The Eighties Club
The Politics and Pop Culture of the 1980s
MLB 1981
The Standings
American League
Games
Won
Lost
Pct.
GB
East
Milwaukee Brewers
Baltimore Orioles
New York Yankees
Detroit Tigers
Boston Red Sox
Cleveland Indians
Toronto Blue Jays

109
105
107
109
108
103
106

62
59
59
60
59
52
37

47
46
48
49
49
51
69

.569
.562
.551
.550
.546
.505
.349

--
1.0
2.0
2.0
2.5
7.0
23.5
West
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
California Angels
Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins

109
105
106
103
110
110
110

64
57
54
50
51
44
41

45
48
52
53
59
65
68

.587
.543
.509
.485
.464
.404
.376

--
5.0
8.5
11.0
13.5
20.0
23.0
AL Championship Series
(best of 5 games)
New York 3, Oakland 0
MVP: Graig Nettles
National League
Games
Won
Loss
Pct.
GB
East
St. Louis Cardinals
Montreal Expos
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets
Chicago Cubs

103
108
107
103
105
106

59
60
50
46
41
38

43
48
48
56
62
65

.578
.556
.551
.451
.398
.369

--
2.0
2.5
13.0
18.5
21.5
West
Cincinnati Reds
Los Angeles Dodgers
Houston Astros
San Francisco Giants
Atlanta Braves
San Diego Padres

108
110
110
111
107
110

66
63
61
56
50
41

42
47
49
55
56
69

.611
.573
.555
.505
.472
.373

--
4.0
6.0
11.5
15.0
26.0
NL Championship Series
(best of 5 games)
Los Angeles 3, Montreal 2
MVP: Burt Hooton
1981 World Series
(10.20.81-10.28.81)
Los Angeles Dodgers (4) vs New York Yankees (2)
Game 1 (New York): Yankees 5 (Guidry), Dodgers 3 (Reuss)
Game 2 (New York): Yankees 3 (John), Dodgers 0 (Hooton)
Game 3 (Los Angeles): Dodgers 5 (Valenzuela), Yankees 4 (Frazier)
Game 4 (Los Angeles): Dodgers 8 (Howe), Yankees 7 (Frazier)
Game 5 (Los Angeles): Dodgers 2 (Reuss), Yankees 1 (Guidry)
Game 6 (New York): Dodgers 9 (Hooton), Yankees 2 (Frazier)

Series Summary: They had met ten times before to determine baseball's champion team, and the Yankees had won eight times, the Dodgers twice. Most recently, in 1978, the Yankees had lost the first two games of the series, only to beat the Dodgers in the next four outings. This time, though, exactly the reverse would happen. The Yanks roared into Game 1 having swept the Oakland A's in the Championship Series, and in the very first inning Bob Watson hit a three-run homer against Dodger lefthander Jerry Reuss. Despite an eighth inning rally by the Dodgers, the Yankees prevailed in the opener by a score of 5-3. In Game 2, former Dodger Tommy John, with help from Goose Gossage, allowed the Dodgers just four hits and no runs. But in Game 3, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda sent in rookie sensation Fernando Valenzuela. It wasn't Valenzuela's best outing -- he gave up nine hits, including homers by Watson and Rick Cerone, but the Dodger bats came to the rescue, particularly Ron Cey's three-run homer in the first, and Los Angeles won on its home turf, 5-4. The Dodgers fell behind 6-3 in Game 4, but once again the bats were working; pinch-hitter Jay Johnstone nailed a two-run homer and the rest of the lineup manufactured hits with singles and stolen bases. Yank Reggie Jackson homered in the eighth to make it 8-7, but the Dodgers held on and the series was tied at 2. Game 5 was a pitcher's duel between the Dodgers' Reuss and the Yankees' Ron Guidry; Steve Yeager and Pedro Guerrero hit back-to-back homers in the seventh to give the Dodgers a 2-1 victory. Back in Yankee Stadium, Yank Manager Bob Lemon used a pinch-hitter for starting pitcher Tommy John in the fourth, and the Dodgers proceeded to hit off reliever George Frazier, scoring three runs in the fifth and going on to clinch the series with a 9-2 rout. Frazier tied a series record with three defeats. -- JM

MVP(s): Dodger hitters Pedro Guerrero (.333, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Steve Yeager (.286, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and Ron Cey (.350, 1 HR, 6 RBI).

The All-Star Game
NL 5, AL 4
8.9.81
Cleveland, OH (Municipal Stadium)
Attendance: 72,086
MVP: Gary Carter

AL All-Stars
Tony Armas (Oakland), Len Barker (Cleveland), Buddy Bell (Texas), George Brett (Kansas City), Rick Burleson (California), Britt Burns (Chicago), Rod Carew (California), Doug Corbett (Minnesota), Ron Davis (New York), Bucky Dent (New York), Bo Diaz (Cleveland), Dwight Evans (Boston), Rollie Fingers (Milwaukee), Carlton Fisk (Chicago), Ken Forsch (California), Rich Gossage (New York), Reggie Jackson (New York), Fred Lynn (California), Scott McGregor (Baltimore), Jack Morris (Detroit), Eddie Murray (Baltimore), Mike Norris (Oakland), Al Oliver (Texas), Tom Paciorek (Seattle), Willie Randolph (New York), Ted Simmons (Milwaukee), Ken Singleton (Baltimore), Dave Stieb (Toronto), Gorman Thomas (Milwaukee), Frank White (Kansas City), Dave Winfield (New York)

NL All-Stars
Dusty Baker (Los Angeles), Bruce Benedict (Atlanta), Vida Blue (San Francisco), Bill Buckner (Chicago), Steve Carlton (Philadelphia), Gary Carter (Montreal), David Concepcion (Cincinnati), Andre Dawson (Montreal), Mike Easler (Pittsburgh), George Foster (Cincinnati), Phil Garner (Pittsburgh), Steve Garvey (Los Angeles), Pedro Guerrero (Los Angeles), Burt Hooton (Los Angeles), Terry Kennedy (San Diego), Bob Knepper (Houston), Davey Lopes (Los Angeles), Bill Madlock (Pittsburgh), Dave Parker (Pittsburgh), Tim Raines (Montreal), Pete Rose (Philadelphia), Dick Ruthven (Philadelphia), Nolan Ryan (Houston), Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia), Tom Seaver (Cincinnati), Ozzie Smith (San Diego), Bruce Sutter (St. Louis), Manny Trillo (Philadelphia), Fernando Valenzuela (Los Angeles), Joel Youngblood (New York)


"The American League almost got a reprieve in '81. Because of a players' strike that ran from June 12 to July 31 (with teams resuming play August 10), the original All-Star Game on July 14 was canceled. Instead, the game reset as a prelude to resuming play.
"All that aside, the result was another NL victory. Oh, the AL was leading -- All-Star business as usual -- until the eighth. Rollie Fingers walked Ozzie Smith. With Mike Easler at bat, Smith stole second and, when the throw went into center field, Smith took out for third. He was caught in a rundown and tagged out. Easler walked. Mike Schmidt pounded the ball, hitting the two-run game-winner."
-- The Sporting News

 Highlights of 1981
American League
The Oakland Athletics set a major league record by opening the season with eleven consecutive wins.
Len Barker pitched the ninth perfect game in major league history, striking out 11 and leading the Cleveland Indians to a 3-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers became the first relief pitcher in American League history to win the league's MVP award.
The New York Yankees signed Stanford University outfielder John Elway to a minor league contract. Elway would opt to play professional football with the Denver Broncos.
National League
Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies became the first lefthander in major league history to record 3,000 strikeouts.
Los Angeles pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became the first rookie ever to win the Cy Young Award.
Mike Schmidt became only the third National League player to win back-to-back league MVP awards. (Ernie Banks and Joe Morgan were the other two.)
and...
On May 29, the executive board of the Players' Association voted unanimously to strike. The strike, beginning on June 12 and ending July 31, became the longest labor dispute in American sports history. A total of 706 games were canceled.

AL
Pitching: Complete Games--Oakland (60).....ERA--New York (2.90).....Fewest Hits Allowed -- New York (827).....Fewest Home Runs Allowed--New York (64).....Fewest Walks Allowed--Kansas City (273).....Saves--Milwaukee (35).....Shutouts--TIE, Detroit, New York & Texas (13).....Strikeouts--New York (606)
Hitting: Bases on Balls--TIE, Baltimore & Detroit (404).....Batting Average--Boston (.275) .....Doubles--Texas (178).....Hits--Boston (1,052).....Home Runs--Oakland 104).....On Base Percentage--Boston (.343).....Runs--Boston (519).....Slugging Average--Boston (.399).....Stolen Bases--Cleveland (119).....Triples--Minnesota (36)

NL
Pitching: Complete Games--Los Angeles (26).....ERA--Houston (2.67).....Fewest Hits Allowed--Houston (842).....Fewest Home Runs Allowed--Houston (40).....Fewest Walks Allowed--Montreal (268).....Saves--San Francisco (33).....Shutouts--TIE, Houston & Los Angeles (19).....Strikeouts--Houston (610)
Hitting: Bases on Balls--San Francisco (386).....Batting Average--Philadelphia (.273) .....Doubles--Cincinnati (190).....Hits--Philadelphia (1,002).....Home Runs--Los Angeles (82).....On Base Percentage--Philadelphia (.344).....Runs--Philadelphia (491)..... Slugging Average--Philadelphia (.389).....Stolen Bases--Montreal (138).....Triples--St. Louis (45)


Individual Leaders -1981

AL
NL
At-Bats
Jim Rice, Boston (451)
Ozzie Smith, San Diego (450)
Bases on Balls (Hitting)
Dwight Evans, Boston (85)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (73)
Bases on Balls (Pitching)
Jack Morris, Detroit (78)
Bruce Berenyi, Cincinnati (77)
Batting Average
Carney Lansford, Boston (.336)
Bill Madlock, Pittsburgh (.341)
Complete Games
Rick Langford, Oakland (18)
Fernando Valenzuela, LA (11)
Doubles
Cecil Cooper, Milwaukee (31)
Bill Buckner, Chicago (35)
Earned Run Average
Steve McCatty, Oakland (2.33)
Nolan Ryan, Houston (1.69)
Games Pitched
Doug Corbett, Minnesota (54)
Gary Lucas, San Diego (57)
Hits
Rickey Henderson, Oakland (135)
Pete Rose, Philadelphia (140)
Home Runs
Tony Armas, Oakland (22)
Dwight Evans, Boston (22)
Bobby Grich, California (22)
Eddie Murray, Baltimore (22)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (31)
Innings Pitched
Dennis Leonard, KC (201.2)
Fernando Valenzuela, LA (192.1)
Runs Batted In
Eddie Murray, Baltimore (78)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (91)
Runs Scored
Rickey Henderson, Oakland (89)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (78)
Saves
Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee (28)
Bruce Sutter, St. Louis (25)
Shutouts
Richard Dotson, Chicago (4)
Ken Forsch, California (4)
Steve McCatty, Oakland (4)
Don Medich, Texas (4)
Fernando Valenzuela, LA (8)
Slugging Percentage
Bobby Grich, California (.543)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (.644)
Stolen Bases
Rickey Henderson, Oakland (56)
Tim Raines, Montreal (71)
Strikeouts (Pitching)
Len Barker, Cleveland (127)
Fernando Valenzuela, LA (180)
Total Bases
Dwight Evans, Boston (215)
Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia (228)
Triples
John Castino, Minnesota (9)
Craig Reynolds, Houston (12)
Gene Richards, San Diego (12)
Wins
Dennis Martinez, Baltimore (14)
Steve McCatty, Oakland (14)
Jack Morris, Detroit (14)
Pete Vuckovich, Milwaukee (14)
Tom Seaver, Cincinnati (14)