell, photo by Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Frank Robinson, photo unattributed at pinterest.com. -Merv Rettenmund, photo unattributed at pinterest.ie. -Don Buford, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via camdenchat.com. -Dave McNally, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@Orioles]. -Brooks Robinson, photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.ca. -Davey Johnson, photo unattributed at ebay.com. -Pete Richert, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk. -Mike Cuellar, photo by Focus On Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.in. -Mark Belanger, photo unattributed at pinterest.com. -Elrod Hendricks, Topps 1970 card, from psacard.com. -Earl Weaver (manager), photo unattributed at mlb.com.
-1970 Baltimore Orioles uniforms, illustration by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines.
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Photos of 1970 MLB leaders on map page…
-Diego Seguí, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Tom Seaver, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via nytimes.com.
-Mike Cuellar, photo unattributed at alchetron.com.
-Dave McNally, photo unattributed at whentoppshadballs.blogspot.com.
-Jim Perry, photo unattributed at classicminnesotatwins.blogspot.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via nytimes.com.
-Gaylord Perry, photo unattributed at lastwordonsports.com.
-Sam McDowell, photo by the Stanley Weston Archive/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo by Walter Iooss, Jr at si.com.
-Alex Johnson, photo unattributed at ebay.com.
-Rico Carty, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via gettyimages.co.uk.
-Frank Howard, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
-Frank Howard, Topps 1971 card, from pinterest.com.
-Johnny Bench, Sports Illustrated cover [July 13, 1970] at sicovers.com.
-Carl Yastrzemski, photo unattributed at ebay.com.
-Johnny Bench, photo by SPX/Diamond Images via Getty Images via gettyimages.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1970 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).

Billsportsmaps.com had its 15th year anniversary, on the 17th of August 2022. So I am posting a series of maps from the early days of this blog. This hand-drawn map was originally posted in November 2007. I have re-posted now, for Black History Month [February].

Negro Leagues map
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Denied entrance into Major League Baseball by the color barrier, black ballplayers organized leagues of their own. These were the Negro Leagues, which existed between 1920 and 1957. The primary leagues were the Negro National League (1920-31; and 1933-48); the Negro Southern League, a minor-league (1920-40);  the Eastern Colored League (1923-28); and the Negro American League (1937-57). [For purposes of this map, records will only go to 1950, after which the Negro American League, the last negro league, essentially played exhibition games.] 

There were many standouts in the Negro Leagues, and 37 Negro League players (as of 2022) have been elected to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. The first five elected were Satchel Paige (the legendary right-handed pitcher);  Josh Gibson (catcher, and home run king); James ”Cool Papa” Bell (center fielder, and base-stealer extroardinaire);  Buck Leonard (first baseman, slugger); William “Judy” Johnson (third baseman, with a .349 lifetime batting average); and Oscar Charleston (outfielder, and slugger, with a blend of power and speed; and a .376 lifetime batting average). More information about the Negro Leagues can be found at www.blackbaseball.com, and at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum at nlbm.com, among other good sites.

Negro League baseball was characterized by fleet-footed action, and hi-jinks, ranging from tomfoolery to deadly serious one-upsmanship. There was more base-stealing than in Major League Baseball, and there was a sense of “playing to the crowd.” The teams knew the fans (particularly the significant portion of white customers) were there to see a show, and the players didn’t disappoint. An example of this was the barnstorming (traveling) club called the Indianapolis Clowns, an outfit similar to the Harlem Globetrotters. But that did not mean that Negro League baseball was an inferior product. During this era, negro baseball squads often defeated white MLB squads in exhibition games. Seasons were generally around 60 to 70 games long. There were no real standardized schedules, and teams operated on a shoe-string budget. 

The Golden Age of the Negro Leagues can be seen as the period from 1933 to 1947. The Washington-Homestead Grays regularly outdrew the Major League Baseball team the Washington Senators in Griffith Park in Washington DC, as they racked up 9 straight Negro National League titles. The Chicago American Giants played in old Comiskey Park, home of the MLB team the Chicago White Sox. The Pittsburgh Crawfords played in the first entirely black-owned ball park, Greenlee Field, and traveled the country in style, in their custom-made bus. The Newark Eagles won the 1946 NNL title, under Effa Manley (the first woman owner-operator to win a championship; she became the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2006). And the Kansas City Monarchs toured the continent with their state-of-the-art portable lighting system. The Kansas City Monarchs would set up shop most anywhere, playing to thousands on a nightly basis. The Monarchs began using lighting for night games in 1930, five years before MLB teams first did. The KC Monarchs ranged throughout the midwest, the upper midwest and Canada. The Monarchs ended up sending more players to Major League Baseball than any other Negro League team. Their star pitcher, Satchel Paige, made more money than most major leaguers. It was an amazing phenomenon, that only ended when blacks were finally able to play in the Major Leagues. In 1947, Jackie Robinson, of the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color barrier, and the Negro Leagues days were numbered. Owners saw their star talent go to the white ball clubs, with no financial compensation. By the mid 1950s, the few surviving Negro League clubs were basically playing exhibition games, and the whole era faded away under the public radar. But the legacy of the Negro Leagues cannot be overstated.

I drew the main map in 2001, using Swiss-made Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils and Rapidograph pens. In 2007, after scanning it, I added the flanking segments. I have included the 17 most prominent Negro Leagues ball clubs.

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1969 MLB Location-map with jersey-logos with 1969 attendances, featuring the ’69 World Series champion New York Mets.
This is my third in a series.
Here are links to the first two posts in this series:
•1967 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’67 World Series champions: the St. Louis Cardinals;
•1968 MLB Location-map with Jersey-logos & Attendances, featuring the ’68 World Series champions: the Detroit Tigers.

The map shows the locations of the 24 Major League Baseball teams of 1969.
At the foot of the map-page are 1969 MLB Statistical Leaders (in both the American League and the National League), in the following categories: ERA, Wins, WAR for Pitchers; Batting Average, Home Runs, RBIs, WAR for Position Players. A photo of each player is shown, with stats; photo credits are at the foot of this post.

At the top of the map-page is a section for the 1969 MLB champions, the New York Mets. I featured photos of the 12 players on the ’69 Mets with the highest WAR [Wins Above Replacement], plus the their manager, Gil Hodges. Photo credits are at the foot of this post. The players are: Tom Seaver (RHP & 1969 Cy Young Award winner), Cleon Jones (LF), Tommie Agee (CF), Jerry Koosman (LHP), Jerry Grote (C), Tug McGraw (LHP/reliever), Gary Gentry (RHP), Bud Harrelson (SS), Art Shamsky (OF/1B/PH), Ron Taylor (RHP/reliever), Don Cardwell (RHP), Ken Boswell (2B).

On the map, next to each MLB team’s location-dot there are 3 things: their cap-logo, one of their jersey-logos (either home or away jersey), and a rectangular box (listing: ballpark, win total in 1969, and home average attendance in ’69). The jersey-logos are either from a photo of the old jerseys (see 22 photo credits at the foot of this post) or illustrations of such: one (California Angels) from sportslogos.net; one (Detroit Tigers) that I drew myself. The jersey-logo for each team is sized to reflect that team’s 1969 average attendance: the larger the jersey-logo, the higher the attendance that year. Any other team logos on the team’s uniforms in 1969 are also shown (specifically, shoulder-patch-logos, of which there were 6 of such in 1969: for the Astros, the Braves, the Cubs, the Mets, the Padres, and the Twins).
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Speaking of shoulder-patch logos, there was another thing going on in Major League Baseball in 1969: the 100th anniversary of the first professional touring baseball club: the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869. A special red-white-&-blue modernist logo was created – reputedly using the formidable silhouette of Minnesota Twins’ slugger Harmon Killebrew. {See this: MLB logo looks like Harmon Killebrew at bat (from 2011, by Pioneer Press/news@pioneerpress.com via twincities.com). Also see this: Who is that silhouetted man? (from 2008, by Paul Lucas at espn.com).} So anyway, this logo, in the form of the Centennial patch, was worn by almost all the MLB teams in 1969 (on at least one of their jerseys that year), except for the Pittsburgh Pirates (I have no idea why, and neither does this baseball card blogger, at wrigleywax.blogspot.com). {To get a quick glance at all those uniforms, here are links to the Baseball Hall of Fame website’s ‘Dressed to the Nines’ database’s 1969 pages: 1969 AL; 1969 NL (illustrations by Marc Okkonen).} If you are wondering about the Cubs, in the illustration in the preceding link, the logo is not visible, as it is located on the raised shoulder that is holding the bat. But I included an image of the logo on the Cubs’ road jersey on the map here. I included several of the MLB-100th-anniversary-logos on the map, on the jerseys of the A’s, Astros, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Indians, and Mets. This MLB-100th-anniversary logo, in a very slightly altered form, has become the official MLB logo to this day. And each MLB team wears a version of this logo on the back of their ball caps, done in team colors.
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1969 MLB expansion & Divisional re-organization…

Major League Baseball’s 1969 season was the first season of the Divisional Era.
1969 also saw a 4-team expansion – MLB’s third expansion of the decade. The Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots joined the American League; the Montreal Expos and the San Diego Padres joined the National League. [Note: the Seattle Pilots relocated to Milwaukee, WI as the Milwaukee Brewers just one year later (in 1970); the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, DC as the Washington Nationals 36 years later (in 2005).] So in 1969, the now-12-team AL, and the now-12-team NL were divided into two 6-team divisions each, with those divisional winners playing in a best-of-5-series, the winners, of course, advancing to the World Series.
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Brief re-cap of the 1969 regular season…
The American League saw no real divisional title-races in 1969. The Baltimore Orioles, with an MLB-best record of 109-53, won the AL East easily, by 19 games, and then, in the new playoffs, swept the AL West champion Minnesota Twins in 3 games. In the National League East, the once-hapless New York Mets, who had never had a winning record in their 7 seasons, came back from 9 games behind the Chicago Cubs, going 37-11 down the stretch. In their relatively new, 5-year-old venue, Shea Stadium (which they shared with the NFL’s New York Jets), the Mets drew the biggest crowds in all of baseball that year, drawing 26.5 K per game. The Mets went 100-62, and beat out the faltering Cubs by 8 games to win the NL East title. The NL West saw an unusual 5-team divisional race, with the Astros dropping out first, then the Dodgers and the Reds fell off, while the Giants and the Braves battled it out until the second-to-last day. The Atlanta Braves won the NL West, but then were swept by the Mets in the playoffs. But going into the Fall Classic, the Baltimore Orioles were the oddsmakers’ choice, and were heavy favorites to win the World Series over the New York Mets…
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1969 World Series: New York Mets beat Baltimore Orioles in 5 games…

The “Amazin’ Mets” beat the heavily-favored Orioles, in a huge upset. The 8th-year Mets became the first expansion-team to win the World Series. There were spectacular catches by two Mets outfielders (Tommie Agee & Ron Swoboda – see below). The Mets’ Donn Clendenon hit 3 HRs, and was the MVP. Tom Seaver, Gary Gentry, and Jerry Koosman all pitched effectively for the Mets, with Koosman winning twice, including the Game 5 clincher (see below).
-Here is a 9-minute video of the 1969 WS, 1969 World Series – Baltimore Orioles versus New York Mets (video uploaded by Scott Gordon at youtube.com).
-Here is a 40-minute video on the ’69 Mets (with much sharper video images), 1969 World Series Film New York Mets (video uploaded by Sports Revisited at youtube.com).

Photos and Images above – 1969 NY Mets/Shea Stadium WS pin-logo from sportslogos.net. Aerial shot of Shea Stadium (circa late 1960s, and probably taken during the 1969 WS), photo unattributed at flickr.com. Tommie Agee’s two catches (game 3)…1st catch: photo unattributed at centerfieldmaz.com; 2nd catch: unattributed at thisdayinbaseball.com. Ron Swoboda catch (game 4), unattributed at slicethelife.com. Donn Clendenon in ’69 WS, photo by Herb Scharfman/Getty Images at gettyimages.com. Jerry Koosman pitching in ’69 WS, photo unattributed at mets.tumblr.com. Nolan Ryan & Jerry Grote celebrate on the mound, photo unattributed at centerfieldmaz.com. View from 3rd-base-side box seats as Mets (and their fans) begin their celebration, photo by AP via nydailynews.com.
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Photos of Mets players on map page…
-Tom Seaver, photo unattributed at theathletic.com.
-Cleon Jones, photo by AP via newsday.com.
-Tommie Agee, photo unattributed at sabr.org.
-Jerry Koosman, Topps 1969 card via amazon.com.
-Tug McGraw, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images via risingapple.com.
-Jerry Grote, photo unattributed at metsinsider.mlblogs.com.
-Bud Harrelson, photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images at gettyimages.in.
-Gary Gentry, photo unattributed at posterazzi.com.
-Art Shamsky, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@artshamsky].
-Ron Taylor, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Don Cardwell, photo by Eric Sckweikardt/Sports Illustrated via gettyimages.in.
-Ken Boswell, Topps 1969 card via picclick.com.
-Gil Hodges (manager), photo unattributed at metsmerizedonline.com.
-1969 NY Mets uniforms, illustration by Marc Okkonen at exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines.

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Photos of 1969 MLB leaders on map page…
-Dick Bosman, 1970 Topps card via tcdb.com.
-Juan Marichal, photo unattributed at twitter.com/[@sfgiants].
-Denny McLain, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Tom Seaver, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Denny McLain, photo unattributed at pinterest.com.
-Bob Gibson, photo unattributed at lehmansbaseball.wordpress.com.
-Rod Carew, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Pete Rose, photo unattributed at cardboardmemories.com.
-Harmon Killebrew, photo unattributed at twinstrivia.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo unattributed at first-draft.com.
-Harmon Killebrew, photo by Neil Leifer at si.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo unattributed at cooperstownexpert.com.
-Rico Petrocelli, Topps 1969 card at ebay.com.
-Henry Aaron, Sports Illustrated cover [Aug. 13 1969] at sicovers.com.
-Willie McCovey, photo by Diamond Images/Getty Images via gettyimages.de.
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Photos of jersey-logos used on the map-page…
-Tom Seaver 1969 NY Mets road jersey, from worthpoint.com. -Tom Seaver 1969 NY Mets home jersey, from greyflannelauctions.com.
-Atlanta Braves 1969 home jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Baltimore Orioles 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com
-Boston Red Sox home jersey-logo, photo from sports.ha.com.
-Chicago Cubs 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Chicago White Sox 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Cincinnati Reds 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Cleveland Indians 1969 road jersey, from lelands.com via nallhal.top.
-Houston Astros 1969 road jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-Kansas City Royals 1969 road jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-Los Angeles Dodgers 1969 road jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Minnesota Twins home jersey circa 1968-71, from lelands.com.
-Montreal Expos 1969 road jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-New York Mets 1969 home jersey, from mitchellandness.com.
-New York Yankees road jersey circa 1967-71, from customthrowbackjerseys.com.
-Oakland A’s 1969 road alternate jersey, from customthrowbackjerseys.com. -Philadelphia Phillies 1969 home jersey, from worthpoint.com.
-Pittsburgh Pirates ca. 1967-69 road jersey, photo from lelands.com.
-1968 St. Louis Cardinals jersey-logo, photo from scpauctions.com.
-San Diego Padres 1969 home jersey, from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-1969 San Francisco Giants road jersey, photo from Heritage Auctions at sports.ha.com.
-Seattle Pilots 1969 road jersey, from scpauctions.com.
-Washington Senators 1969 road jersey, from mlbcollectors.com.
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Thanks to all at the following links…
-Base map, by US federal government employee at commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:StatesU.svg.
-Baseball-Reference.com.
-1969 Major League Baseball season (en.wikipedia.org).